Deadline Date: February 04, 2026
The iCOSHELLs project has launched an Open Call to engage new stakeholders and innovative solutions in Living Labs focused on improving soil health across Europe.
The focus areas of the Open Call include reducing soil pollution and promoting soil restoration, improving soil structure and biodiversity, increasing soil literacy within society, stakeholder engagement in Living Labs, co-creation and validation of innovative soil health prototypes, and the development of scalable solutions aligned with the EU Mission “A Soil Deal for Europe.”
The Open Call is divided into six sub-calls, one for each Living Lab, with each sub-call targeting specific stakeholder profiles and prototypes aligned with local Living Lab needs. Successful applicants will become full actors within their respective Living Labs, participating in co-creation activities and testing their prototypes in real-life experimental settings to improve soil health outcomes.
The Open Call provides Financial Support to Third Parties through lump-sum funding covering up to 100 percent of eligible costs. A total of €900,000 will be distributed among beneficiaries, with each selected applicant eligible to receive up to €75,000. At least two applications will be selected per Living Lab, ensuring the inclusion of new stakeholders across all participating regions.
Funded under the Horizon Europe Programme as a Research and Innovation Action, the iCOSHELLs project began in September 2024 and will run for 48 months, supporting the European Commission’s Mission Soil objectives to restore healthy soils by 2030. The project operates through six Living Labs located in the Basque Country, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Sweden, where local stakeholders collaborate to design, test, and validate practical strategies for soil health improvement.
Selected beneficiaries will collaborate closely with the iCOSHELLs consortium, contributing data, participating in Living Lab activities, and benefiting from technical and scientific guidance in soil science, land restoration, circular systems, and monitoring. Participation also offers increased visibility within the EU Mission Soil framework and opportunities to build strong networks for future collaboration and project development.
For more information, visit iCOSHELLs.
