💰 Funding Details

Funding Description

Call Identifier: `HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-05`

Type of Action: *HORIZON-RIA – Lump Sum Grant*

Opening / Deadline: 06 May 2025 → 17 September 2025, 17:00 (Brussels time)

Maximum EU Contribution per Project: €30 million (lump-sum)

Why this call matters

* Aligns with the EU Zero-Pollution Action Plan and the European Green Deal.

* Targets the *triple planetary crisis* nexus (pollution–biodiversity–climate) in marine environments.

* Requires mandatory EU–India cooperation: at least one Indian legal entity as an *associated partner* (co-funded by India’s Ministry of Earth Sciences).

* Supports implementation of several key directives and initiatives (MSFD, WFD, Biodiversity Strategy 2030, Nature Restoration Regulation, Single-Use Plastics Directive revision, Global Agreement to End Plastic Pollution, UN Decade of Ocean Science).

Budget logic under lump-sum model

* Single global amount covers *all* eligible costs; no cost reporting per cost-category.

* Payment linked to completion of work packages & deliverables – define clear *payment milestones*.

* Allocate risk contingency internally; amendments post-grant are limited under lump-sum.

Indicative EC expectations per funded project

| Cost category | Typical share | Key notes |

| --- | --- | --- |

| Personnel & external experts | 45-55 % | Oceanographers, ecotoxicologists, sensor engineers, policy analysts, data scientists. |

| Equipment & research infrastructures | 15-20 % | In-situ sensors, autonomous vehicles, lab analytics (e.g. high-resolution mass spectrometry). |

| Field campaigns & samples | 10-15 % | EU & Indian coastal and offshore stations; ships of opportunity. |

| Data management & digital twin development | 5-10 % | FAIR repositories, AI-ready datasets. |

| Stakeholder engagement & policy uptake | 3-5 % | Co-creation events with regulators, industry, NGOs. |

| Project management & dissemination | 5-7 % | Mandatory Open Science, Horizon Results Booster, IP strategy. |

*(Percentages are guidance; adjust to consortium needs.)*

📊 Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation Criteria – Expert Lens

| --- | --- | --- | --- |

| Excellence | 1/3 | • Novelty in assessing cumulative pollutant impacts.

• Robust interdisciplinary methodology (omics, sensors, modelling).

• Sound integration of climate change variables. | Overly descriptive state-of-the-art; missing statistical power justification. |

| Impact | 1/3 | • Credible pathway to EU zero-pollution targets and MSFD descriptors.

• Concrete policy uptake routes (white papers, policy briefs, standardisation input).

• EU-India cooperation legacy (e.g. joint research centre, twin PhD programmes). | Vague exploitation plan; no quantified KPIs. |

| Quality & Efficiency of Implementation | 1/3 | • Coherent work plan linked to lump-sum milestones.

• Balanced resources vs. objectives.

• Risk management (fieldwork permits, sample export, data ethics). | Ignoring Indian regulatory constraints; weak data-management plan. |

Thresholds: 4/5 per criterion, 15/15 overall (standard for HE RIA).

📝 Application Strategy

Application Strategy

1. Build a balanced EU–India consortium

1. Map complementary expertise (toxicology, sensor tech, climate modelling, socio-economics).

2. Secure at least one Indian associated partner early – joint governance and sample sharing protocols.

3. Include stakeholders: fisheries, coastal authorities, public health institutes, technology SME for sensor prototyping.

2. Craft a compelling nexus narrative

* Show how you will quantify cocktail effects *and* their modulation by climate stressors (warming, acidification).

* Embed a One-Health perspective linking marine organism health to human exposure (e.g. seafood risk assessments stratified by sex/age).

3. Define clear, measurable impacts

* Scientific: new biomarkers, threshold concentrations, open-access datasets.

* Policy: contributions to MSFD Descriptor 8, input to EU & your country PFAS restrictions, baseline for Global Plastic Treaty negotiators.

* Innovation: TRL 4→6 sensor prototypes, AI-enabled monitoring dashboards for regulators.

4. Exploit synergies & avoid duplication

* Map links to Mission “Restore our Ocean & Waters” projects, Mediterranean Lighthouse, JPI Oceans initiatives.

* Reference ESFRI marine RIs (e.g. EMSO, EuroARGO) and explain data interoperability.

5. Governance & lump-sum compliance

* Break work into payment-linked work packages (e.g. WP1 Sensors, WP2 Field Trials, WP3 Risk Modelling, WP4 Policy Uptake, WP5 Coordination).

* Attach detailed *internal* cost breakdown, even if not submitted, to manage cash-flow.

6. Maximise excellence score

* Publish preliminary proof-of-concept data (pre-prints/Zenodo) before submission.

* Involve renowned scientists as *Scientific Advisory Board*; provide letters of intent.

💡 Success Factors

Early co-design with Indian partners

Jointly define sampling sites, sensor deployment schedules, and capacity-building activities, demonstrating **true bi-directional cooperation**.

Integration of cutting-edge sensors & omics

Combine **real-time sensor networks** with metabolomics/proteomics to trace pollutant pathways, showcasing methodological innovation.

Policy sandbox approach

Create **living labs** where policymakers test scenarios (e.g. PFAS limits, plastic bans) using project data, reinforcing impact credibility.

Robust gender & diversity dimension

Analyse pollutant effects considering **sex-specific and age-specific vulnerabilities** in marine organisms *and* human consumers, aligning with Horizon Europe gender requirements.

FAIR & open science compliance by design

Adopt **FAIR data principles** from day one; deposit pre-standardised datasets in EMODnet/Zenodo with open licences, scoring points in both *Excellence* and *Impact*.

Clear lump-sum risk mitigation plan

Detail internal contingency funds, milestone acceptance criteria, and governance structures to reassure evaluators about **budget realism**.

❌ Common Mistakes to Avoid

Excluding an Indian Legal Entity

Despite the topic text, some consortia forget that **an Indian organisation is mandatory** (as *associated partner*). Proposals are then declared *inadmissible* at the eligibility check.

Generic ‘pollution’ objectives

Listing broad ambitions without specifying **which pollutant classes, concentration ranges, and species** will be studied reduces scientific credibility and scores under *Excellence*.

Ignoring lump-sum implications

Failing to link **deliverables and milestones** to payment triggers leads to an incoherent budget and negative remarks under *Implementation*.

Weak policy-uptake plan

Submitting dissemination activities limited to conferences overlooks the evaluator expectation for **regulatory impact pathways** (e.g. input to MSFD Descriptor 8, PFAS restriction dossiers).

Limited climate interaction analysis

Proposals that treat pollution in isolation and *only mention* climate change do not meet the call’s requirement for analysing **interplay with warming & acidification**.

Underestimating data ethics & Nagoya compliance

Access and benefit-sharing rules for marine genetic resources and cross-border sample transfer (EU ↔ India) require **clear compliance statements**; neglecting this can jeopardise grant signature.

EU-India cooperation on cumulative impacts of marine pollution on marine organisms and ecosystems

Quick Facts for Italy Applicants

Ready to Apply from Italy?

💰 Funding Details

Funding Description

Why this call matters

Budget logic under lump-sum model

Indicative EC expectations per funded project

📊 Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation Criteria – Expert Lens

📝 Application Strategy

Application Strategy

1. Build a balanced EU–India consortium

2. Craft a compelling nexus narrative

3. Define clear, measurable impacts

4. Exploit synergies & avoid duplication

5. Governance & lump-sum compliance

6. Maximise excellence score

💡 Success Factors

Early co-design with Indian partners

Integration of cutting-edge sensors & omics

Policy sandbox approach

Robust gender & diversity dimension

FAIR & open science compliance by design

Clear lump-sum risk mitigation plan

❌ Common Mistakes to Avoid

Excluding an Indian Legal Entity

Generic ‘pollution’ objectives

Ignoring lump-sum implications

Weak policy-uptake plan

Limited climate interaction analysis

Underestimating data ethics & Nagoya compliance

🇮🇹Italy Overview

🏷️ Keywords

🔗 Quick Links

Ready to Apply from Italy?

Frequently Asked Questions

EU-India cooperation on cumulative impacts of marine pollution on marine organisms and ecosystems

Quick Facts for Italy Applicants

Ready to Apply from Italy?

💰 Funding Details

Funding Description

Why this call matters

Budget logic under lump-sum model

Indicative EC expectations per funded project

📊 Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation Criteria – Expert Lens

📝 Application Strategy

Application Strategy

1. Build a **balanced EU–India consortium**

2. Craft a compelling *nexus* narrative

3. Define clear, measurable impacts

4. Exploit synergies & avoid duplication

5. Governance & lump-sum compliance

6. Maximise excellence score

💡 Success Factors

Early co-design with Indian partners

Integration of cutting-edge sensors & omics

Policy sandbox approach

Robust gender & diversity dimension

FAIR & open science compliance by design

Clear lump-sum risk mitigation plan

❌ Common Mistakes to Avoid

Excluding an Indian Legal Entity

Generic ‘pollution’ objectives

Ignoring lump-sum implications

Weak policy-uptake plan

Limited climate interaction analysis

Underestimating data ethics & Nagoya compliance

🇮🇹Italy Overview

🏷️ Keywords

🔗 Quick Links

Ready to Apply from Italy?

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Build a balanced EU–India consortium

2. Craft a compelling nexus narrative