The Mission launched its call for proposals and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) in conjunction with Enterprise Ireland, encourages eligible Irish applicants to submit research proposals to this call, which has a total budget of €62 million.    

It aims to create 100 living labs (places for on-the-ground experiments) and lighthouses (sites for showcasing good practices) to lead the transition towards healthy soils by 2030. Currently, about 60% of soils in the EU are considered to be unhealthy (see Dashboard of the European Soil Observatory).

The Mission is also implementing an ambitious research and innovation programme, promoting harmonised soil monitoring in the EU, and increasing public awareness and engagement in soil protection and restoration. Activities under the Mission aim at finding solutions to major soil health challenges in rural and urban areas and contribute to its specific objectives: 

1. Reduce desertification

2. Conserve soil organic carbon stock

3. Stop soil sealing and increase re-use of urban soils

4. Reduce soil pollution and enhance restoration

5. Prevent erosion

6. Improve soil structure to enhance soil biodiversity

7. Reduce the EU global footprint on soils

8. Improve soil literacy in society

Since its launch in September 2021, three Work Programmes (WPs) with calls for proposals have been published under the Mission. The first projects under WP 2021 (amounting to €63 million of EU funding) are up and running.

Ireland was involved in the National engagement activities to support the launch of the Mission 'A Soil Deal for Europe’ 100 Living Labs and Lighthouses (NATI00NS).

Earlier this year, Ireland was responsible for, the EU Soil Mission going global in the framework of the Agriculture Innovation Mission (AIM) for Climate Summit. At the AIM for Climate Summit in Washington DC, the Soil Mission was presented to an international audience to showcase European research and innovation investments in soil health. Mission activities on carbon farming and examples of national initiatives for sustainable management from Denmark, Ireland and the Netherlands served as a basis for wider discussions on the role of soil management for promoting climate-smart agriculture. 

New funding opportunities are still open to contribute to the Soil Mission! Deadline: 20 September 2023.

Proposals can be submitted under nine different topics addressing:  the subsoil, soil pollution and digital tools, innovations to prevent and combat desertification, soil-friendly practices in horticulture, spatial planning, cultural and creative initiatives for bringing communities closer to soil and establishing the first wave of living labs. 

·                Learn more about the nine open calls  

·                Watch the recordings of the info days for potential applicants  

Proposals can also be submitted under two joint calls with the Mission ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030’ and the Mission ‘Adaptation to Climate Change’. 

Joint demonstration of an integrated approach to increasing landscape water retention capacity at regional scale  

Joint demonstration of approaches and solutions to address nutrient pollution in the landscape-river-sea system in the Mediterranean Sea Basin