As we come to the end of the year, here are a few updates from Cluster 6 in 2024 and also looking forward to 2025.  

Summary of Cluster 6 successes in 2024

The main calls in Cluster 6 in 2024 closed in February with 128 proposals submitted involving an Irish partner. Congratulations to those researchers who were part of the 24 funded proposals worth a total of €15.9M. Of these, five are being led by Irish partners as the coordinator of the projects, and you can find out more about these projects here:

- PALUdiculture large-Scale DEMOnstrationS (PALUS DEMOS)

- Including Nature in decision making of central Banks, investment Benchmarks & Bond issuers (Nature-     3B)

- Farmer-focused Biodiversity and Agricultural Knowledge Network (FarmBioNet)

- European Food Fraud Community of Practice: From Outset to Operation (EFF-CoP)

- Manufacturing guiding tool for circular and programmed biodegradable materials under open            environment conditions (MagicBiomat)

As always, information on proposals, call outcomes, funded projects and lots more is available through the Horizon Europe Dashboard. 

Open calls – Cities Mission

Before next year’s Cluster 6 calls are announced (see below), there is still an open funding opportunity as part of the EU Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities. The Cities Mission is supporting 100 cities from the 27 EU Member States, and 12 cities from countries associated, or with the potential of being associated to Horizon Europe, in their transformation towards climate neutrality by 2030. A total of EUR 98 million is available under a the call which has a deadline of 11 February 2025. The call covers four topics:

- Rethinking urban spaces towards climate neutrality

- Zero-pollution cities

- Mobility management plans and behavioural change

- Integrated peri-urban areas in the transition towards climate neutrality.

Cluster 6 Work Programme 2025 Update

The next Cluster 6 Work Programme will be for one year with calls to run in 2025. The draft work programme has been finalised and will now proceed through a number of approval steps, with adoption expected in Q2 2025. The tentative timeline for calls in 2025 will be to launch in Q2 and with deadlines in Q3, across all destinations in the Cluster:

- Biodiversity and ecosystem services

- Fair, healthy and environment-friendly food systems from primary production to consumption      

- Circular economy and bioeconomy sectors

- Clean environment and zero pollution

- Land, ocean and water for climate action

- Resilient, inclusive, healthy and green rural, coastal and urban communities

- Innovative governance, environmental observations and digital solutions in support of the Green                   Deal.

If you have questions about what topics might be included in the Destinations, do get in touch with us.  

New Commission Announced

While the Work Programme for 2025 will be made available in the coming months, we can also glean potential future directions for Horizon Europe from the policy priorities set out for the newly announced commissioners. Relevant to Cluster 6, the Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, Jessika Roswall will lead the work on protecting our natural world and boosting our circular economy, focusing on incentives, investment and implementation. Her mission letter, sets out priorities including a European Water Resilience Strategy, incentives for nature positive actions and development of the Climate Adaptation Plan. Mission letters are available for all members of the new College of Commissioners. 

Getting started in Cluster 6

At the excellent Horizon Europe Impact Conference in the Convention Centre Dublin on 5 December, speakers gave top tips for researchers who want to learn more about the Horizon Europe Funding landscape. A number of speakers recommended that researchers register as an expert – not only will you learn about different funding instruments, you will have the opportunity to evaluate cutting-edge proposals and to network with colleagues. Find out more and sign up on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. 

Upcoming Events

There will be lots of information days organised in 2025 as work programmes are finalised and adopted. In the meantime, you might want to note the following one in your diary:   

3-7 March 2025, Brussels: European Ocean Days 2025 (annual Mission Forum for the EU Mission Ocean and Waters and event on freshwater and source-to-sea)