Expected Outcome:

Successful proposals will contribute to the impacts of this destination by improving knowledge and developing innovations, methods, pathways and tools to restore degraded ecosystems ensuring the provision of ecosystem services, including for adaptation and/or mitigation to climate change.

Project results are expected to contribute to all the following expected outcomes:

• The capacities of researchers, policymakers, practitioners and other stakeholders are enhanced, facilitating effective collaboration among research, practice, and policy to co-develop, test, refine and scale up solutions, methods and tools for ecosystem restoration and for their non-deterioration;
• Practice-oriented knowledge and tools are available to stakeholders having to restore ecosystems and to ensure their non-deterioration, and to provide advice, such as to public and private land managers, foresters or environmental NGOs;
• Competent authorities in charge of preparing and updating national restoration plans to implement the EU Nature Restoration Law and of national climate adaptation strategies and plans are aware of effective solutions, methods and tools for ecosystem restoration and they are able to propose appropriate restoration measures;
• Collaborations between actors across territories and sectors are strengthened and consideration of effective solutions for ecosystem restoration and for their non-deterioration in regions where living labs are operating is increased, and business models to finance them are developed;
• Social, economic and environmental co-benefits and trade-offs of nature restoration activities are demonstrated, including for climate mitigation and adaptation.

Scope:

The EU biodiversity strategy for 2030 set the following targets for 2030: significant areas of degraded and carbon-rich ecosystems are restored; habitats and species show no deterioration in conservation trend and status, and at least 30% reach favourable conservation status or at least show a positive trend. The EU Nature Restoration Regulation establishes a framework within which Member States shall put in place effective and area-based restoration measures with the aim to jointly cover, as a Union target, at least 20 % of land areas and at least 20 % of sea areas by 2030, and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050. The European Climate Law requires Member States to adopt and implement national adaptation strategies and plans in which they should promote nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based adaptation. It notably acknowledges that forests are carbon sinks, which contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, while ensuring that forests continue to grow and provide many other services.

Successful proposals are expected to set up living labs which will develop and widely deploy innovative solutions for restoring key ecosystems, which deliver multiple ecosystem functions and services relevant for climate action, including carbon sequestration, regulating water regimes, and other climate adaptation aspects. Proposals under this proposal are expected to combine research on forest and freshwater ecosystems.

Proposals should apply the three main principles of the living labs research concept: (a) co-creating innovative solutions in real-life sites focusing on end-users’ needs; (b) co-deciding / co-creating with end-users all along the project; (c) bringing together actors with complementary knowledge in a targeted combination as best suited to achieve the expected outcomes/objectives of the projects.

Living labs should correspond to the definition of the European Network of Living Labs and involve partners from different backgrounds, disciplines and/or sectors that are most relevant to achieve the project objectives and be composed of at least seven experimental sites. By working together in a living lab, the various partners involved in the different sites will be able to co-develop, experiment, test, replicate and benchmark innovative actions and solutions, compare results, exchange good practices, validate methodologies and benefit from cross-fertilisation within a local/regional setting.

More specifically, proposals should:

• set up at least three living labs to work together on ecosystem restoration, covering forests and freshwater ecosystems. The living labs are expected to be located in at least three different EU Member States and/or Associated Countries. Proposals should describe the rationale for cooperation across the various living labs and among the various stakeholders within the living labs;
• establish a detailed work plan of the activities to be undertaken in a transdisciplinary way, ensuring the co-design, co-development, and co-implementation of locally adapted innovative solutions
• conduct participatory and transdisciplinary research and innovation in living labs with the objective of finding practical solutions to ecosystem restoration, while considering relevant drivers of biodiversity loss, in particular climate change and invasive alien species, and related pressures. Challenges with scaling up and transferability of solutions should be addressed. Proposed strategies and solutions should be adapted to the different environmental, socio-economic and cultural contexts in which the living labs are operating and should consider the cultural and natural heritage. Sites should be selected along a gradient of anthropogenic pressure to evaluate restoration challenges in heterogeneous areas from highly disturbed to relatively intact areas. Action oriented and collaborative approach combining local expertise in economics, ecology and locally created sustainable innovations to capture the full range of knowledge in addition to scientific knowledge should be sought. Gender dimension should be integrated;
• establish for each living lab a satisfactory level for ecosystem condition, in order to allow for an accurate assessment of the conditions and changes and a clear monitoring of progress towards the objectives. Where relevant, the overall objective should be to reach the good conservation status defined in the Habitats or in the Water Framework Directives. Impacts of forestry and forestry practises on freshwater ecosystem health and how changes in forestry practises/management can support the restoration of freshwater ecosystems, including sediments, should be considered;
• monitor and carry out an assessment of the innovative practices for ecosystem restoration and their effectiveness, including the conditions for non-deterioration. This should include a demonstration of the economic viability of the proposed innovative solutions for the end-users and appropriate business models and actions possibly involving local authorities, business communities, SMEs, investors, entrepreneurs should be developed, including with co-funding schemes;
• document the newly developed solutions in an intuitive and accessible way and widely disseminate them in order to facilitate their uptake by practitioners and transmit the acquired knowledge to all relevant actors.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1️⃣ Strong, Mission-Aligned Impact (Most Important Across EC Calls)

The EC is impact-driven: proposals must show how the project will:

Solve a major European or global societal challenge

Deliver measurable, lasting benefits for EU citizens

Produce outputs that can be used by policymakers, industry, or society

Align with Horizon Europe missions, priorities, and strategic agendas

Predictor: Clear, quantifiable, EU-level impact → strongest scoring factor.

2️⃣ Clear, Ambitious, but Achievable Objectives

Successful proposals show:

2–4 well-defined objectives linked to the Work Programme call text

Clearly articulated research questions or innovation goals

Logical, realistic expected outcomes and deliverables

Feasible scientific and technical approaches

Predictor: Balanced ambition + feasibility.

3️⃣ Excellent, Cutting-Edge Science or Innovation

For RIA/IA/CSA or ERC-level grants, reviewers expect:

High novelty and innovation

Strong grounding in current state-of-the-art

Clear advancement beyond existing approaches

Solid theoretical or experimental foundations

Robust methodological design

Predictor: Scientific excellence is essential for competitive scoring.

4️⃣ Strong Consortium with Complementary Expertise

EC proposals are consortium-driven (except ERC/EIC Accelerator).

High-scoring consortia:

Cover all needed competencies (science, industry, policy, ethics, dissemination)

Include SMEs, industry partners, NGOs, and public bodies when relevant

Are geographically diverse across EU Member States and Associated Countries

Demonstrate strong leadership and communication structures

Predictor: Well-constructed consortium with clear roles.

5️⃣ Clear Pathway From Outputs → Outcomes → Impact

Evaluators look for a credible trajectory showing:

How research leads to specific outputs (data, tools, prototypes)

How outputs lead to uptake or use

How use produces societal, economic, scientific, or policy impact

Strong Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and impact metrics

Predictor: Clearly mapped impact pathway.

6️⃣ Strong Implementation Plan (Work Packages, Deliverables, Gantt Chart)

Winning proposals have:

Well-designed Work Packages (WPs) with clear scope and responsibilities

Interdependencies identified and risk-mitigation strategies

Detailed milestones and deliverables

Feasible budget aligned with tasks

Strong project management plan

Predictor: High implementation quality boosts the “Excellence” and “Implementation” scores.

7️⃣ Policy Relevance and Contribution to EU Strategies

Especially critical for health, climate, digital, and social calls.

Proposals score higher when they link to:

EU Cancer Mission

EU Green Deal

Digital Europe strategy

EU Biodiversity Strategy

EU Health Union & One Health

Open Science & FAIR data mandates

Predictor: Clear alignment with EU policies.

8️⃣ Strong Stakeholder & Citizen Engagement (Especially in Social & Health Missions)

EC values inclusivity:

Patient groups

Civil society organizations

Public sector bodies

Regulatory agencies

Citizen science components

Stakeholder letters of intent or commitment strengthen credibility.

Predictor: Engagement adds impact and relevance.

9️⃣ Robust Data Management, Open Science, and Ethics

Mandatory components include:

FAIR Data Management Plan

Open access publications

Ethics self-assessment

GDPR compliance

Data security, governance, and ethical approvals

Animal-use reduction and justification (if applicable)

Predictor: Clear compliance with ethical and data obligations.

10️⃣ Well-Justified Budget and Resource Allocation

Budget must be:

Proportional to tasks

Transparent and reasonable

Efficiently distributed among partners

Free from padding or unjustified costs

Predictor: Realistic budgets improve Implementation scores.

🚫 COMMON PITFALLS THAT LEAD TO EC GRANT REJECTION