Living labs driving transformative change via knowledge integration and inclusive governance
Horizon Europe · Cluster 6 – Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment · HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-BIODIV-06
Research funding for living labs that test inclusive governance and policy instruments for a nature positive economy.
This call is announced but not open yet. Dates and conditions can still change.
What is this call about?
The topic funds living labs that test inclusive governance models, policy instruments and economic models for a nature positive economy. Proposals address either ecosystems or societal challenges with a broad range of stakeholders.
What does this call fund?
Scope
Projects establish living labs as real-world testing environments for policy solutions, stakeholder engagement and new economic models, and develop inclusive, adaptive governance strategies for a nature positive society and economy.
Activities
- Review policies on direct and indirect drivers of biodiversity loss to find conflicting objectives.
- Analyse legal, financial and institutional barriers to inclusive governance and pilot instruments such as citizens' assemblies, participatory budgeting and, where relevant, nature credits.
- Develop multi-level governance models to integrate nature positive actions into EU policies, and group existing EU communities of practice by ecosystem or societal challenge.
- Develop digital decision-support tools that present nature positive options for a specific local context.
- Offer training for policymakers, community leaders and researchers and coordinate exchanges between living labs.
Areas
Each proposal addresses either Area A (living labs per ecosystem: marine, freshwater or terrestrial) or Area B (living labs per societal challenge: climate change, water, food, health, pollution or spatial planning), and states the chosen area in the application.
Expected outcomes
Governance frameworks that integrate knowledge across ecosystems and societal challenges, and living labs that serve practitioners and public authorities as innovation hubs.
What are the key facts?
- Topic budget
- €14,000,000
- Funding per project
- €7,000,000
- Call code
- HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-BIODIV-06
- Programme
- Horizon Europe
- Funder
- Horizon Europe, Research and Innovation Action
- Expected number of projects
- 2
Who can apply for this call?
- Proposals must implement the multi-actor approach, involving stakeholders such as farmers, foresters, fishing communities, spatial planners, local authorities, NGOs and youth organisations.
- The topic requires an effective contribution of social sciences and humanities.
- Close collaboration with the other project selected under the topic, and close cooperation with the Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity, is expected.
Check your eligibility and how your project fits
In your free account, we check the eligibility conditions against the call documents for your organisation and assess how well your project fits this call.
When is the deadline?
22 September 2027 (320 days)
22 September 2027 (single-stage call).
Interested in this call? Summary written with AI from the official call documents. Details can differ, so check the official call page before you apply. Read the official call documents before you decide. The official text is always binding.
Source: EU Funding & Tenders Portal and the official call documents. Official call page Last updated 6 October 2026.