New Horizon Europe research call allocates €230 million towards nature and biodiversity

The European Commission has launched a new €230 million research and innovation call under Horizon Europe

Published on 2 October by the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD), the call supports the European Union’s priorities on food security, water, nature and sustainable prosperity.

Supporting biodiversity research across Europe

The funding will increase investment in biodiversity research and innovation across Pillar II of Horizon Europe’s 2026–2027 Work Programme. It will also support research into the cause of biodiversity decline and practical solutions that can help ecosystems recover and become more resilient.

The call includes 10 research and innovation topics covering a wide range of environmental challenges.

Ten areas of research

Some priorities include research into the effects of PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Other topics will examine how clean and digital industries can affect biodiversity and explore ways to ensure their development delivers greater environmental benefits.

The programme will also support systemic approaches to accelerating transformative change for biodiversity, research into the drivers of invertebrate decline and new approaches to ecosystem restoration.

Living labs will also play an important role, with funding available to co-create restoration solutions, overcome implementation barriers, and improve resilience to environmental risks.

Other areas include developing innovative approaches to combat wildlife trafficking and invasive alien species, creating cost-effective biodiversity monitoring systems and advancing data-driven research at the biodiversity and health interface through a One Health approach.

The final topic focuses on strengthening the Global Ocean Observing System to support climate resilience, biodiversity conservation and Europe’s strategic autonomy.

Opportunities for potential applicants

The call will be presented during the Horizon Europe Horizontal Activities info day on 16 October 2026. The online event will cover the policy objectives behind the call, the topics available for applications, and key considerations around project design, impact, and implementation.

Participants will also have opportunities to ask questions through interactive Q&A sessions.

Researchers and organisations looking for potential collaborators can also take part in a Nature call brokerage event on 19 October, organised by the CARE4BIO project and the Cluster 6 National Contact Points network.

With €230 million available, the call offers a major opportunity for European research organisations and partners to develop practical solutions to protect biodiversity and build more resilient ecosystems.