Open Call for SoilScape Grant Programme

Objectives

• Understanding human-soil relations and perceptions
• Building eight (8) national networks (Soil Orchestras) with at least 120 participants
• Empowering citizens and professionals to positively care about and for soil
• Providing financial and technical support to CSOs, CCIs, schools, artists, and institutions
• Extending the SOILSCAPE network beyond Europe and implementing knowledge and practice sharing activities

Categories

• SoilScape FSTP
  • This category includes the selection of twelve sub-projects at different geographic scales (local, national, transnational) within three specific strands of action, lasting six, twelve or eighteen months. The three strands include:
    • Develop innovative communication campaigns
    • Organize and promote artistic-soil related activities
    • Deploy innovative, creative, and participatory methodologies to engage citizens with soil protection and preservation
• Soil Orchestra FSTP
• FSTP Structure of Soil Orchestra and its conductor:
  • Italy: Clust-ER Create (CER):
    • The FSTP for the Italian Soil Orchestra will fund three (3) sub-projects aiming to develop creative tools to increase soil literacy among children and the general public and that will be demonstrated during the Italian Soilscape Festival. A single project will be selected from each of the following three (3) activity categories:
      • Workshop lab tools
      • Artistic Show/performance
      • Educational video game
  • Germany: German Soil Science Society (DBG)/ University of Göttingen (UGOE)
    • The FSTP for the German Soil Orchestra will fund three (3) sub-projects aiming to develop creative, arts-based contributions to animate the German Soilscape Festival, that will engage participants with soil related themes. A single project will be selected from the following each of the three (3) activity categories:
      • Performing arts
      • Visual arts
      • Film
  • Poland: European Rural Development Network (ERDN)
    • The FSTP for the Polish Soil Orchestra will fund three (3) sub-projects aiming to develop creative, arts-based contributions to animate the Mazovia Soilscape Festival (Poland), aiming to engage participants with soil related themes. A single project will be selected from the following three (3) activity categories:
      • Stage performance
      • Exhibition
      • Workshop
  • France: Association Française pour l’étude du sol (AFES)
    • The FSTP for the French Soil Orchestra will fund three (3) sub-projects aiming to develop creative, arts-based contributions to animate at least one (1) edition of the French Soilscape Festival, aiming to engage participants with soil related themes. The three (3) highest ranked proposals of different animation types will be selected.
  • Bulgaria: Cleantech Bulgaria (CTBG)
    • The FSTP for the Bulgarian Soil Orchestra will fund three (3) sub-projects aiming to develop creative, arts-based contributions to animate the Bulgarian Soilscape Festival, aiming to engage participants with soil related themes. The three (3) highest ranked proposals of different animation types will be selected.
  • Finland: LUT University (LUT)
    • The FSTP for the Finnish Soil Orchestra will fund three (3) sub-projects aiming to support the development of a strong art-soil ecosystem in Finland and offer creative animation to the Finnish Soilscape Festival. These projects will become ‘artist ambassadors’ for the Finnish ACSO and should develop and deliver creative outputs that engage audiences across Finland through three (3) complimentary components:
      • Presentations/Demonstrations: Showcase artistic or creative interpretations of soil-related themes.
      • Artist ‘Talk Backs’: Facilitate discussions with audiences to share insights and foster dialogue about their work.
      • Technical Outreach: Offer educational or skill-based activities to connect artistic practices with soil science and broader community understanding.
  • Switzerland: The Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL)
    • The FSTP for the Swiss Soil Orchestra will fund three (3) sub-projects aiming to develop creative, arts-based contributions to animate the Swiss Soilscape Festival, that will engage participants with soil related themes. A single project will be selected from the following three (3) activity categories:
      • Visual arts exhibition
      • Educational video game
      • Film
  • Portugal: The Serralves Foundation (SRV)
    • The FSTP for the Portuguese Soil Orchestra will fund three (3) projects aiming to develop creative, arts-based contributions to animate the Portuguese Soilscape Festival, aiming to engage participants with soil related themes. The three (3) highest ranked proposals of different animation types will be selected.

Funding Information

• To do so, the project has allocated 2,010,000€ for an elaborate FSTP scheme that will support individual applicants and small consortia (up to three (3) partners) in the following two (2) categories:
  • SoilScape FSTP
  • This category includes the selection of twelve (12) sub-projects in total at different geographic scales (local, national, transnational) within three (3) specific strands of action, lasting six (6), twelve (12) or eighteen (18) months. In particular, the 12 projects to be selected in this category includes:
    • One (1) transnational sub-project (max 150,000€) for each of the three (3) strands. Therefore, a total of three (3) sub-projects will be selected at this scale.
    • One (1) national sub-project (max 100,000€) for each of the three (3) strands. Therefore, a total of three (3) sub-projects will be selected at this scale.
    • Two (2) local scale sub-projects (max 50, 000€) for each of the three (3) strands. Therefore, a total of six (6) sub-projects will be selected at this scale.
• Soil Orchestra FSTP
  • This category includes the selection of twenty-four (24) sub-projects in total with actions taking place within each of the 8 Soil Orchestras (3 per country). In particular, the 24 projects to be selected in this category includes:
    • Three (3) sub-projects (max 40,000€) in each of the eight (8) Soil Orchestras. Therefore, a total of twenty-four (24) sub-projects will be selected for this category.
    • The implementation period for all Soil Orchestra FSTP projects is eighteen (18) months.

Eligibility Criteria

• The SOILSCAPE Open Call is open to legal entities from countries eligible for Horizon Europe funding.
• Legal entity in an eligible country.
• Uniqueness of the proposal (one proposal per applicant/ consortium).
• Existing members of the SOILSCAPE project and their affiliated entities are not eligible for the SOILSCAPE Open Call.
• The proposal and supporting documents are submitted before the deadline and follow the submission procedure described from Horizon Europe eligible countries will be accepted.
• Proposals shall only ask for funding for that part of the work that is not yet accomplished and will be carried out after having been selected for funding. Of course, this does not exclude the usage of e.g., results, Intellectual Property (IP), infrastructures or approaches already held by the applicants.
• An applicant is allowed to submit a proposal for both categories of the Open Call— SOILSCAPE FSTP and Soil Orchestra FSTP—as long as the content of each proposal is distinct. However, only one proposal per applicant can be selected for funding in each category. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the scope, objectives, and activities described in the two proposals do not overlap.
• Each party is allowed to participate in only one proposal per Open Call category. If an applicant is found to be involved in multiple applications for the same Open Call category, all submitted proposals will be disqualified.

For more information, visit SoilScape.