Living labs driving transformative change via knowledge integration and inclusive governance

Overview

Supports the establishment of living labs to co-create and test governance frameworks, policy solutions, and socio-economic models that integrate biodiversity and climate goals. Targets consortia of researchers, policymakers, businesses, and civil society to drive transformative change toward a nature-positive economy.

Who Can Apply

Consortia of legal entities (e.g., research institutions, public authorities, NGOs, businesses, and community groups) from eligible countries. Proposals must apply the multi-actor approach, involving diverse stakeholders such as farmers, foresters, local authorities, and youth organizations.

Funding Details

• Maximum grant amount: 8,000,000 EUR per project.
• Funding is provided as a lump sum.

What Is Funded

• Establishment of living labs as real-world testing environments for governance frameworks, stakeholder engagement, and economic models.
• Development of inclusive, adaptive governance strategies integrating biodiversity and socio-economic metrics.
• Policy reviews to identify conflicts and propose nature-positive frameworks.
• Piloting of innovative policy instruments (e.g., citizens’ assemblies, participatory budgeting, nature credits).
• Multi-level governance models to integrate nature-positive actions (e.g., restoration, circular economy, regenerative agriculture) into EU policies.
• Digital tools for knowledge synthesis, visualization, and decision-support systems.
• Training for policymakers, community leaders, and researchers on co-governance and knowledge integration.
• Coordination with existing EU-funded communities of practice (e.g., Nature-based Solutions hubs).

Proposals must focus on either Area A: living labs per ecosystem (marine, freshwater, terrestrial) or Area B: living labs per societal challenge (climate change, water, food, health, pollution, spatial planning).

Technology / Maturity Requirements

Projects must operate at Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 4 to 6, demonstrating validation in relevant environments.

Key Dates

• Open date: 2027-04-19
• Deadline: 2027-09-21

Application Process (High-Level)

Single-stage application process via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Proposals must clearly indicate the chosen area (A or B).

Geographic Scope & Language

Eligible countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, United Kingdom, Switzerland. Application language: English.

Notes

• Proposals must ensure collaboration with other projects selected under this topic.
• Gender dimensions and interdisciplinary approaches must be integrated.
• Particular attention should be given to outermost regions.
• Proposals must align with key EU policies (e.g., European Green Deal, EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030, Paris Agreement).
• Close cooperation with the EC Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity (KCBD) is required.