Open call

The SOILSCAPE Open Call &  Call for Evaluators are now officially closed.

Stay tuned – the results will be announced in January 2026.

1. SOILSCAPE FSTP
This category includes the selection of twelve (12) sub-projects at different geographic scales (local, national, transnational) within three (3) specific strands of action, lasting six (6), twelve (12) or eighteen (18) 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

2. Soil Orchestra FSTP

In order to support the expansion of the Soil Orchestras and the execution of impactful soil festivals, 960,000€ has been allocated to fund an additional three (3) sub-projects in each of the eight (8) Soil Orchestras. Each of these 24 sub-projects can receive up to 40,000€ and will follow an 18 month implementation period.

FSTP Structure of Soil Orchestra and its conductor

1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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.

6. 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.

7.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

8. 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.

Who can apply

Both categories of the Soilscape Open Call (SOILSCAPE FSTP and Soil Orchestra FSTP) will accept applications from individual applicants and small consortia consisting of up to three (3) parties that can integrate artistic, creative and/or participatory approaches to raise awareness and engagement with soils and their preservation. Applicants are encouraged to build consortia that bring together soil science with artist/creative partners. Only legal entities from Horizon Europe eligible countries will be accepted.

FSTP in numbers

Timeline

The Open Call, launched June 2, 2025 will close September 30, 2025 at 5pm CET with all sub-projects kicking off March 2026.  All projects will follow a three phase implementation: Design, Develop, Validate.

Submission procedure

Applications for the SOILSCAPE Open Call will be submitted digitally through the Open Call Platform (https://opencalls.fund).

Proposals must be delivered before the deadline (September 30, 2025, 5pm CET)

By applying to the SOILSCAPE Open Call, applicants automatically accept the terms and conditions of the Open Call as described in the Open Call kit.

Have questions?

Please direct your enquires to soilscape@opencalls.fund

Open Call Kit

All relevant open call templates and guidelines are provided below.

SOILSCAPE is looking for evaluators

We are looking for independent evaluators who will be able to assess the quality of applications received within the SOILSCAPE Open Call, once it closes. Evaluators must be citizens, or tax residents, of one of the following:
● European -EU nationals Member States (MS) of the European Union (EU), including their outermost regions,
● Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) linked to an EU Member,
● Horizon Europe associated countries, full list here.

Two (2) evaluator profiles are required to effectively review the creative/artistic aspects of proposals within the context of soil. From the pool of potential evaluators that register on the OpenCallFund platform, selections will be made so that each submitted proposal (for both SOILSCAPE and Soil Orchestra FSTP) is evaluated by a pair of evaluators which will include an “Arts” expert and a Soil scientist. Specific requirements for each of these profiles are presented below:

Evaluators profile: ‘Arts’ expert

Required
● Background in arts, cultural programming, creative methodologies, design, transdisciplinary collaboration (intersection of arts-science) and/or a related field.

Desirable qualifications (Additional skills, experience, or knowledge that would be beneficial but are not mandatory)
● Experience in participatory arts, community engagement, creative storytelling, gamification, or digital media.
● Familiarity with public engagement strategies and methods that encourage behavioral change.
● Knowledge or interest in environmental or sustainability-focused creative projects.
● Ability to assess the originality, accessibility, and impact of creative approaches in citizen engagement.
● Experience with project evaluation, grant review, or program assessment is desirable but not mandatory.

Evaluator profile: Soil scientist

Required
● Background in soil science, environmental science, agronomy, ecology, or a related field.
● Ability to assess the scientific accuracy of the messages conveyed in the proposed projects

Desirable qualifications (Additional skills, experience, or knowledge that would be beneficial but are not mandatory)
● Cross-disciplinary knowledge of soils: the components of soil, their main functions, the diversity of services provided by soil and the threats to soil
● Knowledge of the main soil preservation issues in Europe as reflected in the objectives of the Soil Deal mission (e.g. soil degradation, loss of biodiversity, sustainable use of soil).
● Knowledge of citizen science, arts-science approaches, public engagement or participatory approaches in environmental projects.
● Experience in project evaluation, grant review or research evaluation is desirable but not mandatory.

An evaluator should not work for an organisation that has applied or is planning to apply for the SOILSCAPE Open Call, nor in an organisation that is part of the SOILSCAPE consortium .

All evaluators must declare beforehand any known conflicts of interest and must immediately inform the SOILSCAPE Open Call manager if they identify a conflict of interest at any stage of the evaluation process. The evaluator’s contract also requires evaluators to maintain strict confidentiality with respect to the whole evaluation process.

Under no circumstance may an evaluator attempt to contact an applicant on his/her own account, during the evaluation process. Confidentiality rules must be adhered to at all times before, during and after the evaluation. All external evaluators will sign a confidentiality declaration.

All evaluators must adhere to the guiding principles for independent experts set out by the EC including independence, impartiality, objectivity, accuracy and consistency.

The evaluators will be responsible for providing neutral yet technical/scientific reviews of the assigned applications on the following aspects:
● Concept and feasibility
● Creativity and the potential to engage citizens
● Impact and exploitation
● Organizational capacity and sufficiency in the team’s background

The full evaluation criteria for both categories can be found in the open call kit.

More details on becoming an evaluator check out the “Call for evaluators document”

Expression of interest

If you are interested in becoming an evaluator, create an evaluator profile on the opencalls.fund platform, fill in all necessary fields and upload your CV (as .pdf)- the application shouldn’t take you more than 5 minutes!