The Soil Mission-funded Nemesis project has launched its Open Call for additional experimental sites. The call aims to strengthen and expand the network of Living Labs focused on improving soil health and combating desertification and land degradation across the Mediterranean.
Through this Open Call, Nemesis will fund and integrate at least one additional experimental site per Living Lab in order to strengthen and expand the network of Living Labs addressing regional soil health challenges in the Mediterranean. Selected applicants will become part of the respective Living Lab and will actively contribute to co-creation, testing and demonstration activities within the Nemesis framework. The Open Call will provide up to EUR 500,000 in total funding, with grants of up to EUR 100,000 per selected third party.
Successful applications will benefit from
- Financial support for expanding the Nemesis LL network.
- Access to LLs knowledge, infrastructure, stakeholder-engagement activities, co-developed practices and tools, project and LL events focusing on desertification & soil degradation
- Scientific and technical mentoring from experts in soil-related challenges, geoinformatics, social science, educational and vocational training, policy recommendation, and innovation.
- Capacity building and skills enhancement through participation in co-creation activities, workshops, networking events, and knowledge exchange processes within the LLs ecosystem
- Increased visibility and policy relevance through participation in an initiative contributing to the EU Mission “A Soil Deal for Europe” and broader EU soil health and environmental objectives.
- Networking opportunities with key ecosystem stakeholders from industry, academia, policy and society.
- Possibility to contribute to the co-design, testing, validation, and demonstration of innovative and transformative soil health solutions in real-world settings.
The Nemesis project is part of the EU Mission “A Soil Deal for Europe”, which supports the restoration of healthy soils across Europe by 2030 through the development of Living Labs. Nemesis creates a network of five autonomous yet connected Living Labs in Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus and North Africa, where stakeholders co-create and test soil management practices designed to combat desertification and land degradation in the Mediterranean.
What Are Living Labs?
The Nemesis Living Labs are local partnerships built around real-life environments. Farmers, scientists, local authorities and citizens work together to test soil management practices, monitor the results, and improve them. Each Living Lab focuses on a specific regional soil health challenge linked to desertification in the Mediterranean.
- Cyprus: soil water management
- France: soil biodiversity
- Italy: soil crops
- Spain: soil pasture
- Tunisia/Algeria: cross-border soil management
Key Dates
- Call opening: 01/06/2026
- Submission deadline: 01/08/2026
- Start of funded projects: 01/10/2026
Application Process
The application process is open to single legal entities, including
- farmers and landowners, farmer cooperatives and producer organisations;
- regional or local public authorities managing relevant land or demonstration sites;
- environmental NGOs with managed demonstration sites;
- applied research institutes with field sites;
- SMEs operating test fields, pilot farms or providing relevant soil-related intervention services.
Proposals must be submitted in English through the Nemesis Open Call webpage. For detailed eligibility criteria, Living Lab-specific requirements and application procedures, please consult the Nemesis Open Call 1 Guidelines for applicants, available on the project website in English as well as in the Living Lab languages.
Contact
For questions related to Nemesis Open Call 1, please contact: opencalls@nemesis-soil.eu.
