Support for applicants

Strengthen your Mission Soil Living Lab proposal

Free guidance, dedicated events, tools and expert support for applicants to the Mission Soil Living Lab funding topics under Horizon Europe.

Discover funding topics

How we support applicants?

Each new funding call is a chance for soil managers, researchers, foresters, farmers, local authorities, NGOs, businesses and citizens to come together and test solutions in real-life settings. Building a successful proposal takes strong partnerships, a clear vision and a good understanding of the Mission’s objectives. SOILL helps applicants turn their ideas into competitive proposals and join a growing European community working for healthier soils. All services are free and open to every applicant.

SOILL provides a coordinated set of services and resources to help applicants prepare high-quality, well-structured proposals for the Mission Soil Living Lab and Lighthouse topics. It brings together expertise from across the SOILL partnership, a network of national mentors and the experience of existing Soil Health Living Labs and Lighthouses. All services are free of charge and open to all applicants.

Mentoring and coaching

Mentors Our network of national mentors can coach you in your own language and guide you through the application process. Mentors include National Contact Points and independent external experts trained by SOILL. They are bound by confidentiality and have no conflict of interest, so you can discuss your ideas openly.

Find a mentor

Events for applicants

Our webinars cover the available funding opportunities, the selected topics, best practices from existing Mission Soil Living Labs, and how to design a competitive proposal and a successful living lab. Each session covers the scope and expected outcomes of the call, lessons learned from past applications and the support available from SOILL, and ends with a live Q&A. Recordings and slides are available for anyone who missed the live sessions.

See upcoming events

Watch recordings

SOILL engagement events also include pitching sessions, where participants looking for partners can pitch their initiative to the audience. They are an opportunity to showcase your expertise, connect with like-minded actors and explore future collaborations. Places are limited, and details on how to take part are shared on each event page on the SOILL Hub.

Matchmaking

Matchmaking sessions also run alongside SOILL events and webinars, and applicant groups on the SOILL Hub keep the conversation going between them.

How to join our Networking events

Register on the Matchmaking platform
Update your profile by indicating your Topics of interest
Indicate your availability for the Networking event
Explore the network and book your meeting slots

Find the group for your call topic and connect with other applicants

Dedicated networking groups

Join the group for your call topic on the SOILL Hub to connect with other applicants, find partners, share ideas and ask questions.
Log in to the SOILL Hub

Watch the SOILL Hub registration guide
Select your Groups

Go to Explore → Groups
Join the Group

Join your call-topic networking group: find partners, share ideas, ask questions

Join Networking Groups

Resources for applicants

SOILL offers a growing set of open resources to help applicants plan, design and strengthen their proposals. They draw on the experience of existing Soil Health Living Labs and Lighthouses and on the expertise of the SOILL partnership.

Learning Journey
Learning Journey

The SOILL Learning Journey is a structured capacity-building framework that guides Soil Health Living Labs and Lighthouses through each stage of their development, from first discovering SOILL to becoming a mature and stable initiative. Developed by Climate KIC with input from the Mission-funded Living Labs, it follows the typical lifespan of a Living Lab or Lighthouse. Each stage is broken down into steps and set out in an interactive wheel.
For applicants, the Learning Journey is a practical way to understand what it takes to design and run a successful Living Lab. It sets out the learning outcomes to consider from the very beginning, including governance, stakeholder engagement and long-term sustainability. This helps you build these elements into your proposal from the start rather than addressing them later.

Start the Learning Journey
Knowledge Repository
Knowledge Repository

The SOILL Knowledge Repository, available on the SOILL Hub, brings together more than 1,800 resources on soil health and the Living Lab approach. These include tools, guidance, solutions and practical examples shared by existing Living Labs. You can search and filter the repository by theme to find material relevant to your context.

Access the Knowledge Repository
Factsheets
Factsheets

SOILL has developed thematic and cross-cutting factsheets aligned with the objectives of the Mission to help you design strong, context-sensitive proposals. They summarise the Living Lab funding topics, the eight Mission Soil specific objectives and the main land-use types, and offer practical guidance on running a Living Lab across Europe’s diverse landscapes and socio-ecological conditions. The factsheets can also help you present the call topics to potential partners and stakeholders.

Browse the Factsheets
Pathway
Pathway to a competitive proposal

The Pathway to a competitive proposal provides an overview of the key steps and available support for preparing a successful application under the EU Mission “A Soil Deal for Europe.” It highlights essential resources, including PREPSOIL’s Soil Needs Assessment, matchmaking tools, mentoring, and guidance for setting up Soil Health Living Labs. Use this guide to navigate the proposal process and access relevant platforms and materials.

Discover the pathway

Helpdesk and FAQs

The FAQ and Helpdesk give applicants direct access to reliable, expert-reviewed information on the Mission Soil Living Lab topics and the application process. Answers come from experts across the SOILL partnership and are kept up to date with each funding call, so you can prepare your proposal with confidence.

Have a question?

Find answers in the FAQ or ask our experts through the SOILL Helpdesk

FAQ

Browse answers to frequently asked questions and find the information you need straight away.
FAQ

Before submitting a question, check the FAQ on the SOILL Hub, which answers the most common questions from applicants. The questions are grouped into categories: the Mission Soil, general questions on the Living Lab topics, SOILL itself, and the individual 2026 call topics. The call-topic categories currently cover SOIL-01 on Living Labs in the Alpine and Atlantic biogeographical regions and SOIL-02 on Living Labs in managed forests and natural or semi-natural lands. New questions are added as they come in through the Helpdesk and at events such as webinars and EC Info Days.
Browse the FAQ

Browse the FAQ
Helpdesk

Submit your question and receive a reply from a SOILL expert, usually within five working days.
Helpdesk

If your question isn’t covered in the FAQ, the SOILL Helpdesk puts you in touch with experts from the SOILL-Stepup consortium. It covers Mission Soil funding opportunities and open calls topics, the Living Lab concept and methodology, and the full range of soil health themes. These include land degradation, soil organic carbon, erosion, soil pollution, soil structure and habitat quality, soil literacy and the soil footprint. Each topic is handled by a dedicated answering team, and every question goes through a quality check before a response is sent, usually within five working days.
Please keep in mind:
All questions must be submitted in English.
Before submitting a new query, please consult the FAQ section to see if your question has already been addressed.
If you have more than one question, submit them one at a time.
If your question covers more than one theme, choose the most relevant topic when submitting.
For legal or financial queries, please use the official European Commission Helpdesk via the Research Enquiry Service.
To learn more about the Mission Soil's goals, indicators, and activities, or to submit questions that fall outside the Helpdesk’s scope, please visit the Mission Soil Platform.
Each Helpdesk topic is managed by a specialised Answering Team, ensuring that your query reaches the most suitable experts. While the process is not immediate, it is designed to deliver reliable, high-quality answers in a timely manner.

How to Use the Helpdesk
Go to https://soill2030.app and create an account if you haven’t done so.
Log in to the SOILL Hub.
Access the Helpdesk:
By visiting https://soill2030.app/helpdesk, or
By clicking the hamburger menu in the top-right corner of the Hub and selecting the Helpdesk icon (first icon in the second row).
Check the FAQ section to see if your question has already been answered.
Submit your question in English, one at a time, and select the most appropriate theme.
Wait for a response, typically within five working days.
Note: This Helpdesk is intended for content-related questions regarding Mission Soil topics and calls. If you require technical assistance with the SOILL Hub platform itself, please visit our IT Help Center.

Contact the Helpdesk

Strengthen your Mission Soil Living Lab proposal

How we support applicants?

Mentoring and coaching

Events for applicants

Watch recordings

Matchmaking

How to join our Networking events

Find the group for your call topic and connect with other applicants

Resources for applicants

Learning Journey

Learning Journey

Knowledge Repository

Knowledge Repository

Factsheets

Factsheets

Pathway

Pathway to a competitive proposal

Helpdesk and FAQs

Find answers in the FAQ or ask our experts through the SOILL Helpdesk

FAQ

FAQ

Helpdesk

Helpdesk

How to Use the Helpdesk