PRESS RELEASE: Nemesis launches a call to strengthen and expand its network of experimental sites for soil health in the Mediterranean
Selected applicants will receive funding and be integrated into Living Labs to develop and test solutions against soil degradation
Limassol and St. Ingbert, 06/01/2026,
The Nemesis project, funded by the European Union’s Soil Mission, has launched its Open Call for new 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 region.
Through this Open Call, Nemesis will fund and integrate at least one additional experimental site for each Living Lab in order to strengthen and expand the network of Living Labs that addresses regional challenges related to soil health in the Mediterranean.
The selected applicants will become part of the corresponding Living Lab and will actively contribute to co-creation, testing, and demonstration activities within the Nemesis framework. The call for proposals will have total funding of up to €500,000, with grants of up to €100,000 per selected entity.
Benefits for selected projects
- Financial support to expand Nemesis’ Living Labs network.
- Access to knowledge, infrastructure, stakeholder engagement activities, jointly developed practices and tools, as well as to project and Living Lab events focused on desertification and soil degradation.
- Scientific and technical advice from experts on challenges related to soil, geoinformatics, social sciences, educational and professional training, policy recommendations and innovation.
- Capacity building and skills improvement through participation in co-creation activities, workshops, networking events and knowledge exchanges within the Living Labs ecosystem.
- Greater visibility and policy relevance thanks to participation in an initiative that contributes to the EU’s mission “A Soil Deal for Europe” and broader European objectives for soil health and the environment.
- Opportunities for collaboration with key ecosystem players from industry, academia, public administrations and society.
- Opportunity to contribute to the co-design, testing, validation and demonstration of innovative and transformative solutions for soil health in real-world environments.
The Nemesis project is part of the European Union’s “A Soil Deal for Europe” mission, which aims to restore healthy soils across Europe by 2030 through the development of Living Labs. Nemesis is creating a network of five autonomous but interconnected Living Labs in Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, and North Africa, where different stakeholders collaborate to design and test soil management practices aimed at combating desertification and land degradation in the Mediterranean region.
What are Living Labs?
Nemesis Living Labs are local partnerships built in real-world settings. Farmers, scientists, local authorities, and citizens work together to test soil management practices, monitor their results, and improve them. Each Living Lab focuses on a specific challenge related to soil health and linked to desertification in the Mediterranean:
- Cyprus: soil water management.
- France: soil biodiversity.
- Italy: crops and soil.
- Spain: pastures and soil.
- Tunisia/Algeria: cross-border land management.
Key dates
Call for applications opens: 01/06/2026
Application deadline: 01/08/2026
Start of funded projects: 01/10/2026
Application process
The call is open to individual legal entities, including:
- Farmers and landowners, agricultural cooperatives and producer organizations.
- Regional or local public authorities that manage relevant demonstration sites or land.
- Environmental NGOs with managed demonstration sites.
- Applied research institutes with field plots or sites.
- SMEs that operate test fields, pilot farms or provide services related to soil interventions.
Proposals must be submitted in English through the Nemesis Open Call website.
For detailed eligibility criteria, specific requirements for each Living Lab, and application procedures, please consult the Nemesis Open Call 1 Applicant Guide , available on the project website in both English and the languages of the Living Labs: https://www.nemesis-soil.eu/
Contact
For any questions related to Nemesis Open Call 1:
opencalls@nemesis-soil.eu
Project details
Grant Agreement ID: 101219087
Topic ID: HORIZON-MISS-2024-SOIL-01-01
EU contribution: €11,999,402.47
Consortium partners
University 8 May 1945 Guelma; Bureau National d’Études pour le Développement Rural; TMB – Tahar Mace; Eratosthenes Center of Excellence; MARDE – Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment; CUT – Cyprus University of Technology; DPS – Depi Spectrum (Computing & Telecommunication) Ltd; CyI – The Cyprus Institute; INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement; CIRAD – Center de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement; AGROOF; Arvalis Institut du Végétal; Adelphi Research GmbH; European Research and Project Office GmbH; IBEC; CIBOS; EGA – Ellinogermaniki Agogi Scholi Panagea Savva AE; Politecnico di Milano; CREA – Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi della Economia Agraria; Legambiente Lombardia; University of Milan Studies; ERSAF; IRIS; Maggioli Group SpA; ICRAF – International Center for Research on Agroforestry; ERDN – European Rural Development Network; University of Murcia; Valencian Farmers Association; El Junquero SA; FECOAM; Odin Solutions SL; Universität St. Gallen; University of Geneva; Institut National Agronomique de Tunisie; AVFA; Ezzayra Solutions; University of Dundee.
