The information webinar recording is now available at : Information Webinar on the FOREST Partnership Joint Call 2026 – FORESTPathways

Yes. The call supports research and innovation activities, and applied research is clearly within its overall scope.

There is no need for every proposal to have the same balance between basic research, long-term field experiments and innovation.

Eligibility is determined by both the general FOREST Joint Call rules and the national/regional rules of the relevant Research Funding Organisation (RFO). Applicants should first check Annex II for an overview and then Annex IV for the detailed rules applying to their country, including eligible organisation types, funding rates, maximum amounts, TRLs and any additional national requirements.

Being located in a Horizon Europe Associated Country does not by itself provide access to funding under this call. To request funding as a Partner, an applicant must be eligible for funding from an RFO participating in the Joint Call.

The general call rules do not specify an organisation-level limit on participation in multiple proposals.

There is a specific restriction that the same person cannot act as PI of the Coordinator for more than one proposal. Applicants should also check Annex IV, as individual RFOs may have additional national/regional restrictions.

Participation of the same organisation in several proposals is not identified in the general call rules as an evaluation advantage or disadvantage.

Potentially yes, but eligibility is determined at organisation level and according to the national / regional funding rules.  Applicants should check this with their national funding organisation before submission.

Yes. Systemic, governance, policy, institutional and socio-economic aspects can also be addressed, particularly under Topic 4, Forest Value Chains, Markets and Governance, and where relevant under Topics 1 and 2.

Yes, SMEs and start-ups may participate where they meet the eligibility requirements of the relevant national/regional funding organisation.

Potentially yes. The FOREST Partnership is intended to involve not only research organisations but also practitioners, public authorities, industry, civil society and other relevant stakeholders.

Potentially yes, but eligibility is determined at organisation level and according to the national/regional funding rules.

Applicants should check this with their national funding organisation before submission.

No. Annex VI is not a list of organisations eligible to apply. It concerns Research Performing Organisations that are themselves beneficiaries of the FOREST Partnership and sets out the specific arrangements applying to their participation in the call, including the separation or “firewall” between their Partnership role and the call evaluation and selection process.

Other organisations may apply where they meet the general eligibility requirements and the rules of their relevant national/regional RFO.

Brazil and Bulgaria are participating in the Joint Call through their respective funding arrangements, but they are identified in the Call Announcement as not eligible for the EU co-funding contribution.

This does not in itself mean that organisations from these countries cannot receive funding. Applicants should consult the specific national funding rules in Annex IV and contact the relevant national funder to confirm eligibility and available national funding.

Their status also needs to be considered when satisfying the minimum consortium requirement, which requires at least two participating countries eligible for EU funding.

A consortium must include at least three independent legal entities from three different EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries participating in the Joint Call, including at least two countries eligible for EU funding.

There is no overall maximum number of Partners. The call notes that efficient medium-sized consortia would typically contain around 4–8 Partners, but this is indicative rather than a requirement.

More Partners or more countries do not automatically result in a better evaluation. Consortium size and composition should be appropriate to the proposed work, with a clear and meaningful role and appropriate division of work for each Partner. Applicants should avoid adding organisations simply to increase the number of Partners or countries. An unnecessarily large consortium could make it more difficult to demonstrate balanced cooperation, effective management and a convincing allocation of responsibilities.

Applicants should also consider geographical coverage and transnational added value.

Not necessarily. The call does not require consortia to cover all regions of Europe. Applicants should instead demonstrate the added value of transnational cooperation, genuine cooperation between Partners and a consortium that is appropriate to the research question.

Geographical diversity can support European cooperation, but adding countries or Partners simply for geographical coverage does not automatically strengthen a proposal. The consortium should be scientifically and operationally coherent, with each Partner making a clear contribution to delivering the project.

Yes, they may potentially participate as Associated Partners, including organisations from third countries. Associated Partners finance their activities from other sources and do not request funding from a participating RFO.

They require a Letter of Intent at pre-proposal stage and a Letter of Financial Commitment at full-proposal stage, and must complete their Partner profile in the submission system. Associated Partners do not count towards the minimum three-Partner/three-country consortium requirement and cannot act as Coordinator.

Yes, SEMs and start-ups may participate where they meet the eligibility requirements of the relevant national / regional funding organisation.

Potentially yes.  The FOREST Partnership is intended to involve not only research organisations but also practitioners, public authorities, industry, civil society and other relevant stakeholders.

Cross-cutting proposals are possible and, where relevant, encouraged, given the interconnected nature of forest ecosystems, forest management, products and value chains.

However, every proposal must select one primary topic which best represents its main focus. The proposal may address elements of other topics, but the selected primary topic determines the evaluation panel and ranking list.

Applicants themselves are best placed to determine which primary topic most appropriately reflects the principal focus and objectives of their proposal.

The topic descriptions provide the scope and strategic direction of the call rather than an exhaustive list of eligible research activities.

For example, Topic 3 explicitly includes areas such as engineered timber, wood-based products, chemicals and materials development, circular use and innovative manufacturing. Topic 4 addresses forest-based value chains, markets and governance more broadly.

Applicants should explain clearly how their proposed research contributes to the overall scope and objectives of their selected primary topic, rather than relying solely on whether a particular technology, product or activity appears among the examples. Applicants should also check Annex II and the detailed national/regional rules in Annex IV, as individual RFOs may not fund all four topics or may have additional thematic restrictions

No. The bullet points under each topic should not be treated as a checklist, and there is no expectation that a proposal should address all, or any particular number, of them. Applicants should consider the topic description as a whole and determine which elements are relevant to their proposed research. The proposal should clearly explain how the proposed work addresses the scope and objectives of the selected topic and present this in a coherent and well-justified way that can be assessed by the evaluators. There is no advantage or disadvantage attached simply to the number of bullet points addressed; the appropriate coverage will depend on the nature and objectives of the individual project.

Agroforestry can be within the scope of the call, provided that the proposed research clearly addresses the objectives and scope. In particular, agroforestry approaches related to climate resilience, multifunctional land and forest management, ecosystem services or forest-based value chains may be relevant.

Yes, Systemic, governance, policy, institutional and socio-economic aspects can also be addressed, particularly under Topic 4, Forest Value Chains, Markets and Governance, and where relevant under Topics 1 and 2.

The call is not restricted to European forest types. Projects addressing tropical forests can be relevant where they contribute to the objectives of the four topics and involve eligible partners.

Yes. Remote sensing, satellite data, forest monitoring can be relevant.

Potentially yes. Timber and Innovative Wood-Based Products is one of the four main topics.

Yes, urban and peri-urban forests can potentially be addressed.

The general call does not set a default maximum total project budget. However, the amount that each individual Partner can request is governed by its national/regional RFO.

Applicants therefore need to check Annex II and, importantly, Annex IV for Partner and Coordinator funding limits, eligible costs, funding rates and other national conditions.

The amount available to a consortium therefore depends on its composition and the funding rules applying to each Partner

National/regional funding rules apply separately to each funded Partner. Different Partners in the same consortium may therefore be subject to different eligible TRLs, funding rates, eligible costs and maximum funding amounts.

Each Partner should ensure that its proposed activities and budget comply with the rules of its own RFO. Annex II provides an overview, while Annex IV contains the detailed requirements.

Proposals are evaluated and ranked under their selected primary topic, producing four separate ranking lists.

At pre-proposal stage, the CSC follows those ranking lists while also taking account, where necessary, of available RFO budgets, broad participation of countries and an appropriate balance between topics.

At full-proposal stage, funding recommendations follow the ranking lists within the available national/regional budgets and EU contribution. The objective is to support as many highly ranked proposals as possible while respecting the ranking order and applicable funding constraints.

The call does not specify a guaranteed minimum number of projects to be funded under each topic.

The FOREST Joint Call uses a national/regional funding model. Each consortium participant is funded by the funding organisation from its own country/region and is therefore subject to the applicable national/regional funding rules.

Networking webinar   6 October 2026

Official call launch     15 September 2026

Information webinar   17 September 2026

Partnering workshop, Brussels           30 September 2026