FWO - FOREST Joint Call 2026
Research
What?
A new joint transnational call for project funding under the Horizon Europe FOREST partnership has been launched.
The European Partnership “FOrests, forestry, and the forest-based sector: REsearch and innovation for a Sustainable Transition (FOREST)” aims to mobilise research and innovation to accelerate the transition to a sustainable use of forest resources and a circular, timber-based, bioeconomy. The purpose is to support further transformation towards biodiverse, climate-adaptive, multifunctional and sustainable forest management, innovating within the bioeconomy and helping achieve an increasingly productive, resource-efficient and resilient sector.This first Joint Call is intentionally broad in terms of the range of issues addressed. This allows the partnership the flexibility to accommodate different research and innovation needs while fostering synergies between these areas and aligning with goals outlined in the SRIA. The following topics are included:
- Topic 1: Climate-Resilient Forest Systems.
- Topic 2: Adaptive and Multifunctional Forest Management Systems.
- Topic 3: Timber and Innovative Wood-Based Products.
- Topic 4: Forest Value Chains, Markets and Governance.
The projects should start end 2027 - beginning 2028. Duration: 36 months.
Application via the FWO is possible via the channels of Junior and Senior Research projects (Fundamental Research) and SBO Projects (max. budget per project = 350.000 EUR, incl. overhead). The FWO will support 2 projects.
Who?
The full list of participating funding organisations has been published on the website.Project consortia must include:
- at least three independent legal entities,
- from at least three different EU Member States or associated countries participating in the Joint Call,
- including at least two countries eligible for EU funding (see chapter 3 “Participating countries and organisations”).
Each consortium participant will be funded by the Funding Organisation from its country/region participating in this joint transnational call. Participants are therefore subject to the eligibility criteria of national/regional funding organisations.
Each proposal must respect the general international and national/regional eligibility criteria.
Application?
Research proposals must be submitted to the FOREST Call Secretariat via the online submission tool, in accordance with the applicable procedures and eligibility criteria set out in the call documents.
The submission deadline for pre-proposals is the 2nd of December 2026.
The FWO requires pre-registration on a national/regional level as well by filling in an application form on the FWO e-portal before the deadline for submission of the pre-proposals. When you're logged on to the e-portal, you can find it under "Researcher".
It is strongly recommended to contact the FWO administration about your pre-registration at the latest one week before submission in order to verify admissibility.
Given the pre-proposal already has to be OK in terms of budget, OBI has an internal deadline to check your proposal.
Internal deadline: 25 November 2026
In case the consortium includes more than one partner requesting funding from FWO, a single online form should be submitted containing all relevant information from the different Flemish partners.
Selected pre-proposals have to submit their full proposal by the 2nd of June 2027.
Regulations?
RegulationsMore information?
More information is available on the website.Researchers are strongly encouraged to contact the FWO before submission in view of the eligibility criteria, in order to avoid the ineligibility of a researcher, and the project consortium as a whole.
Information about FWO participation can also be obtained by contacting the following FWO colleagues:
- Toon Monbaliu (FO):
- europe@fwo.be,
- +32 (0)2 550 15 70
- Kristien Peeters (SBO)
- europe@fwo.be
- +32 (0)2 550 15 95
Deadline intern
25.11.2026, 02.12.2026
Contact Hasselt University?
E-mail sarah.szyr@uhasselt.be
Tel. +3211269052