The Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) has resolved three calls for grants, worth 80.5 million euros for projects to promote the bioeconomy, research and the renaturalisation of cities, which were launched during the last quarter of 2021. These are projects focused on topics such as urban renaturation and resilience of cities, transformative projects of a scientific-technical nature that contribute to the promotion of the bioeconomy and support for research programs and projects on biodiversity management.
After evaluating the 338 proposals received, 41 projects have been selected for their quality and innovation that will cover until December 31, 2025. Once the resolution of each call has been published, the selected projects will be able to start throughout this month of July.
All the initiatives that are now being launched aim to achieve major transformations in their sectors, based on science and the solutions provided by nature to promote green recovery. The aim of the grants is to support ambitious, scalable projects with lasting results over time, which promote the ecological transition.
GREENER, MORE LIVABLE AND HEALTHIER CITIES
One of the calls that has aroused the greatest interest is the one aimed at the renaturalization of urban environments, for which 99 applications were submitted from a universe of 151 eligible cities. Here you can access the resolution of the same.
In total, 346 million euros were requested for initiatives that covered all the Autonomous Communities, in addition to the Autonomous City of Melilla. Given that the total amount of this call was 58 million euros, only 18 projects could be selected based on the highest and best quality of the proposals submitted.
Thus, 11 Autonomous Communities will be represented with projects from the towns of Granada (Andalusia), Gijón (Asturias), Santander (Cantabria), Soria, Ponferrada and Valladolid (Castilla y León), Girona, Granollers, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Tarragona and Lleida (Catalonia), Alcobendas and Collado Villalba (Community of Madrid), Alcoy (Valencian Community), Pontevedra (Galicia), Cartagena (Murcia), Pamplona (Navarra) and Vitoria (Basque Country).
All the projects selected in this call, aimed at city councils of provincial capitals and other cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants, coincide in their promotion of urban renaturation, through the increase of green and blue infrastructure and the implementation of Nature-based Solutions (NBS) for the improvement of biodiversity, adaptation to climate change and the quality of life and health of their inhabitants. Its implementation will bring about a transformative result and a lasting impact on the road to a city model that is committed to sustainability and adaptation to the effects of climate change.
TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECTS IN THE FIELD OF BIOECONOMY
For the call for large transformative projects of a scientific-technical nature that will contribute to the promotion of the bioeconomy, endowed with 20 million euros, 132 proposals were submitted, requesting grants worth 147 million euros, so only 13% of that amount has been awarded. You can access the resolution here.
Proposals have been received from all over the national territory, including those focused on the promotion of sustainable agricultural, livestock and forestry systems, as well as ecological restoration initiatives, circular economy and various platforms for the development of the bioeconomy.
In total, 14 projects have been selected (5 for extensive livestock, 3 for agriculture-agroecological transition, 2 for the restoration of coastal areas-rivers, 2 for forest use and management and 2 for comprehensive bioeconomy actions on the territory) that will be developed in 37 provinces of 14 Autonomous Communities.
The selected projects and, in general, the quality of those received, show the high potential for development and the high demand for this type of project, as a tool for transformation and socio-economic boost, especially in the rural world, to promote the green economy and employment and the creation of opportunities while generating an important environmental benefit. achieving the necessary reconciliation between economy and conservation of natural resources.
RESEARCH FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF BIODIVERSITY
The extraordinary reception of the call for support for research programmes and projects in the field of biodiversity management, endowed with 2.5 million euros, is endorsed by the presentation of 107 proposals that requested grants worth 31.6 million euros. Finally, 9 projects have been selected (three for biological corridors and green infrastructure, three for marine biodiversity and marine protected areas and three for energy transition and terrestrial and marine biodiversity). You can access the resolution of the call through this link.
They will address issues such as the impact of wind energy on terrestrial and marine fauna, the generation of knowledge of marine biodiversity, the influence of agricultural management on biodiversity, biodiversity in forest restorations and green corridors for the development of Nature-based Solutions. Among those selected, one project will act at the national level and the other eight, in 12 Autonomous Communities.
CALL FOR GRANTS WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE RTRP
Last May, the calls for aid within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (RTRP) to strengthen stranding and rescue networks for marine species (4.25 million euros) and support for CITES rescue centres (3.4 million euros) were resolved.
Next September, the call for the promotion of actions aimed at the restoration of urban river ecosystems and the reduction of flood risk, corresponding to 2021 (75 million euros), currently in the process of evaluation and to which 230 applications have applied for aid worth 492 million euros, will be resolved. Once this call has been resolved, the Biodiversity Foundation will already be managing 163.15 million euros in grants within the RTRP, financed by the European Union – Nex GenerationEU.
Given the extraordinary reception that these calls have received, the Biodiversity Foundation is already working on the publication of a new edition of them for this year. The one for the renaturation of cities will have an endowment of 62 million euros and the one for research in the field of biodiversity management, of 2 million euros. A new call for proposals to promote the bioeconomy will also be published, but more focused on forest landscapes, with an endowment of 72 million euros.
