D4.5 - Helpdesk performance report, round #1 and #2

The NATI00NS helpdesk is established to serve as a valuable resource for potential soil health Living Labs applicants within the EU Mission "A Soil Deal for Europe" call-dedicated topics in 2023 and 2024. This helpdesk was designed to play a critical role in helping applicants understand and navi-gate the complexities of the application process. The primary objectives of the helpdesk are mani-fold, with a main focus on providing comprehensive support to applicants. This includes guidance on the rules of the topics on Living Labs, eligibility criteria, and addressing scientific and technical queries related to soil health, living labs, and land management. This service is maintained and con-tinually upgraded by the project's partners, with a quality-check procedure in place. The helpdesk aims to provide prompt and precise responses to every inquiry it receives. This is achieved by as-signing a specific member of the consortium, an expert in the relevant area, to respond to each request. The helpdesk's activities are led and coordinated by Trust-IT Services, with substantial sup-port from task partners. The helpdesk has successfully responded to inquiries from a diverse range of organisations and regions, offering support across various aspects of the EU Soil Mission. The rapid turnaround time in addressing inquiries, 3.9 business days on average, underscores the helpdesk's efficiency. In-depth analysis of received questions has allowed the identification of com-mon topics that applicants seek clarification on. These include questions about the call topic texts, establishing living labs and participation of different entities. Recommendations for enhancing its performance include the continuous update of the FAQs section, active tracking of questions from future related events, and the potential inclusion of the SOILL-Startup helpdesk in official 2025 call topic texts related to future Soil Health Living Labs.