Accelerating Food Sustainability - through Household Dietary Shifts, Trust and Transparency, and Innovations in Circular Food Processing Systems

The FutureFoodS Partnership, part of the Horizon Europe program, is announcing a grant opportunity focused on enhancing food sustainability through specific initiatives. The project, titled "European partnership for a Sustainable Future of Food Systems," includes a total budget of €39 million aimed at funding innovative solutions in the food sector. The grant identifier is HORIZON-CL6-2023-FARM2FORK-01-9, with project activities expected to commence between December 2026 and April 2027.

The call targets multiple applicant types, including universities, research institutes, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), large enterprises, and other organizations involved in food systems research. It emphasizes the need for consortia participation, facilitating collaboration across diverse actors and disciplines. Geographically, it primarily focuses on EU member states and associated countries, although international cooperation may be permissible under certain conditions.

Funding is structured as competitive grants with a two-stage application process. The first stage entails mandatory pre-proposals due by February 11, 2026, followed by a full proposal submission for successful applicants, which is due by July 27, 2026. The evaluation process at both stages considers criteria including excellence, impact, and the quality of implementation.

The call encapsulates three main thematic areas: improving domestic food practices to enhance sustainable and healthy diets, developing circular food processing systems, and establishing trust and transparency mechanisms within food systems. Key exclusions from the call include primary agricultural production and nutrition-related diseases, which are covered under different Horizon Europe partnerships.

The partnership aims to mobilize knowledge and resources to address complex challenges in Europe's food systems, demanding that applications outline specific food systems, identify key actors, and explain interdependencies for promoting enhanced sustainability. Proposals must demonstrate originality and build upon existing EU initiatives.

Success rates observed in prior similar calls suggest a competitive environment, with a historical success rate of approximately 10-12%. Co-funding requirements may be applicable based on the specific regulations of participating funding organizations, which need to be clearly understood and defined in proposals.

In summary, this funding opportunity represents a significant investment in sustainable food systems research and innovation in Europe, encouraging collaborative approaches to address pressing food sustainability challenges.

The FutureFoodS Partnership is offering a funding opportunity to accelerate food sustainability through various approaches, including household dietary shifts, trust and transparency, and innovations in circular food processing systems. The call for proposals opened on Wednesday, 3 December 2025. The deadline for mandatory pre-proposal submission is Wednesday, 11 February 2026, at 13:00 CET (Brussels time). Results of the evaluation of the first step will be available in May 2026. The deadline for full proposal submission is Monday, 27 July 2026, at 13:00 CEST (Brussels time). Recommendations for funding will be made in late October 2026, and projects are expected to start between 1 December 2026 and 1 April 2027.

The total funding available is 39,000,000.00 €. The project acronym is FutureFoodS, and the full name of the EU-funded project is the European Partnership for a Sustainable Future of Food Systems. The grant agreement number is 101136361. The topic is HORIZON-CL6-2023-FARM2FORK-01-9, which focuses on the European partnership on sustainable food systems for people, planet, and climate.

The submission and evaluation process involves two steps: a mandatory pre-proposal and a full proposal submission via the Electronic Proposal Submission System (EPSS), which is available at https://futurefoods.ptj.de.

Assessment criteria for the proposals are as follows: At step 1 (pre-proposal stage), the criteria are (1) excellence and (2) impact. At step 2 (full proposal stage), the criteria are (1) excellence, (2) impact, and (3) quality and efficiency of the implementation. Detailed evaluation criteria and resources for application preparation are available on the submission platform.

The FutureFoodS Partnership aims to address the complex challenges of unsustainable European food systems by mobilizing knowledge, actors, and resources through a food systems approach. Proposals should clearly delineate and characterize the specific food system under inquiry, identifying key actors, dependencies, and levers for enhanced sustainability, and how the chosen system connects to other food systems.

Applicants must demonstrate originality and build on existing EU-level initiatives, fostering synergies with other initiatives and considering the changing policy environment throughout the project's lifespan.

Each application must focus on one of the following three call topics, clearly indicated in the proposal:

1. Domestic food practices for enhancing sustainable and healthy diets.
2. Towards diverse, sustainable, and circular food processing systems.
3. Importance of trust and transparency.

The proposal should also indicate whether it is an Exploratory Research Project or an Accelerating Innovation Project.

Primary production (on land and sea/water), agricultural production, and diseases related to nutrition and lifestyle are not the primary focus of this partnership, as they are covered in other Horizon Europe partnerships. However, dependencies and impacts related to these aspects may need to be considered to fully embrace a food systems approach.

The Call Announcement provides details on the call's aim, expected approach, topics, participating countries/regions, eligibility criteria, submission, evaluation, selection procedures, and funding and reporting modalities. Specific funding regulations apply depending on the funding organizations, and each partner must ensure their contribution conforms to these regulations, as detailed in "Annex I - National/regional regulations" available on the submission platform.

In summary, this funding opportunity under the FutureFoodS Partnership seeks to support projects that address critical aspects of food system sustainability in Europe. It encourages a holistic, systems-based approach to tackling challenges related to dietary practices, food processing, and consumer trust. The call is structured in two phases, with an initial pre-proposal stage followed by a full proposal submission for selected applicants. The evaluation criteria emphasize excellence, impact, and the quality and efficiency of project implementation. The projects should align with one of the three specified topics and contribute to the broader goals of creating more sustainable and resilient food systems for the future.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, given that it is a Horizon Europe partnership call, it is likely that eligible applicants include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other organizations involved in research and innovation related to food systems. The Call Announcement and Annex I - National/regional regulations (available on the submission platform) should be consulted for a definitive list.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, as indicated by the mention of "Grant agreement number" and "modalities for projects funding and reporting." The term "Cascade funding" is also mentioned, which implies that the initial beneficiaries of the grant may distribute funds to other parties through a simplified mechanism.

Consortium Requirement: While not explicitly stated, the emphasis on a "food systems approach," "mobilizing knowledge, actors and resources," and the need for funded projects to "foster synergies with other initiatives" suggests that a consortium of multiple applicants is preferred, if not required. The reference to "each partner applying to the call" further supports this interpretation. However, the Call Announcement should be consulted to confirm whether a single applicant is also eligible.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly defined in the provided text. However, as it is a European partnership call under Horizon Europe, it is highly likely that applicants from EU member states and associated countries are eligible. The Call Announcement details the "countries/regions participating in funding the call," which should be consulted for a definitive list of eligible regions and countries.

Target Sector: The program targets the agriculture/food sector, specifically focusing on sustainable food systems. The three call topics are: 1) Domestic food practices for enhancing sustainable and healthy diets; 2) Towards diverse, sustainable and circular food processing systems; and 3) Importance of trust and transparency. The call aims to address the complex challenges making current European food systems unsustainable.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are explicitly mentioned in the provided text. However, the call is a European initiative, implying that EU member states and associated countries are the primary focus. The Call Announcement details the "countries/regions participating in funding the call." Brussels is mentioned as the reference time zone.

Project Stage: The call supports both "Exploratory Research Projects" and "Accelerating Innovation Projects," indicating that it targets projects at different stages of maturity, from research to innovation and potential scale-up.

Funding Amount: The total funding available is 39,000,000.00 €. The funding range for individual projects is not specified in the provided text, but it can be assumed that it varies depending on the project type (Exploratory Research Project or Accelerating Innovation Project) and scope.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a two-step submission process. The first step involves a mandatory submission of pre-proposals, followed by a submission of full proposals for those who pass the first step.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant to fund their projects.

Application Stages: There are two application stages: 1) submission of a mandatory pre-proposal, and 2) submission of a full proposal (for those who pass the first stage).

Success Rates: The success rates are not mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The text mentions that "Specific funding regulations apply depending on the funding organisations: each partner applying to the call must ensure that its contribution to the overall project conforms to these regulations." This suggests that co-funding might be required, depending on the specific funding regulations of the participating funding organizations. Annex I - National/regional regulations should be consulted for details.

Summary:

This opportunity is a call for proposals under the FutureFoodS Partnership, a European initiative focused on creating sustainable food systems. With a total budget of 39 million euros, the call aims to fund projects that address challenges related to domestic food practices, circular food processing systems, and trust and transparency in the food sector. The call is structured in two phases: a mandatory pre-proposal submission and, for selected applicants, a full proposal submission. The call is open to both exploratory research projects and accelerating innovation projects. Applicants must demonstrate the originality of their approach, build on existing EU initiatives, and foster synergies with other relevant projects. The proposals should clearly delineate and characterize the particular food system under inquiry, identifying key actors, dependencies, and levers for enhanced sustainability. While primary agricultural production and diseases related to nutrition and lifestyle are not the primary focus, their dependencies and impacts may be considered within a food systems approach. The assessment criteria include excellence, impact, and quality and efficiency of implementation. Applicants should consult the Call Announcement and Annex I - National/regional regulations for detailed information on eligibility criteria, funding regulations, and submission procedures. The call is part of the Horizon Europe program, specifically addressing the topic HORIZON-CL6-2023-FARM2FORK-01-9 - European partnership on sustainable food systems for people, planet and climate.