Additional activities for the European Partnership of Agriculture of Data

The HORIZON-CL6-2026-04-GOVERNANCE-01 call, titled "Additional activities for the European Partnership of Agriculture of Data," is a major opportunity within the Horizon Europe framework, specifically designed to support the continuation and expansion of the existing European Partnership of Agriculture of Data initiated under HORIZON-CL6-2024-GOVERNANCE-02-01. The program aims to enhance sustainable agricultural practices across Europe by leveraging advanced data technologies and Earth observation services.

Eligible applicants must be the coordinator of the previously funded consortium, although they are encouraged to include additional partners from EU Member States and Associated countries that are not currently represented in the partnership. This focus on broadening participation aims to foster collaboration among key stakeholders, such as farmers, agricultural advisors, researchers, and policymakers.

The funding mechanism for this opportunity is primarily grant-based, specifically structured as a co-funded partnership under the Horizon Europe program. A total budget of €60 million is allocated for this initiative, with €23 million available in 2026 and €37 million in 2027. The European Union covers 30% of the eligible costs, with the expectation that the remaining portion will be sourced from national research programs. Additionally, the program allows for financial support to third parties (FSTP), enabling external organizations to apply for grants up to €10 million to conduct research and innovation activities.

This grant call requires a single-stage submission process with an open call structure. The application period starts on August 25, 2026, and ends on November 26, 2026. A maximum project duration of 36 months is allowed, although the overarching partnership operates on a longer-term basis of 7 to 10 years.

The core goal of the initiative includes the development and implementation of practical digital tools and solutions that enhance the productivity and sustainability of agricultural systems across Europe. It aims to create interoperable data infrastructures that will assist farmers and policymakers in making data-driven decisions. The project seeks to foster synergy among national and regional research initiatives, ultimately contributing to a cohesive European data landscape in agriculture.

Particular emphasis will be placed on applying research outcomes in real-world scenarios, focusing on promoting sustainable agricultural practices, climate resilience, and effective monitoring of policies such as the Common Agricultural Policy. The initiative strives for a unified approach, consolidating various European efforts in agricultural data and technology to maximize its impact across the region.

The HORIZON-CL6-2026-04-GOVERNANCE-01 call, titled "Additional activities for the European Partnership of Agriculture of Data," is a HORIZON-COFUND action within the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program. It aims to continue support for the European Partnership of Agriculture of Data, identified in the Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2021-2024 and initially implemented under topic HORIZON-CL6-2024-GOVERNANCE-02-01. The call specifically seeks to fund additional activities, potentially involving new partners, in line with Article 24(2) of the Horizon Europe Regulation.

The call has a single-stage deadline model, with the planned opening date on 25 August 2026 and a deadline on 26 November 2026 at 17:00:00 Brussels time. The total budget allocated for this topic is 60,000,000 EUR, with 37,000,000 EUR budgeted for 2027 and 23,000,000 EUR for 2026. The indicative number of grants to be awarded is 1.

The expected outcome is to further contribute to the outcomes specified in topic HORIZON-CL6-2024-GOVERNANCE-02-01, ensuring the continuation of agreed activities.

The scope of this call is to fund additional activities within the existing European Partnership of Agriculture of Data. The original consortium that received funding under HORIZON-CL6-2024-GOVERNANCE-02-01 is considered uniquely positioned to submit a proposal, given their existing expertise and implementation of the partnership through co-funded calls and internal research projects. The partnership should aim to include additional partners, particularly from Member States and Associated countries not yet involved. The evaluation of proposals will consider the existing context, the scope of the initial evaluation, and related grant agreement obligations. Proposals should focus on additional priority activities and, where justified, on the continuation of ongoing activities, aligning with the partnership’s co-created strategic research and innovation agenda. The partnership should deliver ready-to-use tools, solutions, and innovations, promoting their uptake by farmers, agricultural producers, advisors, policymakers, public administrations, and relevant stakeholders, while also providing science-based policy advisory activities. The partnership is expected to create an "umbrella effect" by linking and assessing Research and Innovation (R&I) initiatives and use cases, leveraging nationally funded research activities to create critical mass and synergies, and supporting the defragmentation of the European data landscape. Pooling financial resources from national or regional research programs is encouraged to organize joint calls for transnational proposals, resulting in grants to third parties. Proposals should consider data, expertise, and services offered by European research infrastructures in the environment, food, and digital domains, and describe specific activities to enhance international collaborations.

General conditions include:

1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limits and layout are described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form in the Submission System.

2. Eligible Countries are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific provisions exist for non-EU/non-Associated Countries, detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

3. Other Eligible Conditions: The proposal must be submitted by the coordinator of the consortium funded under HORIZON-CL6-2024-GOVERNANCE-02-01. This does not prevent the inclusion of additional partners. Projects using satellite data must utilize Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS.

4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. The evaluation committee may include representatives from EU institutions. Successful proposals will proceed to grant agreement amendment preparations, with the coordinator of the original consortium invited to submit an amendment to the grant agreement.

5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.

5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants: This action will amend the grant agreement from topic HORIZON-CL6-2024-GOVERNANCE-02-01. The funding rate for additional activities is 30% of eligible costs. Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties (FSTP) in the form of grants, with a maximum of EUR 10 million per third party. The EUR 60,000 threshold in Article 207 of Financial Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 does not apply. The starting date of grants may be retroactive to the submission date, if justified.

Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme and Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA) information:

Application form templates are available in the Submission System, including the Standard application form (HE COFUND Top-up).

Evaluation form templates, including the Standard evaluation form (HE COFUND), will be adapted as necessary.

Guidance documents include the HE Programme Guide.

Model Grant Agreements (MGA) include the HE MGA, HE Unit MGA, and Operating Grants MGA.

Call-specific instructions and information on financial support to third parties (HE) are provided.

Additional documents include:

HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction

HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 9. Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment

HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes

EIC Work Programme 2026

ERC Work Programme 2026

HE Programme Guide

HE Framework Programme 2021/695

HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764

EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509

Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme

Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment

EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement

Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual

Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions

Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement

Partner search announcements are available, and LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests.

The submission system will open on the date stated in the topic header.

Support resources include the Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk, ETSI Research Helpdesk, the European Charter for Researchers, and Partner Search tools.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to provide continued support and funding for the European Partnership of Agriculture of Data. It is specifically targeted at the existing consortium to expand and enhance their activities, with a focus on including new partners and aligning with the partnership's strategic research agenda. The call encourages the development and uptake of innovative tools and solutions in agriculture, leveraging data and research infrastructures to create a more integrated and effective European data landscape. The funding rate is 30% of eligible costs, with significant financial support available for third parties through grants. The call emphasizes the importance of collaboration, synergy, and the practical application of research outcomes to benefit farmers, policymakers, and other stakeholders in the agricultural sector.

Eligible Applicant Types: The primary eligible applicant is the coordinator of the consortium that received funding under HORIZON-CL6-2024-GOVERNANCE-02-01: European Partnership of Agriculture of Data. However, the partnership should seek to include additional partners, in particular from Member States and Associated countries not yet in the consortium. The text also mentions farmers/agricultural producers, advisors, policy-makers, public administrations and all relevant stakeholders. While not explicitly stated, it is implied that these stakeholders could potentially be partners or beneficiaries of the partnership's activities. The eligible applicant types are therefore primarily research consortia, with potential for inclusion of other entities such as research institutes, governmental bodies, and agricultural organizations.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG]. The action is intended to be implemented as an amendment to an existing grant agreement. The funding also involves co-funding, as it is a HORIZON Programme Cofund Action. Beneficiaries may also provide financial support to third parties (FSTP) in the form of grants.

Consortium Requirement: While the coordinator of the existing consortium funded under HORIZON-CL6-2024-GOVERNANCE-02-01 must submit the proposal, the partnership should seek to include additional partners. Therefore, it is a consortium requirement, with the possibility of adding new members to the existing one.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The primary geographic eligibility focuses on Member States and Associated countries. The partnership should seek to include additional partners, in particular from Member States and Associated countries not yet in the consortium funded under HORIZON-CL6-2024-GOVERNANCE-02-01. A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Target Sector: The program targets the agriculture and data sector, specifically focusing on the European Partnership of Agriculture of Data. It also encompasses food, bioeconomy, natural resources, and environment. The program also encourages consideration of data, expertise and services offered by European research infrastructures in the environment, food and digital domains.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity mentions Member States and Associated countries of the EU. It also refers to non-EU/non-Associated Countries that have specific provisions for funding participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Project Stage: The project is in the continuation stage, building upon the existing European Partnership of Agriculture of Data. It focuses on funding additional activities and potentially including additional partners. The project aims to deliver ready-to-use tools, solutions, and innovations, and seek uptake of results. Therefore, the project stage is primarily development, validation, and demonstration, with an emphasis on implementation and uptake.

Funding Amount: The total budget for the topic HORIZON-CL6-2026-04-GOVERNANCE-01 is 60,000,000 EUR, with 37,000,000 EUR allocated for 2027 and 23,000,000 EUR for 2026. The indicative number of grants is 1. The funding rate for additional activities is 30% of the eligible costs. Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties (FSTP), with a maximum amount of 10,000,000 EUR that may be awarded to any single third party.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, specifically a single-stage call under the HORIZON-COFUND HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant. They may also provide financial support to third parties (FSTP) in the form of grants.

Application Stages: The application process is a single-stage process.

Success Rates: The indicative number of grants is 1, but the number of contributions is not specified.

Co-funding Requirement: The action is a co-funded European Partnership, so co-funding is required. The funding rate for additional activities is 30% of the eligible costs, implying that the remaining 70% must be covered by other sources.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call (HORIZON-CL6-2026-04-GOVERNANCE-01) aims to provide continued support to the European Partnership of Agriculture of Data. The call is specifically targeted at the existing consortium funded under HORIZON-CL6-2024-GOVERNANCE-02-01, with the coordinator of that consortium being the primary eligible applicant. The goal is to fund additional activities and potentially include new partners from EU Member States and Associated countries to enhance the partnership. The project focuses on delivering practical tools, solutions, and innovations for the agriculture sector, promoting data-driven approaches, and fostering collaboration among various stakeholders, including farmers, researchers, and policymakers. The funding mechanism is a grant, with a 30% funding rate for additional activities, and the partnership is expected to leverage national research activities and pool financial resources. A significant aspect of the project involves providing financial support to third parties (FSTP) in the form of grants, with a maximum of 10 million EUR per third party. The call emphasizes alignment with the partnership's strategic research and innovation agenda and encourages the use of European research infrastructures. The total budget for the topic is 60 million EUR, and the application process is a single-stage open call.