Boosting plant health and reducing losses on farm and during storage for sustainable growth in Africa (FNSSA)

The Horizon Europe opportunity titled "Boosting plant health and reducing losses on farm and during storage for sustainable growth in Africa (FNSSA)" is focused on enhancing agricultural resilience by addressing plant pest challenges within African agricultural systems. This initiative is categorized under HORIZON-RIA (Research and Innovation Actions) and will utilize a lump sum funding model.

The call is set to open on January 14, 2026, with a submission deadline of April 14, 2026. It has a total budget of €12 million, with an expectation of awarding two grants, each worth approximately €6 million.

Eligible applicants include a diverse range of entities such as research institutes, universities, private companies, and non-profits. However, each consortium must include at least three independent legal entities from African Union member states, which emphasizes the need for integral African participation.

The targeted sectors cover agriculture, food security, sustainable agricultural practices, and ecosystem management, particularly focusing on plant pest control. The opportunity aims to develop environmentally friendly pest management strategies that not only alleviate crop losses pre-harvest and during storage but also enhance food security while addressing climate and biodiversity concerns.

Successful proposals should explore pest biology, spread dynamics, and climate change impacts, aiming to develop comprehensive, integrated pest management solutions. Proposals are expected to adopt a multi-actor approach that includes local knowledge and stakeholder involvement, ensuring the developed strategies are practical and relevant.

There are no explicit co-funding requirements stated, but standard Horizon Europe practices typically expect private entities to contribute some financial support.

In summary, this initiative aims to generate significant advancements in sustainable agricultural practices that effectively manage plant pests, improve crop resilience, and ultimately bolster food security across Africa while aligning with key EU policies and global environmental commitments. The opportunity encourages collaborative proposals that foster innovation and address pressing agricultural challenges in a meaningful way.

This is a Horizon Europe call, specifically HORIZON-CL6-2026-02-FARM2FORK-13, aimed at boosting plant health and reducing losses on farms and during storage for sustainable growth in Africa, falling under the Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture (FNSSA) framework. It is a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (RIA) with a lump sum grant type. The call is a single-stage process, planned to open on January 14, 2026, with a deadline of April 14, 2026, at 17:00 Brussels time. The budget for this specific topic is 12,000,000 EUR, and it is expected that around 2 grants will be awarded.

The expected outcomes of funded projects are: enhanced ability of agricultural actors in Africa to sustainably manage plant pest risks, contributing to food security while addressing climate and biodiversity challenges; and agricultural actors identifying and implementing practices to prevent and reduce crop losses due to plant pests pre-harvest and during storage in Africa.

The scope of the call focuses on plant pests affecting crops in the field and/or harvests during storage, which significantly burden food security and contribute to food losses in Africa, affecting internal markets and trade. The call emphasizes tackling the impact of plant pests in an integrated manner, using technologies and practices that foster agricultural sustainability, resilience to climate change, and safeguarding biodiversity.

Proposals should: advance knowledge on the biology, mechanism of disease, spread dynamics, and climate change impacts on key plant pests across different African agro-ecosystems, considering also climate change impacts; develop cost-effective, environmentally friendly methods, tools, and strategies that are safe to consumers for the sustainable management of the most impactful plant pests in Africa, aiming to minimize crop losses both at pre-harvest and during storage of harvests; foster agroecological integrated pest management practices aiming at reducing the impact of plant pests; and improve productivity and the quality of crop products in the African agricultural systems by reducing the impact of plant pests.

Insects, weeds, fungi, bacteria, and viruses that can damage crops are considered plant pests. Applicants are expected to explain and justify their choice of pest(s) in alignment with the proposal’s objectives and the topic’s expected outcomes.

The actions funded are relevant to EU policies related to the EU Vision for Agriculture and Food, the Global Gateway strategy, and contribute to the African Union-EU High Level Policy Dialogue on Science, Technology and Innovation and to the respective R&I partnerships on Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture (FNSSA) and on Climate Change and Sustainable Energy. Projects are also relevant for the climate objectives of the African Union and the EU, and for the commitments of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Proposals should contribute to the implementation of the short-term and medium-term actions outlined in the AU-EU Innovation Agenda in the priority area of Green Transition, and aim to translate R&I efforts into tangible business, products, services, development, and employment opportunities in Africa and Europe.

Furthermore, when relevant, proposals are encouraged to seek connections with Regional Multi-actors Research Networks on Agroecology supported by the EC in Africa.

Proposals must implement the multi-actor approach to ensure the adequate involvement of public authorities, advisory services, farmer organizations, and industry. They should also adopt an inclusive approach that respects and integrates local knowledge and practices alongside technological and scientific expertise, where indigenous insights are enriched by innovative approaches and new technologies through mutual learning.

The general conditions include: Admissibility Conditions, which refer to Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes for proposal page limits and layout, and Part B of the Application Form in the Submission System. Eligible Countries are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries outlined in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. Other Eligible Conditions include applying the multi-actor approach, with international organizations headquartered in a Member State or Associated Country being exceptionally eligible. Consortia must include at least three independent legal entities established in an African Union member state, and legal entities from all African Union member states are exceptionally eligible for Union funding. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes. Evaluation and award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are detailed in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is also in Annex F. Legal and financial aspects of the grants state that eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum, as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021, and are further described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme. Application and evaluation forms and the model grant agreement (MGA) are available in the Submission System, including the standard application form (HE RIA, IA) and evaluation form templates. Guidance is provided through the HE Programme Guide, Lump Sum MGA, call-specific instructions, a detailed budget table (HE LS), and guidance on lump sums.

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; 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; and Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

There are partner search announcements available, and the submission system is planned to open on the date stated on the topic header. General FAQs and support are available through 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, and the European Charter for Researchers.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to address the critical issue of plant pests in Africa, which significantly impact food security. It seeks to fund research and innovation actions that will lead to sustainable, climate-resilient, and biodiversity-friendly pest management practices. The call encourages collaboration between European and African entities, emphasizing the importance of local knowledge and the multi-actor approach to ensure that the developed solutions are practical and effective for African agricultural systems. The funding mechanism is based on lump sum contributions, and the call provides extensive guidance and support resources for potential applicants. The ultimate goal is to enhance the ability of African agricultural actors to manage plant pest risks sustainably, contributing to food security while addressing climate and biodiversity challenges.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types include international organisations with headquarters in a Member State or Associated Country, public authorities, advisory services, farmer organisations, and industry. Consortia must include at least three independent legal entities established in an African Union member state. Legal entities established in all African Union member states are exceptionally eligible for Union funding.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA) with eligible costs taking the form of a lump sum.

Consortium Requirement: A consortium of multiple applicants is required. In addition to the minimum number of participants set out in the General Annexes, consortia must include at least three independent legal entities established in an African Union member state.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU member states, associated countries, and African Union member states. International organisations with headquarters in a Member State or Associated Country are exceptionally eligible for funding. Legal entities established in all African Union member states are exceptionally eligible for Union funding.

Target Sector: The target sector is agriculture/food, specifically focusing on plant health, food security, climate change, and biodiversity. It also relates to the Green Transition, agroecology, and sustainable agriculture.

Mentioned Countries: African Union member states, EU member states, associated countries.

Project Stage: The project stage is research and innovation actions, which suggests a focus on development and demonstration.

Funding Amount: The funding amount is approximately €6,000,000 per grant, with a total budget of €12,000,000 for the topic HORIZON-CL6-2026-02-FARM2FORK-13.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a single stage submission process.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant.

Application Stages: Applicants have to pass through one stage to obtain this opportunity.

Success Rates: The indicative number of grants is 2 for the topic HORIZON-CL6-2026-02-FARM2FORK-13. The success rate is other.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call, HORIZON-CL6-2026-02-FARM2FORK-13, focuses on boosting plant health and reducing losses on farms and during storage for sustainable growth in Africa, under the Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment cluster. The call aims to enhance the ability of agricultural actors in Africa to sustainably manage plant pest risks, strengthen food security, and address climate and biodiversity challenges. It seeks proposals that advance knowledge on plant pests, develop cost-effective and environmentally friendly management methods, foster agroecological practices, and improve crop productivity and quality. Consortia must include at least three independent legal entities from African Union member states, alongside other eligible entities from EU member states and associated countries. The funding is provided as a lump sum grant, with approximately €6,000,000 available per project. The application process involves a single-stage submission, with a planned opening date of January 14, 2026, and a deadline of April 14, 2026. This initiative is aligned with EU policies, the AU-EU Innovation Agenda, and global commitments to climate and biodiversity.