Developing innovative phytosanitary treatments for regulated plant pests to support safe international trade

The Horizon Europe grant opportunity, titled HORIZON-CL6, focuses on developing innovative phytosanitary treatments for regulated plant pests to ensure safe international trade. This initiative is part of the Horizon Europe Innovation Actions and offers a total budget of €11.8 million, with an expected allocation of two grants, each approximately €5.9 million. The application process is single-stage, with submissions due by April 14, 2026, after an opening date of January 14, 2026. Eligible applicants include research organizations, universities, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), large enterprises, industry participants, regulatory authorities, and third parties involved in testing and application. The initiative encourages collaboration among these entities, emphasizing the inclusion of industry actors and trade organizations within projects. The funding mechanism consists of lump sum grants, which provide fixed contributions regardless of actual costs incurred, along with the potential to offer financial support to third parties for testing activities. This model promotes cost efficiency and broadened engagement across the agricultural value chain. The focus of the call is on advancing cost-effective and environmentally friendly phytosanitary treatments applicable to various sectors including fruit and vegetable post-harvest management and wood products. The projects must be in development, testing, and validation stages, aimed at demonstrating efficacy, scalability, and cost-effectiveness under operational conditions. Proposals should assess the economic, technical, health, and environmental implications of the treatments, establish standardized protocols for their application, and ensure compliance with EU regulations regarding plant health and protection. The call specifically aligns with the EU Common Agricultural Policy and aims to support food security while safeguarding biodiversity. Notable outcomes expected from funded projects include the availability of science-based guidelines and treatment protocols, and enhanced implementation capacities among stakeholders involved in pest management. The initiative seeks to address current limitations in phytosanitary treatments, including the lack of efficacy against specific pests and challenges related to scalability and regulation. Historical trends suggest a competitive environment, with a lower success rate due to the high volume of expected applications relative to the number of grants available. Applicants are encouraged to substantiate their proposals with robust implementation plans that demonstrate scientific excellence and market readiness. In summary, the grant opportunity underlines the EU's commitment to fostering innovative solutions for plant health, facilitating international trade, and supporting sustainable agricultural practices while maintaining the integrity of European markets.

The EU Funding and Tenders Portal presents a Horizon Europe call, specifically HORIZON-CL6, focused on "Developing innovative phytosanitary treatments for regulated plant pests to support safe international trade." This is a HORIZON Innovation Action (HORIZON-IA) with a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] Model Grant Agreement. The call adopts a single-stage deadline model, with a planned opening date of January 14, 2026, and a deadline of April 14, 2026, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of this call are:the development and testing of innovative, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly phytosanitary treatments for regulated plant pests, ensuring they have proven efficacy and practical applicability; the availability of science-based guidelines and standardized protocols to support the consistent and efficient application of these treatments; and enhanced capacity for implementation, including scalability and cost-effectiveness of treatment solutions, along with the engagement of industry and trade actors, regulatory authorities, and third parties involved in testing and application.

The scope of this call emphasizes the importance of effective plant health measures in protecting agriculture, supporting global food security, safeguarding the environment, forests, and biodiversity, and enabling safe international trade. Post-harvest phytosanitary treatments like vapour, heat, cold, irradiation, and controlled atmosphere are highlighted as critical tools in preventing the introduction and spread of regulated plant pests through imported goods. The call acknowledges the limitations of current phytosanitary treatments, including a lack of proven efficacy against specific pests, the absence of scientifically sound protocols, and practical challenges related to implementation, scalability, and potential health and environmental impacts.

Proposals submitted under this call should develop innovative, cost-effective post-harvest phytosanitary treatments to prevent the introduction of pests through imports, with a specific focus on EU quarantine pests. They should also test and validate the proposed treatments, considering economic, technical, human health, and environmental dimensions. Furthermore, proposals should assess the cost-effectiveness, feasibility, scalability, and practical applicability of the treatments under operational conditions, and evaluate their efficacy and specificity, establishing scientifically sound and user-friendly protocols and operational guidelines.

Proposals should address either Area A, focusing on treatments applicable to wood and wood products, or Area B, focusing on post-harvest treatments for fruits and vegetables. The selected area (A or B) must be clearly indicated in the application. Proposals may also provide financial support to third parties (FSTP) to test and demonstrate innovative treatment solutions in diverse contexts involving SMEs. The projects are relevant to EU policies related to the common agricultural policy, align with the Vision for Agriculture and Food, and support Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 on protective measures against pests of plants.

Regarding general conditions, admissibility conditions related to proposal page limits and layout are described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, with specific details in Part B of the Application Form available 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 detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. Other eligible conditions are described in Annex B, while financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

The evaluation and award process will ensure a balanced portfolio by awarding grants not only based on ranking but also to at least one application within Area A and one within Area B, provided all thresholds are met. Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. Submission and evaluation processes are detailed in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is also described in Annex F.

Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum, as defined in the Decision of July 7, 2021, authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme. Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties (FSTP) in the form of grants, with a maximum amount of €60,000 per third party. Further details are in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme. Application form templates are available in the Submission System, including a standard application form (HE RIA, IA). Evaluation form templates will be used with necessary adaptations, including a standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA). Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide. Model Grant Agreements (MGA) include a Lump Sum MGA. Call-specific instructions include a detailed budget table (HE LS) and information on financial support to third parties (HE), along with guidance on lump sums.

Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 (General Introduction, Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment, and General Annexes), the HE Programme Guide, the HE Framework Programme 2021/695, the HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764, the EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, the Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme, Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment, the EU Grants AGA (Annotated Model Grant Agreement), the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions, and the Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

The budget overview lists several topics under the same call, each with its specific budget, type of action (RIA, IA, CSA), and indicative number of grants. The opening date for these topics is January 14, 2026, with a deadline of April 14, 2026.

The portal also provides resources for partner searches, topic Q&As, and general support, including links to 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 a partner search tool.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to foster innovation in phytosanitary treatments to protect plant health and global food security by addressing the limitations of current methods and promoting the development and implementation of effective, sustainable, and scalable solutions for preventing the spread of plant pests through international trade. It encourages projects that focus on either wood products or fruits and vegetables, and it supports the involvement of SMEs and third parties in testing and demonstrating these innovative treatments. The funding mechanism is based on lump sum contributions, and the call emphasizes alignment with EU agricultural and plant health policies.

Eligible Applicant Types:The opportunity does not explicitly list eligible applicant types, but it is implied that various entities are eligible, including SMEs, industry actors, trade actors, regulatory authorities, and third parties involved in testing and application. The reference to LEAR appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment suggests that research organizations, universities, and potentially governmental bodies could also be eligible.

Funding Type:The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant. There is also the possibility of providing financial support to third parties (FSTP) in the form of grants, with a maximum of €60,000 per third party.

Consortium Requirement:The opportunity does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, the encouragement of partner searches and the nature of the projects suggest that consortia are likely to be more competitive.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):The opportunity mentions that 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. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. This suggests a broad geographic eligibility, including EU, associated countries, and potentially other countries with specific funding arrangements.

Target Sector:The program targets the agriculture/food sector, specifically focusing on plant health, food security, and safe international trade of wood products, fruits, and vegetables. It also targets innovation in phytosanitary treatments and related technologies.

Mentioned Countries:The opportunity refers to EU and non-EU/non-Associated Countries.

Project Stage:The expected maturity of the project is at the development, testing, and validation stages. The call aims to develop innovative treatments, test their efficacy, assess their cost-effectiveness and scalability, and establish protocols for their application.

Funding Amount:The budget overview lists several topics with varying funding amounts. For the topic "HORIZON-CL6," which is directly associated with the provided text, the budget is €11,800,000, and the indicative number of grants is 2, suggesting individual grants around €5,900,000. Other topics listed have budgets ranging from €2,000,000 to €14,000,000.

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. Additionally, they may provide financial support to third parties in the form of grants.

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

Success Rates:The success rates cannot be determined from the provided text.

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

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call, HORIZON-CL6, focuses on "Developing innovative phytosanitary treatments for regulated plant pests to support safe international trade." It aims to fund projects that develop and test innovative, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly phytosanitary treatments to prevent the introduction and spread of plant pests through imported goods. The call is structured around two main areas: Area A, focusing on treatments applicable to wood and wood products, and Area B, focusing on post-harvest treatments for fruits and vegetables.

The projects should develop innovative treatments, test and validate them considering economic, technical, health, and environmental aspects, assess their feasibility and scalability, and establish standardized protocols for their application. The call encourages proposals that provide financial support to third parties, particularly SMEs, for testing and demonstrating treatment solutions.

Eligible applicants can be from EU member states, associated countries, and potentially other countries with specific funding arrangements. The funding is provided as a lump sum grant, and projects are expected to be at the development, testing, and validation stages. The call aligns with EU policies related to the common agricultural policy, the Vision for Agriculture and Food, and Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 on protective measures against pests of plants. The opening date for submissions is planned for January 14, 2026, with a deadline of April 14, 2026. The total budget for the HORIZON-CL6 topic is €11,800,000, with an indicative number of 2 grants to be awarded.