Embracing innovation in agriculture by peer-to-peer learning via on farm-demonstrations and cost-benefit analysis

The Horizon Europe call HORIZON-CL6 focuses on "Embracing Innovation in Agriculture by Peer-to-Peer Learning via On-Farm Demonstrations and Cost-Benefit Analysis." This funding initiative aims to enhance the competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience of the agricultural sector across EU member states through practical learning and innovation adoption. A total budget of €9.8 million is allocated for 2026, with an expected funding range for individual projects between €4 million and €5 million, supporting 2 to 3 high-impact research and innovation projects. The call operates on a single-stage application process; proposals can be submitted from January 14, 2026, to April 15, 2026, at 17:00 Brussels time. Eligible applicants must form multi-actor consortia that include a balanced mix of various stakeholders, such as research organizations, universities, SMEs, startups, farmers, agricultural advisors, foresters, and rural actors. This approach emphasizes the collaborative sharing of knowledge and innovation within agricultural practices. The participation of startups and SMEs is strongly encouraged to facilitate the transition of new solutions to market adoption. The funding provided is grant-based, covering 100% of eligible expenses with no co-funding required. Projects are expected to implement peer-to-peer learning strategies through on-farm demonstrations coupled with rigorous cost-benefit analyses. They must focus on either crop production systems or livestock/mixed production systems and will include specific deliverables, such as benchmarking criteria for agricultural innovations, methodologies for assessing economic and social impacts, and comprehensive analyses of the costs and benefits of innovations tested in real-world conditions. Projects should ensure geographic representation across the EU and foster collaboration with existing agricultural knowledge networks. Proposals may also allocate up to 30% of their EU funding to provide financial support to third parties for developing and demonstrating innovative measures, with capped support of up to €60,000 per third party. While specific success rates for this call are not available, previous similar calls typically experience competitive success rates ranging from 10% to 25%. The comprehensive focus of the call aligns with EU policies aimed at improving agricultural practices and enhancing knowledge sharing among agricultural stakeholders. Overall, this call represents a significant opportunity for advancing agricultural innovation and ensuring that farmers are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to adopt new practices effectively, fostering a more sustainable future for agriculture in Europe.

This is a Horizon Europe call focused on embracing innovation in agriculture through peer-to-peer learning, on-farm demonstrations, and cost-benefit analysis. The call, HORIZON-CL6, is a Horizon Research and Innovation Action (RIA) with a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] Model Grant Agreement (MGA). It follows a single-stage deadline model with a planned opening date of January 14, 2026, and a deadline of April 15, 2026, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of the projects funded under this call are:enhanced peer-to-peer learning leading to widespread sharing and uptake of innovative solutions by farmers across the EU, improving competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience of the agricultural sector; and a better understanding of the costs and benefits of applying innovative solutions in real-world contexts by farmers, advisors, and other AKIS (Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems) actors across the EU.

The scope of the call emphasizes the importance of on-farm demonstrations as platforms for showcasing and evaluating new agricultural practices, facilitating peer-to-peer learning, skill empowerment, and increased adoption rates. Projects should complement on-farm demonstrations with comprehensive cost-benefit analyses to empower farmers in making informed decisions and accelerating the integration of innovative practices. Proposals should address either Area A: Crop production systems, or Area B: Livestock and mixed production systems, with the chosen area clearly indicated in the proposal.

Proposals are expected to:develop objective benchmarking criteria for selecting agricultural innovations, considering factors like impact, ease of implementation, scalability, and applicability across different agricultural systems; develop and apply a standardized methodology to assess the economic, environmental (including biodiversity effects), and social impacts of adopting these innovations, focusing on cost-benefit analysis for practitioners; screen and select promising practice-oriented innovative solutions from research and innovation projects in agriculture for on-farm testing, based on objective benchmarking criteria; test, validate, and showcase innovative solutions in real-world conditions directly on farms across different geographic realities, thoroughly analyzing their costs and benefits for practitioners; ensure complementarity and cooperation with existing and future peer-to-peer and on-farm demo activities, avoiding overlaps and ensuring geographical coverage of the EU; and develop and widely share learning materials and courses, incentivizing peer-to-peer learning through cross-border field visits and farmer-centered webinars presenting the most effective innovative solutions to farmers and advisors.

The call requires the implementation of the multi-actor approach, with consortia comprising a balanced mix of relevant actors with complementary knowledge, including advisors, farmers, foresters, and/or rural actors. The participation of startups and SMEs is strongly encouraged to support the transition of innovations into the market.

Proposals may provide financial support to third parties (FSTP) for developing, testing, and demonstrating innovative measures, with a maximum of 30% of the EU funding allocated for this purpose. Particular efforts in outreach and communication are expected to publicize these calls to the targeted stakeholders.

The call also emphasizes the importance of involving social sciences and humanities (SSH) disciplines and aligning with EU policies related to the EU Vision for Agriculture and Food and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) objective of enhancing knowledge flows and innovation adoption among AKIS actors, particularly advisory services and end-users.

The general conditions for this call include:Admissibility Conditions related to proposal page limits and layout as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form; Eligible Countries as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide; Other Eligible Conditions requiring the application of the multi-actor approach as defined in the work programme; Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria as described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes; Evaluation and award criteria, scoring, and thresholds to ensure a balanced portfolio, with grants awarded to applications highest ranked within each area (A and B), provided they attain all thresholds, as described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes; Submission and evaluation processes as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual; Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes; and Legal and financial set-up of the grants, allowing beneficiaries to provide financial support to third parties in the form of grants, with a maximum amount of €60,000 per third party, and eligible costs taking the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021.

Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA) templates are available in the Submission System, including the Standard application form (HE RIA, IA) and Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA). Guidance documents include the HE Programme Guide, HE MGA, HE Unit MGA, Lump Sum MGA, Operating Grants MGA, Detailed budget table (HE LS), Information on financial support to third parties (HE), and Guidance: "Lump sums - what do I need to know?". Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027, EIC Work Programme 2026, ERC Work Programme 2026, 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.

The budget overview for the HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE call includes various actions with different budget allocations and indicative numbers of grants. The opening date is planned for January 14, 2026, and the deadline is April 15, 2026.

Partner search announcements are available for collaboration on this topic, and LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants can publish partner requests. The submission system is planned to open on the date stated on the topic header.

This Horizon Europe call is essentially a funding opportunity for projects that aim to boost the adoption of innovative agricultural practices by empowering farmers through peer-to-peer learning and providing them with solid cost-benefit analyses. It's about making sure that new ideas and technologies in agriculture are not just developed in labs or research centers, but are actually tested and used on real farms across Europe. The EU wants to see farmers actively involved in this process, sharing their experiences and learning from each other, with the support of advisors, startups, and SMEs. The goal is to make European agriculture more competitive, sustainable, and resilient by promoting informed decision-making and the widespread use of effective innovations. The call encourages projects to not only demonstrate these innovations but also to carefully assess their economic, environmental, and social impacts, ensuring that farmers have a clear understanding of the benefits and costs involved.

Eligible Applicant Types:The eligible applicant types include startups, SMEs, research and innovation projects, farmers, advisors, foresters, rural actors, and actors within the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS). The opportunity emphasizes the importance of a consortium with a balanced mix of relevant actors with complementary knowledge.

Funding Type:The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant. The funding is provided through HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA), HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA), HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA), and HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions (HORIZON-COFUND). Beneficiaries may also provide financial support to third parties in the form of grants, with a maximum amount of €60,000 per third party.

Consortium Requirement:A consortium of multiple applicants is required. The proposal must implement a multi-actor approach, with a consortium based on a balanced mix of relevant actors with complementary knowledge. The consortium should clearly activate advisors, farmers, foresters, and/or rural actors.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):The geographic eligibility includes EU member states and associated countries. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries may also be eligible if they have made specific provisions for funding their participants in Horizon Europe projects, as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. The projects should ensure geographical coverage of the EU.

Target Sector:The program targets the agriculture and food sector, specifically focusing on crop production systems, livestock and mixed production systems, and the adoption of innovation within the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS). It also involves the effective contribution of social sciences and humanities (SSH) disciplines.

Mentioned Countries:The opportunity is focused on the European Union (EU) and associated countries. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries are also mentioned as potentially eligible.

Project Stage:The expected maturity of the project for this opportunity is validation, demonstration, and implementation. The focus is on testing, validating, and showcasing innovative solutions in real conditions directly on farms.

Funding Amount:The funding range varies depending on the type of action:

HORIZON-COFUND:€16,000,000 to €22,000,000

HORIZON-RIA:€7,000,000 to €10,800,000 (individual contributions range from €4,000,000 to €6,000,000)

HORIZON-CSA:€4,500,000 to €9,000,000 (individual contributions range from €3,000,000 to €6,000,000)

HORIZON-IA:€15,000,000 (individual contributions are around €7,500,000)

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. They may also provide financial support to third parties in the form of grants, up to €60,000 per third party.

Application Stages:The application process consists of a single stage.

Success Rates:The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic is provided, giving an idea of the competition level.

Co-funding Requirement:Co-funding requirements are not explicitly mentioned, but the HORIZON-COFUND action implies a co-funding element.

Summary:This Horizon Europe call focuses on "Embracing innovation in agriculture by peer-to-peer learning via on-farm demonstrations and cost-benefit analysis." It aims to enhance the competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience of the agricultural sector across the EU by promoting the widespread sharing and uptake of innovative solutions. The call encourages projects that develop objective benchmarking criteria for agricultural innovations, assess their economic, environmental, and social impacts, and test and validate these solutions on farms. A key aspect is the implementation of a multi-actor approach, requiring a consortium with a balanced mix of relevant actors, including farmers, advisors, startups, and SMEs. The projects should also develop learning materials and courses, and incentivise peer-to-peer learning through field visits and webinars. The funding is provided as a lump sum grant, and projects can allocate up to 30% of the EU funding to provide financial support to third parties for developing, testing, and demonstrating innovative measures, with a maximum of €60,000 per third party. The call is structured around different types of actions (RIA, IA, CSA, COFUND) with varying budget allocations and expected outcomes, all contributing to the EU Vision for Agriculture and Food and the Common Agricultural Policy's objective of enhancing knowledge flows and innovation adoption.