Emerging and future risks to plant health

The European Union is offering a funding opportunity through Horizon Europe focused on emerging and future risks to plant health, specifically under the topic HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-FARM2FORK-01, which involves a two-stage application process. This initiative aims to support the EU's common agricultural policy, the European Green Deal, and the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030. The overarching goal is to enhance the resilience and sustainability of agri-food systems while promoting food security and climate neutrality.

Eligible applicants include a diverse range of stakeholders such as research organizations, universities, SMEs, large enterprises, agricultural organizations, forestry organizations, advisory services, and industry. The program is designed to foster a multi-actor approach and encourages international cooperation.

The funding mechanism is primarily a lump sum grant, categorized under Horizon Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA). The specific financial support available varies, but similar grants have indicated amounts around €1M to €5M. The call invites projects targeting new or emerging plant pests, with an emphasis on developing cost-effective preventive and curative measures, assessing socio-economic and environmental impacts, and contributing to integrated pest management strategies.

The submission process comprises two stages. Initially, applicants must submit an outline proposal, which will be evaluated based on excellence and impact. Shortlisted proposals will then require a full submission. The first stage deadline is on September 4, 2025, while the second stage finalizes on February 18, 2026.

The grant is open to EU member states and Associated Countries, with provisions for non-EU participation based on specific funding arrangements. Successful projects are expected to enhance understanding around pest biology and pathways of pest introduction, develop tools for early detection and control, and contribute recommendations for strengthening plant health policies.

Although co-funding requirements are not explicitly mentioned, typical funding from Horizon Europe suggests that applicants may need to cover remaining project costs from their own resources. This Horizon Europe call represents a concerted effort to mitigate the risks posed by plant diseases and pests, aligning with key EU strategies for sustainability and food security while utilizing a collaborative and multidisciplinary approach.

This EU funding opportunity focuses on emerging and future risks to plant health within the Horizon Europe program, specifically under Cluster 6, Call 02, which employs a two-stage submission process. The call aims to support the objectives of the common agricultural policy, the European Green Deal, the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030, and Regulation 2016/2031 concerning protective measures against plant pests. The goal is to enhance the resilience and sustainability of agri-food systems, promote food security, and contribute to climate-neutrality.

The expected outcomes of successful projects include:

Increased understanding of the drivers behind plant pest emergence, including climate change, ecosystem degradation, and globalization.

Development of cost-effective preventive and curative measures for new and emerging plant pests.

Creation of economically, socially, and environmentally sound solutions for effective pest management in farming and forestry, aligning with integrated pest management principles.

Provision of scientific support, recommendations, and policy advice to strengthen plant health policies.

The scope of the projects should address the challenges posed by climate change, biodiversity loss, globalization, and international trade, which exacerbate the spread of plant pests and diseases. Proposals should target one or more new or emerging plant pests (regulated, non-regulated, introduced, or native) that pose a significant socio-economic and/or environmental impact on agriculture and/or forestry in the EU and Associated Countries.

Specific actions that proposals should undertake include:

Enhancing the understanding of pest biology, introduction pathways, interaction with crop-soil ecosystems, and mechanisms of spread.

Developing rapid and cost-effective tools and methods for preventing pest entry, spread, and establishment, including early detection, surveillance, treatment, and biocontrol measures.

Assessing the social, economic, and environmental impacts of plant pest establishment and spread on farmers and/or forest owners, and developing mitigation strategies.

Contributing to the identification of resistant and/or tolerant traits and exploring agro-ecological processes for pest regulation.

Fostering a holistic understanding and management of plant pests following a One Health approach.

International cooperation with countries facing similar pest threats is strongly encouraged. The 'multi-actor approach' is mandatory, ensuring the involvement of diverse stakeholders from research, plant health services, farming/forestry, advisory services, and industry. Project results should benefit various farming systems, including conventional and organic farming.

Financial support to third parties (FSTP) is permitted, with a maximum of 10% of EU funding allocated for developing, testing, and demonstrating tools and methods for pest management. The maximum amount to be granted to each third party is EUR 60,000. Consortia must define the selection process for organizations receiving FSTP.

Proposals should consider utilizing services offered by European research infrastructures and accredited laboratories. Coherence and complementarities with ongoing Horizon Europe projects are essential, building upon existing research findings and tools. A dedicated task and resources should be included in the workplan to collaborate with other projects funded under this topic.

The general conditions for admissibility include:

Compliance with proposal page limits and layout as described in the Application Form.

Eligibility of 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.

Application of the multi-actor approach.

Compliance with 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 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.

Eligible costs will be in the form of a lump sum, as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021.

The application form templates are available in the Submission System, including standard application forms for HE RIA, IA, and HE RIA IA Stage 1. Evaluation form templates will be used with necessary adaptations. Guidance documents include the HE Programme Guide and the Lump Sum MGA.

Several funding opportunities are available under this call:

HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-CLIMATE-01-two-stage: HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of EUR 18,000,000, aiming for around 3 grants.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-FARM2FORK-01-two-stage: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of EUR 12,000,000, aiming for around 2 grants.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-FARM2FORK-02-two-stage: HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of EUR 12,000,000, aiming for around 2 grants.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-FARM2FORK-03-two-stage: HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of EUR 12,000,000, aiming for around 2 grants.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-FARM2FORK-04-two-stage: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of EUR 8,000,000, aiming for around 2 grants.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-FARM2FORK-05-two-stage: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of EUR 12,000,000, aiming for around 2 grants.

All topics follow a two-stage submission process, with the opening date for submissions on May 6, 2025. The deadline for the first stage is September 4, 2025, at 17:00:00 Brussels time, and the deadline for the second stage is February 18, 2026, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call seeks to fund projects that address the critical issue of plant health by targeting new and emerging plant pests. It emphasizes a multidisciplinary, multi-actor approach, encouraging international cooperation and the development of sustainable and integrated pest management strategies. The call aims to enhance the resilience of agri-food systems, promote food security, and contribute to the goals of the European Green Deal and the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030. Funding is provided as a lump sum, and projects can offer financial support to third parties for specific activities related to pest management. The call is structured as a two-stage process, with deadlines in September 2025 and February 2026.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but the call encourages a 'multi-actor approach', implying that a range of actors such as research organizations, plant health services, farming/forestry sectors, advisory services, and industry are eligible and should be included in the proposals. Therefore, eligible applicant types could include research institutes, universities, SMEs, large enterprises, agricultural organizations, forestry organizations, advisory services, and industry stakeholders.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, as indicated by the type of Model Grant Agreement (MGA) being HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS]. The actions are HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) and HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA).

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires a consortium, as it emphasizes the implementation of the ‘multi-actor approach’ and encourages international cooperation. The consortia need to define the selection process of organizations for which financial support may be granted.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes the EU 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.

Target Sector: The program targets the agriculture and forestry sectors, with a focus on plant health, agri-food systems, climate, and biodiversity. It also touches on related areas such as ecosystem services, food security, and environmental sustainability.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity explicitly mentions the EU and Associated Countries. It also refers to non-EU and non-associated countries that have specific funding arrangements with Horizon Europe.

Project Stage: The project stage is variable, covering research, development, and innovation actions. The call aims to enhance understanding, develop tools and methods, assess impacts, and contribute to policy, suggesting that projects can range from research to demonstration and validation.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic. For example, HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-CLIMATE-01-two-stage has a budget of EUR 18,000,000 with an indicative grant amount of around EUR 6,000,000, while HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-FARM2FORK-04-two-stage has a budget of EUR 8,000,000 with an indicative grant amount of around EUR 4,000,000. There are also opportunities with EUR 12,000,000 budgets and EUR 6,000,000 indicative grant amounts. Furthermore, beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties, with a maximum amount of EUR 60,000 per third party.

Application Type: The application type is a two-stage open call, as indicated by the "two-stage" designation in the topic descriptions and the "Deadline model: two-stage" in the call information.

Nature of Support: The 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 EUR 60,000 per third party.

Application Stages: The application process involves two stages, as indicated in the topic descriptions (e.g., "HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-FARM2FORK-01-two-stage") and the "Deadline model: two-stage" information.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly stated, but the indicative number of grants is provided for each topic. For example, HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-CLIMATE-01-two-stage aims to award around 3 grants, while the FARM2FORK topics aim to award around 2 grants each.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not explicitly state a co-funding requirement. However, Horizon Europe typically funds a significant portion of project costs, implying that applicants may need to cover the remaining costs through their own resources or other funding sources.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call, part of Cluster 6, focuses on "Emerging and future risks to plant health" and is structured as a two-stage application process. The call aims to support projects that contribute to the objectives of the common agricultural policy, the European Green Deal, and the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030. It seeks to enhance the resilience and sustainability of agri-food systems by addressing plant pest emergence and promoting food security. The call encourages a multi-actor approach, involving a range of stakeholders from research to industry, and promotes international cooperation. Funding is provided as lump sum grants, with varying budgets and indicative grant amounts depending on the specific topic. Projects should target new or emerging plant pests, develop preventive and curative measures, assess socio-economic and environmental impacts, and foster a holistic understanding of plant pests following a One Health approach. The geographic eligibility includes the EU and Associated Countries, with potential participation from non-EU/non-associated countries under specific conditions. The call is part of a blind evaluation pilot, and applicants must adhere to specific guidelines regarding proposal page limits, layout, and the exclusion of identifying information in the first-stage application. The call also encourages the use of European research infrastructures and accredited laboratories. The opening date for submissions is May 6, 2025, with a first-stage deadline on September 4, 2025, and a second-stage deadline on February 18, 2026.