EU-wide data-driven solutions to real problems

The Agriculture of Data (AgData) European Partnership Call is a significant funding initiative aimed at enhancing sustainability and productivity in the agriculture sector through data-driven solutions. This co-funded call is part of the Horizon Europe framework, involving 30 Member States and Associated Countries. With a total budget of €20 million, the program emphasizes research and innovation in areas like Earth Observation and digital technologies, targeting improvements in climate resilience, environmental sustainability, and agricultural productivity. Eligible applicants include a diverse range of organizations such as research institutions, agricultural enterprises, and policy-making bodies that originate from participating EU Member States and Associated Countries. The application process is structured as a competitive two-step procedure: First, applicants must submit a short proposal by January 21, 2026, focusing on the project idea and consortium composition. Those selected will then be invited to submit a detailed full proposal by July 21, 2026. The projects should aim to produce implementable solutions that will contribute to the digital and green transitions in agriculture, with findings expected to inform policy and enhance decision-making. The total duration of the projects can be up to 36 months, with an earliest start date in January 2027 and completion by September 2030. Evaluation of proposals will focus on excellence, impact, and the quality and efficiency of implementation. While the specifics of co-funding requirements have not been detailed, the nature of the call suggests a significant contribution from participating nations alongside EU funding. The call is open to consortia only, indicating that individual submissions are not permitted. In summary, the AgData call is designed to support collaborative and innovative projects that leverage data technologies to address critical issues in the agriculture sector, promoting economic performance and sustainability in the face of contemporary challenges.

The EU Funding Opportunity:Agriculture of Data (AgData)

This is a co-funded call under the European Partnership 'Agriculture of Data' (AgData), a large-scale European research and innovation initiative involving the EC, 30 Member States (MS), and Associated Countries (AC). The call aims to enhance the climate, environmental, and socio-economic sustainability and productivity of agriculture. It also seeks to increase the capacity for policy monitoring and evaluation by leveraging Earth Observation (EO), other environmental and agricultural data, and newly developed digital and data technologies in Europe. The focus is on supporting the parallel digital and green transitions, with emphasis on utilizing the umbrella effect and consolidating existing initiatives.

Key Objectives:

The AgData partnership aims to boost the resilience of the agricultural sector in terms of economic performance, attractiveness, and sustainability, strengthening its competitiveness on local and global scales. Data-based solutions are considered key enablers for implementing and assessing the performance of European and national policies efficiently. The partnership seeks to enable the sector to reduce its environmental footprint, respond to the decline in biodiversity, ensure food security, and adapt to climate change. It aims to provide a foundation for decision support for producers and policymakers.

Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA):

The overall scope of the scientific research, development, and innovation needs targeted in the Agriculture of Data partnership are comprehensively described in the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA).

Call Details:

Opening Date:05 November 2025

Deadline:21 January 2026, 12:00 (Brussels time)

Submission Model:Two-step procedure

Expected Project Duration:Maximum 36 months

Earliest Possible Start Date:January 2027

Project Completion Deadline:September 2030 (unless otherwise informed)

Total Funding Available:€20,000,000.00

Project Acronym:AgData

Full Project Name:Agriculture of Data (AgData)

Grant Agreement Number:101197332

Topic:HORIZON-CL6 - European Partnership of Agriculture of Data

Submission Procedure:

The call follows a two-step procedure:

Step 1:Short Proposal Submission

Applicants must first submit a short proposal. The deadline for short proposals is 21 January 2026, 12:00 am CET. The objective of the short proposal is to present the project idea and the consortium without detailed work plan information. The template for the short proposal is provided in Annex II of the Call Announcement, available on the submission website.

Step 2:Full Proposal Submission (by invitation only)

Following evaluation of the short proposals, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal. The deadline for full proposals is 21 July 2026, 12:00 am CEST. The detailed template for full proposals is provided in Annex III of the Call Announcement, available on the submission website.

Submission System:

Both short and full proposals must be submitted via the submission system:agdata.ptj.de. Proposals not submitted on time through the system will be rejected. Submission of a short proposal is compulsory; applicants cannot submit a full proposal without first submitting a short proposal and receiving an invitation.

Eligibility:

Only applicants from countries and regions participating in the call are eligible for funding. The list of participating countries and regions can be found in Annex I of the Call Announcement. Only eligible short proposals, according to the eligibility criteria described in the Call Announcement, will be evaluated. Similarly, only eligible full proposals will be evaluated.

Evaluation Criteria:

Short Proposals:

Eligible short proposals will be evaluated against two equally scored criteria:

Excellence

Impact

Full Proposals:

Full proposals will be evaluated against three equally weighted criteria:

Excellence

Impact

Quality and Efficiency of the Implementation

Additional Information:

Details on each step of the submission process are available in the call document, which can be found on the submission website: agdata.ptj.de.

In summary, this funding opportunity under the Agriculture of Data partnership aims to foster data-driven solutions for a more sustainable, resilient, and competitive agricultural sector in Europe. It encourages projects that leverage Earth Observation, agricultural data, and digital technologies to address climate change, biodiversity loss, food security, and policy monitoring. The application process involves a mandatory two-step procedure, starting with a short proposal followed by a full proposal upon invitation. The total funding available is €20 millioneuros, and projects are expected to last up to 36 months, starting no earlier than January 2027 and concluding by September 2030.

Eligible Applicant Types:The opportunity is open to applicants from countries and regions participating in the call. The specific types of eligible applicants are not explicitly mentioned in the provided text, but given the context of a Horizon Europe call within the Agriculture of Data partnership, eligible applicants are likely to include research institutes, universities, SMEs, large enterprises, and other relevant organizations involved in agriculture, data, and technology. It is important to consult Annex I of the Call Announcement for a definitive list of participating countries and regions, which will further define the eligible applicant pool.

Funding Type:The primary financial mechanism is a grant, as indicated by the terms "Grant Cascade funding" and "Grant agreement number" in the provided text. This suggests that the funding will be distributed as grants to selected projects.

Consortium Requirement:The call is likely to require a consortium of multiple applicants. The text mentions that the objective of the short proposal is to present the project idea and the consortium. This implies that a consortium is necessary for the application.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):The geographic eligibility is limited to countries and regions participating in the call, as stated explicitly in the text: "Only applicants from countries and regions participating in the call are eligible for funding!" The specific list of participating countries and regions is available in Annex I of the Call Announcement. The AgData partnership includes 30 Member States (MS) and Associated Countries (AC).

Target Sector:The program targets the agriculture sector, with a focus on enhancing climate, environmental, and socio-economic sustainability and productivity through the use of data and digital technologies. Specific areas of interest include Earth Observation (EO), environmental and agricultural data, digital technologies, and data-driven solutions. The program aims to support the parallel digital and green transitions in agriculture.

Mentioned Countries:No specific countries are mentioned in the text. However, the text refers to 30 Member States (MS) and Associated Countries (AC) participating in the AgData partnership. Therefore, the relevant region is the EU and Associated Countries.

Project Stage:The project stage appears to be aimed at research, development, and innovation, with a focus on developing and implementing data-driven solutions for the agriculture sector. The call aims to consolidate and link existing initiatives, suggesting a move towards validation and demonstration of existing technologies and approaches.

Funding Amount:The total funding available for this call is €20,000,000. The funding range for individual projects is not specified, but it will likely vary depending on the scope and scale of the proposed projects.

Application Type:The application type is an open call, conducted as a two-step procedure. The first step involves submitting a short proposal, and the second step, upon invitation, involves submitting a full proposal.

Nature of Support:Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of grants to support their projects.

Application Stages:The application process consists of two stages: submission of a short proposal and, upon invitation, submission of a full proposal.

Success Rates:The success rates are not mentioned in the provided text.

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

Summary:

This opportunity is a co-funded call under the European Partnership 'Agriculture of Data' (AgData), which aims to enhance the sustainability and productivity of agriculture through the use of data and digital technologies. The call is open to applicants from countries and regions participating in the partnership, with a total funding of €20,000,000 available. The application process is a two-step procedure, requiring the submission of a short proposal followed by a full proposal upon invitation. The call targets research, development, and innovation projects that focus on data-driven solutions for agriculture, including the use of Earth Observation (EO) data, digital technologies, and other relevant data sources. The goal is to support the digital and green transitions in the agriculture sector, improve policy monitoring and evaluation, and enhance the resilience and competitiveness of European agriculture. The projects are expected to have a duration of up to 36 months, with an earliest possible start date in January 2027 and completion by September 2030. The call is relevant for research institutes, universities, SMEs, large enterprises, and other organizations involved in agriculture, data, and technology.