Fostering plant and animal genetic diversity and empowering farmers to accelerate the agroecological transition

The AGROECOLOGY grant opportunity is part of a European Partnership focused on accelerating the transition of farming systems towards agroecological practices. With a total budget of €26 million, the initiative aims to address significant challenges in agriculture including climate change, biodiversity loss, food security, and environmental sustainability. The funding is accessible to applicants from 26 Member States, Associated Countries, and Third Countries.

The application process consists of two stages. The first stage, a pre-proposal, is due on February 18, 2026, while the deadline for full proposals is July 8, 2026. Successful pre-proposals will invite applicants to submit more detailed full proposals.

Eligible participants must be part of the existing consortium from a previous funding call, although there is encouragement for additional partners from underrepresented regions to join. Participation is not limited to agricultural entities and may include universities, research institutions, farmers, and private organizations.

The grants are intended for projects that facilitate research, development, validation, and demonstration of agroecological practices, such as establishing living labs and research infrastructures to provide practical solutions for farmers. Projects should be designed to have a minimum duration of 24 months and a maximum of 36 months, starting in January 2027 and concluding by June 2030.

Proposals will be evaluated based on criteria such as excellence, impact, and quality of implementation. The opportunity aims to foster a network of agroecological living labs and research infrastructures, incentivizing collaboration among multidisciplinary stakeholders to promote sustainable agricultural practices across Europe. The initiative is positioned to align with the European Green Deal objectives, striving for a more resilient and profitable agricultural sector.

The AGROECOLOGY grant is a European Partnership initiative focused on accelerating the transition of farming systems through agroecology living labs and research infrastructures. It is a large-scale research and innovation endeavor involving the European Commission and 26 Member States, Associated Countries, and Third Countries. The goal is to support an agriculture sector capable of meeting the challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, food security, and environmental concerns, while also ensuring profitability and attractiveness for farmers.

The opening date for submissions is December 3, 2025. The deadline for pre proposals is February 18, 2026, at 2:00 PM CET. The deadline for full proposals is July 8, 2026, at 2:00 PM CEST. The call follows a two-step procedure: a pre-proposal followed by a full proposal upon invitation.

The total funding available is 26,000,000.00 EUR. The minimum project duration is 24 months, and the maximum is 36 months. The earliest possible start date for projects is January 2027, and all projects must be completed by June 2030.

The project acronym is AGROECOLOGY, and the full name of the EU-funded project is "European partnership on accelerating farming systems transition – agroecology living labs and research infrastructures." The grant agreement number is 101132349. The topic is HORIZON-CL6-2023-FARM2FORK-01-1, specifically addressing the European partnership on accelerating farming systems transition through agroecology living labs and research infrastructures.

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 chapter 4.5 of the Call Announcement.

The submission procedure involves two steps. First, a pre-proposal must be submitted. If the pre-proposal is successful, the applicant will be invited to submit a full proposal. Both pre and full proposals must be submitted via the submission system at https://agroecology.ptj.de. Proposals not submitted on time through the system will be rejected. Submission of a pre-proposal is compulsory; applicants cannot submit a full proposal without first submitting and being selected based on a pre-proposal.

The objective of the pre-proposal is to present the project idea and consortium without detailed work plan information. The pre-proposal template is available in Annex II, with an example on the submission website. Eligible pre-proposals will be evaluated based on the equally weighted criteria of Excellence and Impact, as described in the call document.

Following the invitation to submit a full proposal, the Coordinator can submit it via the submission system. The full proposal template is available in the call document on the submission website. Eligible full proposals will be evaluated against three equally weighted criteria: Excellence, Impact, and Quality and efficiency of the implementation, as described in the call document.

Additional information and the call document can be found on the submission website: https://agroecology.ptj.de. Further information is also available on the AGROECOLOGY partnership webpage: https://www.agroecologypartnership.eu/.

AGROECOLOGY aims to make the agriculture sector more sustainable, resilient, and responsive to societal and policy demands. It builds on natural and biological interactions, using science, technology, and innovation based on farmers' knowledge. Living labs and research infrastructures will be used to accelerate the agroecology transition, providing science-based evidence on the effects of novel approaches. The initiative will pool resources to fund high-level research aligned with the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda, and will implement supporting activities to inform, consult, advise, and involve stakeholders to build capacities, raise awareness, and manage knowledge and data.

In summary, this opportunity is a call for proposals under the AGROECOLOGY partnership, seeking to fund projects that contribute to the transition of European farming systems towards agroecological practices. It involves a two-stage application process, with pre-proposals due first, followed by full proposals from selected applicants. The focus is on research and innovation that addresses climate change, biodiversity loss, food security, and environmental sustainability in agriculture, using living labs and research infrastructures to generate practical and impactful solutions. The funding aims to support projects that integrate scientific knowledge with farmers' expertise to create more resilient and sustainable agricultural systems.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, the mention of "26 Member States (MS), Associated Countries (AC) and Third Countries" suggests that governmental bodies, research institutions, universities, and potentially NGOs or other organizations based in these countries could be eligible. The reference to "farmers’ knowledge" also hints at the potential eligibility of agricultural organizations or cooperatives. Further details can be found in chapter 4.5 of the Call Announcement.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, as indicated by the terms "Grant" and "Cascade funding" in the text. The total funding available is also explicitly mentioned.

Consortium Requirement: The call is likely to require a consortium, as the text mentions "the consortium" in the context of the pre-proposal phase. The objective of the pre-proposal is to present the project idea and the consortium.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is limited to "countries and regions participating in the call," as specified in chapter 4.5 of the Call Announcement. The text also mentions "26 Member States (MS), Associated Countries (AC) and Third Countries" as being involved in the AGROECOLOGY partnership. Therefore, eligibility is likely restricted to these countries and regions.

Target Sector: The program targets the agriculture sector, specifically focusing on agroecology. This includes "farming systems transition," "plant and animal genetic diversity," "climate change," "biodiversity loss," "food security and sovereignty," and "the environment." The program also emphasizes the use of "agroecology living labs and research infrastructures."

Mentioned Countries: The text mentions "26 Member States (MS), Associated Countries (AC) and Third Countries." Specific countries are not named, but the opportunity is open to EU member states, associated countries, and third countries participating in the call.

Project Stage: The project stage appears to be aimed at "demonstration" and "validation," with a focus on "real-life testing and experimentation environments, living labs." The program seeks to accelerate the "agroecology transition" and provide "science-based evidence on the effects of novel approaches." This suggests that projects should be at a stage where they can be tested and validated in real-world settings.

Funding Amount: The total funding available is €26,000,000.00. The funding range for individual projects is not specified, but it will likely vary depending on the project scope and duration.

Application Type: The application type is an "open call" conducted as a "two-step-procedure." This involves submitting a pre-proposal first, and then, if invited, submitting a full proposal.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of grants to fund their projects. The program aims to support research and innovation activities related to agroecology.

Application Stages: The application process consists of two stages: a pre-proposal phase and a full proposal phase. Only applicants whose pre-proposals are selected will be invited to submit 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 AGROECOLOGY European Partnership, aimed at "Accelerating Farming Systems Transition: Agroecology Living Labs and Research Infrastructures." It seeks to support projects that foster plant and animal genetic diversity and empower farmers to accelerate the agroecological transition. The call is open to applicants from countries and regions participating in the call, including EU Member States, Associated Countries, and Third Countries. The total funding available is €26,000,000.00.

The application process is a two-step procedure, requiring the submission of a pre-proposal followed by a full proposal if invited. Projects should focus on agroecology, addressing challenges related to climate change, biodiversity loss, food security, and environmental sustainability. The program emphasizes the use of living labs and research infrastructures to test and validate novel approaches in real-world settings. The minimum project duration is 24 months and the maximum is 36 months. The earliest possible start date for projects recommended for funding is January 2027. All projects must be completed by June 2030, unless otherwise informed.

The call aims to pool resources from the EC and participating states to fund high-level research aligned with the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda. It also includes supporting activities to inform, consult, advise, and involve different stakeholders to build capacities, raise awareness, and manage and exchange knowledge and data. The evaluation criteria for pre-proposals are Excellence and Impact, while full proposals are evaluated based on Excellence, Impact, and Quality and efficiency of the implementation.