FS4Africa Open Call 1 (OC1) addressed to research and technology stakeholders

The FS4Africa Open Call 1 (OC1) is a funding opportunity designed for research and technology stakeholders aiming to address food safety challenges in Africa. This initiative is part of the EU-Africa Union collaboration focusing on food safety. The call is open for submissions starting June 2, 2025, with a deadline set for September 30, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time. The application process is a single-stage open call, with submissions processed through the opencalls.fund platform.

The total funding available for the initiative is €600,000, which will support at least 10 subprojects, averaging around €60,000 each, though individual amounts may vary. Subprojects will undergo a 12-month implementation period, divided into three phases: Design (Months 1-3), Development (Months 4-9), and Validation (Months 10-12). Each phase requires deliverables and evaluations that influence payment disbursements: 30% is paid upon completion of the Design phase, followed by 50% after the Development phase, and 20% following the Validation phase.

Eligible applicants can be universities, research institutes, or SMEs, as consortium applications are not permitted—only single entities may apply. The geographic eligibility suggests that applicants from both the EU and Africa may be eligible, although specific countries are not listed. The initiative targets key areas within the agriculture and food sector, specifically addressing issues such as weak value chain organization, contamination by mycotoxins and pesticides, microbial contamination, and food adulteration.

The application evaluation will involve an eligibility check and remote assessments by two external reviewers based on criteria including concept feasibility, technology readiness, innovation potential, impact, and organizational capacity. Each of these criteria will equally weigh in the scoring system, with a minimum threshold required for successful applications.

Overall, the FS4Africa Open Call 1 seeks innovative proposals that can significantly enhance food safety measures in Africa, fostering collaboration and expanding initiatives focused on improving conditions within the food value chain.

FS4Africa Open Call 1 (OC1) is addressed to research and technology stakeholders. The opening date for the call is June 2, 2025, and the deadline for submissions is September 30, 2025, at 17:00 (Brussels time). The deadline model is single-stage. The expected duration of participation for the sub-projects is 12 months, divided into three phases: Phase 1 Design (M1-M3), Phase 2 Development (M4-M9), and Phase 3 Validation (M10-M12). The total funding available is 600,000.00 EUR. The project acronym is FS4Africa, and the full name of the EU-funded project is Food Safety for Africa. The grant agreement number is 101136916. The topic is HORIZON-CL6-2023-FARM2FORK-01-20 EU-Africa Union food safety.

Proposals must be submitted digitally through the opencalls.fund (OCF) platform at https://opencalls.fund/. All application documents (FS4Africa Open Call Kit) are available on the FS4Africa website in the Open Calls section (https://foodsafety4africa.eu/open-call/). Applicants should check the FS4Africa website and the FAQ section on opencalls.fund and the project website for updates. Submissions through other channels will be discarded. Documents for subsequent phases will be submitted via channels indicated by the FS4Africa consortium during the contracting phase, such as email. Only the last version of multiple submissions will be evaluated. The confidentiality of applicants and proposal content will be maintained. By applying, applicants (single entities) accept the Open Call terms and conditions in the Open Call Kit.

After the call closes, the FS4Africa Advisory Board will conduct an eligibility check. Eligible applications will undergo remote evaluation by external reviewers. Each proposal will be reviewed by two external evaluators with technical or business expertise related to the call topics. The evaluation criteria are: i. Concept and feasibility, ii. Technology readiness and innovation development, iii. Impact & Exploitation, iv. Organisational capacity and sufficiency in the team’s background. All criteria have equal weight and are scored from 1 to 5, with a threshold of 3 points in each category and a minimum total score of 12 points.

FS4Africa accepts applications from single entities only; consortia are not allowed. Applicants should test, validate, and enhance the project's business concepts and tools or develop ideas and tools that contribute to the project's objectives for market introduction. Solutions do not need to be tied to existing FS4Africa UC topics but must align with the project's broader goals and address challenges in areas such as: Food safety issues associated with weak channels for value chain organisation, traceability & authentication of safe food; Mycotoxin contamination in multiple food crops including food and feed; Pesticide residues in grains and vegetables; Microbial contamination particularly contamination from coliforms (e.g. Escherichia coli); Food adulteration. The project will select at least 10 subprojects covering all 5 challenges, providing Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) to maximise impact and accelerate network expansion.

The implementation of FS4Africa sub-projects is divided into three phases: Design (M1-M3), Development (M4-M9), and Validation (M10-M12 months). Each phase concludes with a deliverable summarising the work. The FS4Africa Open Call Advisory Board assesses each deliverable, and updates may be requested. Payments to subgrantees are made based on the review and acceptance of deliverables: Phase 1 Design (3 months / February 2026 – April 2026): 30% of the total grant [Deliverable: Activity plan]; Phase 2 Development (6 months / May 2026 – October 2026): 50% of the total grant [Deliverable: Results demonstration]; Phase 3 Validation (3 months / November 2026 – January 2027): 20% of the total grant [Deliverable: Report on market or community associated activities].

In summary, the FS4Africa Open Call 1 is a funding opportunity for research and technology stakeholders to contribute to food safety solutions in Africa. The call seeks innovative projects that address key challenges in the food value chain, from traceability and authentication to contamination and adulteration. The selected projects will receive financial support and guidance over a 12-month period, divided into design, development, and validation phases. The application process is single-stage and requires submission through the opencalls.fund platform. The evaluation criteria focus on the concept's feasibility, technology readiness, impact, and the applicant's organizational capacity. This call aims to foster collaboration and expand the FS4Africa network, ultimately improving food safety across the continent.

Eligible Applicant Types: The opportunity is open to single entities. The specific types of entities are not explicitly defined (e.g., SME, research institute), but the call is addressed to research and technology stakeholders.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) provided through cascade funding.

Consortium Requirement: A consortium is not allowed. Only single applicants are eligible.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The call is part of the EU-Africa Union initiative, suggesting that applicants from both the EU and Africa are likely eligible. The specific geographic eligibility is not explicitly stated, but the project focuses on food safety in Africa, implying that African entities are a key target group.

Target Sector: The target sector is agriculture/food, specifically focusing on food safety. The call addresses challenges such as weak value chain organization, traceability, authentication of safe food, mycotoxin contamination, pesticide residues, microbial contamination (e.g., Escherichia coli), and food adulteration.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the call is part of the EU-Africa Union initiative. The focus is on food safety in Africa, so African countries are the target region.

Project Stage: The expected project stage includes testing, validation, and enhancement of business concepts and tools, as well as the development of new ideas and tools. This suggests a range from development to validation and potentially early commercialization. The sub-projects will go through three phases: Design, Development, and Validation.

Funding Amount: The total funding available is €600,000. The project will select at least 10 subprojects, suggesting an average funding of around €60,000 per subproject, although this may vary.

Application Type: The application type is an open call.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of grants.

Application Stages: The application process involves an eligibility check by the FS4Africa Advisory Board, followed by a remote evaluation by external reviewers. The implementation of sub-projects is divided into three phases (Design, Development, and Validation), each with a deliverable and a review process. This suggests multiple stages of review and assessment.

Success Rates: The success rate is not explicitly mentioned, but the project aims to select at least 10 subprojects from all applications received. This suggests a potentially competitive process, and the success rate is likely to be below 10 to 39%.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required.

Summary:

The FS4Africa Open Call 1 (OC1) is a funding opportunity aimed at research and technology stakeholders who can contribute to improving food safety in Africa. This initiative is part of the broader EU-Africa Union collaboration on food safety. The call seeks proposals that address challenges such as weak value chain organization, contamination issues (mycotoxins, pesticides, microbes), and food adulteration. The total funding available is €600,000, which will be distributed among at least 10 selected subprojects. The application process is a single-stage open call, with submissions made digitally through the opencalls.fund platform. Only single entities are eligible to apply; consortia are not allowed. The selected subprojects will undergo a 12-month implementation divided into three phases: Design, Development, and Validation. Each phase requires the submission of a deliverable (Activity plan, Results demonstration, and Report on market or community associated activities, respectively), and payments are made upon the acceptance of these deliverables (30%, 50%, and 20% of the total grant, respectively). The proposals will be evaluated based on concept and feasibility, technology readiness and innovation development, impact and exploitation, and organizational capacity. The opening date for submissions is June 2, 2025, and the deadline is September 30, 2025. This call provides a financial support to third parties (FSTP) to maximize the project’s impact and accelerate network expansion in the area of food safety in Africa.