Improve the capacity to monitor and reduce air pollution from agriculture

The HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-03 grant opportunity focuses on improving the capacity to monitor and reduce air pollution from agriculture, with a total budget of €12 million for 2027. This European Union funding initiative falls under the Horizon Europe framework and aims to support research and innovation actions that address significant environmental challenges posed by agricultural emissions.

Applicants must form a consortium that adheres to a mandatory multi-actor approach, requiring a balanced mix of farmers, researchers, advisors, and businesses. This diversity ensures that the solutions developed are practical and scientifically sound. Eligible applicants include various research organizations, small and medium enterprises, agricultural organizations, and international organizations with headquarters in EU or Associated Countries.

The funding type is structured as a lump sum grant, with each of the two expected grants amounting to approximately €6 million. This provides financial flexibility as it does not require reimbursements for actual costs incurred, streamlining project management for grant recipients.

Proposals should aim to enhance monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) methodologies for air pollutants at the farm level. They are expected to consolidate knowledge on emission factors, develop innovative agricultural practices, and build capacity among stakeholders through training and outreach. The projects will evaluate the effectiveness of various technologies and practices to mitigate air pollution, which significantly contributes to human health and environmental degradation.

The call is open to all eligible countries within the EU and Associated Countries, with a single-stage application process. The timeline for submission begins on April 20, 2027, and ends on September 22, 2027, at 17:00 Brussels time. There is no explicit requirement for co-funding, thereby reducing barriers for participation.

The call aligns with the EU's Zero Pollution Action Plan and other environmental policies, indicating a strong commitment to sustainable agricultural practices and air quality improvement. Successful projects will lead to enhanced scientific evidence supporting EU air quality policies and practical solutions for farmers, integrating cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and IoT for effective monitoring.

Overall, this grant represents a premium funding opportunity for stakeholders focused on collaborative approaches to combat air pollution from agricultural activities, contributing to broader EU environmental goals.

This is a Horizon Europe (HORIZON) call, specifically Call 01 - single stage (2027) (HORIZON-CL6-2027-01). The topic is HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-03: Improve the capacity to monitor and reduce air pollution from agriculture. It is a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA) with a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] Model Grant Agreement (MGA). The deadline model is single-stage. The planned opening date is 20 April 2027, and the deadline date is 22 September 2027 at 17:00:00 Brussels time. The budget for the topic is 12,000,000 EUR for the year 2027. The indicative number of grants is around 2, with contributions of around 6,000,000 EUR each.

The expected outcomes of the project are: improved monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) of air pollutants at the farm level; benefits to human health and the environment (including biodiversity) from reduced impacts of air pollution from agriculture; support for EU policies preventing and reducing air pollution with more comprehensive, harmonised, and accurate scientific evidence, tools, and methods to estimate emissions; and new and better knowledge, technologies, and practices for farmers, advisors, and other stakeholders to reduce certain air pollutants from agriculture.

The scope of the project is to address the substantial contribution of EU agriculture to air pollution through various emissions. It aims to promote the uptake of measures at the farm level by providing better data on their impact and effectiveness and by developing new practical solutions to help farmers monitor and reduce air pollution.

Proposals should: assess and improve the accuracy, cost, efficiency, and user-friendliness of MRV methodologies and tools (including AI, IoT, etc.) for air pollutants (other than greenhouse gases) in agriculture at the farm level through analysis, field experiments, and demonstration activities, reducing uncertainties and enabling the use of higher tiers for the estimation of emissions and for reporting; consolidate, extend, and improve knowledge on emission factors and mitigation potential of practices and activities at the farm level, contributing to the further development of the EMEP/EEA air pollutant emission inventory guidebook 2023; develop farming practices and technologies in manure management and application, livestock feeding and grazing, and the use of fertilisers and pesticides in all relevant types of farming systems, including cattle, poultry, and pigs, to reduce air pollutants other than GHG and evaluate their reduction potential in line with relevant UNECE Guidance documents; and build capacity among farmers, advisors, and other relevant actors for widespread utilisation of improved MRV tools and air pollution reduction measures addressing, among other impacts, biodiversity loss through dedicated training and outreach activities.

The proposals must implement the multi-actor approach, with a consortium based on a balanced mix of actors with complementary knowledge, including farmers, researchers, advisors, and businesses. Concrete efforts should be made to ensure that the data and methodologies produced in the context of the funded projects follow the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Re-usable). Proposals should include a dedicated task and resources for cooperation with other projects funded under this topic and with other relevant ongoing and forthcoming Horizon Europe projects, including topic HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-CLIMATE-04: Monitoring, reporting, verification and mitigation of non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions and related air pollutants from agriculture, especially to understand the combined effects of air pollutants. The projects under this topic are relevant to the EU policies related to the Zero Pollution Action Plan, the Industrial and Livestock Rearing Emissions Directive, the National Emissions Reduction Commitments Directive, the Ambient Air Quality Directive, the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030, and the transition to a more sustainable EU agriculture in alignment with the EU Vision for Agriculture and Food and the Common Agricultural Policy.

The general conditions include: Admissibility Conditions, which state that proposal page limits and layout are described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System; Eligible Countries, which are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries outlined in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide; Other Eligible Conditions, which state that relevant international organisations with headquarters in a Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country are exceptionally eligible for funding, beneficiaries must use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS if projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, and proposals must apply the multi-actor approach as defined in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes; Financial and operational capacity and exclusion, which are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes; Evaluation and award, including Award criteria, scoring and thresholds, which are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes, Submission and evaluation processes, which are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual, and Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement, which is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes; and Legal and financial set-up of the grants, which state that eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community, as described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme. Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA) information includes: Application form templates, which are available in the Submission System as a Standard application form (HE RIA, IA); Evaluation form templates, which will be used with the necessary adaptations as a Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA); Guidance from the HE Programme Guide; Model Grant Agreements (MGA) for Lump Sum MGA; Call-specific instructions for a Detailed budget table (HE LS); and Guidance: "Lump sums - what do I need to know?".

Additional documents include: HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction; HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 9. Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment; HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes; HE Programme Guide; 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 lists several topics, their corresponding budget for the year 2027, the type of action, the opening date, the deadline, the contribution amount, and the indicative number of grants.

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In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to improve the monitoring and reduction of air pollution from EU agriculture. It seeks proposals that enhance MRV methodologies, consolidate knowledge on emission factors, develop innovative farming practices and technologies, and build capacity among stakeholders. The call encourages a multi-actor approach, adherence to FAIR principles, and collaboration with other relevant projects. The funding is provided as a lump sum, and the call is aligned with various EU policies related to environmental protection and sustainable agriculture. The call provides a comprehensive set of resources and support for potential applicants.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types for this opportunity include farmers, researchers, advisors, businesses and relevant international organisations with headquarters in a Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country. A multi-actor approach is mandatory, requiring a consortium with a balanced mix of actors with complementary knowledge. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries may also be eligible for funding if they have made specific provisions, as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Funding Type: The funding type for this opportunity is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA) and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA) and HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) under the Horizon Europe Programme. The eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum contribution.

Consortium Requirement: This opportunity requires a consortium of multiple applicants. The proposals must implement the multi-actor approach, with a consortium based on a balanced mix of actors with complementary knowledge, including farmers, researchers, advisors and businesses.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States, Horizon Europe Associated Countries, and potentially non-EU/non-Associated Countries that have made specific provisions for funding their participants in Horizon Europe projects. Relevant international organisations with headquarters in a Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country are also eligible.

Target Sector: This program targets the agriculture sector, with a focus on reducing air pollution, improving biodiversity, and supporting relevant EU environmental and agricultural policies. It also involves aspects of climate, environment, innovation, and research.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but eligibility extends to EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries may also be eligible if they have specific funding provisions.

Project Stage: The project stage can vary. The call includes HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and HORIZON Innovation Actions (IA), suggesting projects can range from research, development, and validation to demonstration and potentially commercialization.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call, ranging from €3,000,000 to €24,000,000. For example, HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-03 has a budget of €12,000,000 with an indicative grant amount of around €6,000,000, while HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-04 has a budget of €3,000,000 with an indicative grant amount of around €3,000,000.

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 to cover eligible costs.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight. For instance, HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-03 aims to award around 2 grants, while HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-04 aims to award 1 grant.

Co-funding Requirement: The need for co-funding is not explicitly mentioned, but Horizon Europe grants typically fund a significant portion of the project costs, implying that some level of resources from the applicant or other parties may be beneficial or necessary.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, specifically HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-03, focuses on improving the capacity to monitor and reduce air pollution from agriculture. It seeks to fund projects that enhance monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) methodologies at the farm level, reduce the impact of air pollution on human health and the environment, and support EU policies related to air pollution. The call encourages proposals that assess and improve MRV tools using AI and IoT, consolidate knowledge on emission factors, develop innovative farming practices and technologies, and build capacity among stakeholders through training and outreach. A multi-actor approach is mandatory, requiring a consortium with diverse expertise, including farmers, researchers, advisors, and businesses. The funding is provided as a lump sum grant, and the geographic eligibility includes EU Member States, associated countries, and potentially other countries with specific funding arrangements. The call aims to contribute to the EU's Zero Pollution Action Plan, the Industrial and Livestock Rearing Emissions Directive, and other relevant environmental and agricultural policies. The opening date for submissions is planned for April 20, 2027, with a deadline of September 22, 2027.