Improving analytical capacity for sustainable competitiveness of the agricultural sector
Overview
Key points include the requirement for a multi-actor approach in proposals, meaning that consortia must include a balanced mix of farmers, researchers, businesses, and other stakeholders involved in agri-food supply chains. International cooperation, especially with Mediterranean countries, is encouraged.
Proposals are expected to address several specific areas, such as identifying analytical gaps in agricultural competitiveness, enhancing policy analysis, and developing metrics to measure sustainability and resilience in agri-food systems. The focus is on evidence-backed recommendations that reconcile competitiveness, resilience, and sustainability objectives.
The program specifies various funding amounts for different topics within the call. For HORIZON-CL6-2027-03-GOVERNANCE-02, a single grant of approximately €6 million is available. The funding mechanism is a lump sum grant, and the application process is a single-stage submission, where full proposals are expected by the deadline.
Overall, this initiative seeks to provide stakeholders with improved tools and knowledge to navigate the evolving challenges posed by climate change, digitalization, and the need for sustainable agricultural practices. The grant aims to support EU goals related to agriculture and contribute towards fostering a competitive, resilient, and sustainable agri-food sector.
Detail
The overarching goal is to enhance the understanding and tools available to farmers, policymakers, and other stakeholders in the agri-food supply chain to make better-informed decisions that balance competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience. The agri-food sector is recognized as a crucial component of EU competitiveness, providing employment and essential food services. The call acknowledges the complexity of agricultural competitiveness and the need for updated knowledge to address evolving challenges like climate change and digitalization. Successful projects are expected to align with the EU Vision for Agriculture and Food, the Competitiveness Compass, the Common Agricultural Policy, the Green Deal's sustainability objectives, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Key areas of focus for proposals include:
Addressing analytical gaps in competitiveness: Proposals should investigate the various drivers, inputs, components, and impacts of competitiveness, considering different value chains and farming systems, including organic farming. This requires integrating knowledge from economics, management, agronomy, and environmental sciences.
Improving analysis of agriculture-related policies: Projects should enhance the capacity to analyze policies that support sustainable practices across the value chain and in trade agreements, focusing on their impact on competitiveness, resilience, and mitigating leakage effects.
Providing evidence on drivers of competitiveness and sustainability: Proposals should offer evidence on the social, economic, and environmental factors that drive competitiveness, as well as the synergies and trade-offs between sustainability dimensions at different stages of the value chain and across various scales.
Developing and improving indicators and metrics: Projects should identify, improve, or develop indicators and metrics to better measure performance, sustainability, resilience, productivity, and competitiveness in analytical tools, considering the practical needs of decision-makers.
Providing recommendations and levers: Proposals should offer recommendations and levers to anticipate trade-offs and reconcile competitiveness, resilience, and sustainability objectives in business strategies and policies.
The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate in projects, contributing to scenario assessment using the iMAP modelling platform and disseminating results. The multi-actor approach is mandatory, requiring consortia to include farmers, researchers, businesses, and other relevant actors from the agri-food supply chains. International cooperation, particularly with Mediterranean countries, is encouraged. The call also emphasizes the importance of contributions from Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines.
The call includes several specific topics, each with its own budget and indicative number of grants:
HORIZON-CL6-2027-03-GOVERNANCE-01: Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) with a budget of 12,000,000 EUR, aiming for around 2 grants with contributions of approximately 6,000,000 EUR each.
HORIZON-CL6-2027-03-GOVERNANCE-02: Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) with a budget of 6,000,000 EUR, aiming for 1 grant with a contribution of around 6,000,000 EUR.
HORIZON-CL6-2027-03-GOVERNANCE-03: Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) with a budget of 3,000,000 EUR, aiming for 1 grant with a contribution of around 3,000,000 EUR.
HORIZON-CL6-2027-03-GOVERNANCE-04: Innovation Actions (IA) with a budget of 11,800,000 EUR, aiming for 2 grants with contributions ranging from 5,000,000 to 6,000,000 EUR each.
HORIZON-CL6-2027-03-GOVERNANCE-05: Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) with a budget of 7,000,000 EUR, aiming for 2 grants with contributions of around 3,500,000 EUR each.
HORIZON-CL6-2027-03-GOVERNANCE-06: Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) with a budget of 4,500,000 EUR, aiming for 1 grant with a contribution of around 4,500,000 EUR.
HORIZON-CL6-2027-03-GOVERNANCE-07: Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) with a budget of 4,750,000 EUR, aiming for 1 grant with a contribution of around 4,750,000 EUR.
Eligible costs will be reimbursed as a lump sum. The general conditions for admissibility, eligibility, financial and operational capacity, exclusion, evaluation, award, and legal/financial setup are detailed in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. Applicants should use the standard application forms and evaluation templates, and consult the HE Programme Guide and Model Grant Agreements for guidance. Additional documents, including work programmes, framework programmes, and financial regulations, are also available for reference. Partner search tools and helpdesks are provided to assist applicants in forming consortia and addressing any questions.
In summary, this Horizon Europe call seeks to fund projects that will provide a deeper understanding of agricultural competitiveness and its relationship to sustainability, equipping stakeholders with the knowledge and tools needed to make informed decisions and develop effective policies for a thriving and sustainable agri-food sector. The call emphasizes a multi-actor approach, international cooperation, and the integration of social sciences and humanities.
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Breakdown
Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant. The call includes different types of actions: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), and HORIZON Innovation Actions (IA). 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.
Consortium Requirement: A consortium of multiple applicants is required. The call explicitly states that proposals must implement the multi-actor approach, with a consortium based on a balanced mix of actors. This includes farmers, researchers, businesses, and other relevant actors from agri-food supply chains.
Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is broad, encompassing EU member states, associated countries, and potentially non-EU/non-associated countries, as specific provisions may allow funding for their participants. International cooperation is encouraged, particularly with Mediterranean countries. The eligible countries are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, and the Horizon Europe Programme Guide provides information on non-EU/non-Associated Countries.
Target Sector: The program targets the agri-food sector, focusing on improving the analytical capacity for sustainable competitiveness. It addresses various aspects of the agricultural value chain, including farming systems, policy analysis, sustainability, resilience, and the integration of green and digital transitions. The program also emphasizes the importance of climate change mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity protection, and the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of competitiveness.
Mentioned Countries: The opportunity explicitly mentions Mediterranean countries, encouraging international cooperation with them. It also refers to non-EU/non-Associated Countries, indicating a broader scope of potential involvement.
Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project varies depending on the type of action. Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) suggest a focus on research, development, and validation. Innovation Actions (IA) imply a higher level of maturity, focusing on demonstration and potentially commercialization or scale-up. Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) are geared towards networking, coordination, and dissemination activities.
Funding Amount: The funding range varies depending on the specific topic within the call:
HORIZON-CL6-2027-03-GOVERNANCE-01: EUR 12,000,000 (around EUR 6,000,000 per grant, 2 grants)
HORIZON-CL6-2027-03-GOVERNANCE-02: EUR 6,000,000 (around EUR 6,000,000 per grant, 1 grant)
HORIZON-CL6-2027-03-GOVERNANCE-03: EUR 3,000,000 (around EUR 3,000,000 per grant, 1 grant)
HORIZON-CL6-2027-03-GOVERNANCE-04: EUR 11,800,000 (EUR 5,000,000 to EUR 6,000,000 per grant, 2 grants)
HORIZON-CL6-2027-03-GOVERNANCE-05: EUR 7,000,000 (around EUR 3,500,000 per grant, 2 grants)
HORIZON-CL6-2027-03-GOVERNANCE-06: EUR 4,500,000 (around EUR 4,500,000 per grant, 1 grant)
HORIZON-CL6-2027-03-GOVERNANCE-07: EUR 4,750,000 (around EUR 4,750,000 per grant, 1 grant)
Application Type: The application type is an open call, with a single-stage submission process. The submission system is planned to be opened on 04 February 2027, and the deadline for submission is 11 May 2027.
Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant. Eligible costs will take this form, as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021.
Application Stages: The application process is single-stage, meaning applicants submit a full proposal by the deadline.
Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight into the potential competitiveness.
Co-funding Requirement: The need for co-funding is not explicitly stated, but applicants should refer to Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes and the specific topic description for detailed information on financial aspects.
Summary: This Horizon Europe call focuses on improving the analytical capacity for sustainable competitiveness within the agri-food sector. It seeks to address analytical gaps, improve policy analysis, provide evidence on drivers of competitiveness, develop better indicators and metrics, and offer recommendations for business strategies and policies. The call requires a multi-actor approach, encouraging consortia with diverse expertise, including farmers, researchers, and businesses. International cooperation, particularly with Mediterranean countries, is encouraged. The funding is provided as lump sum grants, with varying amounts depending on the specific topic, and the application process is single-stage. The call aims to support the EU Vision for Agriculture and Food, the Competitiveness Compass, the Common Agricultural Policy, the sustainability objectives of the Green Deal, and the SDGs, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable, resilient, and competitive agri-food sector.
Short Summary
Impact Enhancing the understanding and tools available to farmers, policymakers, and other stakeholders in the agri-food supply chain to make better-informed decisions that balance competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience. | Impact | Enhancing the understanding and tools available to farmers, policymakers, and other stakeholders in the agri-food supply chain to make better-informed decisions that balance competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience. |
Applicant A balanced mix of actors with complementary knowledge, including farmers, researchers, businesses, and other relevant actors from agri-food supply chains. | Applicant | A balanced mix of actors with complementary knowledge, including farmers, researchers, businesses, and other relevant actors from agri-food supply chains. |
Developments Improving analytical capacity for sustainable competitiveness within the agri-food sector, addressing analytical gaps, improving policy analysis, and developing better indicators and metrics. | Developments | Improving analytical capacity for sustainable competitiveness within the agri-food sector, addressing analytical gaps, improving policy analysis, and developing better indicators and metrics. |
Applicant Type Multi-actor consortia including farmers, researchers, businesses, and other relevant actors from agri-food supply chains. | Applicant Type | Multi-actor consortia including farmers, researchers, businesses, and other relevant actors from agri-food supply chains. |
Consortium A consortium of multiple applicants is required, implementing a multi-actor approach. | Consortium | A consortium of multiple applicants is required, implementing a multi-actor approach. |
Funding Amount €6,000,000 per grant, with varying amounts depending on specific topics. | Funding Amount | €6,000,000 per grant, with varying amounts depending on specific topics. |
Countries International cooperation is encouraged, particularly with Mediterranean countries. | Countries | International cooperation is encouraged, particularly with Mediterranean countries. |
Industry Horizon Europe, focusing on agriculture, agri-food, competitiveness, sustainability, and rural areas. | Industry | Horizon Europe, focusing on agriculture, agri-food, competitiveness, sustainability, and rural areas. |
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