Improving understanding of the contribution of the organic farming sector to sustainability

The grant opportunity titled "HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-04" focuses on improving the understanding of the organic farming sector's contribution to sustainability in the EU. This initiative is framed under the Horizon Europe program and is characterized as a Coordination and Support Action (CSA) with a funding amount of €6 million. An open call is set to be released on 20 April 2027, with proposals due by 23 September 2027.

Eligible applicants include research organizations, universities, SMEs, large enterprises, government agencies, and other relevant knowledge-intensive organizations involved in the organic farming sector. The application requires a multi-actor approach, necessitating collaboration among farmers, certification bodies, supply chain actors, and policymakers.

The funding model is a lump sum grant, which is a fixed contribution provided after the achievement of project deliverables rather than reimbursement based on incurred costs. This simplifies financial management for beneficiaries, though it places more risk on them if expenses exceed the grant amount.

The primary focus is on the agricultural sector, specifically organic agriculture, and aims to enhance data collection related to the environmental, economic, and social impacts of organic farming. Proposed activities include mapping existing data collection tools, assessing the feasibility of leveraging certification body data, and developing recommendations for effective data use. The initiative responds to the need for better-organized data collection processes across EU Member States and aims to alleviate the administrative burdens currently faced by organic farmers due to fragmented regulations.

Successful proposals must demonstrate high levels of innovation and cooperation among various stakeholders to address overarching themes associated with the EU's Farm to Fork Strategy and other sustainability goals. The competition for funding is expected to be fierce, with a very competitive estimated success rate of under 10%, as only one grant is anticipated to be awarded.

The project is geared towards the preliminary stages of research and coordination, and successful proposals are intended to support the EU's broader objectives regarding biodiversity, climate action, and sustainable agricultural practices. The expected outcomes include improved data management in the organic sector, enhanced cooperation among data providers, and increased capacities for organic value chain actors to meet their reporting requirements efficiently.

This EU grant opportunity, titled "Improving understanding of the contribution of the organic farming sector to sustainability," falls under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program and is part of Call 02 - single stage (2027) (HORIZON-CL6-2027-02). It is a HORIZON Coordination and Support Action (HORIZON-CSA) with a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] type of Model Grant Agreement (MGA). The call is forthcoming with a single-stage deadline model. The planned opening date is 20 April 2027, and the deadline date is 23 September 2027, 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of this grant are: improved and increased data collection on the environmental, economic, and social impacts of the EU organic sector, from farm to consumer levels, leading to improved understanding of the overall impact of the organic sector on sustainability (including climate change mitigation and biodiversity); improved capacities of organic supply chains and organic value chain actors, including farmers, to collect and provide data on organic production to fulfill reporting requirements; and increased cooperation between public and private data providers in the organic sector across the EU.

The scope of the grant involves addressing the dual need to better understand the contribution of organic farming and the organic sector to sustainability and to improve data collection methods in the organic sector to reduce administrative burden.

Proposals should address the following activities: undertake an exhaustive mapping of existing tools, platforms, and methods at EU, national, and local levels for data collection on organic production, including under the Common Agricultural Policy and EU organic certification; facilitate the exchange of experiences and best practices on data collection and reporting on organic production across the EU, identifying opportunities for cross-fertilization; assess the need, feasibility, and cost-effectiveness of leveraging existing data collected by organic certification bodies to assess the contribution of organic production to sustainability, including an analysis of existing standards for interoperability of agricultural digital systems; develop recommendations for the effective use of current tools for data collection, considering differences across EU Member States; and organize and implement training activities targeted to organic farmers and other operators of the organic value chains to build their capacities to collect relevant data, including networking activities to foster cooperation among actors in the organic agri-food supply chains.

Proposals should address all EU Member States and support the implementation of the EU Action Plan for the Development of Organic Production and the EU regulatory framework for organic farming, contributing to the objectives of the Vision for Agriculture and Food, the Common Agricultural Policy, and the EU’s biodiversity, zero pollution, and climate policies. Both crop and livestock production systems under organic production are in scope.

Proposals must implement the multi-actor approach and ensure adequate involvement of the main stakeholders involved in the organic sector. They should capitalize on existing knowledge and tools, such as the Farm Sustainability Data Network (FSDN), and build on the results of relevant past/ongoing EU-funded R&I projects. Proposals should include a dedicated task, appropriate resources, and a plan on how they will collaborate with other relevant ongoing and upcoming EU-funded R&I projects and initiatives, including the Horizon Europe Partnership ‘Agroecology’ and the project that may follow from the topic “HORIZON-CL6-2024-GOVERNANCE-02-01: European Partnership of Agriculture of Data”.

The general conditions include: Admissibility Conditions (proposal page limit and layout described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form); Eligible Countries (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 (proposals must apply the multi-actor approach, as defined in the work programme part and Annex B); Financial and operational capacity and exclusion (described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes); Evaluation and award criteria, scoring, and thresholds (described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes); Submission and evaluation processes (described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual); Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement (described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes); and Legal and financial set-up of the grants (eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021, 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 (available in the Submission System, Standard application form (HE CSA)); Evaluation form templates (will be used with the necessary adaptations, Standard evaluation form (HE CSA)); Guidance (HE Programme Guide); Model Grant Agreements (MGA) (Lump Sum MGA); Call-specific instructions (Detailed budget table (HE LS), 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 includes several topics under Call 02 - single stage (2027) (HORIZON-CL6-2027-02), including: HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-CLIMATE-01 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (Budget: 16,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2, Contributions around 8,000,000 EUR); HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-CLIMATE-02 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (Budget: 12,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2, Contributions around 6,000,000 EUR); HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-CLIMATE-03 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (Budget: 12,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2, Contributions around 6,000,000 EUR); HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-CLIMATE-04 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (Budget: 22,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2, Contributions around 11,000,000 EUR); HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-COMMUNITIES-01 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (Budget: 15,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 3, Contributions around 5,000,000 EUR); HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-COMMUNITIES-02 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions (Budget: 12,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2, Contributions around 6,000,000 EUR); HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-01 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (Budget: 12,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2, Contributions around 6,000,000 EUR); HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-02 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions (Budget: 12,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2, Contributions around 6,000,000 EUR); HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-03 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (Budget: 11,800,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2, Contributions 5,000,000 to 6,000,000 EUR); HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-04 - HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (Budget: 6,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 1, Contributions around 6,000,000 EUR); HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-05 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions (Budget: 12,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2, Contributions around 6,000,000 EUR); HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-06 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions (Budget: 10,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2, Contributions around 5,000,000 EUR); HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-07 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions (Budget: 15,500,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2, Contributions 7,000,000 to 8,000,000 EUR); HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-08 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions (Budget: 7,800,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 1, Contributions around 7,800,000 EUR); and HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-09 - HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (Budget: 6,750,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 1, Contributions around 6,750,000 EUR).

This funding opportunity aims to enhance the understanding and sustainability of the EU organic farming sector by improving data collection methods, fostering collaboration among stakeholders, and supporting the implementation of relevant EU policies. It seeks to streamline data collection, reduce administrative burdens, and promote the use of data to assess the environmental, economic, and social impacts of organic production. The grant encourages projects that map existing tools, facilitate the exchange of best practices, and develop recommendations for effective data collection and governance within the organic sector across all EU Member States. Ultimately, it aims to strengthen the organic agri-food supply chains and contribute to the broader goals of sustainable agriculture and food systems in Europe.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly defined in the provided text. However, based on the nature of Horizon Europe calls and the multi-actor approach requirement, eligible applicants could include a range of entities such as: research institutes, universities, SMEs, large enterprises, non-profit organizations, governmental organizations, and other stakeholders involved in the organic sector, including certification bodies and supply chain actors. The multi-actor approach necessitates the involvement of various actors bringing different sources of knowledge and perspectives.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA) and HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) and HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA). The eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires a consortium, as it emphasizes the implementation of the multi-actor approach and the involvement of main stakeholders in the organic sector. This suggests that a single applicant would not be sufficient to meet the requirements of the call.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States. The text also mentions that a number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Target Sector: The program targets the agriculture and food sector, specifically focusing on organic farming and the organic sector. It also addresses climate, environment, and biodiversity.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity explicitly mentions EU Member States. It also refers to non-EU/non-Associated Countries that may have specific provisions for funding.

Project Stage: The project stage is geared towards coordination and support actions, research and innovation actions, and innovation actions. This suggests a focus on development, validation, and demonstration stages, with the aim of improving data collection and understanding the impact of the organic sector.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic and type of action (HORIZON-RIA, HORIZON-IA, HORIZON-CSA). The budget overview provides specific amounts for each topic, ranging from EUR 6,000,000 to EUR 22,000,000. The contributions per grant range from around EUR 5,000,000 to around EUR 11,000,000, with some exceptions.

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 support their projects.

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 is provided, allowing for an estimation of the potential success rate based on the number of expected proposals.

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

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call focuses on "Improving understanding of the contribution of the organic farming sector to sustainability." It aims to enhance data collection and understanding of the environmental, economic, and social impacts of the EU organic sector. The call encourages projects that map existing data collection tools, facilitate the exchange of best practices, assess the feasibility of leveraging data from certification bodies, develop recommendations for effective data collection, and organize training activities for organic farmers and operators.

The call is structured around several topics, including climate action, communities, and farm-to-fork initiatives, each with varying budgets and expected outcomes. Eligible applicants should form a consortium implementing a multi-actor approach, involving diverse stakeholders such as research institutes, universities, SMEs, and certification bodies. The funding is provided as a lump sum grant, and the application process consists of a single stage.

In essence, this opportunity seeks to foster research, innovation, and coordination to strengthen the organic sector by improving its data infrastructure and promoting sustainable practices across the EU. It is designed to support the EU's broader goals related to agriculture, food, biodiversity, and climate policies.