Increasing knowledge flows to practice within AKIS via EU thematic knowledge hubs

The Horizon Europe grant opportunity HORIZON-CL6 focuses on increasing knowledge flows to practice within Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) through the establishment of EU thematic knowledge hubs. This initiative is structured around Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) and will provide lump sum grants. The anticipated opening date for applications is January 14, 2026, with a deadline set for April 15, 2026. The total budget for this call is approximately €7 million, aiming to fund around two grants, each worth €3.5 million. Eligible applicants include a diverse range of entities such as research institutions, universities, advisory services, and agricultural organizations, with a specific requirement for multi-actor consortia. At least 30% of project personnel must consist of impartial advisors, ensuring that the practical knowledge and experience of professionals are integral to the project's development and operations. The collaborative nature of the consortia is essential, as it facilitates the active involvement of stakeholders from various sectors, aiming for a balanced geographical coverage across a minimum of fourteen EU Member States. The thematic areas of focus include enhancing the competitiveness of protein crops and promoting sustainable water management in light of climate change. Rather than conducting primary research, the projects will compile and disseminate existing knowledge and best practices, transforming them into accessible formats for advisors and end-users. This dissemination will emphasize the need for inclusive knowledge exchange and collaboration among all participants involved in the agricultural ecosystem. Furthermore, the mechanism allows for financial support to third parties, with grants up to €60,000 per third party, enhancing flexibility in reaching diverse stakeholders across the EU. The single-stage application process simplifies submissions, contributing to efficiency and reducing administrative burdens. In summary, this funding opportunity aims to enhance the dissemination of agricultural knowledge and practices across Europe by establishing structured and multi-actor knowledge hubs, thereby fostering a more competitive, sustainable, and resilient agricultural sector. The focus on practical implementation and advisor involvement is designed to bridge existing gaps in knowledge transfer within the agricultural sector, equipping end-users with critical information and resources.

This is a Horizon Europe call focused on increasing knowledge flows to practice within the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) via EU thematic knowledge hubs. The call, HORIZON-CL6, is for HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) and offers HORIZON Lump Sum Grants. The planned opening date is 14 January 2026, with a deadline of 15 April 2026, 17:00:00 Brussels time. The indicative budget for this specific topic is €7,000,000, and it is expected to fund around 2 grants.

The expected outcomes of funded projects include fostering competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience in agriculture, forestry, and rural areas by providing impartial and tailored knowledge to advisors and end-users. It also aims to better integrate advisors into AKIS with up-to-date, practice-oriented knowledge and ensure research findings, innovative solutions, practical knowledge, and best practices are widely shared and used.

The scope of the call involves establishing EU thematic knowledge hubs that transform existing and new knowledge into accessible formats for advisors and end-users, focusing on dissemination rather than collection. These hubs should offer services to disseminate information on specific themes among practitioners, contributing to a well-informed and engaged AKIS community.

Proposals should compile a comprehensive range of up-to-date scientific and practical knowledge, best practices, and innovative solutions within a thematic area. They should develop and widely share informative materials and training courses in at least all 24 EU official languages, ensuring knowledge collection and dissemination from at least fourteen EU Member States. The projects should offer networking services, actively involve advisors, mobilize AKIS actors, collaborate with national or regional authorities, and develop a long-term plan to maintain the knowledge hub beyond the project duration.

Proposals should address either thematic Area A:Enhancing competitiveness of protein crops, or Area B: Sustainable water management under climate change, selecting specific topics in a bottom-up way to respond to the most urgent needs from practice. The multi-actor approach must be implemented, with a balanced consortium actively involving advisors and end-users. A minimum of 30% of the people involved should be impartial advisors spending at least half their time advising farmers. Financial support to third parties (FSTP) may be used to involve advisors from across the EU.

The general conditions for admissibility include proposal page limits and layout as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form. Eligible countries are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. Other eligibility conditions include the application of the multi-actor approach.

Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes. The evaluation and award process, including award criteria, scoring, and thresholds, are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. Submission and evaluation processes are detailed in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is also described in Annex F.

Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties in the form of grants, with a maximum amount of €60,000 per third party. Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021. Legal and financial set-up of the grants is described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Application form templates and evaluation form templates are available in the Submission System. Additional guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide, Model Grant Agreements (HE MGA, HE Unit MGA, Lump Sum MGA, Operating Grants MGA), call-specific instructions, detailed budget table (HE LS), information on financial support to third parties (HE), and guidance on lump sums.

Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 (General Introduction, Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment, and General Annexes), EIC Work Programme 2026, ERC Work Programme 2026, 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, Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment, EU Grants AGA, Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions, and Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

This funding opportunity aims to establish thematic knowledge hubs that bridge the gap between research and practice in agriculture, forestry, and rural areas. It seeks to create accessible, informative resources and networks that empower advisors and end-users with the latest knowledge and best practices, ultimately fostering a more competitive, sustainable, and resilient agricultural sector across the EU. The projects should focus on either enhancing the competitiveness of protein crops or promoting sustainable water management under climate change, while actively involving advisors and end-users in the knowledge creation and dissemination process.

Eligible Applicant Types:The eligible applicant types are not explicitly defined in the provided text. However, the text mentions the need for a balanced consortium of relevant actors with complementary knowledge, actively involving advisors and end-users. This suggests that eligible applicants could include research institutions, universities, advisory services, agricultural organizations, farmer associations, and other relevant stakeholders in the agriculture, forestry, and rural sectors. The requirement for a multi-actor approach implies that a mix of different types of organizations is preferred.

Funding Type:The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, as indicated by the type of MGA (Model Grant Agreement) being HORIZON-AG-LS. The call also includes HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions, HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions, all of which are grant-based mechanisms within the Horizon Europe framework. Beneficiaries may also provide financial support to third parties in the form of grants, with a maximum amount of €60,000 per third party.

Consortium Requirement:A consortium of multiple applicants is required. The text emphasizes the need for a balanced consortium of relevant actors with complementary knowledge and the implementation of the multi-actor approach. A minimum of 30% of the people involved in the project should be impartial advisors.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):The geographic eligibility is primarily focused on EU Member States. The text mentions that consortia should ensure the collection and dissemination of knowledge from and to at least fourteen EU Member States, guaranteeing a balanced geographical coverage. However, 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. Therefore, some participation from non-EU/non-Associated Countries may be possible, subject to specific provisions outlined in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Target Sector:The primary target sectors are agriculture, forestry, and rural areas. The program aims to enhance the competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience of these sectors by improving knowledge flows and collaboration among researchers, advisors, and farmers. Specific thematic areas include enhancing the competitiveness of protein crops and sustainable water management under climate change.

Mentioned Countries:The text explicitly mentions EU Member States, as consortia should ensure collection and dissemination of knowledge from and to at least fourteen EU Member States. It also refers to non-EU/non-Associated Countries, without specifying which ones. The relevant regional options are EU and EEA.

Project Stage:The expected maturity of the project is focused on dissemination, validation, and implementation of existing knowledge and best practices, rather than basic research or early-stage development. The emphasis is on transforming existing and new knowledge into accessible formats for advisors and end-users, and ensuring that research findings, innovative solutions, practical knowledge, and best practices are widely shared and used in practice.

Funding Amount:The funding range varies depending on the specific type of action within the call. The indicative budgets for each topic are as follows:

HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE-01 (HORIZON-COFUND):€16,000,000 (2026) + €22,000,000 (2027), around €38,000,000 total

HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE-02 (HORIZON-RIA):€10,800,000, with contributions ranging from €5,000,000 to €6,000,000

HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE-03 (HORIZON-CSA):€9,000,000, around €3,000,000 per grant

HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE-04 (HORIZON-CSA):€4,500,000, around €4,500,000 per grant

HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE-05 (HORIZON-RIA):€7,000,000, around €7,000,000 per grant

HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE-06 (HORIZON-CSA):€6,000,000, around €6,000,000 per grant

HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE-07 (HORIZON-CSA):€5,400,000, around €5,400,000 per grant

HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE-08 (HORIZON-IA):€15,000,000, around €7,500,000 per grant

HORIZON-CL6 (HORIZON-CSA):€7,000,000, around €3,500,000 per grant

HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE-10 (HORIZON-RIA):€9,800,000, with contributions ranging from €4,000,000 to €5,000,000

Application Type:The application type is an open call, with a single-stage submission process. The planned opening date for the call is 14 January 2026, and the deadline for submission is 15 April 2026.

Nature of Support:The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant. The 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. Beneficiaries may also provide financial support to third parties in the form of grants, up to €60,000 per third party.

Application Stages:The application process consists of a single stage.

Success Rates:The success rates are not explicitly mentioned in the text. However, the indicative number of grants for each topic is provided, which can be used to estimate the potential success rate based on the expected number of applications.

Co-funding Requirement:The text does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required from the applicants. However, the HORIZON-COFUND action implies that some level of co-funding from other sources may be expected.

Summary:This Horizon Europe call aims to increase knowledge flows to practice within the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) by establishing EU thematic knowledge hubs. These hubs will focus on disseminating practical knowledge and innovative solutions related to agriculture, forestry, and rural areas. The call is structured around Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), and Innovation Actions (IA), with a focus on enhancing the competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience of the targeted sectors. Proposals should address either enhancing the competitiveness of protein crops or sustainable water management under climate change. The call requires a multi-actor approach, with consortia comprising researchers, advisors, farmers, and other relevant stakeholders from at least fourteen EU Member States. Funding is provided as lump sum grants, with the possibility of providing financial support to third parties. The application process is a single-stage open call, with a deadline of 15 April 2026. The call seeks to transform existing and new knowledge into accessible formats, empowering advisors and practitioners with cutting-edge information and fostering collaboration and cross-fertilization among AKIS actors across the EU.