Increasing mitigation of GHG emissions and feed efficiency through feed additives

The Horizon Europe funding opportunity HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-02 focuses on increasing the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and improving feed efficiency through innovative feed additives in livestock production. The call will open on April 20, 2027, with a deadline set for September 23, 2027. It is categorized as an Innovation Action (IA) under HORIZON, with a total budget allocation of €12 million, expecting to fund two grants of €6 million each.

Eligible applicants must form a diverse consortium reflecting a multi-actor approach, which includes research organizations, universities, large and small enterprises, farmers, agricultural advisors, food processors, policy-makers, NGOs, and others involved in sustainable agriculture. The program emphasizes collaboration and multi-stakeholder engagement to address the complex challenges in livestock sectors effectively.

Projects should focus on developing and testing a variety of feed additives capable of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, particularly methane, from livestock. The expected maturity for project proposals is targeting Technology Readiness Level 7, meaning solutions must be proven in operational environments. The application process is a single-stage submission, which requires the electronic submission of complete proposals without a preliminary outline phase.

The funding is delivered via a lump sum grant mechanism designed to simplify financial management for recipients. Notably, while co-funding is not mandatory, proposals that include additional funding sources or partnerships could enhance their viability and attractiveness.

Successful proposals should demonstrate innovative approaches to livestock feed additives that ensure environmental sustainability, improve animal health, and maintain productivity. They are expected to generate evidence-based policy recommendations that align with EU sustainability objectives, including the EU Green Deal and the Farm to Fork Strategy. Additionally, proposals should include strategies for consumer education and awareness regarding the use of feed additives.

The opportunity supports research that can lead to significant advancements in reducing emissions from livestock farming, ultimately contributing to broader climate goals and enhancing the competitiveness of the agriculture sector. The funding landscape indicates a competitive environment, with historical success rates approximately ranging from 10% to 39%.

Overall, this initiative is a critical component of European efforts aimed at fostering innovation in sustainable agri-food systems, ensuring that both economic viability for farmers and environmental integrity are prioritized in livestock production practices.

This is a Horizon Europe call for proposals focusing on "Increasing mitigation of GHG emissions and feed efficiency through feed additives" under the call 02 - single stage (2027) (HORIZON-CL6-2027-02). The type of action is HORIZON-IA (HORIZON Innovation Actions) with a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] Model Grant Agreement. The deadline model is single-stage, with a planned opening date of 20 April 2027 and a deadline of 23 September 2027, 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of the projects are that farmers experience increasing benefits from adopting safe, efficient, practical, and affordable improved or novel feed additives and related practices that reduce GHG and air pollutants emissions, minimize environmental impact, and do not adversely affect animal productivity or welfare. Farmers and agricultural advisors should gain improved access to knowledge, resources, and distribution channels for feed additives, favoring the integration of these solutions into common practices. Evidence-based recommendations should be provided for implementing EU policies and strategies, including the CAP, relevant to sustainable livestock farming systems, while also serving as a resource for regulatory authorities.

The scope of the projects should align with EU policies related to the EU Green Deal objectives for resilient and sustainable agri-food systems, the EU climate policy, the methane strategy, the Vision for Agriculture and Food, and the EU Action Plan for the Development of Organic Production. Livestock production significantly contributes to GHG emissions and resource consumption, making it essential to improve feed efficiency and reduce environmental impact. Enteric fermentation in ruminants produces substantial methane emissions, while inefficient feed conversion increases feed demand, land use, and pollution. Developing and implementing effective feed additives can lower methane production, enhance nutrient utilization, and reduce nitrogen excretion, supporting sustainable livestock farming, improved profitability for farmers, and global climate goals. Reducing methane emissions from ruminants contributes to environmental sustainability by lowering the climate and environmental impact of livestock production, while also supporting economic sustainability for farmers through improved productivity and cost savings. Only a handful of additives have demonstrated significant effectiveness in reducing methane emissions or have become commercially available. The limited availability of reliable options and the challenges posed by inconsistent efficacy and applicability across diverse production systems represent a constraint. Proposals should address various terrestrial livestock systems, from conventional to extensive systems, considering regional feeding systems. Proposals should address at least farmed large ruminants.

The proposals should address the following activities: Develop and test a wide range of additives that reduce emissions in an operational environment (reaching TRL 7), their synergies, and optimal delivery strategies for diverse terrestrial livestock systems, including extensive and grass-based systems, both under conventional and organic production. Impacts on animal health, welfare, performance, product quality, and net GHG emissions and air pollutants, and potential trade-offs among these factors should be addressed. Identify clear endpoints for risk assessment of feed additives to demonstrate their safety and define complementarity criteria to demonstrate their effectiveness and environmental impact, all supported by scientific evidence. Verify the practicalities, applicability, scalability, and socio-economic-environmental impacts, including trade-offs with other environmental and social dimensions, of using feed additives across different production systems and in different feeding scenarios. Promote and facilitate a standardized data collection system for quality control procedures and record-keeping practices that ensures consistency across stakeholder groups and meets the requirements for accurate reporting, keeping in mind the EU and EFSA regulatory framework from the inception and for feed additives. Identify strategies like improved distribution networks, farmer education programs, and possible subsidies or incentives to make new innovative feed additives that reduce livestock emissions more affordable. Assess consumer perception to understand attitudes towards the use of feed additives to reduce emissions in livestock production and identify key factors influencing their decisions. The JRC participation could involve contributing to scenario assessment with the integrated agro-economic modelling platform (iMAP), sharing information, and contributing to dissemination of results.

To respect the ‘Do-No-Significant-Harm' (DNSH) principle, proposals need to properly address and exclude any potential risk of feed additives on the environment, animal or human health. Proposals must implement the multi-actor approach and ensure adequate involvement of the main stakeholders involved in the livestock sectors, including farmers, advisors, private sector/industry (e.g., processors, feed manufacturers), policy-makers, consumers, etc. Proposals should capitalize on research findings and tools, including those developed under previous and ongoing relevant research projects. Proposals should interact with relevant structures or organizations at European level and beyond such as FAO, Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance Partnership (LEAP, FAO), Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases. International cooperation is encouraged.

The general conditions include admissibility conditions related to proposal page limits and layout, eligible countries (described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries), and other eligible conditions such as applying the multi-actor approach. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a member of the consortium selected for funding as a beneficiary with zero funding or as an associated partner but will not participate in the preparation and submission of the proposal. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes. Evaluation and award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes, while submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes. 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 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme. Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes provides additional details. Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA): Application form templates are available in the Submission System (Standard application form (HE RIA, IA)). Evaluation form templates will be used with the necessary adaptations (Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA)). Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide. Model Grant Agreements (MGA) include the Lump Sum MGA. Call-specific instructions include a detailed budget table (HE LS) and guidance on "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 under the call, including: HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-CLIMATE-01 (16,000,000 EUR), HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-CLIMATE-02 (12,000,000 EUR), HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-CLIMATE-03 (12,000,000 EUR), HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-CLIMATE-04 (22,000,000 EUR), HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-COMMUNITIES-01 (15,000,000 EUR), HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-COMMUNITIES-02 (12,000,000 EUR), HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-01 (12,000,000 EUR), HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-02 (12,000,000 EUR), HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-03 (11,800,000 EUR), HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-04 (6,000,000 EUR), HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-05 (12,000,000 EUR), HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-06 (10,000,000 EUR), HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-07 (15,500,000 EUR), HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-08 (7,800,000 EUR), and HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-09 (6,750,000 EUR). All topics are single-stage, with the same opening and deadline dates.

Partner search announcements are available for those seeking collaborators. The submission system is planned to open on the date stated on the topic header. General FAQs and support are available through the Funding & Tenders Portal and related resources.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to foster innovation in feed additives to reduce GHG emissions and improve feed efficiency in livestock farming, aligning with EU Green Deal objectives. It encourages a multi-actor approach, international cooperation, and the development of safe, effective, and affordable solutions for farmers, while also considering consumer perceptions and policy implications. The call provides funding opportunities for research and innovation actions, coordination and support actions, and innovation actions, with a focus on achieving Technology Readiness Level 7.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated but can be inferred to include a wide range of stakeholders involved in the livestock sectors. This includes farmers, advisors, private sector/industry (e.g., processors, feed manufacturers), policy-makers, consumers, research organizations, and other relevant actors. The call emphasizes the multi-actor approach, suggesting that consortia should be diverse and include various types of organizations. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries are also eligible under specific provisions.

Funding Type: The primary funding mechanism is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, under the HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) and HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA).

Consortium Requirement: A consortium of multiple applicants is generally required, as the call emphasizes the "multi-actor approach" and the need for adequate involvement of various stakeholders. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a member of the consortium.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU member states, associated countries, and potentially non-EU/non-associated countries, with specific provisions outlined in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. International cooperation is encouraged.

Target Sector: The program targets the agriculture/food sector, specifically focusing on livestock farming and agri-food systems. It also addresses climate, environment, and innovation within these sectors. The thematic areas include sustainable livestock farming, reduction of GHG emissions, feed efficiency, and the development and implementation of feed additives.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the program is open to EU member states, associated countries, and potentially non-EU/non-associated countries. References to the EU and EFSA regulatory framework suggest a focus on the European region, but international cooperation is encouraged, and the FAO is mentioned.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of projects should be around Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 7, meaning the technology or additive should be demonstrated in an operational environment. The call focuses on developing and testing additives, verifying their practicalities, applicability, and scalability.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call, ranging from €6,000,000 to €22,000,000. The contributions per project are indicated to be around €5,000,000 to €11,000,000, depending on the action type (RIA, IA, CSA) and topic. For example, HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-02 has a budget of 12,000,000 EUR and an indicative contribution of around 6,000,000 EUR.

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.

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 suggests that the funding is competitive. For example, most topics indicate that only 1-3 grants will be awarded.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required. However, Horizon Europe grants typically fund a significant portion of project costs, implying that some level of financial commitment from the applicant or other parties might be beneficial or expected.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call, part of the HORIZON-CL6-2027-02 program, focuses on "Increasing mitigation of GHG emissions and feed efficiency through feed additives" within the Farm to Fork strategy. The call aims to support projects that develop, test, and implement innovative feed additives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from livestock production, improve feed efficiency, and promote sustainable farming practices. The projects should address various terrestrial livestock systems, involve multiple stakeholders, and respect the ‘Do-No-Significant-Harm' principle. Funding is provided as lump sum grants, with project budgets ranging from €6 million to €22 million depending on the specific topic and action type (RIA, IA, CSA). The call is open to a wide range of applicants from EU member states, associated countries, and potentially non-EU/non-associated countries, with a single-stage application process and a deadline of September 23, 2027. The call seeks to contribute to the EU Green Deal objectives, climate policy, methane strategy, and the overall vision for sustainable agriculture and food systems.