Open Call 1 addressed to research and technology stakeholders

FCI4Africa Open Call 1 (Horizon Europe, Grant 101182485) provides cascade funding to single legal-entity research and technology stakeholders to test, validate and demonstrate innovations that strengthen trade, address non-tariff measures and improve market access in African agrifood systems. The call will fund up to eight sub-projects from a total envelope of €400,000 with a maximum grant of €50,000 per sub-project for a 12-month implementation period from November 2026 to October 2027. Payments are deliverable-based with tranches of 20%/50%/30% across three phases (Design, Development, Validation), no pre-financing is foreseen, consortia are not allowed and each legal entity may submit only one proposal. Applications must be submitted digitally via the opencalls.fund platform by 30 June 2026 (18:00 Brussels time) and applicants should consult the Open Call 1 Kit on the FCI4Africa website for full eligibility and application details.

What it funds

Scope and objective

Grants to single research and technology stakeholders to test, validate or develop business concepts, tools or datasets that strengthen trade, address non-tariff measures and improve market access for fair, sustainable and healthy food systems in Africa.

Total budget and award size:Up to €400,000 in total; up to 8 sub-projects. Maximum grant per sub-project: €50,000 ¹.

Who can apply

Single legal entities only (no consortia). Eligible applicants are research and technology stakeholders such as universities, research institutes, technology developers, R&D SMEs, innovation-driven start-ups and other multidisciplinary food-system actors. Non-EU applicants may apply if explicitly listed as eligible under the Horizon Europe participating countries rules.

Key administrative facts

1. 1Opening date: 7 April 2026
2. 2Deadline: 30 June 2026 18:00 (Brussels time)
3. 3Submission portal: opencalls.fund
4. 4Call type: single-stage cascade funding (single applicants)

Project duration and payment model

Selected projects run 12 months (Nov 2026 Oct 2027) split in three deliverable-based phases. No pre-financing; payments releasable after acceptance of phase deliverables.

1. 1Phase 1 Design (M1-M3): 20% of grant after Activity plan deliverable
2. 2Phase 2 Development (M4-M9): 50% after Results demonstration deliverable
3. 3Phase 3 Validation (M10-M12): 30% after final report on dissemination and lessons learnt

Evaluation and eligibility checks

Each proposal is screened for eligibility then evaluated remotely by two external experts against four equally weighted criteria: concept and feasibility; technology readiness and innovation development; impact and exploitation; organisational capacity. Threshold: minimum 3/5 per criterion and at least 12/20 overall.

Apply via the opencalls.fund submission page and consult the Applicants Guide on the FCI4Africa website for full terms and eligible countries FCI4Africa Open Call 1 ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Applicants' Guide and full call kit available at fci4africa.eu and the opencalls.fund page for this Open Call.

At a glance

Call name:Open Call 1 addressed to research and technology stakeholders (FCI4AFRICA). Project: FAIR FOOD AND TRADE SYSTEMS FOR AFRICA THROUGH FOOD CONVERGENCE INNOVATION. Grant Agreement: 101182485. EU programme: HORIZON-CL6 (EU-African Union – towards climate-neutral, social just fair trade food systems). Opening date: 07 April 2026. Submission deadline: 30 June 2026 18:00 Brussels time (platform close at 17:00 CEST on 30 June 2026 per FAQs). Submission channel: mandatory digital submission via the opencalls.fund platform at opencalls.fund. Total Open Call 1 budget: €400,000. Maximum grant per selected sub-project: €50,000. Number of sub-projects to be funded: up to 8 single-entity sub-projects.

Objective and scope

The call targets research and technology stakeholders to test, validate and enhance business concepts, tools or datasets that strengthen trade, address non-tariff measures (NTMs), and improve market access in the African agrifood sector. Activities funded should contribute to fair, sustainable, climate-neutral and health-promoting trade systems in Africa and be potentially introducible to market. Selected sub-projects will run for 12 months (November 2026 to October 2027) and are intended to advance validation and market-readiness of solutions that align with FCI4Africa objectives.

Primary target sectors and themes:Agrifood sector, food systems, trade facilitation, non-tariff measures (NTMs), market access, food safety, climate neutrality, biodiversity and sustainability, digital tools/datasets for agrifood trade, innovation supporting fair and equitable trade.

Who can apply (eligibility)

This Open Call accepts single applicants only. Eligible applicant types are research and technology stakeholders including: universities, research institutes, technology developers, R&D small and medium enterprises (SMEs), innovation-driven start-ups, and other multidisciplinary food system actors. Applicants must be a single legal entity (consortia are not allowed) and can only submit one proposal. Entities from non-EU countries may apply only if they are listed as eligible under the Horizon Europe Regulation 2021/695 and the List of Participating Countries (Horizon Europe: V3.8 – 12.02.2026) and explicitly included in Section 2.2.5 of the Applicants’ Guide. Applicants from countries not in that list are ineligible.

Eligible applicant types:Start-up, SME, university, research institute, technology developer, innovation-driven start-up, multidisciplinary food system actor, other research & technology stakeholders. Single legal entity only; consortia not allowed.

Funding model and financial details

Funding type:grant (cascade/sub-granting model). The Open Call total envelope for OC1 is €400,000. Up to eight (8) sub-projects will be funded with a maximum of €50,000 per sub-project. Payments to selected sub-grantees are deliverable-based and staged across three project phases. No pre-financing is foreseen.

1. 1Payment schedule is tied to deliverables: Phase 1 payment equals 20% of total grant, Phase 2 payment equals 50% of total grant, Phase 3 payment equals 30% of total grant.
2. 2All payments require submission and evaluation of the phase-specific deliverable report. First payment occurs after submission and evaluation of the first deliverable at month 3.
3. 3Maximum funding per sub-project: €50,000. Total OC1 envelope: €400,000.

Application and submission

Application method:open single-stage call for proposals submitted digitally through the opencalls.fund platform at opencalls.fund. Applicants must consult and accept the Open Call 1 Kit (Applicants’ Guide and supporting documents) available on the FCI4Africa website and the opencalls.fund platform. Submissions via any other channel will be discarded. If multiple versions of the same application are submitted, only the last version will be evaluated.

Deadline and timeline:Opening date: 07 April 2026. Deadline for submission: 30 June 2026 at 18:00 Brussels time (platform closes at 17:00 CEST on 30 June 2026 per FAQ). Selected projects are expected to start in November 2026 and run through October 2027.

Evaluation and selection

Selection procedure:After the call closes, the Open Call Advisory Board performs an initial eligibility check. Eligible proposals proceed to remote evaluation by two external evaluators with sector-specific expertise (agrifood, food safety, climate, biodiversity, sustainability). Evaluation criteria carry equal weight and each criterion is scored 1–5 with a threshold of 3 per criterion and a minimum total score of 12 out of 20 required for selection.

• Concept and feasibility
• Technology readiness and innovation development
• Impact and exploitation
• Organisational capacity and sufficiency

Post-evaluation contracting and additional documents required in contracting will be indicated by the FCI4Africa consortium. Confidentiality of applicant identity and proposal contents is maintained throughout the process.

Application stages required to succeed

Applicants must complete the following stages to be awarded and paid:1) digital submission on the opencalls.fund platform (single-stage submission), 2) eligibility check by the Open Call Advisory Board, 3) remote evaluation by two external evaluators, 4) contracting (administrative checks and signature of grant/sub-grant agreement), 5) implementation with deliverable submission at the end of each phase to trigger payments. Overall this equates to three distinct assessment stages (eligibility check, remote evaluation, contracting) followed by the three implementation phases tied to payment.

Consortium requirement and application restrictions

Consortia are not allowed. The call is explicitly designed for single legal entities. Each legal entity may only submit one proposal. Participation in multiple proposals by the same entity will cause rejection of all involved proposals.

Geographic eligibility

Eligible applicants include entities established in countries eligible under Horizon Europe Regulation 2021/695 and listed in the List of Participating Countries (Horizon Europe: V3.8 – 12.02.2026). The Open Call is oriented to initiatives impacting Africa and the African agrifood sector, but applicants may be from eligible EU Member States and eligible non-EU countries as defined in the Applicants’ Guide and Horizon Europe participation rules. Applicants must consult Section 2.2.5 of the Applicants’ Guide for the explicit list of eligible countries. Applicants from countries not on that list are not eligible.

Mentioned countries/regions:Africa (target region for impact), European Union (funding source and implementing partners). Specific eligible non-EU countries must be checked in the Applicants’ Guide and Horizon Europe List of Participating Countries; no exhaustive country list is provided in the call text.

Project maturity and expected activities

Project stage expected:development/validation and pre-commercial demonstration. The call supports testing, validating and enhancing business concepts, tools and datasets; demonstrating results; and conducting validation and dissemination activities to prepare solutions for market uptake. Technology readiness levels (TRLs) are not formally specified in the call text, but emphasis is placed on innovation development, demonstration of results and market introduction potential.

Nature of support and co-funding

Nature of support:financial grant (sub-grant) to single entities; non-financial support details (mentoring, acceleration) are referenced for Open Call 2 but not detailed for OC1. Co-funding requirement: not explicitly stated in the call text; the call materials do not require applicants to provide co-funding in the information provided. Applicants should consult the Applicants’ Guide (Open Call 1 Kit) for any budgetary eligibility rules, eligible costs and potential required contributions.

Application forms and templates

All application documents, templates and the Applicants’ Guide are provided in the FCI4Africa Open Call 1 Kit available on the FCI4Africa website Open Calls section and on the opencalls.fund call page. The Applicants’ Guide contains Section 2.2.5 with country eligibility and further instructions. The evaluation criteria indicate the proposal should clearly address: concept and feasibility, technology readiness and innovation development, impact and exploitation, and organisational capacity. Typical template structure applicants should expect and prepare: executive summary, detailed description of the solution and innovation, workplan and activity plan (Phase 1 deliverable), demonstration plans and expected results (Phase 2 deliverable), validation and dissemination plan (Phase 3 deliverable), budget and justification up to €50,000, organisational profile and CVs of key personnel, legal status documentation and declarations of single-entity status. Exact templates (application form fields, allowed budget categories, declarations) must be downloaded from the Open Call 1 Kit prior to submission.

Where to get templates and the Applicants’ Guide:Download the Applicants’ Guide and application templates from the FCI4Africa Open Calls page and from the opencalls.fund call page FCI4Africa Open Calls Open Call platform Applicants' Guide and Kit ¹

Success rates and competition

The call will fund up to 8 sub-projects. The call text does not publish the expected number of applicants or historical success rates; therefore an exact success rate cannot be determined from the available documents. Applicants should expect a competitive selection process judged by external evaluators against four equally weighted criteria with per-criterion thresholds and a minimum total score requirement.

Key risks and contractual remarks

Payments are strictly deliverable-based; there is no pre-financing. Failure to deliver phase reports that meet evaluation standards will prevent disbursement of the corresponding payment tranche. Applicants must accept the Open Call terms and conditions by applying and must follow contracting instructions issued by the FCI4Africa consortium after selection. Confidentiality of proposal content is ensured during evaluation.

Useful links and where to apply

1. 1Primary submission portal: opencalls.fund
2. 2Project Open Calls & Applicants’ Guide: fci4africa.eu
3. 3EU Funding & Tenders Portal opportunity page: ec.europa.eu

Concise summary

FCI4AFRICA Open Call 1 is a cascade funding grant call under the FCI4Africa Horizon Europe project to support single research and technology stakeholders (universities, research institutes, R&D SMEs, start-ups and multidisciplinary actors) to test, validate and demonstrate innovations that improve trade, reduce non-tariff barriers and enhance market access in the African agrifood sector. The call offers up to €50,000 per single-entity sub-project, funds up to eight projects from an OC1 envelope of €400,000, requires digital submission via the opencalls.fund platform by 30 June 2026, and evaluates proposals remotely against four equally weighted criteria. Selected sub-projects run for 12 months from November 2026 to October 2027 and receive payments in three deliverable-linked tranches (20% / 50% / 30%). Applicants must be single legal entities and conform to Horizon Europe country eligibility rules listed in the Applicants’ Guide. For full application templates and exact eligibility lists consult the Open Call 1 Kit on the FCI4Africa website and the opencalls.fund portal FCI4Africa Open Calls Open Call platform ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Applicants' Guide and full Open Call Kit, including application templates, country eligibility list and detailed budget rules, are available on the FCI4Africa Open Calls page and the opencalls.fund call page: fci4africa.eu and opencalls.fund.

Overview

This is a cascade funding open call under the FCI4Africa project (FAIR FOOD AND TRADE SYSTEMS FOR AFRICA THROUGH FOOD CONVERGENCE INNOVATION), funded by Horizon Europe (Grant Agreement 101182485) as part of HORIZON-CL6 focusing on EU-African Union collaboration towards climate-neutral, socially just fair trade food systems.

The call targets single applicants from research and technology stakeholders to test, validate, and enhance business concepts, tools, or develop new ideas/datasets contributing to fair, sustainable, healthy food systems in Africa, particularly strengthening trade, addressing non-tariff measures (NTMs), and improving market access.

Up to 8 sub-projects will be funded with a total budget of €400,000 (maximum €50,000 per sub-project). Projects start in November 2026 and run for 12 months until October 2027.

Key Dates

Opening Date:7 April 2026, 14:00 CET.

Deadline:30 June 2026, 18:00 Brussels time (17:00 CET). Single-stage submission.

Eligibility and Who Can Apply

Single applicants only (consortia not allowed). Eligible entities are research and technology stakeholders, including universities, research institutes, technology developers, R&D SMEs, innovation-driven start-ups, and other multidisciplinary food system actors.

Applicants must be single legal entities. One entity can submit only one proposal; multiple submissions lead to rejection of all related applications.

Entities from non-EU countries may apply if eligible under Horizon Europe Regulation 2021/695, the List of Participating Countries (V3.8 – 12.02.2026), and explicitly listed in Section 2.2.5 of the Applicants’ Guide ¹.

Funding Details

Project Phases and Deliverables

1. 1Phase 1 – Design (Nov 2026-Jan 2027, 3 months): Activity plan deliverable for 20% payment.
2. 2Phase 2 – Development (Feb-July 2027, 6 months): Results demonstration deliverable for 50% payment.
3. 3Phase 3 – Validation (Aug-Oct 2027, 3 months): Report on dissemination activities and lessons learnt for 30% payment.

Payments are strictly deliverable-based; sub-grantees submit reports after each phase for evaluation and payment.

Application and Submission Process

Submit digitally via opencalls.fund platform. Download FCI4Africa Open Call 1 Kit (including Applicants’ Guide) from FCI4Africa open calls page. Check for updates and FAQ on the platform.

Submissions via other channels are discarded. Only the last version of multiple submissions is evaluated. By applying, applicants accept the terms in the Open Call 1 Kit.

Evaluation Process

Eligibility check by FCI4Africa Open Call Advisory Board, followed by remote evaluation by two external experts with agrifood sector experience (agriculture, food safety, climate change, biodiversity, sustainability).

• Concept and feasibility
• Technology readiness and innovation development
• Impact & exploitation
• Organisational capacity and sufficiency

All criteria equally weighted; scored 1-5 (threshold 3 per criterion, minimum 12 total points). Confidentiality of proposals maintained throughout.

Key Resources

• EU Funding & Tenders Portal: Primary opportunity
• Applicants’ Guide and Kit: FCI4Africa website
• Submission Platform and FAQ: opencalls.fund

Monitor FCI4Africa website for updates. This call is part of two open calls; OC2 targets innovation hubs (separate, launches March 2027).

Footnotes

1. 1Refer to Section 2.2.5 of Applicants’ Guide on fci4africa.eu/open-calls/ for full list of eligible non-EU countries.