Open topic: Innovating for on-farm post-harvest operations, storage and transformation of crops into food and non-food products

The grant opportunity HORIZON-CL6 focuses on innovating post-harvest operations to enhance sustainability and farmers' positions in value chains within the agri-food sector. The eligible applicants include universities, research institutes, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), NGOs, and other relevant stakeholders, promoting a multi-actor approach. This signals the necessity for collaborative consortia to address various challenges in post-harvest processes.

The funding is primarily through HORIZON Innovation Actions, structured as a grant mechanism that supports monetary innovations in agriculture. The consortium requirement emphasizes partnerships among different actors, particularly between academia and industry. Geographic eligibility largely pertains to EU member states and associated countries, while some international collaboration may involve countries outside the EU.

Targeting the agricultural sector, the call emphasizes agricultural practices related to post-harvest operations, including crop handling and processing. The projects should address systemic inefficiencies to build innovative solutions that support the European Green Deal and its objectives for climate resilience and sustainable agriculture.

The project maturity level is geared towards development and demonstration, requiring proposals focusing on practical, scalable solutions that can be piloted amidst real-world agricultural conditions. The indicative funding range is estimated between €1 million and €5 million, contingent on various factors including the size and scope of the consortia involved.

The application process consists of two stages:the first stage requires a brief outline to determine project excellence and impact, followed by a more detailed second stage proposal for selected applicants. The success rates for such competitive grants typically range from 10% to 39%. Co-funding from participants, particularly for-profit entities, is likely required, suggesting at least a partial financial commitment.

In summary, this call intends to encourage innovative developments in post-harvest practices to enhance competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience within the agri-food systems. The funding aims to assist farmers in improving their market positions through new technologies and practices while adhering to EU environmental regulations and strategies.

This is a Horizon Europe (HORIZON) Call, specifically Cluster 6 Call 02, which follows a two-stage submission process (HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-two-stage). The call focuses on "Innovating for on-farm post-harvest operations, storage and transformation of crops into food and non-food products" HORIZON-CL6. It is a HORIZON Innovation Action (HORIZON-IA) and uses the HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] Model Grant Agreement (MGA).

The call is currently open for submission, following a two-stage deadline model. The opening date was 06 May 2025. The deadline for the first stage is 04 September 2025 at 17:00:00 Brussels time, and the deadline for the second stage is 18 February 2026 at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcome of successful proposals is to support the European Green Deal goals for competitive, resilient, and sustainable agri-food systems, aligning with objectives of the Common Agricultural Policy, the EU Climate Law, the EU Bioeconomy Strategy, the Unfair Trading Practices Directive, and the EU’s Action Plan for the development of organic production.

Specifically, the project results should contribute to:Farmers employing innovative solutions for post-harvest handling, processing, and storage of crops, contributing to environmental and climate objectives. Farmers improving their position in value chains and adding value to food and non-food products at the farm level, enhancing their competitiveness. Farmers and SMEs benefiting from new business models and increased opportunities to engage in sustainable food and non-food value chains.

The scope of the call involves testing, developing, and piloting innovative solutions to support farmers in improving their position in value chains, profiting from their agricultural produce, and enhancing financial viability. Proposals should improve the climate and environmental performance of farmers' activities and businesses. They should also foster new SME-led sustainable business models and increase opportunities for farmers to benefit from on-farm transformation and/or storage of agricultural outputs for food and/or non-food purposes. If proposals relate to topics covered by previous Horizon 2020 calls or Horizon Europe calls, they must convincingly explain how they build on and do not duplicate those efforts.

Innovations proposed should positively impact the environment and contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Proposals should demonstrate practical applicability, be tailored to the needs of farmers, and adapted to the seasonal character of raw material production.

Successful proposals should assess the impact of the proposed innovations on the overall sustainability (environmental, social, economic) of farmers and business activities. The climate change mitigation and carbon footprint reduction potential of the proposed innovations should be analyzed. Proposals should address the requirements from relevant EU regulatory frameworks, including pre-market authorization needs where relevant.

An economic cost-benefit analysis of the practical implementation of the innovations developed within the project is required. Proposals should describe an exploitation pathway tailored to the developed innovations, including steps such as market research, manufacturing, regulatory approvals and licensing, and IP management, to accelerate the exploitation of results.

Proposed activities must apply the concept of the 'multi-actor approach' and allow for adequate involvement of relevant actors, including farmers and SMEs. Proposals should benefit various farming systems/approaches, including organic farming. Publicly available, diverse, practice-oriented dissemination materials (e.g., audiovisual materials, brochures) presenting the innovations should be developed.

SME participation is expected. Proposals may involve financial support to third parties, particularly for farmers and/or SMEs providing and/or developing, testing, or validating the proposed innovative technologies/solutions. A maximum of 30% of EU funding should be allocated to this purpose, and consortia need to define the selection process of third parties for whom financial support may be granted.

Applicants submitting a proposal under the blind evaluation pilot must not disclose their organization names, acronyms, logos, or names of personnel in the proposal abstract and Part B of their first-stage application.

General conditions for admissibility, eligibility, financial and operational capacity, exclusion, evaluation, award, and legal and financial setup are described in the relevant annexes of the Horizon Europe Work Programme and the Online Manual. Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties in the form of grants, with a maximum amount of €60,000 per third party.

Application form templates and evaluation form templates are available in the Submission System. Guidance documents include the HE Programme Guide, Model Grant Agreements (MGA), call-specific instructions, and information on financial support to third parties. Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2025 and related annexes, EU Financial Regulation, rules for legal entity validation, and various online manuals and statements related to the Funding & Tenders Portal.

The budget overview indicates that there are multiple topics under this call, each with its own budget and indicative number of grants. These include HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-CLIMATE-01-two-stage (€18,000,000, around 3 grants), HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-FARM2FORK-01-two-stage (€12,000,000, around 2 grants), HORIZON-CL6 (€12,000,000, around 2 grants), HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-FARM2FORK-03-two-stage (€12,000,000, around 2 grants), HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-FARM2FORK-04-two-stage (€8,000,000, around 2 grants), and HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-FARM2FORK-05-two-stage (€12,000,000, around 2 grants).

There are 15 partner search announcements available for collaboration on this topic.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to foster innovation in on-farm post-harvest operations, storage, and transformation of crops to support the European Green Deal and enhance the sustainability and competitiveness of the agri-food sector. It encourages the development and piloting of innovative solutions, the involvement of farmers and SMEs, and the dissemination of practice-oriented materials. The call is structured as a two-stage process, with specific guidelines and templates available on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

This Horizon Europe call is about supporting projects that make farming more sustainable and profitable by improving what happens after crops are harvested. It's all about finding new and innovative ways for farmers to handle, store, and process their crops right on the farm. This could involve anything from developing new technologies to creating new business models that allow farmers to add value to their products themselves, rather than relying on big companies. The goal is to help farmers become more resilient, environmentally friendly, and competitive in the market. The EU is providing funding to projects that can demonstrate practical solutions, involve farmers and small businesses, and share their findings widely so that other farmers can benefit. It's a two-step application process, so interested parties should check the official portal for all the details and deadlines.

Eligible Applicant Types:The eligible applicant types include farmers, SMEs, research organizations, and other actors relevant to the agri-food value chain. The call specifically mentions the need for a 'multi-actor approach,' implying that a diverse range of stakeholders should be involved in the proposed projects. SME participation is expected.

Funding Type:The primary funding mechanism is a grant, specifically through HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) and HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) under the Horizon Europe program. Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties in the form of grants.

Consortium Requirement:A consortium is required, as the 'multi-actor approach' is mandatory, and consortia need to define the selection process of third parties.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):The geographic eligibility includes EU member states and associated countries as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. 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. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Target Sector:The target sector is agriculture/food, specifically focusing on agri-food systems, bioeconomy, climate, and environment. The call aims to support the European Green Deal goals, the common agricultural policy, the EU Climate Law, the EU bioeconomy strategy, and the EU’s action plan for the development of organic production.

Mentioned Countries:No specific countries are mentioned, but the opportunity is open to EU member states and associated countries. 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.

Project Stage:The project stage targets testing, development, and piloting of innovative solutions, suggesting a focus on development and demonstration projects.

Funding Amount:The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-CLIMATE-01-two-stage has a budget of €18,000,000 with around 3 grants.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-FARM2FORK-01-two-stage has a budget of €12,000,000 with around 2 grants.

HORIZON-CL6 has a budget of €12,000,000 with around 2 grants.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-FARM2FORK-03-two-stage has a budget of €12,000,000 with around 2 grants.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-FARM2FORK-04-two-stage has a budget of €8,000,000 with around 2 grants.

HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-FARM2FORK-05-two-stage has a budget of €12,000,000 with around 2 grants.

Application Type:The application type is an open call with a two-stage submission process.

Nature of Support:The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of grants. Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties. The support to third parties can only be provided in the form of grants.

Application Stages:The application process involves two stages.

Success Rates:The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight into the potential success rate.

Co-funding Requirement:The information does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required.

Summary:This Horizon Europe Cluster 6 call focuses on "Innovating for on-farm post-harvest operations, storage, and transformation of crops into food and non-food products." It aims to support the European Green Deal by funding projects that develop and pilot innovative solutions for farmers and SMEs in the agri-food sector. The call encourages proposals that improve the climate and environmental performance of farming activities, foster sustainable business models, and enhance the value chains for food and non-food products. The call uses a two-stage submission process and requires a multi-actor approach, emphasizing the involvement of farmers, SMEs, and other relevant stakeholders in the projects. Financial support to third parties is allowed, with a maximum of €60,000 per third party. The funding is provided through Horizon Innovation Actions (IA) and Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), with varying budgets and indicative numbers of grants for each topic. The call is open to entities from EU member states and associated countries, as well as certain non-EU countries with specific provisions. The overall goal is to create more competitive, resilient, and sustainable agri-food systems that contribute to the EU's climate and bioeconomy objectives.