Optimising the water-nutrient-energy nexus for sustainable and climate smart agriculture in Africa (FNSSA)

The Horizon Europe grant opportunity titled "HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-02-two-stage" focuses on optimizing the water-nutrient-energy nexus for sustainable and climate-smart agriculture in Africa. With a total budget of €12 million, it is designed to support research and innovation actions (HORIZON-RIA) that develop and implement sustainable agricultural practices in African agro-ecosystems.

Eligible applicants include a range of entities such as universities, research institutions, NGOs, and SMEs. Notably, legal entities established in African Union member states are exceptionally eligible, making this funding particularly unique in promoting partnerships between European and African organizations. Each consortium must consist of a minimum of three independent entities from African Union member states, alongside other participating organizations.

The funding mechanism is categorized under lump sum grants, where beneficiaries receive predetermined amounts rather than reimbursement for costs incurred. The expected structure likely allows for two projects to receive approximately €6 million each.

The application process consists of two stages. The first stage requires submitting an outline proposal, which undergoes a blind evaluation based on criteria including excellence and impact. Successful candidates from the first stage are invited to submit full proposals for the second stage.

The projects are expected to operate at various stages, including research, development, and demonstration, with a focus on practical applicability and sustainability. The call emphasizes the importance of addressing the needs and opportunities for sustainable resource management, improving knowledge and practices, and evaluating the impacts of proposed solutions.

There are no explicit co-funding requirements; however, leveraging additional resources and partnerships is encouraged. Support may also be extended to third parties for developing and demonstrating new practices with a maximum limit of €60,000 allocated to each.

The program aligns with EU objectives concerning climate action, food security, and the broader commitment to sustainable development in Africa. It seeks to promote innovative solutions that emphasize local knowledge integration and the involvement of communities in agricultural advancements.

The call is scheduled to open on February 4, 2027, with a first-stage deadline on April 8, 2027, and a second-stage deadline set for September 14, 2027.

This is a Horizon Europe call for proposals focusing on optimizing the water-nutrient-energy nexus for sustainable and climate-smart agriculture in Africa, specifically under the topic HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-02-two-stage. It falls under the broader Call 02 two-stage (2027) (HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-two-stage) and is a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA). The grant agreement type is a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS]. The deadline model is two-stage, with a planned opening date of 04 February 2027. The deadlines for submission are 08 April 2027 at 17:00:00 Brussels time for the first stage and 14 September 2027 at 17:00:00 Brussels time for the second stage.

The expected outcomes of the projects funded under this topic are that agricultural actors implement sustainable practices for resource-efficient, climate-smart, and biodiversity-friendly farming in diverse African agro-ecosystems, and that integrated water, nutrient, and energy management systems are available to smallholder farms in Africa. The scope of the call emphasizes a nexus approach to identify and develop mutually beneficial knowledge, practices, and tools in agriculture to enable sustainable, biodiversity-friendly, and climate-smart agriculture in African agro-ecosystems. It recognizes the crucial needs for water, energy, and nutrients in agriculture for smallholder farms to sustain predictable and stable productions and support livelihoods, and aims to make available innovative solutions based on circular and sustainable approaches to enable new business opportunities in African agriculture.

Proposals should assess needs and opportunities (economic, environmental, and social) for sustainable water, nutrient, and energy management in agriculture for food and/or non-food uses. They should improve existing and develop new knowledge, practices, and tools for on-farm sustainable management of agricultural resources at the nexus of water, nutrient, and energy inputs and outputs. The proposals should also evaluate the impact of the proposed practices and tools in terms of water, energy, and nutrient balances, as well as their economic feasibility, environmental/climate footprint, and social effects. Furthermore, they should enable sustainable, circular, climate-smart, and biodiversity-friendly practices at the farm level while considering the characteristics of both local and regional levels in at least two different African agro-ecosystems.

The projects under this topic are relevant to the EU Vision for agriculture and food, the Global Gateway Strategy, and contribute to the African Union-EU High Level Policy Dialogue on Science, Technology and Innovation and to the respective R&I partnerships on Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture (FNSSA) and on Climate Change and Sustainable Energy. They are also relevant for the climate objectives of the African Union and the EU, and for the commitments of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Proposals should contribute to the implementation of the short-term and medium-term actions outlined in the AU-EU Innovation Agenda in the priority area of Green Transition, specifically actions (4) and (5) among short-term actions and (1) and (3) for medium-term actions. They should aim to translate R&I efforts into tangible business, products, services, development, and employment opportunities in Africa and Europe.

The proposals must implement the multi-actor approach to ensure the adequate involvement of public authorities, advisory services, and farmer organizations. They should adopt an inclusive approach that respects and integrates local knowledge and practices alongside technological and scientific expertise, where indigenous insights are enriched by innovative approaches and new technologies through mutual learning.

Applicants are encouraged to propose collaboration opportunities with ongoing projects funded under Horizon Europe, particularly those establishing living-labs in Africa, and to seek connections with Regional Multi-actors Research Networks on Agroecology supported by the EC in Africa. They are also encouraged to work together with the European Commission’s Knowledge Centre on Global Food and Nutrition Security to leverage its knowledge base and expand the reach and dissemination of the project's results, and to seek complementarities with the activities of the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean areas (PRIMA).

Financial support to third parties (FSTP) is permitted, for instance, to develop, test, and demonstrate new practices and tools, with a maximum of 30% of the proposed budget allocated for this purpose. The maximum amount to be granted to each third party is EUR 60 000.

Regarding admissibility conditions, applicants submitting a proposal for a blind evaluation must not disclose their organization names, acronyms, logos, or names of personnel in the proposal abstract and Part B of their first-stage application. Proposal page limits and layout are described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System and Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Eligible countries are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, and specific provisions may exist 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 and, due to the specific challenge of this topic, the inclusion of at least three independent legal entities established in an African Union member state in addition to the minimum number of participants set out in the General Annexes. Legal entities established in all African Union member states are exceptionally eligible for Union funding.

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, with first-stage proposals evaluated blindly. 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.

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. Legal and financial set-up of the grants are described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application form templates are available in the Submission System, including the Standard application form (HE RIA, IA). Evaluation form templates will be used with the necessary adaptations, including the 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 information on financial support to third parties (HE), along with guidance on lump sums.

Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027, the HE Framework Programme 2021/695, the HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764, the EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, the Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme, the Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment, the EU Grants AGA Annotated Model Grant Agreement, the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, the Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions, and the Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

The budget overview indicates that EUR 12 000 000 is allocated to this topic (HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-02-two-stage), with an indicative number of 2 grants to be awarded.

Partner search announcements are available, and LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants can publish partner requests for open and forthcoming topics after logging into the Portal.

The submission system is planned to be opened on the date stated on the topic header.

Support is available through the Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk, and the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to foster sustainable agricultural practices in Africa by addressing the interconnected challenges of water, nutrient, and energy management. It seeks to promote innovative solutions that are climate-smart, biodiversity-friendly, and economically viable, with a strong emphasis on collaboration between European and African entities, the involvement of local communities, and the integration of indigenous knowledge with modern technologies. The call encourages a multi-actor approach, ensuring that research and innovation efforts translate into tangible benefits for smallholder farmers and contribute to the broader goals of food security, climate action, and sustainable development in Africa.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types include any legal entity capable of participating in Horizon Europe projects. This includes universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, NGOs, public organizations, and international organizations. Consortia must include at least three independent legal entities established in an African Union member state. International organisations with headquarters in a Member State or Associated Country are exceptionally eligible for funding.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (RIA) under the Horizon Europe program. The eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum. Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties (FSTP) in the form of grants.

Consortium Requirement: A consortium is required. In addition to the minimum number of participants set out in the General Annexes, consortia must include at least three independent legal entities established in an African Union member state.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): Legal entities established in EU Member States, Associated Countries, and African Union member states are eligible for funding. 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 target sector is agriculture, specifically focusing on sustainable and climate-smart agriculture in African agro-ecosystems. It also touches on food security, bioeconomy, natural resources, and environment. The program aims to optimize the water-nutrient-energy nexus in agriculture.

Mentioned Countries: African Union member states, EU Member States, EU Associated Countries. The Regional Multi-Actor Research Network on Agroecology to Support Regional Centres of Excellence related to the Green Transition mentions RMRN Western Africa (CORAF & Cheikh-Anta-Diop de Dakar for Western Africa) and RMRN Eastern Africa (Icipe and partners).

Project Stage: The project stage targets research and innovation actions, implying projects that are in the development, validation, and demonstration phases. The call aims to translate R&I efforts into tangible business, products, services, development and employment opportunities in Africa and Europe.

Funding Amount: The budget for the topic HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-02-two-stage is EUR 12,000,000. The indicative number of grants is around 2. The budget for the topic HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-CLIMATE-01-two-stage is EUR 11,000,000. The indicative number of grants is around 2. The budget for the topic HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-01-two-stage is EUR 12,000,000. The indicative number of grants is around 2.

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

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant. They may also provide financial support to third parties (FSTP) in the form of grants, with a maximum amount of EUR 60,000 to each third party.

Application Stages: The application process involves two stages. The first stage proposals will be evaluated blindly.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants (around 2) compared to the potential number of contributions suggests a low success rate.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not explicitly state a co-funding requirement. However, applicants should refer to the Horizon Europe Programme Guide and relevant annexes for detailed financial rules.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call (HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-02-two-stage) focuses on optimizing the water-nutrient-energy nexus for sustainable and climate-smart agriculture in Africa. It seeks to fund research and innovation actions that develop and implement mutually beneficial knowledge, practices, and tools for agriculture in African agro-ecosystems. The call encourages proposals that assess needs and opportunities for sustainable resource management, improve existing and develop new knowledge and tools, evaluate the impact of proposed practices, and enable sustainable practices at the farm level. Consortia must include at least three independent legal entities established in an African Union member state. The funding is provided as a lump sum grant, and beneficiaries can provide financial support to third parties. The application process is a two-stage process, with the first stage being a blind evaluation. The call is relevant to the EU Vision for agriculture and food, the Global Gateway Strategy, and the African Union-EU High Level Policy Dialogue on Science, Technology and Innovation. It also contributes to the implementation of the AU-EU Innovation Agenda in the priority area of Green Transition. The planned opening date is 04 February 2027, with deadlines on 08 April 2027 and 14 September 2027.