Overcoming the barriers for scaling up circular water management in agriculture

The EU grant opportunity titled "Overcoming the barriers for scaling up circular water management in agriculture" is part of the Horizon Europe program, specifically under Cluster 6. This initiative focuses on improving sustainable agricultural practices through enhancing circular water management systems. The eligible applicant types include research institutions, universities, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), agricultural cooperatives, and multi-actor consortia involving diverse stakeholders such as farmers, technology providers, and policymakers.

The funding type is grant-based, categorized under HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA), aimed at large-scale projects with established feasibility. A consortium is required to ensure a multi-actor approach addressing technical and socioeconomic challenges. Geographic eligibility covers EU member states and associated countries, along with specific provisions for international cooperation with non-EU countries.

Target sectors include agriculture, water management, and climate adaptation, specifically focusing on circular water systems, irrigation efficiency, and solutions to alleviate water scarcity. Although specific countries are not named, the emphasis is on EU-wide applicability and international collaboration, especially with regions facing water scarcity like Africa and the Mediterranean.

Projects are expected to be at the validation or demonstration stage, aiming to upscale existing technologies such as water recycling and aquifer recharge. The funding amounts are projected to be in the range of €1 million to €5 million, correlating with similar grants within Horizon Europe Cluster 6.

The application process is a single-stage open call set to close on September 16, 2025. Nature of support includes monetary funding exclusively without additional non-financial services. Success rates in Horizon Europe are generally between 10% and 39%, and co-funding is typically required for innovation actions.

In summary, the grant aims to support the development and implementation of circular water management practices in agriculture, enhancing resilience to water scarcity and promoting sustainable use of alternative water sources. The project results should encompass practical solutions applicable to various farming systems while ensuring stakeholder collaboration and knowledge dissemination, ultimately aligning with EU strategic goals including the climate adaptation strategy and the European Green Deal.

The EU Funding and Tender Opportunities focus on overcoming barriers for scaling up circular water management in agriculture. This initiative falls under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program, specifically the Cluster 6 Call 02, and employs a single-stage submission process. The call, identified as HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-FARM2FORK-03, is a HORIZON Innovation Action (HORIZON-IA) with a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] model grant agreement. The submission session is currently open, having started on May 6, 2025, with a deadline of September 16, 2025, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcome of successful proposals is to enhance the resilience of agriculture to water scarcity through improved circular water management systems. This aligns with the European Green Deal objectives, the climate adaptation strategy, and EU water-related policies, including the Water Framework Directive and the Water Reuse Regulation. Projects should enable farmers and relevant actors to manage farming systems sustainably and resource-efficiently, adapt to climate change, and reduce pressure on water bodies.

Specifically, project results should contribute to:
Developing sustainable pathways for scaling up alternative water sources in agriculture across various contexts in the EU and Associated Countries.
Enhancing farmers' knowledge regarding the long-term impacts of alternative water sources for irrigation and other uses, with a focus on emerging contaminants.
Increasing the resilience of farming systems to water scarcity, especially in drought-prone areas affected by climate change.
Raising awareness and confidence among farmers and consumers regarding alternative water use in agriculture.

The scope of the call addresses the issue that water stress affects 30% of the EU population, causing significant economic damage. Agriculture is identified as a major water user, and alternative water sources and storage systems can mitigate abstractions from surface and groundwater. However, barriers to broader adoption exist, such as a lack of farmer knowledge, financial model limitations, water quality variations, and concerns about long-term impacts.

To address these issues, proposals should:
Test strategies and technologies for irrigation and other agricultural purposes using alternative water sources in real-life contexts across the EU and Associated Countries, covering the entire water cycle in agriculture.
Identify and test different business models for the adoption of alternative water sources, considering financial viability, long-term economic sustainability, and various scenarios, pedo-climatic conditions, and socio-economic contexts.
Evaluate the long-term impacts of alternative water sources on soil health, crop productivity and quality, food and feed safety, and freshwater resources, considering seasonal variations in water source quality and quantity.
Test and document cost-efficient methodologies and techniques for real-time monitoring of water quality and quantity parameters, and for removing contaminants, with a focus on emerging contaminants in reclaimed water.
Identify societal, behavioural, and regulatory challenges hindering the upscaling of alternative water sources and develop solutions to increase uptake.
Develop, test, and recommend improved incentives and policies at regional, national, and European levels to reduce financial, social, and economic barriers to circular water management in agriculture.
Enhance the dissemination of existing knowledge and provide training, advice, and demonstration activities for farmers.

Proposals should benefit various farming systems, including organic farming, and apply state-of-the-art agricultural practices and technologies. The effective contribution of social sciences and humanities (SSH) disciplines is essential, particularly in societal and behavioural sciences, and adoption processes. The multi-actor approach (MAA) must be implemented, involving scientists, companies, farmers, and consumers to co-create knowledge and solutions. Dissemination activities are crucial to increase awareness, and proposals should develop diverse practice-oriented materials and explore support services like the Horizon Results Booster. Complementarities with other Horizon Europe activities, including the European Partnership on Agriculture of Data, should be ensured. Activities involving aquifer recharging should consider guidelines from the Working Group Groundwater and the Guidance Document on Managed Aquifer Recharge under the Water Framework Directive. Applicants are encouraged to tap into international expertise, especially from Africa and the Mediterranean Area, and explore complementarities with the PRIMA and Water4All partnerships. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate, applying its tools for analysis and modelling.

General conditions for participation include:
Admissibility conditions regarding 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 as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries.
Other eligible conditions, including the participation of the Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the application of the multi-actor approach.
Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria as described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Evaluation and award criteria, submission and evaluation processes, and indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement as described in Annex D, Annex F and the Online Manual.
Legal and financial set-up of the grants as described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA) details:
Application form templates are available in the Submission System, including the standard application form (HE RIA, IA).
Evaluation form templates will be used with necessary adaptations, including the standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA).
Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide.
Model Grant Agreements (MGA) include the HE MGA.

Additional documents include:
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 9. Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 14. General Annexes
HE Programme Guide
HE Framework Programme 2021/695
HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
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
Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement

The budget overview for the call includes various topics under Climate and Farm to Fork initiatives, with opening dates on May 6, 2025, and deadlines on September 16, 2025. The indicative number of grants and contributions vary by topic.

Partner search announcements are available, and LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants can publish partner requests.

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, and CEN-CENELEC/ETSI Research Helpdesks.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to foster innovation and research in circular water management within agriculture to enhance resilience against water scarcity, promote sustainable practices, and ensure food security in the face of climate change. It encourages collaborative projects that involve diverse stakeholders, integrate social sciences, and contribute to policy development and knowledge dissemination.

The EU Funding and Tender Opportunities are designed to promote sustainable agriculture by addressing water scarcity through innovative and circular water management systems. The initiative seeks to enhance the resilience of farming systems, reduce pressure on water bodies, and adapt to climate change. The program encourages collaborative projects that involve scientists, companies, farmers, and consumers to develop and implement effective solutions. The ultimate goal is to ensure food security and environmental sustainability by promoting the efficient and responsible use of water resources in agriculture.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are scientists, companies working in the field of water management and agriculture, farmers, consumers, the Joint Research Centre (JRC), and other entities from EU member states, associated countries, and non-EU/non-associated countries with specific funding provisions. The multi-actor approach (MAA) is mandatory, requiring the involvement of diverse actors.

Funding Type: The funding type includes HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA), HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA), and HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions (HORIZON-COFUND), all of which are grants. Additionally, there are HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA).

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires a consortium, as it mandates the multi-actor approach (MAA) involving various stakeholders such as scientists, companies, farmers, and consumers.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States, Associated Countries, and, with specific provisions, certain non-EU/non-Associated Countries. Africa and the Mediterranean Area are specifically encouraged for international expertise.

Target Sector: The program targets the agriculture and environment sectors, focusing on climate adaptation, water management, circular economy, and sustainable farming practices. It also involves social sciences and humanities (SSH) disciplines.

Mentioned Countries: Africa, Mediterranean Area, EU Member States, Associated Countries, and non-EU/non-Associated Countries with specific funding provisions.

Project Stage: The project stage includes development, testing, demonstration, and upscaling of strategies and technologies, with an emphasis on real-life contexts and long-term impact evaluation.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the type of action:
HORIZON-RIA: around EUR 4,000,000 to EUR 8,000,000
HORIZON-IA: around EUR 6,000,000
HORIZON-CSA: around EUR 2,000,000 to EUR 3,000,000
HORIZON-COFUND: around EUR 70,000,000 to EUR 130,000,000

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

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of grants to support research, innovation, coordination, and support actions.

Application Stages: The application process is a single-stage process.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic is provided, allowing for an estimation of the potential success rate based on the number of applications.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding is required for HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions (HORIZON-COFUND).

Summary:
This Horizon Europe Cluster 6 call focuses on overcoming barriers to scaling up circular water management in agriculture. It aims to enhance the resilience of farming systems to water scarcity, promote sustainable use of alternative water sources, and increase awareness among farmers and consumers. The call includes various funding instruments such as Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Innovation Actions (IA), Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), and Programme Cofund Actions (COFUND). Eligible applicants include scientists, companies, farmers, and consumers from EU Member States, Associated Countries, and certain non-EU/non-Associated Countries. Projects should test strategies and technologies for irrigation, identify viable business models, evaluate long-term impacts on soil health and ecosystems, and address societal and regulatory challenges. The call emphasizes the multi-actor approach, dissemination of knowledge, and complementarities with other Horizon Europe activities. The funding amounts vary depending on the type of action, with a single-stage application process and a deadline of September 16, 2025.