Preparing farmers, their workforce and advisors to the future of agriculture by providing the relevant knowledge, skills and competences at the right ...

The grant opportunity HORIZON-CL6 is part of the Horizon Europe program and focuses on improving lifelong learning and knowledge-sharing systems for farmers, agricultural advisors, and related stakeholders. The main objective is to prepare the agricultural sector for future challenges by equipping stakeholders with relevant knowledge, skills, and competences. Eligible applicants include farmers, advisors, agricultural educators, trainers, and actors within Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS). Proposals must involve a multi-actor consortium that comprises various stakeholders, such as universities, research institutes, SMEs, and NGOs. The funding type is primarily a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, underlined by the requirement of a consortium that involves multiple relevant actors. Geographic eligibility includes EU member states and associated countries, with provisions for potential participation from non-EU countries. Key sectors of focus are agriculture, rural development, and education, with an emphasis on integrating digital tools and innovations into the agricultural training system. The project is intended to be in the development and validation stage, exploring new methodologies and tools in agricultural education. The indicative funding amount is likely between €1M and €5M, based on similar Horizon Europe grants. The application process is a single-stage call, with a deadline set for September 24, 2025. The grant provides monetary support as lump-sum funding, and while co-funding is not explicitly required, collaboration with existing Horizon-funded projects is encouraged. The call emphasizes the need for projects to modernize agricultural education and training systems to enhance competitiveness and sustainability. Proposals should develop methodologies to assess and forecast required knowledge and skills. They should also seek to map existing learning systems, explore effective knowledge dissemination strategies among stakeholders, and investigate new interactive tools to stimulate lifelong learning. Overall, this grant aims to foster collaboration within the agricultural community to address knowledge and skill shortages and adapt to ongoing changes in agricultural demands. It promotes a multi-actor approach to ensure diverse perspectives are considered in creating effective educational methods. The application must consider national and regional specificities while aligning with EU-wide initiatives for recognition and incentivization of continuous learning in the agricultural sector.

This opportunity falls under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program, specifically Cluster 6, call 03, and is structured as a single-stage call (HORIZON-CL6-2025-03). It aims to enhance the knowledge, skills, and competences of farmers, their workforce, and advisors to facilitate the transition to a more competitive, sustainable, and resilient agricultural sector, aligning with the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and related environmental policies.

The expected outcomes of successful proposals include:

Innovative and fit-for-purpose lifelong learning (LLL) systems, including agricultural education and training, that are responsive to the evolving needs of learners and effective in preparing them for the future of farming.

Farmers, agricultural workforce, and advisors equipped with relevant and up-to-date knowledge, skills, and competences to address various drivers of change and improve the competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience of their farms.

Accelerated introduction, spread, and implementation of new knowledge and solutions by farmers, leading to improved productivity and sustainability across economic, social, and environmental dimensions.

The scope of the proposals should address the following:

Developing and applying methodologies to assess and foresee the knowledge, skills, and competences needed by farmers, their workforce, and advisors to enhance agricultural competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience. This includes identifying gaps and opportunities for upskilling and reskilling, and establishing a baseline for future assessments.

Mapping, assessing, and exploring effective ways for farmers, their workforce, and advisors to acquire knowledge, skills, and competences, considering methods, tools, timing, frequency, incentives, and the roles of different providers. This also involves analyzing the design of CAP interventions related to LLL in the 27 Member States.

Investigating effective dissemination strategies for new practice-oriented knowledge and innovations among farmers, their workforce, and advisors, including preferred approaches, tools, communication materials, and channels, and providing a toolbox and guidelines based on the analysis.

Mapping, assessing, and comparing agricultural LLL systems across the EU and beyond, exploring best practices for embedding knowledge within Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS), and providing recommendations for improving LLL to support the transition to competitive, sustainable, and resilient agriculture.

Co-creating, piloting, testing, and sharing new, interactive approaches and tools (e.g., generative AI and social innovation) to stimulate LLL, increase knowledge flows within AKIS, and enable easy and affordable access to relevant knowledge, skills, and competences for decision-making.

Exploring synergies between EU instruments and developing practical approaches to connect Horizon-funded projects, EIP-AGRI operational groups projects, and Erasmus+ projects to LLL in agriculture, maximizing their impact and promoting a coherent approach to skills development.

Developing and testing systems compatible with EU-wide initiatives to acknowledge and reward farmers, their workforce, and advisors who engage in LLL, providing incentives for continuous learning through visible, verifiable, and tangible benefits.

Proposals are required to include a dedicated task and resources for cooperation with projects selected under topic HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-13 to ensure complementarity and avoid duplication.

The 'multi-actor approach' must be implemented, with a consortium based on a balanced mix of relevant actors, including farmers, advisors, agricultural educators and trainers, and other relevant AKIS actors, ensuring inclusive co-creation to understand needs and co-develop effective approaches.

Proposals should consider national/regional specificities, evolving farm structures, labor organization, and social diversity, and should involve the effective contribution of social sciences and humanities (SSH) disciplines.

Admissibility conditions include 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 are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries outlined in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Other eligibility conditions require the use of the multi-actor approach, as defined in the introduction to the Work Programme. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion are detailed 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. Submission and evaluation processes are detailed in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is also described in Annex F.

Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum, as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021. The legal and financial setup of the grants is 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, model grant agreements (MGA), and additional documents are available in the Submission System and include:

Application form templates (HE RIA, IA)

Evaluation form templates (HE RIA, IA)

HE Programme Guide

Lump Sum MGA

Detailed budget table (HE LS)

HE Main Work Programme 2023–2025 – 1. General Introduction

HE Main Work Programme 2023–2025 – 9. Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment

HE Main Work Programme 2023–2025 – 13. General Annexes

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 year 2025 includes the following topics:

The opening date for submission is May 6, 2025, and the deadline is September 24, 2025, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

This Horizon Europe funding opportunity aims to bolster the agricultural sector by investing in the knowledge, skills, and competences of farmers, their workforce, and advisors. It seeks to create innovative and effective lifelong learning systems, promote the adoption of new practices, and enhance the overall sustainability and resilience of agriculture in the EU. By fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing, this initiative aims to equip the farming community with the tools they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call, part of Cluster 6, focuses on "Preparing farmers, their workforce, and advisors for the future of agriculture by providing the relevant knowledge, skills, and competences at the right time and place." It aims to support the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and related environmental policies by enhancing the skills and knowledge of the agricultural community. The call seeks proposals that address shortages and mismatches in knowledge and skills within the farming sector, enabling farmers to adapt to climate, environmental, and technological changes.

Projects should develop methodologies for assessing and forecasting knowledge and skill needs, map existing learning systems, investigate effective knowledge dissemination methods, and create new interactive tools for lifelong learning. A key requirement is the 'multi-actor approach,' mandating a consortium with diverse stakeholders, including farmers, advisors, educators, and AKIS actors. Funding is provided as lump sum grants, with varying amounts depending on the action type (RIA, IA, CSA), and the application process involves a single-stage submission. The call is open to EU member states and associated countries, with specific provisions for non-EU countries. The deadline for submissions is September 24, 2025.