Provide digital solutions tailored to small and medium-sized farms to monitor and sustainably manage agricultural inputs and natural resources

This Horizon Europe grant opportunity, identified as HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-06, aims to support the development of digital solutions for sustainable management in small and medium-sized farms. The program is specifically tailored for farmers to improve resource efficiency, lower pollution levels, and mitigate the impacts of climate change, ultimately promoting environmentally friendly agricultural practices.

Eligible applicants include a diverse consortium of stakeholders such as scientists, private companies, innovators, advisors, and farmers. The grant is part of the Horizon Europe framework and predominantly offers financial support in the form of grants, which may allow beneficiaries to provide additional support to third parties.

The geographical scope covers the EU and Associated Countries, with specific references to provisions for non-EU countries. The target sectors prominently include agriculture and the environment, focusing on innovative digital technologies like generative AI, IoT, and data visualization. Proposals are expected to analyze the potential of existing research results, identify barriers to adoption, and develop frameworks for accessible digital tools tailored to farm needs.

Projects are anticipated to span various stages, from research and innovation to practical application, including prototyping and testing in operational environments. Funding amounts will vary, potentially ranging from €2 million to €30 million, with maximum grants for individual third-party contributors set at €60,000, subject to justification for larger amounts.

The application process operates under a single-stage open call set to open on May 6, 2025, with a deadline of September 17, 2025. Successful projects should encompass a multi-actor approach involving collaboration across sectors, with an emphasis on leveraging social sciences and humanities disciplines.

Conditions for participation include following proposal page limits, adhering to eligibility criteria for countries, and meeting evaluation standards as outlined in the Horizon Europe Work Programme. The goal is to facilitate the creation of tailored innovative digital tools to empower farmers, effectively reducing the digital divide, enhancing sustainable resource management, and contributing to overarching EU environmental goals.

This is a Horizon Europe call focused on providing digital solutions to small and medium-sized farms for sustainable management of agricultural inputs and natural resources. The call aims to empower farmers with innovative tools that leverage data technologies, including generative AI, to improve resource efficiency, reduce pollution, and mitigate climate change impacts. The overall goal is to encourage environmentally and economically sustainable farming practices.

The expected outcomes of successful projects include:

Empowering small and medium-sized farmers with tailored digital and data-driven solutions for sustainable management of water, nutrients, inputs, and natural resources in both conventional and organic farming systems.
Reducing the digital divide among farms with varying capacities and characteristics.

The scope of the proposals should include:

Critical analysis of the potential and limitations of existing R&I results from relevant projects, with a cost-benefit analysis, made available to industrial partners (including SMEs) that provide technological solutions to farmers. This analysis should result in a structured catalogue of relevant technologies like new sensors, software, databases, applications, methodologies, and algorithms, covering different farming systems, including organic farming.
Identification of barriers and enablers for translating R&I results into practical and commercial tools for small- and medium-sized farmers, characterising knowledge gaps, training needs, and policy feedback requirements.
Design and setup of an accessible and searchable web-based database with technical descriptions and relevant information from the catalogue, following FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable).
Establishment of a central brokerage and support service point to match innovation ideas from industrial partners with the needs of small- and medium-sized farmers. This service should be free for industrial partners and aim to improve existing products or create new ones, considering diverse pedo-climatic, cropping, and social conditions across the EU and Associated Countries.
Creation of a network of research and innovation providers and intermediaries to support industrial partners in developing adapted solutions.
Development of innovations based on digital and data-based solutions (e.g., IoT, remote sensing, sensors, generative AI, data visualization) tailored to the needs of small- and medium-sized farmers, considering specific barriers and enablers for adoption in each context (e.g., skills, access to digital tools, data availability, investment, connectivity, gender roles, diverse conditions) and proposing solutions to overcome these difficulties.
Development of prototypes of the innovations and testing them in an operational environment.
Setting up a community of practice to facilitate science-business exchanges and share experiences across the EU and Associated Countries, exploring complementarities with existing AKIS knowledge channels.
Proposing a clear strategy to disseminate and exploit results, innovations, and best practices during and beyond the project lifetime.
Monitoring the progress of innovations delivered by supported third parties, documenting good practices, and assessing their contribution to the topic's objectives.

The proposals must implement a multi-actor approach, involving scientists, private companies, innovators, advisors, and farmers. A significant portion of the EU funding (50% to 65%) should be allocated as financial support to third parties to help private partners develop innovative products based on the identified technologies. Consortia must define a selection process for these industrial partners, considering the provision of training and support services to farmers and advisors as a key criterion. The call also emphasizes the effective contribution of social sciences and humanities (SSH) disciplines, particularly in behavioural sciences and technology adoption.

The general conditions for participation include:

Admissibility conditions related to proposal page limits and layout, as described in Annex A and E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form.
Eligibility of countries as 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, including the mandatory application of the multi-actor approach and the use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS for projects using satellite-based data.
Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria as described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Evaluation and award criteria, scoring, and thresholds as described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Submission and evaluation processes as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Legal and financial setup of grants, including the possibility to provide financial support to third parties up to EUR 60,000 per party (with potential exceptions for duly justified cases), as described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

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

Application and evaluation forms, as well as the Model Grant Agreement (MGA), are available in the Submission System. Additional guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide, call-specific instructions, and information on financial support to third parties. Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2025 sections related to General Introduction, Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment, and General Annexes, as well as references to the HE Framework Programme, Specific Programme Decision, EU Financial Regulation, rules for legal entity validation, and the EU Grants AGA.

The budget overview lists various topics under Cluster 6, with their respective budgets for 2025 and indicative number of grants. The opening date for submissions is May 6, 2025, and the deadline is September 17, 2025.

This funding opportunity aims to modernize and make more sustainable the agricultural practices of small and medium-sized farms by integrating digital technologies and data-driven solutions. It encourages collaboration between researchers, businesses, and farmers to develop and implement innovations that improve resource management, reduce environmental impact, and enhance the economic viability of farming operations. The emphasis on financial support for third parties ensures that innovative solutions are rapidly developed and deployed, while the multi-actor approach guarantees that the resulting technologies are practical and tailored to the specific needs of the agricultural community.

The opportunity is about improving the sustainability and efficiency of small and medium-sized farms through the use of digital technologies and data-driven solutions. It's a call for projects that can help farmers better manage their resources, reduce pollution, and adapt to climate change by using tools like sensors, AI, and data analytics. The EU is providing funding to support the development and implementation of these technologies, with a focus on involving farmers, researchers, and businesses in the process. The goal is to bridge the digital gap in agriculture and create a more sustainable and resilient food system.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types include scientists, private companies, innovators, advisors, and farmers. The call is specifically targeted towards small- and medium-sized farms. Industrial partners, including SMEs, that provide technological solutions to farmers are also mentioned as relevant entities.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically through HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA), HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA), HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA) and HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions (HORIZON-COFUND). Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties in the form of grants.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires a consortium of multiple actors, as it emphasizes the multi-actor approach. Proposals should involve at least scientists, private companies, innovators, advisors, and farmers. Consortia need to define a selection process for the industrial partners for which financial support may be granted.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes the EU and Associated Countries. The text also mentions non-EU/non-Associated Countries that have specific provisions for funding participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Target Sector: The program targets the agriculture and environment sectors, with a focus on digital and data technologies, including generative AI, IoT, remote sensing, sensors, and data visualization techniques. It also involves social sciences and humanities (SSH) disciplines. The program aims to improve the sustainable management of water, nutrients, and other inputs in farming systems, including organic farming. The circular bioeconomy and zero pollution are also targeted.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity explicitly mentions the EU and Associated Countries. It also refers to non-EU/non-Associated Countries that have specific provisions for funding participants in Horizon Europe projects, without naming specific countries.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project ranges from research and innovation to innovation actions, including development, validation, and demonstration. The call aims to translate R&I results into practical and commercial tools, develop prototypes, and test them in operational environments.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic and type of action. The indicative budgets for the topics range from EUR 2,000,000 to EUR 30,000,000. For beneficiaries providing financial support to third parties, the maximum amount to be granted to each third party is EUR 60,000, although this amount may be higher if duly justified.

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

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of grants. They may also receive non-monetary services through networking, brokerage, and support services.

Application Stages: The application process consists of a single stage.

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 competition level.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding requirements are not explicitly mentioned in the provided text, but for HORIZON-COFUND actions, co-funding is generally expected.

This opportunity is a call for proposals under the Horizon Europe program, specifically targeting Cluster 6, which focuses on food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture, and environment. The call aims to improve the sustainability and efficiency of small- and medium-sized farms through the adoption of digital and data technologies. The program seeks to bridge the gap between research and practice by translating R&I results into practical tools for farmers. It encourages consortia to develop innovative solutions, provide financial support to third parties, and foster collaboration between scientists, businesses, and farmers. The call covers a range of topics related to biodiversity, circular bioeconomy, and zero pollution, with varying funding amounts and expected outcomes. Applicants are expected to implement a multi-actor approach, involving diverse stakeholders, and contribute to the European Green Deal and other relevant EU policies. The overall goal is to empower farmers with tailored digital solutions, reduce the environmental footprint of agriculture, and promote the sustainable management of natural resources.