Strengthening knowledge and skills of advisors and integrating them within Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) via an EU advisory network

The European Union is offering funding opportunities through Horizon Europe, specifically within Cluster 6, targeting projects aimed at enhancing the knowledge and capabilities of agricultural advisors and integrating them into the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) across the EU. The call, identified as HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-13, focuses on supporting the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and associated environmental policies by establishing a comprehensive EU-wide network of impartial advisors.

The goals of successful proposals include improving the organization and integration of advisors within national, regional, and European AKIS, facilitating knowledge sharing, enhancing advisors' skills, and creating efficient tools and training materials for delivering high-quality advice to farmers. Proposals should prioritize a multi-actor approach, ensuring that at least 50% of participants are impartial advisors actively engaged in advising farmers.

Eligible applicants include a variety of entities such as agricultural advisory organizations, research institutions, universities, and NGOs that can contribute to the network. The geographic focus is primarily on EU Member States, with some potential flexibility for involvement from non-EU countries under specific provisions.

Funding for projects will be provided as lump sum grants, and successful proposals can also provide financial support to third parties, with a limit of EUR 60,000 per third party. The estimated funding amounts for various actions under this call range significantly, with individual projects potentially receiving up to EUR 15 million, depending on the specific action.

The application process involves a single-stage submission, with a timeline that opens on May 6, 2025, and the deadline set for September 24, 2025. Projects are expected to have a minimum duration of seven years and should include plans for ongoing sustainability beyond the funding period.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to enhance agricultural advisory services to enable farmers to adopt sustainable practices that align with CAP objectives. Successful proposals will create a strong network of advisors equipped with the necessary knowledge and resources to foster competitive and resilient agricultural practices throughout the EU. Applicants are encouraged to refer to the Horizon Europe Programme Guide and various support services available for assistance with proposal preparation and submission.

The EU is offering funding opportunities under the Horizon Europe Programme, specifically within Cluster 6, Call 03, for projects aimed at strengthening the knowledge and skills of agricultural advisors and integrating them within the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) across the EU. This initiative, titled HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-13, seeks to support the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and related environmental policies by creating an EU-wide network of impartial advisors.

The expected outcomes of successful proposals include:

Strengthened organization and integration of impartial advisors within national, regional, and European AKIS, with intensified exchanges among AKIS actors.

Improved advisor knowledge, skills, and tools to support farmers with high-quality, impartial advice covering economic, environmental, and social sustainability dimensions, aligned with CAP objectives.

Accelerated sharing and practical use of knowledge and solutions by farmers, facilitated by competent and skilled advisors, promoting competitive, sustainable, and resilient farming.

The scope of the proposals should focus on:

Improving the organization and services of impartial advisors within Member States' AKIS through networked structures and effective methodologies.

Enhancing advisors' knowledge and skills in areas of interest to practitioners, covering competitiveness and sustainability, through knowledge hubs and stronger links between research, education, advisors, and farmers.

Organizing activities to improve collaboration among advisors at various levels, enabling knowledge sharing and skill development, and creating useful tools and training materials.

Supporting the understanding and implementation of the interactive innovation model by advisors, acting as innovation support services.

Creating and managing an online platform with a database of advisors, data sources, training materials, and best practice examples, translated into all EU languages.

Collaboration with past, existing, and future AKIS projects to ensure complementarities and avoid duplication.

Key requirements for proposals include:

Implementing a multi-actor approach, with at least 50% of participants being impartial advisors.

Covering a wide range of advisors across EU Member States and improving collaboration using AKIS structures.

Defining a selection process for advisors and relevant AKIS actors.

A project duration of at least seven years, with a plan for long-term sustainability of the EU advisory network.

Financial support to third parties is allowed, with a maximum of EUR 60,000 per third party. Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum.

The call is a single-stage submission process with an opening date of May 6, 2025, and a deadline of September 24, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time.

The following topics are open for submission under HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE:

HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-01: Budget 6,000,000 EUR, Research and Innovation Actions, Indicative number of grants 1

HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-02: Budget 12,000,000 EUR, Innovation Actions, Indicative number of grants 2

HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-03: Budget 12,000,000 EUR, Research and Innovation Actions, Indicative number of grants 2

HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-04: Budget 8,000,000 EUR, Research and Innovation Actions, Indicative number of grants 2

HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-05: Budget 9,000,000 EUR, Research and Innovation Actions, Indicative number of grants 2

HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-06: Budget 4,400,000 EUR, Coordination and Support Actions, Indicative number of grants 1

HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-07: Budget 4,000,000 EUR, Coordination and Support Actions, Indicative number of grants 1

HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-08: Budget 10,000,000 EUR, Research and Innovation Actions, Indicative number of grants 2

HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-09: Budget 15,000,000 EUR, Innovation Actions, Indicative number of grants 2

HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-10: Budget 16,000,000 EUR, Research and Innovation Actions, Indicative number of grants 2

HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-11: Budget 12,000,000 EUR, Research and Innovation Actions, Indicative number of grants 2

HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-12: Budget 3,000,000 EUR, Coordination and Support Actions, Indicative number of grants 1

HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-13: Budget 10,000,000 EUR, Coordination and Support Actions, Indicative number of grants 1

HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-14: Budget 8,000,000 EUR, Research and Innovation Actions, Indicative number of grants 1

Applicants are encouraged to consult the Horizon Europe Programme Guide and the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual for detailed guidance on proposal preparation and submission. Support services such as National Contact Points, the Enterprise Europe Network, and the IT Helpdesk are available to assist applicants. Partner search tools are also available on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

In summary, this funding opportunity aims to enhance the agricultural advisory services across the EU by fostering collaboration, improving advisor skills, and creating a comprehensive online platform. The goal is to support farmers in adopting sustainable and resilient practices that align with the objectives of the Common Agricultural Policy. Successful projects will establish a robust EU-wide network of impartial advisors, equipped with the latest knowledge and tools to guide farmers towards a more competitive and sustainable future.

Eligible Applicant Types: While the text doesn't explicitly list applicant types, it implies eligibility for entities involved in agricultural advisory services, research institutions, educational bodies, and organizations capable of establishing and managing EU-wide networks. The requirement for a multi-actor approach suggests that a diverse range of stakeholders, including public and private advisors, are encouraged to participate.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, as indicated by the type of Model Grant Agreement (MGA) being a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS]. The call also includes HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) and HORIZON Innovation Actions (IA).

Consortium Requirement: A consortium is required. The text emphasizes the 'multi-actor approach' and states that "Minimum 50% of the number of the participants involved in the project should be impartial advisors spending at least half of their time on giving advice to farmers." This strongly suggests that a consortium of multiple applicants is necessary to meet the requirements of the call.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is primarily focused on EU Member States. The project aims to connect impartial advisors across all EU Member States in an EU-wide network. However, the text also mentions that "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," suggesting some flexibility for participation from non-EU countries.

Target Sector: The primary target sector is agriculture, with a focus on enhancing the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS). The program also targets climate, biodiversity, and other environmental policies related to agriculture. Additional sectors include innovation, knowledge transfer, and advisory services.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity explicitly mentions EU Member States as the primary geographic focus. It also refers to "non-EU/non-Associated Countries" that may have specific provisions for funding, without naming any specific countries.

Project Stage: The project stage appears to be focused on development, validation, and demonstration. The call aims to improve existing advisory services, develop new tools and methodologies, and create an online platform, suggesting that the projects should build upon existing knowledge and demonstrate practical applications.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific HORIZON action.
HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-01 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions 6 000 000 EUR
HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-02 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions 12 000 000 EUR
HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-03 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions 12 000 000 EUR
HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-04 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions 8 000 000 EUR
HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-05 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions 9 000 000 EUR
HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-06 - HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions 4 400 000 EUR
HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-07 - HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions 4 000 000 EUR
HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-08 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions 10 000 000 EUR
HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-09 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions 15 000 000 EUR
HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-10 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions 16 000 000 EUR
HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-11 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions 12 000 000 EUR
HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-12 - HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions 3 000 000 EUR
HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-13 - HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions 10 000 000 EUR
HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-14 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions 8 000 000 EUR

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a single-stage submission process. The opening date for submission is May 6, 2025, and the deadline is September 24, 2025.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant. Additionally, beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties, with a maximum amount of EUR 60,000 per third party.

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" is provided for each HORIZON action.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement. As the funding is provided as a lump sum grant, it is possible that co-funding is not required, but this should be confirmed in the detailed call documents.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call aims to strengthen the connection between impartial agricultural advisors across all EU Member States to support the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and related climate, biodiversity, and environmental policies. The call seeks to improve the organization, knowledge, and skills of advisors within the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) and to promote the sharing and use of knowledge by farmers. Projects should implement a multi-actor approach, with a significant involvement of impartial advisors. The call encourages the development of an online platform to serve as a reference point for advisors and their clients. Funding is provided as a lump sum grant, and consortia may provide financial support to third parties. The call is open to various entities involved in agricultural advisory services, research, and education, with a focus on EU Member States, although some participation from non-EU countries may be possible. The application process is a single-stage submission, with a deadline of September 24, 2025. The projects are expected to run for a minimum of seven years and should include a plan for long-term financial sustainability.