Understanding and managing medium and longer-term challenges and opportunities for agriculture stemming from shifting climatic zones and changing agro...

The Horizon Europe Cluster 6 funding opportunity, specifically targeting agricultural and climate challenges, aims to support research and innovation projects addressing issues associated with changing climatic zones and agroecological environments. Eligible applicants include universities, research institutes, small and medium enterprises, farmers, businesses, and NGOs, indicating a consortium approach is mandatory. The funding mechanism is primarily a lump sum grant within the Horizon Europe framework, reflecting the complexity of funding types available under various research and innovation actions. Geographic eligibility covers EU member states and associated countries, although provisions for participation from non-EU countries may exist. The focus is on developing adaptive strategies that align with the EU's sustainability goals, addressing sectors such as agriculture and climate action, emphasizing the interplay of ecosystems, agricultural productivity, and socio-economic resilience. Successful projects are expected to deliver models for understanding climate change impacts on agriculture, decision-making tools for sustainable land use, and strategies enhancing farmers' adaptability. The emphasis is on real-world applicability, forecasting challenges due to environmental shifts, and fostering collaboration among multiple stakeholders, including private-sector participation. The funding amount for similar initiatives suggests a typical range from €1 million to €5 million per project, although specifics for this grant remain unclear. This opportunity has a single-stage application process, with proposals due by September 16, 2025, and a competitive success rate estimated between 10 to 39%. While co-funding is not explicitly required, applicants are encouraged to explore opportunities for mobilizing additional private funding. Overall, the initiative underlines the importance of collaborative efforts and the integration of advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence and earth observation data, to bolster resilience in European agriculture amidst climate challenges. The projects are intended to contribute significantly to the EU’s adaptation strategies, enhancing sustainable agricultural practices aligned with broader environmental and societal goals.

This is a description of a Horizon Europe funding opportunity related to climate change and agriculture. The call, part of the Cluster 6 Call 02, aims to support projects that contribute to a better understanding and management of the challenges and opportunities for agriculture arising from shifting climatic zones and changing agroecological environments. The expected outcomes of successful projects include: A better understanding of the complex links between climate conditions, ecosystems, agricultural productivity, and sustainability. Improved understanding of land suitability for different agricultural uses, leading to regionally specific adaptation strategies. Farmers and land managers being more knowledgeable and better equipped to address challenges and opportunities from climate change. The scope of the projects should address the following: Development, testing, and validation of dynamic models of climate change impacts on agriculture, considering diverse agroecological systems and pedoclimatic conditions. These models should cover changes in growing seasons, water demand, soil health, crop and livestock productivity, and pest/disease dynamics. Characterization of the geographic distribution of cropping systems in Europe, including permanent crops, grasslands, and other land uses for livestock farming. This includes proposing indicators for sustainability, productivity, and resilience, and assessing production uncertainties related to climate change projections. Provision of decision-making tools and business strategies for evidence-based agricultural land use and management, enabling tailored and innovative adaptation pathways. Projects are expected to dedicate resources to cooperate with other projects funded under this topic, as well as related projects under Horizon Europe, the Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change, and the Agroecology Partnership. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate in consortia to explore how climate extremes reshape land suitability using AI techniques and to assess suitability under different tipping point scenarios, such as the collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). The call encourages the effective contribution of social sciences and humanities (SSH) and the integration of Earth observation data space ecosystems, as well as the use of Destination Earth’s Climate Adaptation Digital Twin data. The general conditions for this funding opportunity include: Admissibility conditions related to 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 as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. Other eligible conditions, including the potential participation of the Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS for projects using satellite-based earth observation 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 set-up of the grants, with eligible costs taking the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021. The specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme. Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA) information: Application form templates are available in the Submission System, including a standard application form (HE RIA, IA). Evaluation form templates will be used with necessary adaptations, including a 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 and a detailed budget table (HE LS) are available, along with guidance on lump sums. 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 includes several topics under the Call Cluster 6, with varying budgets and indicative numbers of grants. The opening date for submissions is May 6, 2025, and the deadline is September 16, 2025. Partner search announcements are available, and LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests. This Horizon Europe call focuses on funding research and innovation actions to address the impact of climate change on agriculture. It seeks proposals that will develop models, tools, and strategies to help European farmers adapt to shifting climatic zones and agroecological conditions, ensuring sustainable and productive agricultural practices in the face of ongoing environmental changes. The call encourages collaboration, the use of advanced technologies like AI and Earth observation data, and the integration of social sciences and humanities to create comprehensive and effective solutions.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe Cluster 6 call focuses on "Understanding and managing medium and longer-term challenges and opportunities for agriculture stemming from shifting climatic zones and changing agroecological environments." It aims to support projects that contribute to the EU's adaptation strategy, the common agricultural policy, and the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030. The call includes various topics under Climate, Communities, and Farm to Fork, each with specific scopes and expected outcomes. Projects should develop dynamic models of climate change impacts on agriculture, characterize the geo-distribution of cropping systems, and provide decision-making tools for sustainable agricultural land use. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate in selected consortia, and the effective contribution of social sciences and humanities (SSH) is encouraged. The call is open to a wide range of applicants from EU member states, associated countries, and potentially some non-EU countries. Funding is provided as lump sum grants, with varying budget allocations per topic. The application process involves a single-stage submission, and the call encourages collaboration with other relevant projects and initiatives. The call aims to enhance the resilience and sustainability of European agriculture in the face of climate change.