Unleashing the potential of sustainable small-scale aquatic food production and recreational fisheries for prosperous local communities

Overview

This Horizon Europe opportunity, identified as HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-06, is a single-stage call for 2027 seeking to promote sustainable small-scale aquatic food production and recreational fisheries. The initiative aligns with various EU strategies, including the Common Fisheries Policy and the Farm to Fork Strategy, focusing on improving local economies through innovative approaches in the aquatic food sector. The call opens on April 20, 2027, and proposals are due by September 23, 2027.

Eligible applicants include small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in fishing and aquaculture, along with research institutions, universities, public organizations, and non-governmental organizations. The funding mechanism is a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, with an available budget of €5,000,000 per project, totaling €10,000,000 for two expected grants. Projects are anticipated to have a significant impact on economic prosperity, community resilience, and sector competitiveness.

The expected outcomes of successful projects encompass improved business models for small-scale producers, enhanced accessibility to nutritious aquatic food, and promotion of sustainable practices through digitalization and ecosystem-based management. Projects should address the intricate links between environmental sustainability, community empowerment, and innovative methodologies in aquatic food systems.

Geographically, this funding opportunity focuses on EU member states and associated countries, with a particular emphasis on Mediterranean regions known for their small-scale fisheries. Applications must integrate stakeholders throughout development, emphasizing capacity-building, knowledge transfer, and the addressing of societal needs, including gender sensitivity and involvement of vulnerable populations.

While the documents do not provide explicit success rates or co-funding requirements, the competitive nature of previous calls suggests that applicants should be prepared to submit well-developed proposals. Funding covers eligible costs as lump sums, allowing for flexibility in project budgeting without extensive itemized tracking. Additional support and resources for applicants can be accessed through the Horizon Europe Funding & Tenders Portal.

Detail

This is a Horizon Europe (HORIZON) call, specifically Call 02, which is a single-stage call for 2027, identified as HORIZON-CL6-2027-02. The type of action is a HORIZON Innovation Action (HORIZON-IA), utilizing a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] Model Grant Agreement (MGA). The call is forthcoming, employing a single-stage deadline model. The planned opening date is April 20, 2027, and the deadline for submission is September 23, 2027, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The call, titled "Unleashing the potential of sustainable small-scale aquatic food production and recreational fisheries for prosperous local communities," aims to align with several EU policies and frameworks, including the EU Common Fisheries Policy, the European Ocean Pact, the Farm to Fork Strategy, and the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030.

The expected outcomes of projects funded under this call are:

Economic prosperity in coastal, rural, and urban communities through improved business models, value chain integration, and market access for small-scale producers.
Availability of locally produced, nutritious, and safe aquatic food that meets high environmental and social standards for consumers.
More resilient and empowered communities at local and regional levels by fostering innovation in the aquatic food value chain.
A more competitive and sustainable aquatic food sector through ecosystem-based management practices, digitalization, and technological innovation.

The scope of the call focuses on small-scale aquatic food production, including small-scale fisheries, recreational fisheries, and aquaculture farms classified as SMEs. It notes that small-scale fisheries contributed significantly to employment in EU fisheries in 2021 and play a vital role in local economies, especially in the Mediterranean. The call also acknowledges that small-scale actors often face difficulties in adopting innovative technologies.

Projects should advance knowledge and develop tools, including Nature-based Solutions, for managing and further developing small-scale aquatic food production. They should integrate both natural science and technical know-how with social sciences and humanities (SSH) disciplines. Cultural elements, such as local traditions related to aquatic food production and consumption, can be included within the SSH framework. The scope covers fisheries and aquaculture activities in fresh, brackish, and marine waters, including small-scale fisheries, mollusk, seaweed and fish farms, recreational fisheries, urban aquaculture, and aquaponics.

Proposals should develop innovative methodologies to assess the environmental and socio-economic contributions of small-scale actors, considering a gender-sensitive approach and the needs of vulnerable groups. This includes using diverse data sources like citizen science and social media, and advancing data processing, validation, and interoperability solutions using AI, machine learning, and big data analytics.

The call also addresses the effects of climate change on small-scale aquatic food production, exploring its potential contribution to climate change mitigation and adaptation, environmental services provision, and improvements in ecological footprint. Aquatic animal welfare issues should be considered where relevant.

Projects should include relevant stakeholders and end-users throughout their development and implementation, with a focus on knowledge transfer, training, and capacity-building activities to ensure the practical application of research findings and innovations by small-scale actors and policymakers.

General conditions for admissibility, eligibility, financial and operational capacity, evaluation, and legal and financial setup are referenced in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. Eligible costs will be in the form of a lump sum.

Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme. Application form templates are available in the Submission System, along with standard evaluation forms. Guidance documents include the HE Programme Guide, Lump Sum MGA, call-specific instructions, and a detailed budget table. Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme, HE Framework Programme, EU Financial Regulation, and various guidance documents and online manuals.

The budget overview lists several topics under Call 02, including those related to climate, communities, and farm to fork initiatives, each with varying budgets and indicative numbers of grants. The opening date for submissions is planned for April 20, 2027, with a deadline of September 23, 2027.

Partner search announcements and a general FAQ are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal. Support is provided through online manuals, programme guides, FAQs, research enquiry services, national contact points, the Enterprise Europe Network, IT helpdesks, and various helpdesks related to IPR and standardisation.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to support innovation and research in small-scale aquatic food production and recreational fisheries to foster economic prosperity, environmental sustainability, and community resilience. It encourages projects that integrate scientific and technical knowledge with social sciences and humanities, address climate change impacts, and involve relevant stakeholders in the development and implementation of solutions. The funding is provided as a lump sum, and detailed guidance and support are available through the Funding & Tenders Portal.

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Breakdown

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types include SMEs, as the call focuses on small-scale aquatic food production, which includes small-scale fisheries, recreational fisheries, and aquaculture farms classified as SMEs. The call also targets a broader range of stakeholders and end-users, suggesting that research institutes, universities, and other relevant organizations could also be eligible.

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

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity appears to require a consortium, as it emphasizes the inclusion of relevant stakeholders and end-users from design through implementation. Partner search announcements are explicitly mentioned, suggesting that applicants are expected to collaborate.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is broad, including EU member states and associated countries, as indicated by the general conditions referring to Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, which outlines eligible countries. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries may also be eligible if they have made specific provisions for funding their participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Target Sector: The program targets the following sectors: agriculture/food, climate, environment, innovation, biotech/medtech, cleantech, and research. Specifically, it focuses on small-scale aquatic food production, recreational fisheries, aquaculture, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and environmental services. The call also emphasizes the use of AI, machine learning, and big data analytics, indicating a focus on ICT.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity explicitly mentions the Mediterranean region due to the concentration of small-scale fisheries. It also refers to EU member states and associated countries, as well as non-EU/non-associated countries that have made specific provisions for funding.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project for this opportunity varies. It includes research, development, and innovation actions, suggesting that projects can be in the research, development, validation, or demonstration stages. The call also includes innovation actions, which implies that projects can be in the commercialization or scale-up stages.

Funding Amount: The funding range varies depending on the specific topic within the call. The budget overview provides the following ranges:
HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-CLIMATE-01: around €8,000,000
HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-CLIMATE-02: around €6,000,000
HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-CLIMATE-03: around €6,000,000
HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-CLIMATE-04: around €11,000,000
HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-COMMUNITIES-01: around €5,000,000
HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-COMMUNITIES-02: around €6,000,000
HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-01: around €6,000,000
HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-02: around €6,000,000
HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-03: €5,000,000 to €6,000,000
HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-04: around €6,000,000
HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-05: around €6,000,000
HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-06: around €5,000,000
HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-07: €7,000,000 to €8,000,000
HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-08: around €7,800,000
HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-09: around €6,750,000

Application Type: The application type is an open call, as indicated by the "Call for proposals" designation. It is a single-stage application process.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant.

Application Stages: The application process is single-stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic is provided, allowing for a rough estimate based on the number of applications received.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required. However, Horizon Europe grants typically fund a significant portion of the project costs, implying that co-funding may not be mandatory but could strengthen the proposal.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, part of the FARM2FORK strategy, aims to unleash the potential of sustainable small-scale aquatic food production and recreational fisheries for prosperous local communities. It seeks to foster economic prosperity, improve consumer access to nutritious and safe aquatic food, build more resilient communities, and enhance the competitiveness and sustainability of the aquatic food sector. The call encourages proposals that advance knowledge, develop tools, and implement innovative methodologies to assess environmental and socio-economic contributions of small-scale actors. It addresses climate change effects, promotes environmental services, and emphasizes knowledge transfer and capacity building. The call is open to SMEs, research institutes, universities, and other relevant organizations from EU member states, associated countries, and potentially non-EU/non-associated countries. Funding is provided as lump sum grants, with amounts varying depending on the specific topic. The application process is single-stage, and consortia are expected. The call aligns with the EU Common Fisheries Policy, the European Ocean Pact, and various EU strategies and initiatives related to food, biodiversity, and aquaculture.

Short Summary

Impact
This funding aims to unleash the potential of sustainable small-scale aquatic food production and recreational fisheries for prosperous local communities, fostering economic prosperity, improving consumer access to nutritious aquatic food, and enhancing community resilience.
Applicant
Applicants should possess expertise in aquaculture, fisheries, social sciences, and innovative methodologies, with a focus on engaging stakeholders and end-users throughout project development.
Developments
The funding will support projects that advance knowledge, develop tools, and implement innovative methodologies for managing small-scale aquatic food production, addressing climate change impacts, and promoting environmental sustainability.
Applicant Type
This funding is designed for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), research institutions, universities, NGOs, and other relevant organizations involved in small-scale aquatic food production and fisheries.
Consortium
Consortium participation is highly encouraged, as projects should integrate diverse stakeholders and end-users from research, practice, and policy sectors.
Funding Amount
The funding amount is €5,000,000 per project, with a total budget of €10,000,000 for this specific topic, covering two expected grants.
Countries
The funding is relevant for EU Member States and associated countries, with a specific focus on Mediterranean regions due to the concentration of small-scale fisheries.
Industry
This funding targets the aquatic food production sector, aligning with the EU's Common Fisheries Policy, Farm to Fork Strategy, and Biodiversity Strategy for 2030.

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