Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
Horizon Europe is the European Union (EU) funding programme for the period 2021 – 2027, which targets the sectors of research and innovation. The programme’s budget is around € 95.5 billion, of which € 5.4 billion is from NextGenerationEU to stimulate recovery and strengthen the EU’s resilience in the future, and € 4.5 billion is additional aid.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
This Challenge aims to improve the resilience of the European food supply chain and security, notably by improving agricultural productivity and fostering environmentally sustainable technologies, all while regenerating and increasing soil health and ecosystem services. By aiming to valorise crop residues, this Challenge also aims to contribute to better carbon and nitrogen management practices, to mitigation of climate change and environmental challenges including biodiversity loss and pollution.
Detailed Call Description
The proposals should include groundbreaking innovations that will lead to a radical transformation beyond the state-of-the-art of the current fertilisation, crop protection, irrigation and soil management practices. From a food system point of view, they will take into account strategies for climate adaptation, and a life cycle approach. Consideration should be also given to possible effects of such innovations on the food supply chain. From an environment point of view it is expected they will help to ensure healthier and richer biodiversity and more resilient ecosystems.
If intervening in the food processing stage, applicants are encouraged to pay attention to reducing/replacing food additives with bio-preservation techniques and fast scalability of production.
Solutions should be easy to scale up and/or replicated in different environmental conditions.
The specific objectives of this Challenge are:
- Development and scaleup of interdisciplinary solutions for regenerative agriculture and soil health in the areas of
- Sustainable fertilisation;
- Crop protection under principles of Integrated Pest Management with a focus on mechanical/physical and biological measures;
- Irrigation
- Soil management, protection and restoration;
- Crop and livestock management
- Novel processes, materials, equipment, management practises and microorganisms adapted to harsh environments, climate adaptation needs and resource scarcity, including diversification of crops, mixed farming systems, interseasonal cropping and technologies to increase crops adaptation to climate changes.
In doing so, the results arising from this Challenge will foster the EU technological autonomy and leadership via focused support of innovations in the areas of sustainable and resilient agricultural production, food security, biodiversity and environmental protection.
Call Total Budget
Thematic Categories
- Agriculture - Food
- Environment and Climate Change
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
- Small-Medium Enterprises and Competitiveness
Eligibility for Participation
- Farmers Unions
- Other Beneficiaries
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
- State-owned Enterprises
Eligibility For Participation Notes
To be an eligible applicant to EIC Accelerator, you must apply as one of the following eligible entities:
- a single company classified as a SME and established within a Member State or an Associated Country (see Annex 2 of the EIC Work Programme 2023); or
- a single company classified as a small mid-cap (up to 499 employees) established in a Member State or an Associated Country, but only for exceptional cases for rapid scale up purposes ; or
- One or more natural persons (including individual entrepreneurs) or legal entities, which are either:
a. From a Member State or an Associated Country intending to establish an SME or small mid-cap (as defined above) in a Member State or Associated Country by the time of signing the EIC Accelerator contract or, in case the equity only is awarded, at the latest when agreeing on its investment component;
b. Intending to invest in an SME or small mid-cap in a Member State or an Associated Country and who may submit a proposal on behalf of that SME or small mid-cap, provided that a prior agreement exist with the company. The contract will be signed with the beneficiary company only; or
c. From a non-associated third country intending to establish an SME (including start-ups) or to relocate an existing SME to a Member State or an Associated Country. Your company must prove its effective establishment in a Member State or an Associated Country at the time of submission of the full proposal.
Applicants from the United Kingdom can apply to the EIC Accelerator, but can only request and receive funding in the form of “grant only”. The signature of any grant agreement will be subject to the positive conclusion of the association negotiation with the United Kingdom.
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Research and Innovation Foundation
29a Andrea Michalakopoulou, 1075 Nicosia,
P.B. 23422, 1683 Nicosia
Telephone: +357 22205000
Fax: +357 22205001
Email: support@research.org.cy
Website: https://www.research.org.cy/en/
Contact Persons:
George Christou
Scientific Officer
Email: gchristou@research.org.cy
Nedi Kaffa
Scientific Officer
Email: nkaffa@research.org.cy
EU Contact Point
Research Enquiry Service: https://ec.europa.eu/info/research-and-innovation/contact/research-enquiry-service_en