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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

The core objective of this grant is to strengthen the European Union's crop breeding research and innovation ecosystem. It aims to foster competitive, resilient, and sustainable agriculture by enhancing understanding of funding landscapes, establishing co-creative environments for stakeholders, supporting trans-national research and innovation cooperation, and facilitating market access for new crop varieties. - Target recipients: This grant targets a broad range of organizations including public and private entities, research institutions, universities, farmers, breeders, industry stakeholders (especially SMEs), NGOs, and civil society. - SECTOR-SPECIFIC: This grant is primarily focused on the AGRICULTURE and ENVIRONMENT sectors, with strong components in TECHNOLOGY and SOCIAL innovation. - Geographic scope: The primary geographic scope is within the EU Member States. There is a strong emphasis on considering the needs of all 27 EU Member States and encouraging international cooperation, particularly with the EU-Africa Partnership on food and nutrition security. - Key filtering criteria for initial grant screening: Focus on crop breeding, strengthening R&I ecosystems, promoting sustainable and resilient agriculture, and fostering multi-actor collaborations. - Grant frequency and program context: This is a single-stage call within the broader Horizon Europe Cluster 6 program, which typically issues recurring calls covering various aspects of food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture, and environment.

Financial Structure

Funding will be provided as a lump sum contribution, which is a fixed amount agreed upon upfront based on estimated costs, rather than actual incurred costs.
The total grant amount for this specific topic is EUR 3,000,000.
The minimum and maximum contribution per project for this topic is EUR 3,000,000.
Eligible costs (for the purpose of estimating the lump sum): Personnel costs (employees, direct contractors, seconded persons, SME owners), subcontracting costs, purchase costs (travel, equipment, goods, services), and other cost categories (financial support to third parties, internally invoiced goods and services, research infrastructure access, etc.).
Ineligible costs: Any costs that would typically be deemed ineligible under standard Horizon Europe rules.
Indirect costs: Will be calculated by applying a 25% flat rate to eligible direct cost categories during the lump sum estimation.
Payment schedule and mechanisms: Payments will be made based on the proper implementation and completion of agreed-upon work packages, as verified through technical checks.
Audit requirements: Financial audits are significantly reduced; the focus of checks, reviews, and audits will be on the technical implementation of the action and the fulfillment of the conditions for releasing lump sum contributions per work package.
Cost-sharing structures: While the lump sum covers the agreed project costs, proposals must demonstrate that the total estimated costs of the action are greater than the estimated Union contributions, ensuring the co-financing principle is met.
Budget flexibility: The lump sum structure provides flexibility once the amount is fixed, as long as work packages are completed as planned.

Eligibility Requirements

Organization Type

Eligible organization types include a wide range of actors from the public and private sectors, such as research institutions, universities, public bodies, private companies (with SMEs specifically promoted for market transition), farmers' associations, breeders' associations, industry stakeholders, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and civil society organizations.
Consortium required: Yes, this grant strongly implies and encourages participation as part of a consortium to facilitate trans-national research and innovation cooperation and to establish an EU-wide network.

Geographic Location

Organizations must be established in an EU Member State or an Associated Country to the Horizon Europe Programme (specific list of associated countries is in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, which is standard for Horizon Europe but not provided here). Therefore, all 27 EU Member States are eligible.
Projects are expected to consider the perspectives and needs of the different 27 EU Member States to ensure high representation.
International cooperation is encouraged, especially with the EU-Africa Partnership on Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture (FNSSA).

Financial and Operational Capacity

Applicants must meet the financial and operational capacity requirements as detailed in Annex C of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes (not explicitly provided in the source text, but a standard requirement).

Legal and Financial Setup

Grants will be provided in the form of lump sum contributions, meaning payments are tied to the successful completion of agreed-upon work packages rather than detailed actual cost reporting.

Specific Qualifications

Projects should demonstrate expertise in plant breeding, agricultural research, innovation ecosystem development, and collaboration across public and private sectors.

Application Process

Application Deadlines and Submission

Application deadline: 2025-09-16 00:00:00+00.
Submission procedure: This is a single-stage submission process.
Planned opening date for submissions: 2025-05-06.
Submission format and platform: Applications must be submitted electronically through the Funding & Tenders Portal. Specific application forms (Standard application form HE CSA) are available in the Submission System.

Required Documentation and Materials

Proposals must adhere to page limits and layout described in Annex A and E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, and Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.
A detailed budget estimate based on eligible direct and indirect costs is required for the lump sum calculation, broken down by work package and beneficiary.

Evaluation Process

Review process: Proposals will be evaluated according to standard Horizon Europe procedures by external independent experts, assessing excellence, impact, and quality/efficiency of implementation.
Timeline for evaluation and grant agreement: An indicative timeline is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes (specific dates not provided).

Post-Award Requirements and Compliance

Project implementation timeline: Not specified, but the lump sum payment mechanism is based on the proper completion of work packages.
Reporting obligations: Focus will be on reporting the technical progress and completion of work packages to trigger lump sum payments, rather than detailed financial cost reporting.
Compliance obligations: Adherence to the grant agreement, ethical standards, research integrity, dissemination and exploitation of results, management of intellectual property, and gender equality aspects will be monitored.

Application Assistance and Support

Support is available through: The Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs) in EU and associated countries, Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk, ETSI Research Helpdesk, European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct, and a Partner Search facility on the portal.

Evaluation Criteria

Applications for this grant will be evaluated based on the standard Horizon Europe criteria: Excellence, Impact, and Quality and efficiency of the implementation. Excellence

The scientific quality and soundness of the methodology proposed for mapping plant breeding needs, evaluating infrastructure, and developing an R&I roadmap.
The level of innovation in the proposed solutions, approaches, and framework for establishing an EU-wide network.

Impact

The expected contribution to the objectives of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the EU Green Deal's goals for resilient and sustainable agri-food systems.
The ability to enhance the critical understanding and applicability of funding landscapes and financing models for plant breeding, leading to more efficient coordination.
The potential to establish a co-creative environment for stakeholders to identify and prioritize research gaps and infrastructure needs.
The capacity to support trans-national R&I cooperation and align efforts to address key challenges in crop breeding.
The effectiveness in facilitating market access processes for new, improved varieties.
The expected social, economic, and environmental benefits for the EU's agri-food sector, including contributions to climate neutrality and resilience, biodiversity protection, and soil health.
The relevance and alignment with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), specifically target 13 on genetic resources.

Quality and Efficiency of the Implementation

The coherence and effectiveness of the proposed work plan and its activities.
The appropriateness of the resources (e.g., human resources, infrastructure access, technical expertise) and the feasibility of the proposed budget within the lump sum framework.
The robustness of the proposed framework for an EU-wide network that promotes close cooperation among diverse research and innovation actors.
The integration of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) and social innovation where relevant, ensuring a human-centred approach.
Adherence to multi-actor approaches, involving a wide range of stakeholders from researchers to end-users.
The plan for fostering cooperation and aligning efforts to advance both public and private plant breeding sectors, paying particular attention to minor, underutilised, and permanent crops and organic farming.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

Projects must adhere to all general conditions outlined in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes (Annexes A-G), covering aspects such as admissibility, eligibility, evaluation, and the legal and financial setup of grants.
Compliance with EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509 is mandatory.
Adherence to the rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment, and Financial Capacity Assessment is required.

Technical and Ethical Standards

Projects should consider and integrate AI and Digital Agenda priorities where relevant.
The One Health approach should be integrated where relevant, particularly concerning human, animal, and environmental health aspects.
Consideration for relevant global initiatives, notably the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), especially its target 13 on fair and equitable sharing of benefits from genetic resources.

Risk Management

While financial audits are minimized due to the lump sum model, checks, reviews, and audits will focus on the technical implementation of the action and verification that work package conditions have been properly met. Non-completion of work packages can lead to withheld payments and grant reduction.

Collaboration and Integration

A strong emphasis is placed on multi-actor approaches, encouraging the engagement of a diverse range of stakeholders including researchers, policymakers, technology providers, primary producers, industry, retailers, social economy actors, local authorities, NGOs, and civil society, considering gender and other sociodemographic groups.
Proposals should seek complementarities and synergies with relevant EU Missions (e.g., 'A Soil Deal for Europe', 'Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030') and European partnerships (e.g., Agroecology, Animal Health and Welfare, Sustainable Blue Economy, Sustainable Food Systems, Agriculture of Data).
Collaboration with European research infrastructures such as AnaEE-ERIC and EMPHASIS is encouraged.
Targeted R&I activities under the EU-Africa Partnership on Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture (FNSSA) are encouraged.
Synergies with relevant EU financial programs and initiatives like the Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), particularly EIT Food, and international cooperation programs (e.g., DeSIRA) are also encouraged.

Specific Focus Areas

Proposals must include a comprehensive mapping of plant breeding needs within the EU.
They should evaluate existing infrastructure and identify gaps to support cutting-edge research and breeding activities, covering the needs of different agricultural sectors.
Evidence and insights on the mobilization of current funding sources and financial models for plant breeding R&I are expected.
Assessment and implementation of participatory approaches for breeding activities are required.
The establishment of a structured framework for an EU-wide network for cooperation among research and innovation actors in plant breeding is a key deliverable.
Development of a strategic R&I roadmap for plant breeding at the EU level, preparing groundwork for future actions.
Special attention should be paid to minor, underutilised, and permanent crops.
All farming systems and approaches, including organic farming, are within scope, with specific considerations for organic varieties and organic heterogeneous materials.
SMEs participation is particularly promoted to facilitate the transition of innovations to the market.
Projects should demonstrate a balance between high and low Technological Readiness Levels (TRLs).

Grant Details