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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

Core objective: To diversify EU aquaculture production with an emphasis on low-trophic species and sustainable production methods, aiming to enhance the competitiveness and profitability of the sector, reduce its environmental impact, and increase consumer access to varied, EU-produced edible aquatic species.
Explicit identification of target recipient type and size: The grant targets a wide range of organizations, including businesses (with particular promotion for SMEs), research organizations, public bodies, and civil society actors, involved in aquaculture and food systems.
MUST state if grant is 'SECTOR-SPECIFIC' or 'SECTOR-AGNOSTIC': SECTOR-SPECIFIC
Geographic scope and any location requirements: Open to legal entities from EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries. International cooperation is encouraged, and certain non-associated low-to-middle income countries are automatically eligible for funding. Participation from other non-associated countries is possible, but usually without direct funding unless explicitly stated.
Key filtering criteria for initial grant screening: Projects must focus on aquaculture diversification, specifically involving low-trophic species or sustainable alternative feed sources, and aim for environmental, economic, and social impacts in the EU aquaculture sector. A strong innovation component is essential.
Grant frequency and program context: This is a single-stage call within the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025 (Cluster 6), indicating a recurring program with specific annual calls.

Financial Structure

Budget range for this topic: The total budget allocated for 'HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-FARM2FORK-10' is EUR 12,000,000.
Minimum grant amount: Individual grants are expected to be EUR 6,000,000.
Maximum grant amount: Individual grants are expected to be EUR 6,000,000.
Number of expected grants: There are 2 expected grants under this specific topic.
Currency: All amounts are in EUR.
Funding rate: Not explicitly stated in the provided text. For Horizon Europe 'Innovation Actions (IA)', the typical funding rate is 70% of eligible costs for for-profit entities and 100% for non-profit entities. Applicants should consult the 'Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes' for precise details.
Eligible and ineligible costs: Details on eligible and ineligible costs, and the 'legal and financial set-up of the grants', are described in 'Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes'. This information is not provided in the topic-specific document.
Co-financing requirements: Co-financing is implied by the typical Horizon Europe funding rates for Innovation Actions, where the grant does not cover 100% of costs for for-profit entities.
Financial reporting and audit requirements: These details are typically outlined in the 'Model Grant Agreements (MGA)' and relevant annexes of the Work Programme. Specifics are not provided here.

Eligibility Requirements

Organization Type

Eligible organization types include: 'SME's (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) are particularly promoted. Also eligible are 'ENTERPRISE's (large companies), 'UNIVERSITY's (research organizations, academia), 'NGO's (Non-Governmental Organizations), 'PUBLIC' bodies (policy makers, local authorities), and 'OTHER' actors such as primary producers, social economy actors, and civil society groups.
Consortium required: Projects require a multi-actor approach, involving diverse stakeholders and encouraging international cooperation. Therefore, a 'consortium' is required for application.

Geographic Location

'EU Member States' are eligible for funding.
'Associated Countries' to Horizon Europe are eligible for funding, including: Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Iceland, Israel, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Kingdom.
Countries with 'Transitional Arrangements' for funding from 2025 onwards (may apply to the entire Horizon Europe programme for award procedures implementing Union budget for the year 2025 and onwards): Egypt, Morocco, Republic of Korea, Switzerland.
'Automatically Eligible for Funding' (low-to-middle income countries, subject to EU restrictive measures): Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Comoros, Congo (Democratic Republic), Congo (Republic), Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic), Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Korea (Democratic People's Republic), Kyrgyz Republic, Lao (People's Democratic Republic), Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Micronesia (Federated States), Mongolia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Samoa, São Tomé and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sudan, Suriname, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic), Vietnam, Yemen Republic, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
'Other Third Countries' (not listed above) can participate in projects, but typically 'without funding' unless their funding is deemed essential for the project or explicitly identified as eligible in the Work Programme.

Technical Expertise

Projects should demonstrate expertise in aquaculture, aquatic biology, environmental sciences, animal biology, nutrition, welfare, and potentially socio-economic aspects.

Application Process

Application Deadlines and Submission

Application deadline: 2025-09-16 00:00:00+0000 (latest deadline available).
Submission window: The submission session opened on '2025-05-06'.
Submission procedure: This is a 'single-stage' submission process.
Submission format and platform: Applications must be submitted via the 'Electronic Submission Service' available on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Required Documentation and Materials

Application form: Applicants must use the 'standard application form (HE RIA, IA)' and complete 'Part B of the Application Form' as available in the Submission System.

Application Assistance and Support

Comprehensive guidance: Consult the 'HE Programme Guide', 'Model Grant Agreements (MGA)', and the 'Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual'.
Work Programme documents: Refer to 'HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 1. General Introduction', '9. Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment', and '14. General Annexes'.
Financial and legal guidance: 'EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509', 'Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment', and 'EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement' are available.
Direct support channels: Utilize the 'Research Enquiry Service', 'National Contact Points (NCPs)' (available in EU/Associated Countries and some third countries), 'Enterprise Europe Network (EEN)' (especially for SMEs), and the 'IT Helpdesk' for technical issues.
Intellectual Property (IP) assistance: The 'European IPR Helpdesk' provides support on IP issues.
Standardization guidance: 'CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk' and 'ETSI Research Helpdesk' offer advice on incorporating standardization.
Partner search: A 'Partner Search' tool is available to help find consortium partners.

Evaluation Criteria

General Evaluation Principles

The specific 'Award criteria, scoring and thresholds' are described in 'Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes'. These general annexes apply to all Horizon Europe calls and are not provided in this specific topic's documentation. Applicants should consult the full Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes for detailed scoring.

Expected Contributions to Impact (Implied Evaluation Factors)

Contribution to consumers having 'access to a variety of edible aquatic species' produced in the EU and Horizon Europe Associated Countries.
Enhancement of the aquaculture industry's 'competitiveness and profitability' through new and improved technologies.
Reduction of the sector's 'environmental impact', contributing to climate resilience and mitigation.
Increase in consumer literacy regarding the 'nutritional and environmental benefits' of aquatic food.
Generation of 'economic growth and job creation' in coastal and rural areas.

Scope Considerations (Implied Evaluation Factors)

Focus on 'diversification', particularly into 'non-fed and low-trophic species' and improved production methods like 'Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA)' and 'organic aquaculture'.
Consideration of 'sustainability aspects', including circularity and zero waste, using a 'life cycle approach' and 'Environmental Footprint methods'.
Addressing 'fair pricing' and 'regional particularities'.
Inclusion of research on feeding, breeding, health, welfare, economic issues, and consumer acceptance.
Addressing 'regulatory aspects and legal barriers' related to novel feed ingredients or new farm licensing.
Effective contribution of 'Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH)' disciplines.
Encouragement of 'international cooperation' for win-win outcomes.
Promotion of 'SMEs participation' and a balance of 'high as well as low Technological Readiness Levels (TRLs)'.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory and Ethical Compliance

'Regulatory compliance': Projects must consider and address relevant EU regulations, including those concerning food safety, sustainable use of pesticides, animal health and welfare legislations, feed additives, and fisheries policy ('CFP').
'Permits and authorizations': Research should include 'regulatory aspects and legal barriers' regarding the approval of novel feed ingredients or the licensing of new aquaculture farms.
'Environmental compliance': Actions should contribute to the achievement of 'good environmental status' and minimize pollution, particularly in aquatic environments. A 'life cycle approach' and 'Environmental Footprint methods' (as per Recommendation (EU) 2021/2279) are encouraged.
'Ethical standards': While not explicitly detailed in this topic, all Horizon Europe projects are subject to strict ethical guidelines.

Technical and Innovation Specifications

'Technology specifications': Projects are expected to develop new or improved technologies for aquaculture, including feed ingredients and sustainable techniques for fishing and aquaculture.
'Innovation requirements': The call is for 'Innovation Actions (IA)', encouraging solutions with a balance of 'high as well as low Technological Readiness Levels (TRLs)', indicating a focus on bringing research closer to market.
'Technical partnerships': Collaboration with European research infrastructures such as 'EMBRC ERIC' and accredited laboratories is encouraged.

Cross-Cutting Themes and Strategic Alignment

'Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH)': The topic explicitly requires the 'effective contribution of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines' to apply a human-centered approach and support social innovation.
'Multi-actor approach': Projects should engage a broad range of stakeholders, including researchers, policy makers, industry (primary producers, processing, retail, hospitality), SMEs, local authorities, NGOs, and civil society, considering 'gender and other socio demographic groups'.
'International cooperation': This is encouraged for 'win-win outcomes and mutual benefits', aligning with global transition efforts towards sustainable food systems, particularly with the 'EU-Africa Partnership on Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture (FNSSA)'.
'Strategic alignment': Proposals must align with key EU strategies such as the 'Farm to Fork strategy', 'EU strategic guidelines for sustainable aquaculture', 'EU algae initiative', 'Food 2030 R&I policy framework', 'EU Green Deal', 'Biodiversity strategy', 'Zero pollution', and 'Climate action ambitions'.
'Synergies': Projects are encouraged to seek complementarities with EU Missions ('A Soil Deal for Europe', 'Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030'), European partnerships (e.g., Agroecology, Animal Health and Welfare, Sustainable Blue Economy), and relevant KICs (e.g., EIT Food).

Unique Aspects and Challenges

'Preference for low-trophic species': A specific focus is placed on photosynthetic, herbivorous, or un-fed aquatic species, as well as fish farming that utilizes feed ingredients low in fish meal/oil or derived from circular practices.
'Regional particularities': Projects should consider and address specific regional characteristics and fair pricing issues.

Grant Details