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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

Single Core Objective: To increase knowledge flows to practice within Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) by establishing thematic networks that widely share existing and new knowledge.
Target Recipient Type and Size: This grant targets consortia comprising a balanced mix of AKIS actors, including practitioners (farmers, foresters, rural actors), advisors, and researchers. It is SECTOR-SPECIFIC.
Geographic Scope: The grant aims for dissemination across the entire EU, requiring outputs to be translated into all 24 official EU languages. Therefore, the geographic scope is EU-wide.
Key Filtering Criteria: Applicants should focus on a bottom-up theme responding to urgent needs from practice, ensure the proposed network avoids duplication of past projects (unless justified), and commit to extensive knowledge dissemination and long-term maintenance of the network.
Grant Frequency and Program Context: This is a specific topic under the Horizon Europe - Cluster 6 Work Programme, which is a recurring multi-annual funding program supporting research and innovation for sustainability.

Financial Structure

Funding is provided in the form of a lump sum contribution, as defined by the Decision of 7 July 2021 for Horizon Europe.
Maximum grant amount: 3,000,000.0 EUR.
Minimum grant amount: 3,000,000.0 EUR.
Currency: EUR.
Funding rate: 100.0% of the agreed lump sum for eligible costs.
Eligible costs: The lump sum covers estimated direct and indirect project costs, including personnel, subcontracting, purchase costs (travel, equipment, goods, services), and other specified cost categories (e.g., financial support to third parties, internally invoiced goods/services). These costs must be eligible under Horizon Europe rules.
Ineligible costs: Costs that are not eligible under Horizon Europe rules must be excluded from the lump sum calculation.
Payment schedule and mechanisms: Lump sum contributions are paid per work package upon proper implementation of the activities for that work package. Payments do not depend on actual costs incurred, but on the successful completion of agreed activities.
Financial reporting requirements: Beneficiaries have no obligation to document costs incurred for the action to the granting authority, but must adhere to national accounting practices.
Indirect cost policies: A 25% flat rate for indirect costs is already incorporated into the calculation of the lump sum contribution.
Financial guarantees: Between 5% and 8% of the total lump sum is retained as a contribution to the Mutual Insurance Mechanism.
Co-financing requirements: The project's total estimated costs must be greater than the estimated Union contribution to ensure compliance with co-financing principles.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Types

Must implement the 'multi-actor approach', forming a consortium.
The consortium must include a balanced mix of relevant actors, explicitly activating advisors, farmers, and/or foresters, and/or rural actors.
Other actors with complementary knowledge are expected.

Geographic Location

Organizations from EU Member States and Associated Countries are eligible to apply.
Project activities and dissemination must cover the entire EU, with materials translated into at least all 24 EU official languages.

Specific Qualifications

Proposals must select a thematic network theme based on a bottom-up approach, addressing the most urgent needs from practice.
The chosen theme's relevance to end-users' needs and added value must be clearly explained.
Duplication of ongoing or completed thematic networks/projects is not allowed, unless significant added value and justification are provided.
Applicants must collect and compile up-to-date scientific and practical knowledge, best practices, and innovative solutions that are effective and ready for practical use.
Project outputs, including informative materials and training courses, must be developed for wide sharing, in easily accessible formats, and translated into at least all 24 EU official languages.
A summary of the costs and benefits analysis of the collected practices for end-users must be included in informative materials.
Practice-oriented outputs must be directly fed into EU, national, and regional AKIS dissemination channels (e.g., EU and National CAP Networks, EU-FarmBook, AKISConnect).
Relevant AKIS actors at EU/national/regional levels must be mobilized to widely share project outputs.
A dedicated work package for collecting outputs from EIP-AGRI Operational Group projects (OGs) and fostering knowledge exchange with them is mandatory.
The project must run for a minimum of 3 years.
An initial plan detailing how the thematic network and its outputs will be updated and maintained long-term beyond the project duration must be included.

Application Process

Application Deadlines and Submission

Application deadline: 2025-09-24 00:00:00+00.
Submission is a single-stage process.
Proposals must be submitted via the Funding & Tenders Portal's Electronic Submission Service.

Required Documentation and Materials

Proposals must adhere to the specified page limit and layout described in Part B of the Application Form, available in the Submission System.
A standard application form (HE CSA) is to be used.
A detailed budget table (HE LS - Horizon Europe Lump Sum) is required.
Applicants must include a declaration confirming they have followed their own accounting practices for budget preparation.

Evaluation Process

Proposals undergo evaluation by external independent experts, following standard Horizon Europe procedures.
Experts assess the proposal based on excellence, expected impact, and quality and efficiency of implementation.
Experts with financial expertise will review budget estimates against relevant benchmarks and assess if resources and lump sum shares align with activities and expected outputs.
The lump sum amount will be fixed by the authorising officer based on the evaluation findings.

Project Implementation and Reporting

The project duration must be a minimum of 3 years.
Project outputs must be widely disseminated and translated into at least all 24 EU official languages.
Outputs must be actively integrated into EU, national, and regional AKIS dissemination channels, including platforms like EU-FarmBook and AKISConnect.
A multi-actor approach must be implemented throughout the project, actively involving various stakeholders.
An initial plan for the long-term update and maintenance of the thematic network and its outputs beyond the project's duration is required as part of the proposal.

Application Assistance and Support

Guidance and support are available through various resources, including the HE Programme Guide, Model Grant Agreements (MGA), specific Lump Sum MGA guidance, the Online Manual, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, CEN-CENELEC and ETSI Research Helpdesks, and the European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct.
A Partner Search tool is available to help find suitable partner organizations for consortia.

Evaluation Criteria

Excellence

Clarity and Pertinence of Objectives: How clear, relevant, ambitious, and beyond the state-of-the-art are the project's objectives?
Soundness of Methodology: Assessment of the underlying concepts, models, assumptions, and overall approach.
Originality and Innovativeness: Degree to which the proposed ideas are original and innovative for knowledge transfer within AKIS.

Impact

Contribution to EU Policies: How effectively does the proposal support EU policies for agriculture, forestry, and rural areas, including climate and biodiversity objectives?
Increased Knowledge Flows: Potential to enhance knowledge exchange among AKIS actors, especially end-users.
Accessibility and Dissemination: Effectiveness of methods for collecting, presenting, and disseminating practice-oriented knowledge in an understandable and accessible way.
Effectiveness of AKIS: How the project strengthens AKIS at EU and national/regional levels, increasing the flow of practice-ready knowledge.
Long-term Sustainability: Credibility of the plan for updating and maintaining the thematic network and its outputs beyond the project's duration.

Quality and Efficiency of the Implementation

Work Plan Quality: Clarity, completeness, and appropriateness of the work plan, including task distribution and resource allocation.
Consortium Composition: Appropriateness of the multi-actor approach, ensuring a balanced mix of complementary knowledge and active involvement of relevant stakeholders.
Management Structures: Soundness of the proposed management structures, procedures, and risk management.
Budget Appropriateness: Financial experts will assess the detailed budget estimate for the lump sum, checking if resources and lump sum shares correspond to activities and expected outputs.
Dissemination Strategy: Effectiveness of proposed measures for communication and widespread dissemination of results, including translation into multiple languages.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

Compliance with Regulation (EU) 2021/695 (Horizon Europe) and Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 (Financial Rules) is mandatory.
Adherence to all general conditions described in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, including admissibility conditions for proposal page limits and layout.

Ethical Standards

Ethical standards and research integrity must be rigorously maintained throughout the project lifecycle.
Consideration of social diversity, including gender and other categories, in all dissemination activities of the thematic network is strongly encouraged.

Risk Management and Financial Oversight

While the lump sum approach simplifies financial reporting for beneficiaries, controls by the granting authority will focus on the technical implementation of the action and the fulfilment of the conditions for releasing lump sum contributions per work package.
If a work package's conditions for payment are not met, the corresponding lump sum contribution will not be paid and the grant may be reduced.
Beneficiaries remain subject to their national accounting rules, even though they are not required to report actual costs to the granting authority.
Mechanisms are in place to ensure sound financial management, co-financing principles, and to prevent double financing.

Unique Aspects and Project Design

Multi-Actor Approach: The grant strictly requires a multi-actor approach, ensuring active involvement of advisors, farmers, foresters, and rural actors in defining needs, planning, and executing the thematic network's tasks.
Bottom-Up Theme Selection: The theme of the thematic network must be selected in a bottom-up manner, explicitly addressing urgent needs identified from practice and demonstrating clear added value.
Knowledge Integration: Proposals must specifically include a work package dedicated to collecting outputs from EIP-AGRI Operational Group projects (OGs) and fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange with them.
Extensive Dissemination: All informative materials and training courses must be widely shared, made easy to access and understand, and translated into at least all 24 EU official languages to maximize reach across the EU.
Long-Term Impact: An initial plan for the long-term update and maintenance of the thematic network and its outputs beyond the project's duration is a critical requirement.

Grant Details