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Grant Details

Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant aims to scale up new ways of paying farmers to encourage them to provide public benefits related to the environment and climate. It focuses on developing and implementing innovative payment schemes that support sustainable farming practices. - The core objective is to improve governance and business models for delivering agri-environment-climate public goods through innovative payment mechanisms. - Target recipients include farmers, businesses (especially small and medium-sized enterprises or SMEs), researchers, and policymakers. - This is a SECTOR-SPECIFIC grant, primarily targeting the agriculture, environment, and natural resources sectors. - The geographic scope covers countries eligible under the Horizon Europe framework, as detailed in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. - Key filtering criteria for initial screening are: proposals must focus on innovative payment mechanisms for environmental services, involve a 'multi-actor approach' (farmers, researchers, businesses), and prioritize mobilizing private funding. - This grant is part of the recurring Horizon Europe Work Programme (2023-2025).

Financial Structure

  • The total estimated budget for this specific topic ('HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-02') is EUR 12,000,000.
  • The expected minimum contribution per project is EUR 6,000,000.
  • The expected maximum contribution per project is EUR 6,000,000.
  • The funding currency is EUR.
  • Financial support to third parties (FSTP) is allowed, up to a maximum of EUR 60,000 per third party. This FSTP is specifically to facilitate the engagement of SMEs in testing and/or piloting solutions.
  • Consortia can allocate a maximum of 10% of the EU funding received to provide FSTP.
  • Financial and operational capacity requirements are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
  • The legal and financial set-up of the grants is detailed in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Horizon Europe Model Grant Agreement (MGA).

Eligibility Requirements

Eligible Organization Types
  • Organizations eligible under Horizon Europe rules, including:
  • Farmers (specifically encouraged)
  • Research organizations (e.g., universities, research institutes)
  • Businesses (including SMEs, strongly encouraged)
  • The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may also participate.
Consortium Requirements
  • A 'multi-actor approach' is mandatory. This means the consortium must include a balanced mix of actors with complementary knowledge, such as farmers, researchers, and businesses.
Geographic Location
  • Countries described in Annex B of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. This generally includes:
  • EU Member States: 'AT', 'BE', 'BG', 'HR', 'CY', 'CZ', 'DK', 'EE', 'FI', 'FR', 'DE', 'GR', 'HU', 'IE', 'IT', 'LV', 'LT', 'LU', 'MT', 'NL', 'PL', 'PT', 'RO', 'SK', 'SI', 'ES', 'SE'
  • Associated Countries (e.g., 'AL', 'BA', 'GE', 'IS', 'IL', 'MD', 'ME', 'MK', 'NO', 'RS', 'TR', 'UA', 'UK')
  • Other non-EU/non-Associated Countries may be eligible if they have specific funding provisions, as outlined in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
Technical Qualifications
  • Projects are expected to achieve a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 7-8 by the end of the project. Activities can start at any TRL.
Financial and Operational Capacity
  • Requirements are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes. Applicants must demonstrate sufficient financial and operational capacity to carry out the proposed activities.

Application Process

Application Deadlines and Submission
  • The application submission period opened on 2025-05-06.
  • The final submission deadline for proposals is 2025-09-24.
  • The submission procedure is 'single-stage'.
Required Documentation and Materials
  • Proposals must use the application form specific to this call, available in the Submission System.
  • Standard application form templates (HE RIA, IA) are provided.
  • The proposal page limit and layout are described in Part B of the Application Form.
Evaluation and Selection Process
  • The evaluation and award processes, including criteria, scoring, and thresholds, are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
  • Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
  • An indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is also described in Annex F.
Project Implementation and Reporting
  • Activities are expected to achieve TRL 7-8 by the end of the project.
  • Reporting schedules and progress tracking mechanisms will be defined in the Grant Agreement.
  • Consortia must include a dedicated task and resources to collaborate with other projects selected under this topic (e.g., joint activities, workshops, common communication).
Available Application Assistance and Support
  • Applicants can find guidance and support through:
  • The Online Manual for grant management procedures.
  • The Horizon Europe Programme Guide for detailed program structure and priorities.
  • Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ for common questions.
  • Research Enquiry Service for general research questions.
  • National Contact Points (NCPs) for guidance and assistance in participating in Horizon Europe.
  • Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) for advice, especially for SMEs.
  • IT Helpdesk for technical issues related to the Portal and submission.
  • European IPR Helpdesk for intellectual property issues.
  • CEN-CENELEC and ETSI Research Helpdesks for standardization advice.
  • The European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct.
  • Partner Search tools to find collaborators for proposals.

Evaluation Criteria

Award Criteria, Scoring, and Thresholds
  • These are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Expected Outcomes and Impact
  • Proposals will be evaluated on their contribution to the following outcomes:
  • Policymakers, businesses, and farmers gain a clear understanding of environmental services' role and engage in payment for environmental services (PES) schemes.
  • Policymakers, businesses, and farmers have improved knowledge and innovative tools to develop, implement, and scale up PES schemes that are adapted to diverse farming contexts.
  • Wide participation of farmers and businesses in innovative PES schemes on a long-term basis.
  • Society benefits from more targeted support for agri-environment-climate public goods, leading to positive social, economic, biodiversity, and climate outcomes.
Project Scope and Quality
  • Proposals should demonstrate:
  • Development, improvement, testing, piloting, and evaluation of PES schemes with result-based, collective, or spatially coordinated approaches in real-life farming conditions.
  • A special focus on mobilizing private funding (e.g., value chain approaches, market-based instruments, crowdfunding) and assessing social/economic implications for long-term viability.
  • Development or improvement of approaches for fair farmer remuneration based on the role of agriculture and food value chains.
  • Development or improvement of robust and cost-effective monitoring for environmental services provided by farmers.
  • Identification of barriers and enablers for PES scheme implementation and upscaling, with effective solutions proposed, building on existing knowledge.
  • Support for capacity building, training, reskilling, and education (technical, financial, legal, administrative implications) for farmers and practitioners.
Cross-Cutting Themes and Synergies
  • Proposals must:
  • Implement the 'multi-actor approach' effectively, with a balanced consortium.
  • Include effective contributions from Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines.
  • Ensure complementarities with ongoing relevant Horizon Europe projects (e.g., Mission 'A Soil Deal for Europe') and capitalize on existing research.
  • Ensure synergies with other relevant LIFE projects, EU-funded studies, and processes.
  • Include a dedicated task and resources for collaboration with other projects selected under this topic (e.g., joint activities, workshops, communication).

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance
  • Projects must adhere to general conditions outlined in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes (A, B, C, D, E, F, G), covering:
  • Admissibility conditions (e.g., page limits, layout).
  • Eligible countries.
  • Financial and operational capacity.
  • Evaluation and award processes.
  • Legal and financial set-up of grants.
  • Compliance with EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509.
Ethical and Data Standards
  • Standard ethical principles for research and innovation apply, as per Horizon Europe guidelines.
  • Data protection and privacy regulations must be observed.
Intellectual Property Policies
  • Intellectual property (IP) policies will be governed by the Horizon Europe Model Grant Agreement (MGA).
Multi-Actor Approach (MAA)
  • The proposal must implement the 'multi-actor approach'. This means the consortium needs a balanced mix of actors with complementary knowledge, specifically including farmers, researchers, and businesses.
Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP)
  • Consortia may provide financial support to third parties (FSTP) in the form of grants, with a maximum of EUR 60,000 per third party.
  • This FSTP is primarily to facilitate the engagement of SMEs in testing and/or piloting proposed solutions.
  • A maximum of 10% of the total EU funding for the project can be allocated for FSTP.
  • If FSTP is included, the consortium must clearly define the selection process for these third-party entities.
Collaboration and Synergies
  • Proposals must ensure complementarities with other ongoing relevant Horizon Europe projects (e.g., Mission 'A Soil Deal for Europe') and leverage existing research findings and tools.
  • Synergies with relevant LIFE projects, EU-funded studies, and processes are expected.
  • A dedicated task, appropriate resources, and a plan for collaboration with other projects selected under this topic (e.g., joint activities, workshops, common communication) are mandatory.
Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH)
  • This topic requires the effective contribution of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines to the project.
Joint Research Centre (JRC) Participation
  • The JRC may participate as a member of the consortium selected for funding, potentially contributing to the testing of payment for environmental services schemes via experiments.
Expected Technical Readiness Level (TRL)
  • Activities are expected to achieve TRL 7-8 by the end of the project, meaning solutions are demonstrated in an operational environment and ready for market uptake.

Grant Details

agri-environment-climate contracts agri-environment-climate measures collective action collective approaches collective payments eco-schemes economic incentives financial incentives market-based instrument payments for ecosystem services payments for environmental services public goods result-based approaches result-based payments spatial coordination spatially-coordinated approaches value chain approaches agriculture environment natural resources bioeconomy sustainable farming green deal climate action biodiversity rural development digital solutions governance smes farmers research innovation actions horizon europe multi-actor approach social sciences humanities
Upscaling innovative payments to support farmers in the delivery of agri-environment-climate public goods
HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-02
Horizon Europe
SME NGO UNIVERSITY OTHER
AT BE BG HR CY CZ DK EE FI FR DE GR HU IE IT LV LT LU MT NL PL PT RO SK SI ES SE AL BA GE IS IL MD ME MK NO RS TR UA UK
AGRICULTURE ENVIRONMENT OTHER
DEVELOPMENT GROWTH
OTHER
SDG2 SDG6 SDG8 SDG9 SDG11 SDG12 SDG13 SDG15 SDG17
FUNDING RESEARCH_DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY_BUILDING PILOT_PROJECTS INNOVATION_COMMERCIALIZATION
12000000.00
6000000.00
6000000.00
EUR
None
Sept. 24, 2025, midnight
None