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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant, part of the EIC Pathfinder Challenges, aims to fund breakthrough research and innovation in biotechnology for developing climate-resilient crops and advancing plant-based biomanufacturing. The core objective is to enhance crop adaptation to climate change stresses and to substantially increase the nutritional value of crops through novel production processes. It is specifically designed for research-intensive organizations including universities, research organizations, SMEs, start-ups, and natural persons. Mid-caps and larger companies are excluded if applying as a single entity. The grant is SECTOR-SPECIFIC, focusing on agriculture, biotechnology, and environmental sustainability related to plant science and food production. The geographic scope is limited to EU Member States and Associated Countries. Key filtering criteria for initial screening include the explicit focus on biotech solutions for crops, the TRL (Technology Readiness Level) expectation of TRL4 by project end, and the applicant's establishment in an eligible European country. This is a challenge within the recurring EIC Pathfinder Challenges program, suggesting a regular funding cycle.

Financial Structure

Funding Type This grant uses the Lump Sum Model Grant Agreement (Lump Sum MGA), which means a fixed amount of funding is provided for the achievement of specific deliverables, rather than reimbursement of actual costs based on a percentage. Grant Amounts

Minimum Grant Amount per Project: EUR 500,000
Maximum Grant Amount per Project: EUR 4,000,000

Eligible and Ineligible Costs

Specific details on eligible and ineligible costs are typically outlined in the Lump Sum MGA and associated guidance ('Lump sums - what do I need to know?'). Given the lump sum nature, costs are generally not itemized but are covered by the agreed fixed amount for specific outputs. Further details would be in the full EIC Work Programme 2025 and grant agreement documents.

Co-financing and Funding Rate

Co-financing Requirements: Not explicitly detailed in the provided text, but common with Horizon Europe lump sum grants is that the lump sum covers the full EU contribution, implicitly meaning the recipient manages how that amount covers their overall project costs. No explicit co-financing percentage is given.
Funding Rate: Not applicable as funding is provided as a lump sum, not a percentage of eligible costs.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Eligibility

Eligible Organization Types: Universities, research organizations, SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises), start-ups, and natural persons (individuals) are eligible.
Exclusion for Single Beneficiaries: Mid-cap and larger companies are not permitted to apply as single beneficiaries. They may be part of consortia.

Consortium Requirements

General: Proposals can be submitted by collaborative consortia or single legal entities.
Two-entity Consortia: Must comprise two independent legal entities from two different EU Member States or Associated Countries.
Three or More Entities Consortia: Must include at least three independent legal entities, each established in a different country, with:
- At least one legal entity established in an EU Member State.
- At least two other independent legal entities, each established in different EU Member States or Associated Countries.

Geographic Location Requirements

Applicants (single entities or all consortium members) must be established in an EU Member State or an Associated Country.

Technical Expertise and Project Stage

Projects are expected to develop breakthrough technologies that reach TRL4 (validation in a laboratory environment) with viable plants by the end of the project duration.

Other Specific Conditions

Proposals must meet general eligibility requirements as outlined in Annex 2 of the EIC Work Programme 2025, in addition to the specific Challenge requirements outlined in the topic description.
Applications with elements concerning the evolution of European communication networks (5G, post-5G, etc.) will be subject to specific restrictions for protection of European communication networks (Annex II – Section B1).
Standard admissibility and eligibility conditions, and conditions for applicants from third countries, are detailed in Annex 2 of the EIC Work Programme 2025.

Application Process

Application Timeline and Deadlines

Planned Opening Date for Submissions: 2025-07-24
Application Deadline: 2025-10-29 00:00:00+0000
Submission Procedure: Single-stage submission.

Required Documentation and Materials

Proposal Structure: The proposal's Part B, specifically sections 1 to 3 (corresponding to Excellence, Impact, and Quality & Efficiency of Implementation), must not exceed 30 A4 pages. Any excess pages will be automatically made invisible and will not be considered during evaluation.
Application Form: The standard Application Form (Part B) will be available in the Submission System.
Supporting Documents: Applicants should also consult Annex 2 of the EIC Work Programme 2025, and other call documents such as the Challenge Guide, Model Grant Agreements, and guidance on lump sums.

Review Process and Timeline

Evaluation and Award: Detailed processes for submission, evaluation, and award criteria are described in section II of the EIC Work Programme 2025 and the Online Manual. An indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is also provided in section II of the Work Programme.

Application Assistance and Resources Applicants can access various support resources: * Online Manual: Guide for procedures from proposal submission to grant management. * Horizon Europe Programme Guide: Detailed guidance on the structure, budget, and political priorities of Horizon Europe. * Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ: Answers to frequently asked questions on proposal submission, evaluation, and grant management. * Research Enquiry Service: For general questions about European research and EU Research Framework Programmes. * National Contact Points (NCPs): Provide guidance, practical information, and assistance for participation in Horizon Europe, including in many non-EU and non-associated countries. * Enterprise Europe Network (EEN): Offers advice to businesses, especially SMEs, including guidance on EU research funding. * IT Helpdesk: For technical questions related to the Funding & Tenders Portal (e.g., passwords, access rights, submission technicalities). * European IPR Helpdesk: Assists with intellectual property issues. * CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk: Advise on standardisation aspects in project proposals. * The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment: Provides general principles for researchers, employers, and funders. * Partner Search: A tool to help find partner organizations for proposals.

Evaluation Criteria

Applications will be evaluated based on three main criteria, corresponding to sections 1 to 3 of the proposal Part B: * Excellence * Impact * Quality and Efficiency of the Implementation Expected Outcomes and Impact Projects are expected to contribute to: * Sustainability and Resilience: Improve the sustainability, efficiency, biodiversity, and resilience of the European food supply chain. * Competitiveness: Secure long-term competitiveness of the EU food supply chain and decrease dependency on imports for primary production inputs, feed, and food. * Policy Alignment: Support EU policies such as 'Building the future with nature: Boosting Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing in the EU', the 'Mission Soil', the 'EU Green Deal', 'Farm to Fork strategy', 'Nature Restoration Law', 'Fit for 55', and 'REPowerEU'. Technical and Project Specifics for Evaluation

Innovation: Ideas must go beyond incremental changes and result in novel production processes that deliver energy- and resource-efficient, low-emission foods that maintain or increase biodiversity and are integral to a healthy diet.
TRL Advancement: Funded projects must develop breakthrough technologies that reach TRL4 (Technology Readiness Level 4, meaning validation in a laboratory environment) with viable plants by the end of the project.
Core Objectives: Proposals should address both:
- Increasing plant growth, yields, and stress resistance (e.g., tolerance to combined stresses like heat/drought, salinity, waterlogging, increased CO2; improving water/nutrient use efficiency; enhancing plant reproduction under unfavorable conditions; investigating plant/soil microbiome interactions).
- Substantially increasing nutritional value (e.g., proteins, vitamins) in crops through plant native and non-native ingredients.
Methodology: Projects must develop a complete methodology for assessing increases in plant growth, yields, climate resilience, and/or nutritional value. This includes multi-omics approaches (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, phenomics), potentially leveraging nanoparticle technology, chemistry, and advanced Artificial Intelligence.

Portfolio Selection Principles To ensure a diverse and impactful portfolio, selected projects should demonstrate: * Synergy: Common components, such as addressing similar stress factors for different crops or leveraging similar technologies. * Balance: Balanced representation of native and non-native ingredients, and conventional vs. New Genomic Techniques (NGTs). * Diversity: Diverse types of crops (with European geographical coverage where grown), diverse stress factor combinations, and diversity in technological approaches for comparison. * Collaborative Work: All projects will participate in a work package dedicated to developing monitoring and prediction methodologies for climate adaptation assessment and lifecycle-analysis.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance and Ethical Standards

Projects are expected to contribute to and align with several key EU regulatory and policy frameworks, including the EU Green Deal, Farm to Fork strategy, Nature Restoration Law, Fit for 55, and REPowerEU.
Proposals focusing on novel crops are expected to consider regulatory aspects and build upon work carried out by the European Food and Safety Authority (EFSA) where appropriate.
General compliance with the EU Financial Regulation 2018/1046 and rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment, and Financial Capacity Assessment are required.

Technical and Quality Standards

Projects must develop breakthrough technologies that go beyond incremental changes to the state-of-the-art.
Technical approaches should include multi-omics (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, phenomics) and can leverage technologies like nanoparticle technology, chemistry, and advanced artificial intelligence.
A dedicated work package will focus on developing monitoring and prediction methodologies for climate adaptation assessment and lifecycle-analysis.

Risk Management and Challenges

Proposals should specifically address the challenge of narrow genetic diversity of novel crops.

Unique Aspects and Strategic Opportunities

This grant aims to support highly innovative, high-risk, high-gain scientific and technological research that could lead to new avenues for scientific and technological innovation.
Portfolio Approach: The selection process emphasizes building a coherent portfolio of projects with synergies, balanced representation of different scientific and technological approaches (e.g., native/non-native ingredients, conventional/NGTs), diverse crop types, and varied stress factor combinations.
Knowledge Sharing: All selected projects will be part of a collaborative work package dedicated to common methodologies, fostering knowledge exchange and comparative analysis.

Grant Details