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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant aims to prepare farmers, their workforce, and advisors for the future of agriculture by providing relevant knowledge, skills, and competences. It focuses on enhancing lifelong learning opportunities and accelerating the adoption of new, practice-oriented solutions within the agricultural sector.

Core objective: Improve knowledge, skills, and competences in agriculture for a more competitive, sustainable, and resilient future.
Target recipient type: Organizations and consortia involved in agriculture, education, advisory services, and research.
Target size: Not explicitly limited, likely various sizes of organizations.
Designation: SECTOR-SPECIFIC (Agriculture, Education)
Geographic scope: EU Member States and countries associated with Horizon Europe (as per general annexes).
Key filtering criteria: Focus on agriculture, education, advisory services, lifelong learning, multi-actor collaboration, and a strong research and innovation component.
Grant frequency and program context: This is a specific topic within the Cluster 6 Work Programme (Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment) of Horizon Europe, part of the 2025 call. It is a single-stage call for Research and Innovation Actions (RIA).

Financial Structure

Funding amount per project: The expected contribution for this topic is EUR 8,000,000.
Funding type: Lump sum contribution, as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under Horizon Europe.
Eligible costs: Lump sum contributions cover estimated direct and indirect project costs. These may include personnel costs, subcontracting costs, purchase costs (travel, equipment, other goods/services), and other specific cost categories. Costs must be eligible under Horizon Europe rules.
Ineligible costs: Costs that are ineligible under the Horizon Europe rules must be excluded from the lump sum calculation.
Indirect cost policy: Indirect costs are calculated by applying a 25% flat rate to the direct cost categories that qualify under Horizon Europe rules.
Payment mechanism: Payments are based on the proper implementation of defined work packages and compliance with grant agreement obligations, not on actual incurred costs.
Financial reporting: No obligation for beneficiaries to document actual costs incurred for the action; focus is on technical implementation and fulfillment of work package conditions.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Eligibility

Eligible organization types: Organizations involved in research, innovation, education, and advisory services related to agriculture. This includes, but is not limited to, research institutions, universities, agricultural schools, farmer associations, advisory bodies, NGOs, and potentially private companies (SMEs, enterprises) with relevant expertise. The grant emphasizes a 'multi-actor approach'.
Legal structure: Must be a legal entity capable of participating in Horizon Europe projects (details in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes).
Geographic location: Entities from EU Member States and countries associated with Horizon Europe are eligible for funding (details in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes).
Consortium requirements: Mandatory 'multi-actor approach' requiring a consortium based on a balanced mix of relevant actors, including farmers, advisors, agricultural educators and trainers, and other relevant AKIS (Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems) actors. Inclusive co-creation is expected.

Application Process

Application deadline: 2025-09-24 00:00:00+00:00.
Submission system: Proposals must be submitted via the Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission Service.
Application format: Standard application form (HE RIA) available in the Submission System, which includes Part B with specified page limits and layout.
Required documentation: Application form (Parts A and B), detailed budget table based on lump sum methodology.
Pre-application requirements: Applicants should refer to the Horizon Europe Programme Guide and Work Programme General Annexes for detailed rules.
Submission procedure: Single-stage submission process.
Support available: Online Manual, Programme Guide, FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk, ETSI Research Helpdesk, Partner Search.

Project Implementation

Grant duration: Not specified in the provided text, but typical for RIA actions.
Reporting obligations: Monitoring and evaluation will focus on technical implementation and completion of work packages to trigger lump sum payments. Regular reports on progress are expected.

Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation Criteria (Standard Horizon Europe Criteria, adapted for the topic)

Excellence:
Clarity and pertinence of the project's objectives.
Soundness of the proposed methodology, including conceptual approach, interdisciplinarity (especially SSH), and innovation aspects.
Extent to which proposed work is beyond the state-of-the-art.
Impact:
Credibility of pathways to achieve the expected outcomes listed in the grant description (e.g., innovative, fit-for-purpose lifelong learning, increased knowledge flow, accelerated adoption of new solutions).
Magnitude and significance of the project's contribution to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) objectives and related climate, biodiversity, and environmental policies.
Contribution to economic, social, and environmental benefits in agriculture.
Quality of measures for communication, dissemination, and exploitation of results.
Quality and Efficiency of the Implementation:
Coherence and effectiveness of the work plan, including appropriateness of the allocation of tasks and resources.
Quality and complementarity of the participants and the consortium as a whole (multi-actor approach).
Appropriateness of the management structures and procedures, including risk management.
Effective contribution of social sciences and humanities (SSH) disciplines.
Use of generative AI and social innovation potential for stimulating lifelong learning.
Synergy exploration with other EU instruments (e.g., Horizon, EIP-AGRI, Erasmus+ projects).

Compliance & Special Requirements

Compliance and Regulatory Requirements

Regulatory compliance: Adherence to all relevant EU regulations and national laws.
Ethical standards: Compliance with ethical standards described in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Data protection: Adherence to data protection and privacy regulations.
Intellectual property: Policies as defined in the Model Grant Agreement (Lump Sum MGA) and relevant Horizon Europe rules.

Special Requirements and Considerations

Multi-actor approach: Mandatory for consortium composition and project implementation, ensuring active involvement of end-users (farmers, advisors, educators).
Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH): Effective contribution of SSH disciplines is required.
Collaboration: Proposals should include a dedicated task and resources to cooperate with projects selected under HORIZON-CL6-2025-03-GOVERNANCE-13 to ensure complementarity.
Innovation: Exploration of generative AI potential for lifelong learning and new interactive approaches is encouraged.
Sustainability: Projects must consider national/regional and context specificities, evolving farm structures, labour organization, and social diversity.
Recognition System: Development and testing of a system compatible with EU-wide initiatives to acknowledge and reward farmers, workforce, and advisors engaged in lifelong learning, including different levels of recognition and tangible benefits.

Grant Details