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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

The core objective of this grant is to better understand and manage the medium and longer-term challenges and opportunities for agriculture, specifically those arising from shifting climatic zones and changing agroecological environments. - Explicit identification of target recipient type and size: Not specifically defined, but typical for Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions, targeting research organizations, universities, SMEs, and other entities involved in agricultural and environmental research. - SECTOR-SPECIFIC: This grant is highly sector-specific, focusing on agriculture, climate action, and environmental science. - Geographic scope and any location requirements: Primarily focused on Europe, but also considers the international context of climate change and agriculture. - Key filtering criteria for initial grant screening: Projects must address the impact of climate change on agriculture, including modeling, characterization of cropping systems, and development of decision-making tools for adaptation and restoration. - Grant frequency and program context: This is part of the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025, suggesting it is a recurring type of call within the overall Horizon Europe framework.

Financial Structure

Funding type: Lump Sum Grant (HORIZON-AG-LS).
Total budget for the topic: EUR 10,000,000.
Minimum grant amount per project: EUR 5,000,000.
Maximum grant amount per project: EUR 5,000,000.
Expected number of grants: 2.
Eligible costs: Proposals must approximate actual underlying costs, covering categories such as personnel, subcontracting, purchase costs, and other costs. Only costs eligible under 'actual costs' grants can be included.
Indirect cost policy: A flat rate of 25% for indirect costs is applied to qualifying direct costs.
Payment schedule and mechanisms: Payments are made upon the proper implementation and completion of defined work packages, as per the grant agreement. Payments do not depend on costs actually incurred.
Financial reporting: No obligation to report actual costs; the focus is on technical implementation and achievement of work package conditions.
Co-financing requirements: Compliance with co-financing principles is ensured during budget evaluation, verifying that total estimated costs are greater than the Union contribution.
Retention: 5% to 8% of the total lump sum is retained as a contribution to the Mutual Insurance Mechanism.

Eligibility Requirements

Organization Type and Structure

Eligible entities include organizations typically participating in Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs), such as universities, research organizations, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), large enterprises, public bodies, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Consortium requirement: Yes, applications are expected to be submitted by consortia. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a member of selected consortia.

Geographic Location

Countries eligible for funding are those 'described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes'. This generally includes all EU Member States and countries associated with Horizon Europe.

Technical and Experience

Applicants must demonstrate capability to develop, test, and validate dynamic models concerning climate change impacts on agriculture.
Required expertise in diverse agroecological systems, pedoclimatic conditions, geo-distribution of cropping systems, and the establishment of sustainability, productivity, and resilience indicators.
Proposals must include effective contributions from social sciences and humanities (SSH).
Integration of existing Earth observation data space ecosystems and utilization of Destination Earth's Climate Adaptation Digital Twin data is strongly encouraged.
Demonstrated ability to cooperate with other projects funded under this topic and related Horizon Europe initiatives (e.g., Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change, Agroecology Partnership) is necessary.

Exclusion Criteria

Specific exclusion criteria for this grant are not detailed in the provided documents but are governed by the general rules outlined in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Application Process

Application Deadlines and Submission

Application deadline: 2025-09-16T00:00:00+00:00.
Submission window: Applications opened on 2025-05-06.
Submission procedure: Single-stage submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal's Electronic Submission Service.
Submission format and platform: Specific application forms (Standard Application Form for HE RIA, IA) are available in the Submission System, adhering to page limits and layout described in relevant Annexes of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Required Documentation and Materials

Proposals must include a detailed breakdown of the lump sum contribution per work package, and within each, the share assigned to each beneficiary and affiliated entity.
Applicants must declare adherence to their own accounting practices for budget preparation.

Evaluation Process

Evaluation is conducted by external independent experts who assess excellence, expected impact, and quality/efficiency of implementation.
Experts with financial expertise will check budget estimates against benchmarks and assess the adequacy of proposed resources for achieving activities and outputs.

Application Assistance and Support

Comprehensive support is available through the Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk, ETSI Research Helpdesk, and the Partner Search tool.

Project Implementation and Reporting

Implementation timeline expectations: Not specified, but typical for RIA projects, focusing on developing, testing, and validating models and tools.
Reporting obligations: Progress tracking focuses on the technical implementation of work packages and compliance with conditions for releasing lump sum contributions.
Post-award requirements: Compliance checks emphasize technical delivery, ethical standards, research integrity, dissemination, exploitation of results, intellectual property management, and gender equality.

Evaluation Criteria

General Evaluation Criteria

Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are generally 'described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes'.
Proposals will be evaluated based on the standard Horizon Europe procedures, focusing on:
- Excellence: The quality and innovativeness of the proposed research.
- Expected Impact: The potential of the project results to contribute to the grant's objectives and broader societal goals.
- Quality and Efficiency of the Implementation: The coherence and effectiveness of the work plan, resources, and management.

Specific Scoring Factors

Contribution to better understanding and management of complex links between climate conditions, ecosystems, and agriculture productivity and sustainability by relevant actors and policymakers.
Demonstration of how results will lead to better understanding of agricultural land suitability and wide application of regionally specific adaptation strategies, considering different climate change scenarios.
Potential to increase knowledge and equip farmers and agricultural land managers to address climate change challenges and opportunities.
Integration of cross-cutting priorities such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH), and Digital Agenda, as these are listed as priorities.
Encouragement of social innovation to foster stakeholder ownership and solution uptake.
Strength of international cooperation and the effective integration of indigenous and local knowledge within the project approach.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

Projects must adhere to general conditions outlined in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
For projects utilizing satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation, or related timing data/services, beneficiaries are mandated to use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS data/services.

Data Protection and Privacy

Data protection and privacy regulations are applicable as per standard Horizon Europe guidelines, though not explicitly detailed for this specific grant.

Ethical Standards

Adherence to ethical standards and requirements, including research integrity, is mandatory and subject to checks.

Intellectual Property Policies

Intellectual property management is a key aspect of the grant agreement, requiring proper handling and dissemination of results.

Risk Management

Checks, reviews, and audits will focus on the technical implementation of the action, including the fulfillment of conditions for releasing lump sum contributions, ethics, research integrity, dissemination, exploitation, IP management, and gender equality.

Innovation and Technology Specifications

Strong encouragement for integration with existing Earth observation data space ecosystems and utilization of data from Destination Earth's Climate Adaptation Digital Twin.
Digital technologies such as AI, robotics, 5G, and cloud computing are considered enabling and their exploitation is expected.
Projects should aim for a balance between lower and higher Technological Readiness Levels (TRLs).

Unique Aspects and Collaboration

Proposals must include a dedicated task and resources for active cooperation with other projects funded under this topic.
Collaborative actions with other related Horizon Europe projects, such as the Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change and the Agroecology Partnership, are expected.
The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a member of consortia, with a specific interest in exploring extremes like drought and heatwaves using AI techniques and tipping point scenarios.
Effective contribution from social sciences and humanities (SSH) is explicitly required.

Grant Details