Grants8 | The most comprehensive grants search on the web

Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant aims to drive climate action and sustainable agriculture in Africa by establishing agroecology living labs and lighthouses. It seeks to develop innovative tools and approaches that enhance the resilience and sustainability of African agriculture and food systems. - Core objective: Develop and implement agroecological solutions for climate action and sustainable food systems in Africa. - Target recipients: Research organizations, farmers, advisors, policymakers, food-related businesses (including SMEs), local authorities, communities, NGOs, and civil society actors. - Size: SECTOR-AGNOSTIC, but actively encourages SME participation and involves diverse organizational types. - Geographic scope: Primarily focused on Africa, with a strong emphasis on collaboration between African Union member states and EU member states, and encouraged participation from Mediterranean countries. - Key filtering criteria: Strong consortium with African partners, focus on agroecology and climate action, multi-actor approach, R&I focus. - Grant frequency: Part of the Horizon Europe 2025 Work Programme, suggesting it is a recurring program with specific annual topics.

Financial Structure

Budget for this specific topic: 12,000,000 EUR (expected to fund two grants).
Minimum grant amount per project: 6,000,000 EUR.
Maximum grant amount per project: 6,000,000 EUR.
Currency: EUR.
Grant type: Lump sum contribution, meaning payments are based on the completion of predefined work packages rather than actual incurred costs.
Eligible costs: Include personnel costs, subcontracting costs, purchase costs (travel, equipment, other goods, works, services), and other cost categories (e.g., financial support to third parties, internally invoiced goods and services, research infrastructure access, procurement costs). These costs form the basis for the lump sum calculation.
Ineligible costs: Costs that would typically be ineligible under standard Horizon Europe rules are excluded from the lump sum calculation.
Indirect cost policy: A 25% flat rate is applied to eligible direct costs when calculating the lump sum contribution.
Financial support to third parties (FSTP) is permitted, in the form of grants, with a maximum amount of 60,000 EUR per third party. A maximum of 30% of the EU funding can be allocated for FSTP.
Co-financing: The co-financing principle is ensured by verifying that the total estimated costs of the action are greater than the estimated Union contributions, though no specific percentage is mandated as a direct matching fund.
Payments: Lump sum contributions are paid per work package upon their proper implementation. A percentage (5-8%) of the total lump sum is retained as a contribution to the Mutual Insurance Mechanism.
Financial reporting: Significantly simplified; no obligation for cost reporting or financial ex-post audits. Checks focus on technical implementation and work package completion.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Type & Structure

Eligible organization types: Researchers, farmers, advisors, policymakers, technology providers, primary producers, food, drink and hospitality industry, retailers, social economy actors, SMEs along the value chain, local authorities, communities, NGOs, civil society.
The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a consortium member.
International organizations with headquarters in an EU Member State or an Associated Country are exceptionally eligible for funding.
Consortium required: Yes. Proposals must apply the 'multi-actor approach'.
Consortium composition: Must include at least three independent legal entities established in an African Union member state, with at least two of these legal entities established in the same African Union region.

Geographic Location

Legal entities established in all African Union member states are exceptionally eligible for Union funding.
Standard Horizon Europe eligible countries (EU Member States and Associated Countries) also apply.
Participation of Mediterranean countries (other than EU and AU) is encouraged.

Qualifications & Experience

Proposals should build on experience from relevant former and ongoing FNSSA projects and DeSIRA initiative activities.
Must implement the 'multi-actor approach' to ensure adequate involvement of the farming sector, civil society, and relevant policy actors.

Exclusion Criteria

Not specified explicitly, but standard Horizon Europe rules on financial and operational capacity and exclusion apply (described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes).

Application Process

Application Process Overview

Submission procedure: Two-stage process.
Submission platform: Electronic Submission Service via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Deadlines

Stage 1 application deadline: 2025-09-04 00:00:00+00.
Stage 2 application deadline: 2026-02-18 00:00:00+00.

Required Documentation & Materials

Application Form: Part B of the Application Form, specific to this call, available in the Submission System.
Standard application forms: HE RIA, IA, and Stage 1 forms.
Detailed budget table: HE LS (Lump Sum) template must be used for budget estimation.

Evaluation & Review Process

Evaluation: Proposals are evaluated by external independent experts based on excellence, expected impact, and quality/efficiency of implementation.
Budget evaluation: Experts with financial know-how assess budget estimates using relevant benchmarks (market prices, statistical/historical data).
Selection: The lump sum amount is established based on the evaluation findings and recommendations.

Support and Assistance

Online Manual: Comprehensive guide on submission, evaluation, and grant management.
Horizon Europe Programme Guide: Detailed guidance on the program's structure, budget, and political priorities.
Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ: Answers to common questions.
Research Enquiry Service: For general questions about European research and EU Framework Programmes.
National Contact Points (NCPs): Guidance and assistance on participation in Horizon Europe, including in non-EU/non-associated countries.
Enterprise Europe Network (EEN): Advice for businesses, especially SMEs, on EU research funding.
IT Helpdesk: For technical issues with the Funding & Tenders Portal.
European IPR Helpdesk: Assistance with intellectual property issues.

Evaluation Criteria

Quality of Proposal

Excellence: Assessed based on the scientific and technical quality, methodological rigor, and innovation potential of the proposed research and innovation activities.
Quality and efficiency of the implementation: Evaluation of the project plan, management structure, and resources allocated to ensure effective delivery of activities and achievement of expected outcomes.
Budget assessment: Financial experts will check the budget estimate based on benchmarks (market prices, statistical/historical data) to ensure resources are appropriate for the proposed activities and outputs.

Impact Potential

Expected Impact: Assessed on the contribution to the European Green Deal priorities, AU-EU High Level Policy Dialogue on Science, Technology and Innovation, FNSSA partnership, and Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework.
Contribution to accelerated availability and adoption of fair and inclusive agricultural productivity and sustainability approaches in Africa.
Strengthening coordination and experience sharing among researchers and agricultural actors in Africa towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals.
Enhancement of climatic, environmental, and socio-economic performance of African agroecological farming practices.
Translation of R&I efforts into tangible business, products, services, development, quality employment opportunities, and social economy enterprises in Africa and Europe.
Maximizing co-benefits for climate change mitigation/adaptation, environmental sustainability, circularity, and sustainable healthy diets.

Cross-Cutting Themes Integration

Gender dimension and social categories: Proposals should duly consider gender dimensions and social categories (e.g., disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnic and/or cultural origins, sexual orientation) and their intersections in project design and implementation.
SSH integration: Relevant topics require integration of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) for a human-centred approach and social innovation.
Inclusivity: Adoption of an inclusive approach that respects and integrates local knowledge and practices alongside technological and scientific expertise, enriching indigenous insights with innovative approaches through mutual learning.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory & Legal Compliance

Regulatory compliance: Details specified in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Ethical standards: Compliance with ethical standards and research integrity is subject to checks.
Legal framework: Adherence to the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorizing the use of lump sum contributions under Horizon Europe and other relevant EU regulations (e.g., EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509).

Cross-Cutting & Thematic Considerations

Inclusivity & Diversity: Proposals must ensure that gender dimensions and social categories (e.g., disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnic and/or cultural origins, sexual orientation) and their intersections are duly considered.
One Health approach: Encouraged where relevant, emphasizing the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health.
Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH): Integration of SSH is required to apply a human-centred approach and support social innovation.
International Cooperation: Strong emphasis on EU-Africa Partnership on Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture (FNSSA), AU-EU Innovation Agenda, UfM R&I roadmaps, and synergies with existing international projects and initiatives (e.g., DeSIRA).

Intellectual Property & Data

Intellectual Property: Policies are governed by general Horizon Europe rules, with checks focusing on intellectual property management.
Data Protection: Not explicitly detailed but standard EU data protection regulations apply.

Risk Management & Security

Risks: The use of lump sums aims to minimize financial error rates. Checks during project implementation focus on technical fulfillment of work package conditions. If conditions are not met, undue payments may be recovered.

Unique Aspects & Strategic Opportunities

Lump Sum Funding: Simplifies financial management by focusing on technical completion of work packages rather than detailed cost reporting.
Strategic Alignment: Opportunity to contribute directly to the EU Green Deal, AU-EU High-Level Policy Dialogue, and the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework by focusing on sustainable agri-food systems in Africa.
Innovation Focus: Encourages open innovation ecosystems, such as living labs and regional innovation valleys, to co-create systemic place-based solutions.
Synergies: Strong encouragement to build synergies with EU Missions ('A Soil Deal for Europe', 'Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030') and European Partnerships (Agroecology, Animal Health, Sustainable Blue Economy, Sustainable Food Systems, Agriculture of Data, PRIMA, EIP-AGRI).

Grant Details