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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant aims to explore and advance the potential of controlled environment agriculture (CEA) to contribute to global food security and sustainability. It seeks to align with the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the European Green Deal's goals for resilient and sustainable agri-food systems, and the EU Climate Law. - Target recipient type: Researchers, technology providers, primary producers, food industry actors, SMEs, local authorities, communities, NGOs, and civil society, often collaborating in multi-actor consortia. - Target recipient size: SECTOR-AGNOSTIC, with particular promotion for SME participation. - Geographic scope: Organizations from EU Member States and Associated Countries. International cooperation is encouraged, especially with African partners. - Key filtering criteria for initial screening: Focus on Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), demonstrable contribution to sustainability and climate goals, and a collaborative, multi-actor approach. - Grant frequency: This is a specific topic within the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025. While Horizon Europe is a recurring program, this particular topic is likely a one-time call for 2025.

Financial Structure

This grant uses a lump sum funding model, meaning payments are based on the successful completion of predefined work packages rather than detailed cost reporting.
Budget range per grant: The expected grant amount for this topic is EUR 6,000,000 for one project.
Eligible costs: The lump sum is determined based on beneficiaries' estimated direct and indirect costs. Eligible direct cost categories include:
Personnel costs (employees, direct contractors, seconded persons, SME owners, natural person beneficiaries).
Subcontracting costs.
Purchase costs (travel, equipment, goods, works, services).
Other cost categories (financial support to third parties, internally invoiced goods/services, transnational/virtual access to research infrastructure, specific procurement costs).
Indirect costs: A flat rate of 25% is applied to the direct cost categories that qualify for indirect cost calculation under Horizon Europe rules.
Ineligible costs: Any costs that are generally ineligible under Horizon Europe rules.
Co-financing requirements: While not a fixed percentage, the total estimated costs of the action must be greater than the estimated Union contribution, ensuring adherence to the co-financing principle.
Financial support to third parties (FSTP): Allowed, particularly for SMEs providing, testing, or validating innovative technologies/solutions. The maximum amount for each third party is EUR 60,000. A maximum of 30% of the EU funding for the proposal should be allocated to FSTP.
Payment schedule: Lump sum contributions for work packages will be paid upon their proper implementation and completion, provided all other grant agreement obligations are met.
Financial reporting: Beneficiaries are not required to report actual costs incurred. Focus is on technical implementation and verification of work package completion.

Eligibility Requirements

Organization Types

Eligible: Researchers, technology providers, primary producers, food and drink industry, hospitality industry, retailers, distributors, social economy actors, SMEs, local authorities, communities, NGOs, and civil society organizations.
SMEs: Small and Medium-sized Enterprises are particularly promoted and encouraged to participate.

Geographic Location

Organizations must be from countries eligible under Annex B of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
This generally includes EU Member States and countries associated with Horizon Europe.

Technical Expertise & Infrastructure

Required expertise in: Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) technologies, agricultural engineering, applied plant biology, climate change mitigation, energy efficiency, environmental science, socio-economics, and potentially cutting-edge technologies like IoT, Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics, and biotechnologies.
Projects should demonstrate the capacity to assess and optimize resource efficiency, particularly energy and water demands, and to analyze socio-economic feasibility and environmental footprints of CEA systems.

Collaboration & Consortium Requirements

Consortium required: Yes, proposals should involve multi-actor and socially innovative approaches.
Engagement is expected from a diverse range of stakeholders, including researchers, policy makers, technology providers, primary producers, various industry actors (food, drink, hospitality, retail), SMEs across the value chain, local authorities, communities, NGOs, and civil society, with consideration for gender and other socio-demographic groups.
International research consortia and cooperation (e.g., with Africa) are encouraged.

Exclusion Criteria

No explicit exclusion criteria are detailed in the provided documents, beyond general Horizon Europe regulations.

Application Process

Application Process Timeline

Submission Deadline: 2025-09-16T00:00:00+00:00.
Submission session availability: Opened on 2025-05-07.
Evaluation and Grant Agreement Timeline: Indicative timeline is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes (not provided in this document).

Required Documentation and Materials

Application Form Templates: The application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System.
Proposal Page Limit and Layout: Described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, and detailed in Part B of the Application Form.
Detailed Budget Table: Applicants must use the relevant template published by the granting authority to prepare their estimated budget, broken down by cost categories, even though funding is via lump sum.

Submission Format and Platform

Submission Platform: Proposals must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal.
Submission Procedure: Single-stage submission.

Support and Assistance for Applicants

Guidance Documents: Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, and the Online Manual provide comprehensive information.
Direct Assistance: Research Enquiry Service (for general queries), National Contact Points (NCPs) (for guidance, practical information, and assistance), Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) (for business advice, especially for SMEs), and the IT Helpdesk (for technical issues with the Portal).
Specialized Support: European IPR Helpdesk (for intellectual property), CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk, and ETSI Research Helpdesk (for standardisation aspects).
Partner Search: The portal offers a partner search function to help form consortia.

Evaluation Criteria

Excellence

Scientific and Technological Advancement: Projects will be evaluated on the state-of-the-art technologies and innovations proposed for CEA, including resource efficiency optimization, and the exploration of novel crop varieties and next-generation CEA systems.
Methodological Soundness: Assessment of the rigor and appropriateness of the proposed methodologies, including analysis of socio-economic viability, environmental footprint, and future trajectory of CEA.

Impact

Contribution to EU Policies: Strong alignment with and contribution to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), European Green Deal goals, and the EU Climate Law.
Sustainability Outcomes: Expected contributions to climate-neutrality, climate-resilience, food security, and long-term sustainability, across economic, environmental (e.g., GHG reduction, resource efficiency, biodiversity), and societal dimensions (e.g., making farming attractive, healthy diets).
Uptake and Adoption: Potential to enhance the adoption, expansion, and uptake of CEA best practices and insights.
Societal Benefits: Contribution to ensuring healthy food and nutrition security, promoting sustainable and resilient agri-food systems, and empowering citizens towards healthy and sustainable diets.

Quality and Efficiency of Implementation

Work Plan Quality: Clarity and effectiveness of the proposed work plan, including the detailed description of activities for each work package.
Resource Allocation: Assessment of whether the proposed resources (including budget breakdown per work package and beneficiary) are appropriate and sufficient to achieve the defined activities and expected outputs.
Multi-Actor Approach: Demonstrated ability to implement effective multi-actor and socially innovative approaches, involving diverse stakeholders and fostering open innovation ecosystems.
Synergies: Consideration of complementarities and synergies with relevant EU financial programs, initiatives (e.g., EU Missions), and partnerships (e.g., Agroecology, Animal Health, Sustainable Food Systems).

Cross-Cutting Themes Impact on Scoring

Inclusivity and Diversity: Integration of social sciences and humanities (SSH) to ensure a human-centered approach, supporting social innovation, and considering gender and other socio-demographic groups.
Innovation Ecosystems: Promotion of innovation ecosystems, such as living labs and regional innovation valleys, for co-creating systemic, place-based solutions.
SME Participation: Active involvement of SMEs is essential and positively regarded.

Note: The detailed award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, which are not provided here. The above is inferred from the topic description's expected outcomes and scope.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

Projects must comply with conditions for using lump sum contributions per work package.
Adherence to the legal and financial setup of grants as defined in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Decision on lump sum contributions (7 July 2021).
Compliance with relevant EU regulations, including Regulation (EU) 2021/695 (Horizon Europe), Council Regulation (Euratom) 2021/765, and Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 2018/1046 (EU Financial Rules).

Environmental and Ethical Standards

Environmental Standards: Projects are expected to assess and contribute positively to the environmental footprint of CEA systems, addressing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, resource efficiency, circularity, and biodiversity.
Ethical Standards: Compliance with ethical standards and research integrity is explicitly required.

Intellectual Property (IP) and Technical Specifications

Intellectual Property: Management of intellectual property is a key requirement.
Technology Specifications: Focus on advancements in various technologies, including IoT, Artificial Intelligence, robotics, and biotechnologies.

Risk Management and Security

The lump sum model shifts the focus of controls from financial audits to the technical implementation of the action and the fulfillment of work package conditions.

Special Considerations and Strategic Alignment

Unique Funding Model: This grant operates under a lump sum contribution model, simplifying financial management by paying based on completed work packages rather than detailed cost reporting.
SME Promotion: Active participation of SMEs is essential and strongly promoted, including the provision of financial support to third-party SMEs.
Multi-Actor and Social Innovation: Emphasis on involving a wide range of actors (researchers, industry, civil society) and integrating Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) to ensure human-centered solutions and foster social innovation.
Strategic Alignment: Projects must contribute to significant EU policy initiatives, including the EU Green Deal, Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), EU Climate Law, and the Food 2030 Research & Innovation initiative. They should also seek complementarities with specific EU Missions ('A Soil Deal for Europe', 'Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030') and various European partnerships (e.g., Agroecology, Sustainable Blue Economy).
International Cooperation: Encouraged, particularly with the EU-Africa Partnership on Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture (FNSSA).
Technological Readiness Levels (TRLs): Topics under this destination should encompass a balance of high and low TRLs, suggesting support for projects from fundamental research to near-market solutions.

Grant Details