Open topic: Boosting organic farming for a competitive, sustainable and resilient farming sector
EU funding for research and innovation projects to strengthen the competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience of organic farming. Submission deadline: 14/04/2026 (first stage) and 15/09/2026 (second stage).
Discover your potential with AI support
- Find out if this grant matches your project
- Develop your application together with AI
- Get matched with many more suitable grants
Grant criteria
Funding objective
Promotion of research and innovation for the development, testing, and implementation of safe, practical, and cost-effective innovations in organic crop and animal production with the aim of increasing the attractiveness, efficiency, and resilience of the organic sector in Europe and demonstrating its contribution to economic, social, and environmental sustainability.
Eligible expenses
- Research and development costs
- Travel and accommodation expenses
- Material resources
- Costs for networking and exchange activities
Non-eligible expenses
- Costs for the production of commercial series quantities
- Interest payments and debt settlement
Eligible to apply
- Educational Institutions
- Companies
- Public Institutions
- Non-profit Organizations
Funding requirements
- At least three independent partners from EU Member States or Horizon Europe associated countries
- Application of the multi-actor approach
- Participation of research and innovation actors in EU Member States or associated countries
Documents required for application
- Application form
- Project description (Part B)
- Financial plan / Detailed Budget Table
- Proofs of legal and financial capacity
Evaluation criteria
- Degree of innovation and ambition
- Expected impact on sustainability and competitiveness
- Quality of implementation and consortium structure
Description
The open-topic Horizon Europe call “Boosting organic farming for a competitive, sustainable and resilient farming sector” is aimed at educational institutions, companies, public bodies, and non-profit organizations in the EU and associated countries. Funding is provided for research and innovation projects (Innovation Actions) to develop, test, and implement safe, practical, and cost-efficient innovations in organic crop and livestock production. The goal is to strengthen the international competitiveness, economic efficiency, and ecological as well as social resilience of the organic sector in Europe. For this purpose, at least three independent partners from different EU/associated countries must collaborate in the consortium and adopt a multi-actor approach. The funding, in the form of a grant, covers 100% of project-related costs up to a funding amount of EUR 6 million. Eligible costs include, among others, R&D costs, travel expenses, consumables, and networking activities. The project duration is set at 36 months, with Stage 1 proposals due by 14 April 2026 and Stage 2 proposals by 15 September 2026.
The project requires a convincing plan for involving agricultural holdings, advisors, and other actors along the agri-food chain and presupposes the involvement of social sciences, economics, and humanities. Evaluation criteria include the level of innovation, ambition, expected impacts on sustainability and competitiveness, as well as the quality of implementation and consortium structure. The open science approach, integration of the gender dimension in research and innovation, and comprehensive dissemination and communication measures are mandatory. In addition to compliance with ethical and legal requirements—including consideration of EU-wide security and exclusion criteria—gender equality plans for public bodies are compulsory. A detailed financial plan, a project description (Part B), and evidence of legal and financial capacity form the basis for the application.