Apply now: Enhancing the Competitiveness and Sustainability of the Agricultural Sector

The focus areas include safeguarding EU strategic autonomy and ensuring the long-term sustainability of EU farming systems; providing farmers with new knowledge, innovations, and practices to support the green transition towards sustainable and biodiversity-friendly agriculture; developing prototypes of innovations and farming practices that enhance efficiency and sustainability or offer sustainable alternatives; testing these solutions in large-scale operational environments; creating cost-effective and sustainable business models for these innovations and assessing their environmental, social, and economic impacts; identifying barriers and enablers for adoption, upscaling, or large-scale deployment of these innovations and proposing solutions; and establishing clear strategies for communication, dissemination, exploitation, and training to relevant stakeholders. Proposals are expected to implement a multi-actor approach involving farmers, advisors, researchers, social scientists, SMEs, and start-ups to leverage opportunities for scaling innovations and accessing relevant markets, while also building on results from Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe projects and collaborating with ongoing initiatives. The effective contribution of social sciences and humanities, especially in behavioral sciences and technology adoption, is also encouraged.

This funding call provides a total budget of €13.5 million for 2026, with individual projects eligible for up to approximately €4.5 million. EU farmers face growing competitiveness challenges as total factor productivity growth has slowed compared to global competitors such as Brazil, Canada, and China. Addressing these challenges requires innovations that improve the efficiency and sustainable use of production factors. Projects should propose tangible solutions that combine economic viability, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility, promoting practices that restore biodiversity, reduce emissions, and help decarbonize the European economy. Financial support for third parties to test, develop, or demonstrate innovations is also encouraged to accelerate adoption.

The broader impact of these initiatives will support the EU Vision for Agriculture and Food, contributing to fair, healthy, and environment-friendly food systems from primary production to consumption. Projects will help ensure a secure, safe, sustainable, nutritious, and affordable food supply, empower farmers with tools, knowledge, and innovative solutions, and foster sustainable fisheries and aquaculture. Furthermore, the initiatives aim to enable citizens to make sustainable food choices and enhance the competitiveness and resilience of food businesses, including SMEs, while preserving human, animal, and ecosystem health.

Eligible participants include any legal entity from EU member states, non-associated third countries, or international organizations, provided they meet the Horizon Europe participation conditions. Entities must register in the Participant Register and obtain a validated Participant Identification Code for grant preparation.

For more information, visit EC.