Filter Search for grants
Call Navigation
Deadline expired
The deadline for this call has expired.
Call key data
Advanced (nano and bio-based) materials for sustainable agriculture
Call number
HORIZON-CL4-2023-RESILIENCE-01-34
deadlines
Opening
08.12.2022
Deadline
07.03.2023 17:00
Funding rate
100%
Call budget
€ 31,000,000.00
Estimated EU contribution per project
between € 6,000,000.00 and € 8,000,000.00
Link to the call
Link to the submission
Call content
short description
This topic refers to the innovation market for sustainable agriculture.
Call objectives
The next generation of fertilisers, biocides and plant protection products for agriculture should need to be based on new delivery systems made from advanced (nano)materials (nanosubstances and nanoformulations of conventional substances) or and/or bio-based materials, to enable target-specific, precise and slow release of the product, reduction of load of active substances, ease of application, reduced risk for non-target organisms and operator exposure, reduced wash-off, reduced costs for farmers, etc.
Proposals should address at least four of the following activities, the second bullet point being compulsory:
- Develop advanced (nano)material-based delivery systems and/or bio-based materials for agriculture. The new agrochemicals should exhibit less GHGs emissions, improved efficiency, improved toxicity and ecotoxicity profile and biodegradability to overcome the problems of traditional agrochemicals (e.g., pest resistance, bioaccumulation in non-target fauna or flora, soil, groundwater, as well as bioaccumulation and bioconcentration in the food chain due to release to the environment).
- Each proposal should identify and address one or more (nano)active substances or delivery systems for (nano)formulations and/or bio-based materials (including biopolymers and biodegradable polymers) for which they will provide a sound risk and safety assessment including toxicity evaluation for non-target organisms, and humans and environment, and sustainability assessment along their entire life-cycle, including a holistic assessment of the short-, medium- and long-term impact (environmental, economic, social) of all substances/materials of the proposed solution. The safety and sustainability assessment should be done according to the Safe and Sustainable by Design framework. This activity needs to be addressed by all proposals.
- Undertake a proof of concept of the efficiency of the selected delivery systems in real-life case studies. The justification for the selection of materials for new agrochemicals as well as case studies (e.g., type of crop for agrochemicals testing, etc.) should include environmental and socio-economic aspects.
- The proposals should build on existing standards for production and risk assessment, when available and relevant, and should consider the requirements laid down in the specific guidance for risk assessment of the selected delivery systems (e.g., the EFSA Guidance on risk assessment of nanomaterials to be applied in the food and feed chain or the EFSA guidance on specific protection goal and ecosystem services for environmental assessment and sustainability).
- Data produced during the development of new agrochemicals should be FAIR and the FAIRness should also be demonstrated and shared through available platforms (e.g., IPCHEM, e-NanoMapper, etc.).
- Proposals should build on or seek collaboration with existing projects and develop synergies with other relevant European, national or regional initiatives, funding programmes, clusters (e.g., EU Nanosafety Cluster) and platforms, in particular with the European Platform on Life Cycle Assessment (EPLCA).
This topic requires the effective contribution of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts, institutions as well as the inclusion of relevant SSH expertise in particular in social and economic assessments, to produce meaningful and significant effects enhancing the societal impact of the related research activities. An early involvement of end users could be essential.
Proposals submitted under this topic should include a business case and exploitation strategy, as outlined in the introduction to this Destination. Proposals should seek links with and capitalise on the results of relevant past and ongoing EU funded research projects, including the ones under Cluster 6 'Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources and Environment’. Namely, the proposals are expected to have synergies with the topic HORIZON-CL6-2023-FARM2FORK-01-7: Innovations in plant protection: alternatives to reduce the use of pesticides focusing on candidates for substitution.
read more
Expected results
- Producers of agrochemicals will provide alternative chemicals and/or bio-based materials following the safe and sustainable by design framework to farmers and comply with relevant agri-food market authorisations.
- Advanced (nano)materials and/or bio-based materials will provide farmers with alternative tools to reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizers, thereby reducing the environmental footprint of these agrochemicals.
- Support to the EU climate ambitions by contributing to reversing biodiversity loss and to more sustainable food production as well as the objectives of the Zero Pollution Action plan and the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability and where relevant the Farm to Fork Strategy.
- Support to the goals of the Mission 'A Soil Deal for Europe, i.e., such as reducing soil pollution and use of hazardous substances.
- Support the EU goals of the Ocean and Waters mission, i.e., prevent and eliminate pollution by reducing use of fertilizers and chemical pesticides by 50%.
read more
Eligibility Criteria
Regions / countries for funding
Moldova (Moldova), Albania (Shqipëria), Armenia (Հայաստան), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosna i Hercegovina / Босна и Херцеговина), Faeroes (Føroyar / Færøerne), Georgia (საქართველო), Iceland (Ísland), Israel (ישראל / إِسْرَائِيل), Kosovo (Kosova/Kosovë / Косово), Montenegro (Црна Гора), Morocco (المغرب), North Macedonia (Северна Македонија), Norway (Norge), Serbia (Srbija/Сpбија), Tunisia (تونس /Tūnis), Türkiye, Ukraine (Україна), United Kingdom
eligible entities
EU Body, Education and training institution, International organization, Natural Person, Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) / Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Other, Private institution, incl. private company (private for profit), Public Body (national, regional and local; incl. EGTCs), Research Institution incl. University, Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)
Mandatory partnership
Yes
Project Partnership
To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the following countries:
- the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions
- the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States
- third countries associated to Horizon Europe - see list of particpating countries
Only legal entities forming a consortium are eligible to participate in actions provided that the consortium includes, as beneficiaries, three legal entities independent from each other and each established in a different country as follows:
- at least one independent legal entity established in a Member State; and
- at least two other independent legal entities, each established in different Member States or Associated Countries.
Any legal entity, regardless of its place of establishment, including legal entities from non-associated third countries or international organisations (including international European research organisations) is eligible to participate (whether it is eligible for funding or not), provided that the conditions laid down in the Horizon Europe Regulation have been met, along with any other conditions laid down in the specific call topic.
A ‘legal entity’ means any natural or legal person created and recognised as such under national law, EU law or international law, which has legal personality and which may, acting in its own name, exercise rights and be subject to obligations, or an entity without legal personality.
Specific cases:
- Affiliated entities — Affiliated entities (i.e. entities with a legal or capital link to a beneficiary which participate in the action with similar rights and obligations to the beneficiaries, but which do not sign the grant agreement and therefore do not become beneficiaries themselves) are allowed, if they are eligible for participation and funding.
- Associated partners — Associated partners (i.e. entities which participate in the action without signing the grant agreement, and without the right to charge costs or claim contributions) are allowed, subject to any conditions regarding associated partners set out in the specific call conditions.
- Entities without legal personality — Entities which do not have legal personality under their national law may exceptionally participate, provided that their representatives have the capacity to undertake legal obligations on their behalf, and offer guarantees to protect the EU’s financial interests equivalent to those offered by legal persons.
- EU bodies — Legal entities created under EU law including decentralised agencies may be part of the consortium, unless provided for otherwise in their basic act.
- Joint Research Centre (‘JRC’)— Where provided for in the specific call conditions, applicants may include in their proposals the possible contribution of the JRC but the JRC will not participate in the preparation and submission of the proposal. Applicants will indicate the contribution that the JRC could bring to the project based on the scope of the topic text. After the evaluation process, the JRC and the consortium selected for funding may come to an agreement on the specific terms of the participation of the JRC. If an agreement is found, the JRC may accede to the grant agreement as beneficiary requesting zero funding or participate as an associated partner, and would accede to the consortium as a member.
- Associations and interest groupings — Entities composed of members (e.g. European research infrastructure consortia (ERICs)) may participate as ‘sole beneficiaries’ or ‘beneficiaries without legal personality’. However, if the action is in practice implemented by the individual members, those members should also participate (either as beneficiaries or as affiliated entities, otherwise their costs will NOT be eligible
other eligibility criteria
Activities are expected to start at TRL 3-4 and achieve TRL 5-6 by the end of the project.
For the Technology Readiness Level (TRL), the following definitions apply:
- TRL 1 — Basic principles observed
- TRL 2 — Technology concept formulated
- TRL 3 — Experimental proof of concept
- TRL 4 — Technology validated in a lab
- TRL 5 — Technology validated in a relevant environment (industrially relevant environment in the case of key enabling technologies)
- TRL 6 — Technology demonstrated in a relevant environment (industrially relevant environment in the case of key enabling technologies)
- TRL 7 — System prototype demonstration in an operational environment
- TRL 8 — System complete and qualified
- TRL 9 — Actual system proven in an operational environment (competitive manufacturing in the case of key enabling technologies, or in space)
Additional information
Topics
Relevance for EU Macro-Region
EUSAIR - EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region, EUSALP - EU Strategy for the Alpine Space, EUSBSR - EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, EUSDR - EU Strategy for the Danube Region
UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs)
Additional Information
All proposals must be submitted electronically via the Funders & Tenders Portal electronic submission system (accessible via the topic page in the Search Funding & Tenders section). Paper submissions are NOT possible.
Proposals must be complete and contain all parts and mandatory annexes and supporting documents, e.g. plan for the exploitation and dissemination of the results including communication activities, etc.
The application form will have two parts:
- Part A (to be filled in directly online) contains administrative information about the applicant organisations (future coordinator and beneficiaries and affiliated entities), the summarised budget for the proposal and call-specific questions;
- Part B (to be downloaded from the Portal submission system, completed and then assembled and re-uploaded as a PDF in the system) contains the technical description of the project.
Annexes and supporting documents will be directly available in the submission system and must be uploaded as PDF files (or other formats allowed by the system).
This call follows a two-stage approach.
This topic is part of the blind evaluation pilot under which first stage proposals will be evaluated blindly. Applicants submitting a proposal under the blind evaluation pilot must not disclose their organisation names, acronyms, logos nor names of personnel in Part B of their first-stage application.
The limit for a first-stage application is 10 pages. The limit for a full application (Part B) is 45 pages. In order to include a business case and exploitation strategy, the page limit in part B of the General Annexes is exceptionally extended by 3 pages.
Call documents
HE-Work Programme 2023-2024, Cluster 4, Destination 2HE-Work Programme 2023-2024, Cluster 4, Destination 2(791kB)
Contact
To see more information about this call, you can register for free here
or log in with an existing account.
Log in
Register now