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Call key data
Open source solutions for edge, cloud and mixed model applications to strengthen production and administrative capacities in agriculture
Call number
HORIZON-CL6-2023-GOVERNANCE-01-13
deadlines
Opening
22.12.2022
Deadline
23.03.2023 17:00
Funding rate
100%
Call budget
€ 10,000,000.00
Estimated EU contribution per project
€ 5,000,000.00
Link to the call
Link to the submission
Call content
Call objectives
Digital and data technologies can improve the sustainability performance and competitiveness of the agricultural sector. There are still a number of factors hampering the uptake of digital technologies by farmers, including a lack of affordability of digital tools, a lack of digital skills and trust in data sharing, scepticism towards the “black box phenomenon” of digital applications and the lacking transparency in the development of algorithms, and the risk of vendor lock-ins. Digital solutions following the open-source principle can lead to reduced prices for digital applications and enhance transparency in production advice based on digital applications.
One frequent challenge to the use of certain digital technologies in agriculture, especially in remote areas, is weak connectivity, which hampers the full exploitation of their potential. Edge solutions may facilitate real-time applications also in areas with weak connectivity; they may, however, be run with less and/or other input data potentially resulting in another performance than cloud-based solutions or solutions following a mixed model of edge and cloud components. As data storage, processing and transfer goes along with energy consumption, the overall environmental performance of the different models for digital applications also varies and is also influenced by the number of users of a certain application. This factor may influence the choice and or support for a certain digital application in agriculture.
Proposals should address the following:
- Development of open-source based digital applications for farmers following a dual and comparative approach with edge, cloud and mixed solutions under consideration of the potential of advanced Internet of Things (IoT) solutions; whereby the focus is on (remote) outdoor production processes, where frequently weak connectivity is given, as well as on reducing administrative burden for producers (TRL 5-7).
- Development of software solutions following an open-source principle involving (semi-professional) close-to-practice IT experts/ farmers and advisors with advanced digital skills to capitalise daily-work experiences and enhance user-orientation and increase digital capacities in the sector (TRL 5-7).
- Comparison of the performance of edge and cloud solutions in their effectiveness, efficiency and energy performance under consideration of various biogeographic and socio-economic framing conditions at farm and farm community level at regional and national scale.
- Development of a decision-making support tool, particularly targeting policymakers, farm advisors, farmers, and the public administration facilitating the comparing the performance of edge-, cloud-, and mixed model-based open source solutions for agriculture along several socio-economic and environmental parameters, including administrative capacities needed for their deployment, at the level of the farm, and the farm community at regional national scale.
Proposals must implement the ‘multi-actor approach’ including a range of actors to ensure that knowledge and needs from various stakeholder groups, including farmers, farm advisors, IT experts and scientists are well reflected. Proposals should involve the effective contribution of social sciences and humanities (SSH) disciplines. This is required in particular to achieve a high level of user-friendliness of the developed applications and to develop accompanying training material for the different targeted user groups. Proposals are expected to take into consideration the results of other related Horizon 2020/ Europe projects as well as of other relevant EU funded projects and initiatives. When exploring opportunities to reduce administrative burdens for farmers, proposals should consider possibilities to facilitate reporting obligations and use production data for other processes along the value chain, e.g. marketing. Proposals are strongly encouraged to consider (evolving) technical solutions and (forthcoming) requirements in the field of data interoperability and switchability and to contribute to enhanced interoperability. In order to benefit from the experiences gained in the development of digital applications focused on within this topic and to foster the upscaling of the outreach of the use of the developed digital applications, international cooperation is encouraged.
Proposals may involve financial support to third parties e.g. to academic researchers, hi-tech start-ups, SMEs, and other multidisciplinary actors, to, for instance, develop, test or validate developed applications. Consortia need to define the selection process of organisations, for which financial support may be granted. A maximum of 20% of the EU funding can be allocated to this purpose.
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Expected effects and impacts
In line with the farm to fork strategy, the common agricultural policy post 2022, and the headline ambition of a digital age, the European strategy for data in particular, a successful proposal will contribute to transition to a fair, healthy and resilient agriculture. It will direct and/ or indirectly contribute to the enhancement of the sustainability performance of the sector and competitiveness in agriculture through supporting the further deployment of digital and data technologies as key enablers through research and innovation.
Expected results
- Enhanced sustainability performance and competitiveness of the sector, and a strengthened position of producers through tailored open-source digital solutions;
- Increased and enhanced use of digital tools in areas with weak connectivity;
- Improved energy balance of data-based solutions used in agricultural production;
- New approaches towards the development of software for the agriculture contributing to improving operational effectiveness and efficiency in the sector through real- time data processing;
- Facilitated deployment of digital applications for farmers and actors related to the agricultural sector;
- Decision-making support, particularly for policymakers, farm advisors, farmers, and public administration.
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.
Due to the scope of this topic, legal entities established in non-associated third countries and/or regions are exceptionally eligible for Union funding.
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
Proposals must apply the multi-actor approach. See definition of the multi-actor approach on pages 21-23 of the work programme.
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).
The limit for a full application (Part B) is 45 pages.
Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties. The support to third parties can only be provided in the form of grants. The maximum amount to be granted to each third party is € 60,000.00.
Call documents
HE-Work Programme 2023-2024, Cluster 6, Destination 7HE-Work Programme 2023-2024, Cluster 6, Destination 7(1046kB)
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