Evaluation Criteria and Scoring Explained

Horizon IA two-stage uses the standard Excellence–Impact–Quality & Efficiency of Implementation grid (0–5 points each; thresholds apply).

Stage 1 (Short Proposal)

1. Excellence (0–5; threshold 4):

* Clarity, pertinence & ambition of objectives.

* Soundness of concept, credibility of methodology.

* Progress beyond state of the art & innovation potential.

* Quality of trans-disciplinary approach & MAA inclusion.

2. Impact (0–5; threshold 4):

* Contribution to all expected outcomes (value-chain position, competitiveness, climate & environmental benefits, SME opportunities).

* Suitability of pathways to deliver impacts (KPIs, TRL path, exploitation/ business plan, open science, gender, inclusiveness, IP, standardisation, regulatory compliance).

* Magnitude & credibility of the benefits for farmers & SMEs.

3. Implementation is not scored at Stage 1 but still described briefly.

Only proposals above both thresholds and within the budgeted ranking cut-off are invited to Stage 2.

Stage 2 (Full Proposal)

1. Excellence (0–5; threshold 3):

* All Stage 1 points plus detailed, robust, and replicable methodology, integration of SSH & digital aspects, risk/mitigation.

2. Impact (0–5; threshold 3):

* Credibility of exploitation & deployment (business models, FTO analysis, policy recommendations).

* Scale-up potential, market uptake estimations, LCA & carbon footprint reduction quantified.

* Sound plan for communication, dissemination, and practice-oriented materials.

* Quality of FSTP scheme and expected leverage effect.

3. Quality & Efficiency of Implementation (0–5; threshold 3):

* Coherence & effectiveness of work plan, WPs, deliverables & milestones.

* Consortium match to objectives; balanced geographical & gender representation.

* Allocation of resources (person-months, budget) vs. activities.

* Risk management, governance, data management, ethics, and security.

Additional Considerations

* Ethics Review & Security Scrutiny – proposals with severe issues may be rejected even if scored high.

* Policy Priorities Weighting: Green Deal, CAP, Climate Law alignment can act as tiebreakers.

* Gender Equality Plan mandatory for public bodies, higher education, research organizations.

* In the unlikely case of ex-aequo, preference is given to proposals that best address climate/environmental impacts and widen participation.

Scoring Tips

* Provide quantitative baselines & targets to convince experts on credibility.

* Use tables that cross-reference expected outcomes to WPs & deliverables.

* Ensure the narrative speaks to both scientists and practitioners—evaluators are diverse.

Application Strategy

1. Build a Value-Chain-Centric, Farmer-Driven Consortium

* Lead with an SME or cooperative close to market; appoint a seasoned research organisation as scientific coordinator.

* Secure early commitment letters from at least two contrasting farming systems (e.g. arable & mixed livestock, organic & conventional) to show scalability.

* Include a business acceleration partner to craft go-to-market and FSTP cascade calls.

2. Align the Concept Strictly with the Topic Logic

* Start with the Expected Outcomes; draft a table mapping each outcome to concrete WP/Task, KPI and TRL.

* Demonstrate novelty while explicitly referencing Horizon 2020/Europe predecessor projects; provide a “state-of-play” annex summarising how you build on, not duplicate them.

* Emphasise climate-positive metrics (GHG reduction, energy efficiency, reduced food loss) with quantifiable targets (e.g. “≥20 % CO₂-eq reduction vs. baseline”).

3. Two-Stage Writing Tactics

Stage 1 (10 pages):

* Half page eye-level Problem Statement linking Green Deal/CAP.

* 3-page Excellence story (scientific & technological novelty + MAA).

* 4-page Impact pitch (exploitation route, policy contribution, quantified KPIs, FSTP mechanism, gender & inclusiveness).

* 1.5-page high-level work-plan Gantt + risk table.

* 1-page consortium diagram & budget split.

Stage 2 (full):

* Expand to full work packages (typically 8–10 WPs, incl. Management, Ethics, and FSTP). Include detailed cost-benefit/LCA methodology.

* Provide Letters of Intent from end-users for first purchase or off-take.

* Draft a Commercialisation Roadmap (TRL-MRL-CRL progression, regulatory timeline, IP strategy) up to 3 years after project end.

4. Excellence Tips

* Adopt systemic innovation: combine smart sensors, low-energy storage, on-farm biorefinery & digital twin for decision support.

* Embed social sciences to capture farmer adoption behaviour & UTP avoidance.

5. Impact & Exploitation

* Allocate ≥10 % budget to WP on “Exploitation, Business Models & Policy Uptake”.

* Plan an EIC Transition-style follow-up or blended finance to bridge to scale-up.

6. Implementation Quality

* Use a matrix responsibility chart (RACI) and risk log with probabilistic scoring.

* Clearly describe FSTP selection (open calls, independent jury, evaluation criteria, 2 cut-off dates).

* Provide a gender equality plan or confirm institutional compliance.

7. Submission & Administrative Hygiene

* Upload on EU Funding & Tenders Portal; validate PICs early.

* Run a pre-screen with the Horizon self-assessment ethics checklist.

* Pass the proposal through the eForm automatic checks at least 48 h before deadline.