💰 Funding Details

Funding Overview – HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-FARM2FORK-07

Basic Facts

* Type of action: HORIZON-RIA – Lump-Sum grant (HORIZON-AG-LS)

* Maximum EU contribution per project: €50 000 000 (no co-funding requirement, but realistic lump-sum budgets in the €8-20 million range are expected)

* Opening date: 06 May 2025

* Deadline (single stage): 16 September 2025 – 17:00 (Brussels time)

* Indicative project duration: 4–5 years

* Technology Readiness Level at start/end: TRL 3–4 ➜ demonstrated in an operational environment TRL 7

What will be funded?

The call finances research and innovation activities that integrate breeding, genetics and farm management to cut livestock GHG emissions, strengthen climate-resilience and improve animal robustness across conventional and at least one organic farming system. Eligible cost categories (personnel, equipment, travel, subcontracting, etc.) are pre-agreed with the EC and paid as a single lump-sum per work package upon achieving milestones/deliverables.

Key R&I dimensions to be covered:

1. Trait discovery & validation – new or proxy indicators (-omics, meta-omics, microbiome, lifetime efficiency, welfare) for selection indexes.

2. Tools & methods – low-cost, on-farm phenotyping, genetic evaluations accounting for genotype × environment interactions, decision support systems.

3. Demonstration (TRL 7) – piloting novel breeding programmes and management practices under real farming conditions (conventional + organic; diverse climates/feeds).

4. Socio-economic analysis – cost-effectiveness, public/private incentive schemes, trade-off assessment, gender-responsive approaches.

5. Policy support & scaling – evidence for CAP, methane strategy, organic action plan; alignment with FAO-LEAP and Global Research Alliance.

Eligibility Snapshot

* Consortium: At least three independent legal entities from three different EU Member States or HE Associated Countries.

* Multi-Actor Approach (MAA): Mandatory – farmers, breeders, advisors, industry, NGOs and policy makers must co-design and co-implement activities.

* International cooperation encouraged, especially with FAO, LEAP, Global Research Alliance and non-EU breeding organisations.

* Open to universities, research institutes, SMEs, large industry, governmental agencies, NGOs and infrastructures.

* SSH integration, gender dimension, open science & data management are compulsory HEU requirements.

Funding Mechanics – Lump Sum Logic

1. Detailed budget is annexed only at proposal stage; once the lump sum is fixed, no cost reporting is required – only achievement of results.

2. Work package-level payments: each WP is assigned a share of the lump sum; payment is triggered once the EC approves the corresponding deliverables.

3. Flexibility: internal reallocations possible as long as objectives are met.

4. Indirect costs are automatically calculated at 25 % of eligible direct costs when building the lump sum.

Complementary Funding & Synergies

Applicants are encouraged to align with and leverage:

* European Partnerships (Agroecology, Animal Health & Welfare, Sustainable Food Systems).

* CAP innovation instruments (EIP-AGRI Operational Groups).

* Regional Innovation Valleys for Bioeconomy & Food Systems.

* LIFE, Interreg, national funds for on-farm pilots.

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📊 Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation Criteria & How to Score Maximum Points

The call follows the Horizon Europe RIA lump-sum award criteria (Annex D). Each criterion is scored 0–5; half-points possible. Proposals ranked by total (max = 15). Thresholds: Excellence ≥4.0, Impact ≥4.0, Quality & Efficiency ≥3.0, overall ≥10.

1. Excellence (weight 1/3)

What evaluators look for

* Clarity, pertinence & ambition of objectives – tackles all four required activities, organic farming included.

* Credibility of proposed methodology – state-of-the-art genetic models, robust statistics, FAIR data.

* Interdisciplinarity & MAA – integration of genetics, animal science, socio-economics, ICT, SSH.

* Consideration of open science, research integrity, sex & gender.

Tips to excel

* Provide a concise State-of-the-Art gap table.

* Include flowcharts linking trait discovery ➜ breeding value estimation ➜ demo pilots.

* Embed risk-mitigation table (technical, regulatory, ethical).

2. Impact (weight 1/3)

What evaluators look for

* Credible pathways to expected outcomes & destination impacts (Green Deal, methane strategy, CAP).

* Relevant, measurable KPIs & targets (e.g. −20 % enteric CH₄ intensity by 2030).

* Exploitation, dissemination & communication plan with clear roles/timeline.

* Barriers & incentives analysis – policy uptake, market deployment, reward schemes.

* Contribution to EU & international initiatives (FAO-LEAP, GRA).

Tips to excel

* Present an Impact Canvas mapping outputs ➜ outcomes ➜ impacts.

* Show letters of commitment from breeding companies & policy bodies.

* Detail how lump-sum structure supports rapid scaling and follow-up investment.

3. Quality & Efficiency of Implementation (weight 1/3)

What evaluators look for

* Soundness & coherence of work plan (WP logic, milestones, deliverables).

* Consortium suitability – complementary expertise, geographical coverage, gender balance.

* Adequacy of resources & lump-sum budget justification; WP-wise lump-sum shares align with tasks.

* Risk management & quality assurance procedures; ethics & regulatory compliance (Nagoya, animal welfare).

Tips to excel

* Use a Gantt chart + PERT diagram to visualise flow.

* Provide a decision-making chart and internal review stages for each milestone.

* Highlight experience with lump-sum projects or provide external financial manager.

Cross-Cutting Observables

Evaluators may boost overall perception when proposals strongly address:

* Open science practices – early data publication, pre-registrations.

* Diversity & inclusiveness – gender, youth, widening countries.

* Climate mainstreaming – quantified emission reductions in line with EU taxonomy.

Scoring well in these areas can differentiate proposals with equal numeric scores.

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📝 Application Strategy

Application Strategy – How to Win this Call

1. Build a Mission-Driven, Gap-Filling Concept

* Start from policy gaps: methane reduction targets, CAP eco-schemes, organic scaling, climate adaptation.

* Formulate a clear vision: “Climate-smart breeding toolbox enabling EU livestock to cut GHG by ≥20 % while improving lifetime efficiency by ≥15 % in 2035”.

* Map previous HE projects (e.g. GenResBridge, HoloRuminant, MethaneHub) and clearly state what is novel / upscaling to TRL 7.

2. Assemble a High-Impact Consortium

* Triple helix + farmers: academic geneticists, breeding companies, ICT/phenotyping SMEs, advisory services, chambers of agriculture, organic associations, policy think-tanks.

* Geographic balance: at least 8–10 countries covering Atlantic, Continental, Nordic, Mediterranean and Central-Eastern regions + one widening country.

* Dedicated stakeholder board with breeders’ federations, COPA-COGECA, EuroFAWC, consumer NGOs.

* Integrate gender expertise and SSH partners for behaviour & incentive analysis.

3. Design Cohesive Work Packages (WPs)

1. WP1 Management & Lump-Sum Governance

2. WP2 Trait Discovery & Big-Data Pipelines (TRL 3-4)

3. WP3 Low-Cost Phenotyping & G×E Modelling Tools (TRL 5-6)

4. WP4 Demonstration Pilots (10 demo farms per species; organic & conventional) – TRL 7

5. WP5 Socio-Economic & Policy Analysis (incentives, trade-offs, gender lens)

6. WP6 Communication, Exploitation & MAA clustering (task on cross-project collaboration)

4. Lump-Sum Budgeting Tips

* Allocate 10–15 % contingency within each WP share.

* Keep WP granularity low (<8 WPs) to avoid cash-flow bottlenecks.

* Match deliverables to payment milestones every 9-12 months.

5. Impact Maximisation Plan

* Quantify KPIs: CH₄ per kg ECM, feed conversion ratio, lifetime reproductive success, biodiversity indices.

* Co-create Exploitation Roadmap with breeding companies – licences, open-source tools, spin-offs.

* Develop policy briefs timed with CAP post-2027 negotiations.

6. Proposal Writing Timeline

* Feb 2025 – Idea freeze & partner roles

* Mar 2025 – Draft excellence & impact sections, budget skeleton

* Apr 2025 – Internal peer review + EC info day Q&A

* May 2025 – Portal forms & ethics, final budget alignment

* Jun 2025 – External mock evaluation

* Jul 2025 – Final integration of feedback, risk matrix, KPIs

* Aug 2025 – Consortium agreement & signatures

* 16 Sep 2025 – Submission (aim for −48 h)

7. Common Pitfalls to Avoid

* Underestimating trade-offs (e.g. methane vs fertility) – include mitigation strategies.

* Missing organic farming dimension – dedicate ≥1 WP task + organic advisory partner.

* Vague description of multi-actor engagement – detail living-lab schedules & budget.

* Insufficient lump-sum justification – provide cost narrative & effort tables.

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Fostering animal breeding and genetics for climate change adaptation and mitigation, improved robustness and resilience

Quick Facts for Spain Applicants

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💰 Funding Details

Funding Overview – HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-FARM2FORK-07

Basic Facts

What will be funded?

Eligibility Snapshot

Funding Mechanics – Lump Sum Logic

Complementary Funding & Synergies

📊 Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation Criteria & How to Score Maximum Points

1. Excellence (weight 1/3)

2. Impact (weight 1/3)

3. Quality & Efficiency of Implementation (weight 1/3)

Cross-Cutting Observables

📝 Application Strategy

Application Strategy – How to Win this Call

1. Build a Mission-Driven, Gap-Filling Concept

2. Assemble a High-Impact Consortium

3. Design Cohesive Work Packages (WPs)

4. Lump-Sum Budgeting Tips

5. Impact Maximisation Plan

6. Proposal Writing Timeline

7. Common Pitfalls to Avoid

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