Agroforestry for soil health at landscape level

Overview

Supports the implementation of agroforestry practices at a landscape level to improve soil health, enhance biodiversity, and develop sustainable business models. Targets consortia of farmers, researchers, businesses, public administrations, and civil society actors across the EU and Associated Countries.

Who Can Apply

Consortia involving multi-actor partnerships, including farmers, forest users, researchers, landowners, SMEs, public administrations, industry, and civil society organizations (e.g., environmental NGOs, consumers). Financial support to third parties (up to €60,000 per entity) is permitted to engage small actors.

Funding Details

• Maximum grant amount: €12,000,000
• Funding rate: Not specified (lump-sum contributions apply)
• Co-funding: Not explicitly required, but blended finance and private/public mobilization are encouraged
• Financial support to third parties: Up to €60,000 per third party

What Is Funded

• Landscape-scale implementation of agroforestry practices to enhance soil health
• Co-design and piloting of locally adapted agroforestry systems in diverse pedo-climatic regions
• Assessment and monitoring of agroforestry impacts on soil health, including baseline establishment and comparisons with conventional/organic farming
• Development and testing of long-term, sustainable business models for agroforestry, integrating value chain actors (e.g., agritech, food industry, retailers)
• Policy recommendations for scalable agroforestry deployment and value chain networks
• Capacity building and training for farmers, advisors, businesses, consumers, and policymakers on soil health, agroforestry management, and business models
• Coordination with ongoing EU-funded projects (e.g., Horizon Europe Partnership Agroecology, Mission Soil living labs) and alignment with the European Union Soil Observatory (EUSO) and SoilWise

Technology / Maturity Requirements

• Technology Readiness Level (TRL): 7–9 (system prototype demonstration in operational environment to actual system proven in operational environment)

Key Dates

• Open date: 2027-02-03
• Deadline: 2027-04-07T22:00:00Z

Application Process (High-Level)

• Single-stage submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal
• Proposals must adhere to page limits and layout specified in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes
• Evaluation based on award criteria outlined in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes

Post-Award Obligations

• Implementation of multi-actor approach and participatory methodologies
• Coordination with relevant EU-funded projects and initiatives (e.g., Agroecology Partnership, EUSO)
• Ensuring FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Re-usable) data principles for project outputs
• Dissemination of results, including policy recommendations and best practices for agroforestry adoption
• Reporting on progress and impacts, with potential integration into the European Union Soil Observatory

Geographic Scope & Language

• Eligible countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, United Kingdom, Switzerland
• Application language: English

Notes

• Projects must demonstrate complementarity with past/ongoing EU-funded R&I initiatives and avoid duplication
• Proposals should include mechanisms for long-term sustainability and scalability of agroforestry systems
• Social sciences and humanities disciplines must be effectively integrated into project design and implementation
• Financial support to third parties is permitted but must comply with Horizon Europe lump-sum rules