The Co-Creation Open Call, will fund up to 9 consortia, each consisting of one tech provider and one farm, to co-design, develop and test technological solutions. This Open Call has a budget of €729,000.
The activities eligible for financial support under GUARDIANS Co-Creation Open Call include the co-design, development and implementation of digital/ICT enabled solutions aimed at empowering small and medium-sized farms.
This Open Call seeks projects that foster close collaboration between technology providers and farms, with a focus on technological innovation in both the agricultural and livestock sectors. Emphasis will be placed on solutions that address specific, real-world challenges faced by small-scale farms, particularly those that arise due to their limited size, prioritizing sustainability, long-term viability, and adaptability of these solutions to diverse production conditions and contexts.
• Sustainable and Regenerative Agriculture Practices: Such as silvopastoral systems, regenerative farming practices, or agroforestry that enhance biodiversity, improve soil health and promote carbon sequestration. Solutions that focus on the reduction of fertilizer use and the prevention of nitrate contamination in soils and waters.
• Circular Economy Approaches: Solutions that incorporate the recycling or upcycling of agricultural and livestock waste, including biomass utilization, water recycling or closed-loop systems.
• Renewable Energy Integration: Projects that use solar, wind or biomass energy to power agricultural operations, reduce carbon emissions or improve energy efficiency.
• Climate Resilience Technologies: Technologies that enable farms to better adapt to climate change, such as IoT sensors for monitoring or water-efficient irrigation systems.
• Inclusivity and Social Impact: Projects that promote gender equity, the inclusion of youth in agriculture or support local economies through short food supply chains or direct-to-consumer models.
• Primary Production with Added Value: Projects that include primary production with some form of transformation or direct sale of the final product, particularly those tied to unique local territories.
• Wildlife and Agriculture/Livestock Interaction: Technologies aimed at improving the management and interaction between wildlife and agricultural or livestock operations.
• Innovative Technologies: The use of cutting-edge technologies that are not traditionally applied in this sector, such as generative AI, data spaces, or blockchain solutions.
The GUARDIANS Co-Creation Open Call will select up to 9 projects proposed by consortia, consisting of one tech provider and one farm, to co-design, develop, test and validate technological solutions.
The selected projects will receive a maximum amount of up to €81,000. Budget will be distributed as follows:
• Tech provider will receive up to €60,000
• Farm will receive up to €21,000
Proposals selected for this Open Call are expected to start at a Technological Readiness Level (TRL) of 4 – 5 and to achieve a TRL 7.
The up to 9 awarded consortiums will participate in a 15-month funding programme divided into 4 phases with the following tasks: Co-Design, Development, Validation, Replication.
The GUARDIANS consortium is looking for consortia made up of 2 entities: one technology provider and one small or medium-sized farm.
• Technology providers for the co-design, development and implementation of digital technological solutions: SMEs (including Startups), RTOs and Universities.
• Small or medium-sized farms for the co-design, testing and validation of the technological solutions.
Entities legally registered at the time of application submission to this Co-Creation Open Call in one of the following countries are eligible :
• The Member States of the European Union and its Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT)
• Associated Countries (AC) to Horizon Europe. Association to Horizon Europe is governed by the Horizon Europe Regulation 2021/695.
