OPEN CALL FOR PROPOSALS:Optimising the Water-Nutrient-Energy Nexus for Sustainable Agriculture in Africa, UP to £60,000

The European Union is launching a call for proposals under the Horizon Europe programme to support sustainable and climate-smart agriculture in Africa. The Optimising the water-nutrient-energy nexus for sustainable and climate smart agriculture in Africa (FNSSA) project aims to develop innovative solutions for smallholder farms in Africa.

Objective:

The project should assess needs and opportunities for sustainable water, nutrient, and energy management in agriculture, and develop new knowledge, practices, and tools for on-farm resource management. The goal is to enable sustainable, circular, climate-smart, and biodiversity-friendly practices at farm level, while considering the characteristics of local and regional levels in at least two different African agro-ecosystems.

Scope:

A nexus approach that identifies and develops mutually beneficial knowledge, practices, and tools in agriculture can enable sustainable, biodiversity-friendly, and climate-smart agriculture in African agro-ecosystems. The needs for water, energy, and nutrients in agriculture are crucial for smallholder farms to sustain predictable and stable productions and support livelihoods.

Key Requirements:

Apply a multi-actor approach involving public authorities, advisory services, and farmer organisations

Focus on at least two African agro-ecosystems

Collaborate with ongoing Horizon Europe projects and Regional Multi-actors

Allocate up to 30% of the budget for financial support to third parties (max €60,000 per party)

Evaluate the impact of proposed practices and tools on water, energy, and nutrient balances, as well as their economic feasibility, environmental/climate footprint, and social effects

Proposals should contribute to the implementation of the short-term and medium-term actions outlined in the AU-EU Innovation Agenda in the priority area of Green Transition

Expected Outcomes:

Project results are expected to contribute to:

Agricultural actors implementing sustainable practices for resource-efficient and climate-smart and biodiversity-friendly farming in diverse African agro-ecosystems

Integrated water, nutrient, and energy management systems available to smallholder farms in Africa

Enhanced professional profile and documented experience for participants to strengthen future opportunities in the sustainability sector

Eligibility:

Consortia must include at least three independent legal entities established in an African Union member state

Legal entities from all African Union member states are eligible for funding

Applicants must apply the multi-actor approach

International organisations with headquarters in a Member State or Associated Country are exceptionally eligible for funding

Timeline:

Deadline: 8 April 2027 (first stage)

Planned opening date: 4 February 2027

Funding:

Lump sum grant, with a maximum amount to be granted to each third party of €60,000.

Evaluation Criteria:

Excellence

Impact

Implementation

Submission and Evaluation Process:

Two-stage evaluation process

First-stage proposals will be evaluated blindly

Applicants submitting a proposal for a blind evaluation must not disclose their organisation names, acronyms, logos, or names of personnel in the proposal abstract and Part B of their first-stage application

Additional Information:

Proposals are encouraged to work together with the European Commission’s Knowledge Centre on Global Food and Nutrition Security to leverage its knowledge base on relevant topics and to expand the reach and dissemination of the project's results.

Proposals are encouraged to seek connections with Regional Multi-actors Research Networks on Agroecology supported by the EC in Africa.

Proposals should propose collaboration opportunities with ongoing projects funded under Horizon Europe, in particular those establishing living-labs in Africa.

This call for proposals is part of the EU's efforts to support sustainable and climate-smart agriculture in Africa, and to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

For more info and apply Click here