Overcoming the barriers for scaling up circular water management in agriculture
HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-FARM-2-FORK-03
Funding Amount
€6.0M - €6.0M
Deadline
16/09/2025
Eligible Organization Types
Non-profit, Private Business, Research Institution, Public Institution
Trusted by
What is the Overcoming the barriers for scaling up circular water management in agriculture Call?
Grant Description
This innovation action addresses agricultural water scarcity by developing and demonstrating circular water management systems using alternative water sources across real-life farm contexts. Projects will test irrigation and livestock water technologies, business models, long-term impacts on soil health, crop quality and ecosystems, real-time monitoring methods, and policy incentives, while engaging multiple actors and applying social science approaches. The expected impact is increased resilien...
Required Results for Successful Funding
Expected Outcomes
Successful proposals will deliver all of the following:
• Sustainable pathways for large-scale adoption of alternative water sources by farmers across varied EU and Associated Country contexts.
• Enhanced, evidence-based knowledge for farmers on the long-term agronomic, environmental and health impacts of alternative water sources, with special focus on emerging contaminants.
• Increased resilience of farming systems to water scarcity, particularly in regions facing more frequent, prolonged and severe droughts due to climate change.
• Higher awareness, confidence and acceptance among farmers and consumers regarding the safe and sustainable use of alternative water sources in agriculture.
• Sustainable pathways for large-scale adoption of alternative water sources by farmers across varied EU and Associated Country contexts.
• Enhanced, evidence-based knowledge for farmers on the long-term agronomic, environmental and health impacts of alternative water sources, with special focus on emerging contaminants.
• Increased resilience of farming systems to water scarcity, particularly in regions facing more frequent, prolonged and severe droughts due to climate change.
• Higher awareness, confidence and acceptance among farmers and consumers regarding the safe and sustainable use of alternative water sources in agriculture.
Funded areas
Scope Requirements
Proposals must:
• Focus on alternative water sources and storage systems (rainwater, stormwater, reuse/reclamation, brackish/sea desalination, aquifer recharge) that reduce abstraction from fresh surface and groundwater.
• Operate at farm/system scale in diverse agronomic contexts, including at least one organic farming system, and under varied climate, soil, socio-economic and environmental conditions.
• Cover the full water cycle in agriculture in large-scale, real-life settings (beyond glasshouse or small plot trials).
• Address known barriers: farmer knowledge gaps, financial planning (production and transport costs), seasonal water-quality fluctuations, contaminant (persistent chemicals, heavy metals, emerging pollutants, microplastics) and salinity management, and long-term ecological impacts.
• Incorporate social sciences and humanities (behavioural and adoption studies) alongside technical research to enhance acceptance processes.
• Apply the multi-actor approach: actively involve scientists, water-management companies, farmers, advisors and consumers from co-design through to dissemination.
• Use state-of-the-art agricultural, soil and water-management practices and technologies to maximize sustainability and resource efficiency.
• Include targeted dissemination, demonstration and training activities that connect actors, policies, projects and instruments to speed up solution adoption.
• Ensure complementarity with ongoing EU and national initiatives: European Partnership on Agriculture of Data, AKIS, PRIMA, Water4All, and relevant JRC modelling and data platforms.
• Focus on alternative water sources and storage systems (rainwater, stormwater, reuse/reclamation, brackish/sea desalination, aquifer recharge) that reduce abstraction from fresh surface and groundwater.
• Operate at farm/system scale in diverse agronomic contexts, including at least one organic farming system, and under varied climate, soil, socio-economic and environmental conditions.
• Cover the full water cycle in agriculture in large-scale, real-life settings (beyond glasshouse or small plot trials).
• Address known barriers: farmer knowledge gaps, financial planning (production and transport costs), seasonal water-quality fluctuations, contaminant (persistent chemicals, heavy metals, emerging pollutants, microplastics) and salinity management, and long-term ecological impacts.
• Incorporate social sciences and humanities (behavioural and adoption studies) alongside technical research to enhance acceptance processes.
• Apply the multi-actor approach: actively involve scientists, water-management companies, farmers, advisors and consumers from co-design through to dissemination.
• Use state-of-the-art agricultural, soil and water-management practices and technologies to maximize sustainability and resource efficiency.
• Include targeted dissemination, demonstration and training activities that connect actors, policies, projects and instruments to speed up solution adoption.
• Ensure complementarity with ongoing EU and national initiatives: European Partnership on Agriculture of Data, AKIS, PRIMA, Water4All, and relevant JRC modelling and data platforms.
Additional Conditions for Applicants
Special Conditions
- Multi-actor approach is mandatory; consortia must include scientists, companies in water management and agriculture, farmers and consumers.
• If using satellite-based earth observation or positioning data, projects must employ Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS services.
• For managed aquifer recharge activities, proposals must follow Working Group Groundwater guidance under the Water Framework Directive.
• Applicants are encouraged to engage international expertise (especially from Africa and the Mediterranean) and explore synergies with PRIMA and Water4All partnerships.
• The Joint Research Centre may join funded consortia to provide modelling tools (e.g. iMAP) and water-related analyses.
• Applicants must adhere to Horizon Europe admissibility, eligibility, financial and operational capacity rules, single-stage submission by 16 September 2025, 17:00 Brussels time.
• Proposals should explore use of Commission support services (Horizon Results Booster) and ensure complementarity with other Horizon Europe and EU financial instruments.
• If using satellite-based earth observation or positioning data, projects must employ Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS services.
• For managed aquifer recharge activities, proposals must follow Working Group Groundwater guidance under the Water Framework Directive.
• Applicants are encouraged to engage international expertise (especially from Africa and the Mediterranean) and explore synergies with PRIMA and Water4All partnerships.
• The Joint Research Centre may join funded consortia to provide modelling tools (e.g. iMAP) and water-related analyses.
• Applicants must adhere to Horizon Europe admissibility, eligibility, financial and operational capacity rules, single-stage submission by 16 September 2025, 17:00 Brussels time.
• Proposals should explore use of Commission support services (Horizon Results Booster) and ensure complementarity with other Horizon Europe and EU financial instruments.
Important dates
Open from: 06/05/2025
Deadline:16/09/2025
Application period has ended
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