Horizon Europe European Union
Neutral-Atom Platform Technologies
This action aims to establish European leadership in neutral-atom quantum simulation and digital quantum computing by delivering: • Fully programmable industry-ready quan…
Horizon Europe · European Union
Strengthening plant health: addressing emerging plant pest risks
Opens 4 Feb 2027
The EU's Horizon Europe programme expects to make 2 awards of €6 million each, from a total budget of €12 million. Applications close on 8 Apr 2027 (EU calls usually close at 17:00 Brussels time). Organisations in EU member states and Horizon Europe associated countries such as Türkiye can usually take part; the topic conditions control.
- Deadline
- 8 Apr 2027 (in 144 days)
- Opens
- 4 Feb 2027
- Grant amount
- €6 million per project
- Total budget
- €12 million
- Funding rate
- 100% of eligible costs Standard rule for this programme; the call can differ.
- Total budget
- €12 million
- Expected awards
- 2
- Type of action
- HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions · HORIZON Lump Sum Grant
- Likely applicant types
- Companies, SMEs / start-ups, Non-profits, Universities & research, Public bodies From source categories or programme rules; the call decides.
- Funder
- Horizon Europe (HORIZON)
- Reference
- HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-01-two-stage
- Call
- HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-two-stage
- Last checked
- 14 Nov 2026
Expected outcome
Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:
• improved understanding of key drivers of plant pest emergence, including the influence of climate change, ecosystem degradation and globalisation;
• cost-effective and environmentally friendly preventive and/or curative measures for managing the targeted plant pest(s) are identified, validated, and made available to farmers and forest owners for effective pest management;
• robust scientific support is delivered to strengthen decision-making processes.
Scope
Effective plant health measures are essential for protecting agriculture and forestry, ensuring food security, preserving ecosystems and biodiversity, and enabling safe and sustainable trade. This action aims to strengthen plan health by addressing emerging plant pests [1] , whether regulated or unregulated, introduced or native, that currently pose, or are likely to pose, significant socio-economic and/or environmental threats to agriculture and forestry within the EU and Associated Countries.
Proposals should target one or more emerging plant pests [2] , taking into account the increasing risks driven by climate change, biodiversity loss, land use changes, globalisation and other contributing factors, with the exception of plant pests targeted in Horizon Europe [3] .
Proposals should:
• enhance understanding of pest(s) biology, introduction pathways, mechanisms of spread, thereby reducing uncertainties and lack of data in pest risk assessments;
Read the full text
• develop rapid, safe, and cost-effective tools and methods for preventing introduction and spread of the pest(s); this includes early detection, surveillance, treatment, and (bio)control measures (including innovative agro-ecological or forestry management practices), in line with sustainable and integrated pest management;
• assess the social, economic, and environmental impacts of plant pest(s) establishment and spread on farmers and/or forest owners and develop strategies to mitigate these impacts effectively;
• contribute to the identification of resistant and/or tolerant traits.
Proposals may provide financial support to third parties (FSTP) to, for instance, develop, test and demonstrate tools and methods for early detection, surveillance, treatment, and (bio)control measures.
Proposals must implement the multi-actor approach including a range of actors to ensure that knowledge and needs from various sectors such as research, plant health services, farming/forestry sectors, advisory services, and industry are brought together.
International cooperation with countries affected or threatened by the same pest(s) is strongly encouraged. Results should address diverse farming systems/approaches, including conventional and organic farming. When relevant, consider a gender sensitive and inclusive approach and the specific needs of groups in vulnerable situations.
Proposals should contribute to the objectives of the common agricultural policy, the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive [4] , the policies related to the EU’s Vision for Agriculture and Food, the EU Action Plan for the Development of Organic Production [5] and support Regulation 2016/2031 [6] on protective measures against pests of plants.
The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as member of the consortium selected for funding. In particular, the JRC would consider potential collaboration related to the update of potential impacts of the selected pests using the impact indicator for priority pests and acceptability of control…
Who can apply
Consortium of at least 3 independent legal entities from 3 different EU Member States or associated countries, at least one in a Member State (Horizon Europe standard rule).
Applicant categories are a starting point. The official call decides eligibility.
Topics
Agriculture Agriculture related to crop production, soil biology and cultivation, applied plant biology Agronomy Phytopathology Plant breeding and plant protection Plant diseases Plant pests Plant viruses crop protection early detection emerging risks integrated pest management plant diseases plant health plant pests plant protection
Timing
Two-stage call. Next deadline 2027-04-08; later stage/cut-off 2027-09-14. The portal states the exact cut-off time (EU calls usually close at 17:00 Brussels time).
How to apply
- Read the full topic on the Funding & Tenders Portal: expected outcome, scope, type of action and the topic conditions, including any country restrictions.
- Register each participating organisation in the Funding & Tenders Portal to get a PIC.
- Consortium of at least 3 independent legal entities from 3 different EU Member States or associated countries (Horizon Europe standard rule; Türkiye is associated). Confirm in the topic conditions.
- Prepare Part A (administrative forms and budget, completed in the portal) and Part B (the technical description on the official template for this type of action).
- Submit in the portal before the cut-off time on the deadline day. Late submissions are not accepted.
From the call text
- Who can apply
- Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page
- Company stage
- Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page
- Single applicant or consortium
- Read the topic conditions on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for eligible countries, consortium requirements, budget and the application route.
- Where applicants must be based
- Read the topic conditions on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for eligible countries, consortium requirements, budget and the application route.
- Where to apply
- Read the topic conditions on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for eligible countries, consortium requirements, budget and the application route.
Where these facts come from
| Fact | Value | How we know | Taken from the source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadline | 8 April 2027 “Two-stage call. Next deadline 2027-04-08; later stage/cut-off 2027-09-14. The portal states the exact cut-off time (EU calls usually close at 17:00 Brussels time).” | official data field | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Amount per applicant | Unknown — not stated in the source we hold | unknown | — |
| Total budget | €12 million | official data field | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Funding rate | 100% of eligible costs | programme standard rule | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Who can apply | Consortium of at least 3 independent legal entities from 3 different EU Member States or associated countries, at least one in a Member State (Horizon Europe standard rule). | programme standard rule | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Where to apply | Read the topic conditions on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for eligible countries, consortium requirements, budget and the application route. | read from the official text | 15 Nov 2026 |
Official sources
Facts on this page come from the funder’s official data, taken on 14 Nov 2026. The funder's own documents, including later amendments, always take precedence.
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