Carbon farming innovation and scale-up

Forthcoming

This is the status published by the official source.

Sign in to bookmark this

Expected Outcome:
Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• models, methods and data needed for the quantification of carbon farming activities and results are available for integration in a single monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) system, so that the costs and burden associated to carbon farming MRV are reduced to a minimum;
• use of carbon-removal and emission-reduction certification is facilitated at scale, and the EU Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming (CRCF) Regulation[1] becomes the basis for cost-effective certification of carbon farming in different contexts;
• carbon farming actors involved in CRCF implementation in different roles – including land managers and other market participants as well as certification and governance bodies – have access to relevant scientific knowledge and tailored technical support for the implementation of CRCF rules. Scope:
The CRCF Regulation creates the first EU-wide voluntary framework for certifying carbon removals, carbon farming and carbon storage in products across Europe. By establishing EU quality criteria and laying down monitoring and reporting processes, the CRCF Regulation will facilitate investment in innovative carbon removal technologies, as well as sustainable carbon farming solutions, while addressing greenwashing. By 2026, the Commission will have adopted the first EU certification methodologies for different carbon farming activities through delegated acts, will have issued implementing acts with certification rules, and will have started the process of recognising certification schemes entitled to apply CRCF rules. With implementation of CRCF expected to start in 2027, this topic should serve to develop innovations and knowledge facilitating and enhancing its implementation on the ground.
Proposals should:

• develop innovations to facilitate carbon farming certification, particularly by integrating advanced technologies (e.g., machine learning, artificial intelligence, blockchain, Earth observation, IoT) and by enhancing cooperation among holders of relevant knowledge and data (e.g., networks of benchmark sites, ring tests among soil laboratories, interoperability of relevant datasets), in order to harmonise data collection and verification and to minimise administrative burden for operators;
• maintain open-access lists of models, sampling protocols, datasets of emission factors and other relevant data to harmonise sustainability benchmarks for carbon farming activities, enhance the robustness of company-level and national greenhouse gas inventories for the land sector and the agricultural sector, and ensure the comparability and interoperability of all CRCF uses;
• based on experience with the implementation of the CRCF Regulation and its implementing rules during the first years after entry into force, and building on previous knowledge and tools developed by other relevant (EU-funded) projects, enhance capacity among the relevant stakeholders and facilitate the broad application of new or improved technologies, processes or services supporting the successful participation of land managers, certification schemes, and certification bodies;
• create awareness about CRCF among all potential users, buyers, or financiers of carbon farming (e.g., companies in the bioeconomy, national and regional agriculture and environmental authorities, financial institutions), collect information about their data needs, and facilitate access to those data within the context of CRCF certification and registry;
• systematically collect and analyse feedback and lessons learned by carbon farming actors involved in CRCF implementation, particularly regarding obstacles to implementing and scaling-up of CRCF certification;
• identify and address – through technological, economic or social innovations – remaining obstacles for effective large-scale participation in CRCF certification, and propose potential improvements to enabling conditions, certification methodologies, verification rules, and incentive structures. Proposals must implement the multi-actor approach and ensure adequate involvement of relevant stakeholders, including potential carbon-farming practitioners (farmers, foresters and other land managers), other market participants, certification bodies and relevant public authorities.
Proposals should include a dedicated task, appropriate resources and a plan on how they will collaborate with the other project(s) selected under this topic and with projects under other relevant topics in Horizon Europe Work Programmes, including the Mission 'A Soil Deal for Europe' and the EU Soil Observatory (EUSO).
In this topic the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content is not a mandatory requirement.
Technology Readiness Level - Technology readiness level expected from completed projects
Activities are expected to achieve TRL 5 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.

[1] https://climate.ec.europa.eu/eu-action/carbon-removals-and-carbon-farming_en#eu-carbon-removals-and-carbon-farming-certification-crcf-regulation

Status

Forthcoming

Deadline

23 September 2027 (time not stated)

Opens

20 April 2027

Published

12 December 2025

Total budget

€12,000,000

Grant range

€6,000,000 – €6,000,000

Country

European Union (EU-wide)

Programme

Horizon Europe (HORIZON)

Funder

European Commission

Official page

Open at the source portal

What applying involves

13 steps, all of them taken from this call's own documents.

Understand the call

• Read the call on the source portal and download its documents
• Write the proposal against the award criteria and thresholds standard for this programme

  are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes — conditions §5a

• Check the grant's legal and financial set-up standard for this programme

  Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025) . described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific conditions described in the [specific topic of the Work … — conditions §6

• Note the opening date — a proposal cannot be submitted before it
• Check the amount you plan to request against the call's range

Check you are eligible

• Confirm your technology readiness level against the range the call states
• Check every partner is established in an eligible country standard for this programme

  described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide — conditions §2

• Meet the call's other eligibility conditions

  The following additional eligibility criteria apply: the proposals must apply the multi-actor approach. See definition of the multi-actor approach in this work programme part. If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS (other data and services may additionally be used). described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes — conditions §3

• Be able to show financial and operational capacity standard for this programme

  described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes — conditions §4

Prepare the documents

• Prepare Part B of the Application Form standard for this programme

  Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System. — conditions

• Complete the detailed budget table standard for this programme

Submit

• Check the submission and evaluation process standard for this programme

  are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual — conditions §5b

• Submit before the closing date shown above

  The source states the closing day but no closing time — check the portal before the last day. — calls.deadline

Sign in to track these

Other calls under Horizon Europe (HORIZON)

• Enabling environments for a sustainable and circular construction sectorForthcoming · deadline 1 December 2027 · European Union (EU-wide) · €9,000,000
• Revitalising neighbourhoods around existing railway and motorway corridorsForthcoming · deadline 1 December 2027 · European Union (EU-wide)
• PV based electrification of the economy: Designing & optimising PV systems supporting industrial electrification and promoting participation in electricity markets (EUPI-PV Partnership)Forthcoming · deadline 1 December 2027 · European Union (EU-wide) · €18,000,000
• Advanced TSO control rooms to enhance grid observability, stability and resilienceForthcoming · deadline 1 December 2027 · European Union (EU-wide) · €28,500,000
• Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADSM) for more efficient and flexible distribution gridsForthcoming · deadline 1 December 2027 · European Union (EU-wide) · €28,500,000
• Community of practice - Data-Driven Decision-Making in EnergyForthcoming · deadline 1 December 2027 · European Union (EU-wide) · €6,000,000
• Industrial processes and equipment for innovative, reliable and scalable tandem technologies (EUPI-PV Partnership)Forthcoming · deadline 1 December 2027 · European Union (EU-wide) · €28,500,000
• Integrated Approaches for Retrofitting Infrastructures with Innovative Energy Storage TechnologiesForthcoming · deadline 1 December 2027 · European Union (EU-wide) · €22,500,000

All calls under this programme

Similar opportunities

• Biotechnology application for CCUForthcoming · deadline 22 September 2027 · European Union (EU-wide) · €12,000,000 · same sector, same funder
• Improve the capacity to monitor and reduce air pollution from agricultureForthcoming · deadline 22 September 2027 · European Union (EU-wide) · €12,000,000 · same sector, same funder
• HET ONTWIKKELEN VAN EEN MONITORINGSMETHODIEK VOOR BEBOSSING VAN GRONDEN IN HET KADER VAN CARBON REMOVALS EN CARBON FARMING IN VLAANDERENOpen · deadline 12 November 2026 · Belgium · same sector
• HET ONTWIKKELEN VAN EEN MONITORINGSMETHODIEK VOOR VERNATTINGSPRAKTIJKEN VAN ORGANISCHE BODEMS IN HET KADER VAN CARBON REMOVALS EN CARBON FARMING IN VLAANDERENOpen · deadline 21 October 2026 · Belgium
• Carbon farming in living labsClosed · deadline 20 September 2023 · European Union (EU-wide) · €12,000,000 · same sector, same funder
• New sustainable business and production models for farmers and rural communitiesClosed · deadline 17 September 2024 · European Union (EU-wide) · €12,000,000 · same sector, same funder