Towards commercialization of food systems microbiome solutions

Expected Outcome: Project results are expected to contribute to all the following expected outcomes: identified barriers and opportunities for scaling up innovative products and technologies that leverage and/or support the microbiome for resilient, competitive and sustainable organic, circular and conventional food systems, contributing where relevant to biodiversity, climate and environmental sustainability; improved in-situ testing of innovative microbiome solutions related to organic and conventional food systems to promote their access on the EU market. Scope: Microbiome solutions demonstrated high potential to support our food systems, making them more resilient, more productive and more environmental-friendly, for instance by boosting crop yields, improving food safety, supporting biodiversity and leveraging its benefits or decreasing fertilizers use or pesticide needs. However, bringing these solutions to the market face several challenges, for instance the lack of business models for widespread deployment, or consistently producing at scale effective microbiome solutions. The topic is relevant to the EU policies related to the Commission communication on: Building the future with nature: Boosting Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing in the EU, the new EU bioeconomy strategy, the Life Sciences Strategy, the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030, the Zero Pollution Action Plan, the R&I Food 2030 Framework, the Clean Industrial Deal, and the policies on digital transition (e.g. AI Act, etc). Proposals should address all the following activities: promote the access to the EU market of innovative microbiome solutions (technologies or products leveraging and/or supporting microbial communities and their interaction with their host and/or environment) that are tackling challenges in sectors supporting resilient, competitive, climate-, environmental-friendly and sustainable food systems; develop technologies, standards and/or methodologies enabling cost-effective and reliable production and deployment at scale of microbiome solutions; provide business models for companies, SMEs and start-ups to facilitate the successful deployment and commercialization of microbiome solutions for the EU market. Projects selected must follow the multi-actor approach. Actors involved may be researchers, advisors, food and bioeconomy business, startups and SMEs. Proposals should ensure an early engagement of researchers, businesses (including SMEs and startups), public authorities and policy makers, and consumers associations to co-develop, test, validate and adopt the solutions. null Activities are expected to start from TRL 5 in order to achieve TRL 7-8 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.

This destination will support the EU Commission priority ‘Sustaining our quality of life: food security, water and nature’. R&I will provide new knowledge and innovation in support of the EU Vision for Agriculture and Food, built on the recommendations of the Strategic Dialogue on Agriculture, to ensure the long-term competitiveness and sustainability of our farming, fisheries, aquaculture and food sector within the boundaries of our planet. The implementation of the Green Deal actions will continue to guide R&I in this destination to foster sustainable food systems, addressing potential trade-offs between economic competitiveness and environmental sustainability. The R&I activities under this Destination will contribute to the ambitious objectives of the current CAP concerning the competitiveness and sustainability of feed, food and non-food production as well as additional future CAP policy priorities. More specifically, actions will contribute to the specific objectives of the CAP; EU action plan for the development of organic production; food safety regulations; sustainable use of pesticides requirements under the plant protection products framework; action plan against antimicrobial resistance; animal health and welfare legislations; legislative and non-legislative initiatives to enhance cooperation of primary producers and improve their competitiveness and position in the food chain; protein strategy; contingency plan for ensuring food supply and food security and communications on food security and fertilizers, the Nature Restoration Regulation, the Zero Pollution Action Plan. R&I will also support the announced Vision for the Fisheries Sector with a 2040 perspective and the European Ocean Pact, a framework of coherence across all policies linked to the ocean. R&I will also be relevant to the outcomes of the evaluation of the common fisheries policy (CFP) and will support its placement under this Pact, as fisheries and aquaculture are affected by other ocean related policies. An important driving force of food systems transformation should be the integration of sectors, actors (including citizens and consumers) and policies. This will involve a better understanding of the multiple interactions between the components of current food systems, to foster solutions that maximise co-benefits with respect to the priorities of Food 2030 [1] . The EU Communication on Boosting Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing in the [2] EU provides an overview of the application of biotechnologies in several sectors including food and feed. R&I activities in this destination will also contribute to achieving the objectives of the Strategy for European Life Sciences, the EU Biotech Act, and the new EU bioeconomy strategy. The Destination supports unlocking the unique assets for research and innovation of the EU outermost regions, in line with the EU strategy for outermost regions [3] . Expected impact : Proposals for topics under this destination should set out credible paths to “ ensuring healthy food and nutrition security by making agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture and food systems sustainable, resilient, inclusive and within planetary boundaries ”. More specifically, proposed topics should contribute to one or more of the following expected impacts : agriculture and food systems contribute to ensuring a secure, safe, sustainable, nutritious, and affordable supply of healthy food in Europe and beyond by fostering its long-term competitiveness, resilience, scalability and sustainability within the boundaries of our planet with the One Health approach; farmers are empowered to ensure the competitiveness, resilience and sustainability of the farming sector, through increasing knowledge, tools, innovative solutions, and advice that allow efficient productivity, working for and with nature, preserving and restoring biodiversity within agricultural ecosystems and helping to decarbonise the EU economy; sustainable fisheries and aquaculture (in marine, brackish and freshwater) contribute to fair, healthy, resilient and environment-friendly food systems in healthy aquatic ecosystems with thriving diversity of species and habitats providing ecosystem and climate services and triggering growth and jobs’ creation in coastal and rural areas; tools are provided so that citizens and communities are empowered to make the sustainable food choices and move towards safe, healthy, nutritious, accessible, affordable and sustainable diets. Insights and advances in life science and digital & data technologies are valorised to deploy solutions in practice across the EU; food businesses, including food processing industries and SMEs, are supported to increase their resilience and competitiveness, while ensuring resource efficiency and sustainability, and human, animal and ecosystem health is preserved. [1] The four priorities of Food2030 are: 1) nutrition and health; 2) climate and environmental sustainability; 3) circularity and resource efficiency; and 4) innovation and empowering communities. [2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52024DC0137. [3] COM(2022) Putting people first, securing sustainable and inclusive growth, unlocking the potential of the EU’s outermost regions.

Online Manual is your guide on the procedures from proposal submission to managing your grant. Horizon Europe Programme Guide contains the detailed guidance to the structure, budget and political priorities of Horizon Europe. Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ – find the answers to most frequently asked questions on submission of proposals, evaluation and grant management. Research Enquiry Service – ask questions about any aspect of European research in general and the EU Research Framework Programmes in particular. National Contact Points (NCPs) – get guidance, practical information and assistance on participation in Horizon Europe. There are also NCPs in many non-EU and non-associated countries (‘third-countries’). Enterprise Europe Network – contact your EEN national contact for advice to businesses with special focus on SMEs. The support includes guidance on the EU research funding. IT Helpdesk – contact the Funding & Tenders Portal IT helpdesk for questions such as forgotten passwords, access rights and roles, technical aspects of submission of proposals, etc. European IPR Helpdesk assists you on intellectual property issues. CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk – the European Standards Organisations advise you how to tackle standardisation in your project proposal. The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment – consult the general principles and requirements specifying the roles, responsibilities and entitlements of researchers, employers and funders of researchers. Partner Search help you find a partner organisation for your proposal.

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