Financing Opportunity – Diversifying Aquaculture Production with Emphasis on Low-trophic Species
Category:NewsProgramme: HORIZON
Call: Cluster 6 Call 02 – single stage (HORIZON-CL6-2025-02)
Type of action: HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions
Deadline dates: 16 September 2025 17:00:00 Brussels time
Legal entities from Greece, Romania, Türkiye and Ukraine, among other countries, are eligible applicants.
The maximum Horizon Europe funding rate for Innovation action is 70% (except for non-profit legal entities, where a rate of up to 100% applies).
Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:
- consumers have access to a variety of edible aquatic species produced in the EU and in Horizon Europe Associated Countries;
- aquaculture industry has access to new and improved technologies to enhance the competitiveness and profitability of the sector;
- reduced environmental impact of the sector, becoming resilient and climate-adaptive and contributing to climate change mitigation;
- increased information available to consumers to enhance their literacy in relation to the nutritional and environmental benefits of food produced in aquatic ecosystems;
- economic growth and creation of jobs in coastal and rural areas.
The scope of this topic includes all possible edible aquatic organisms with preference for low-trophic species which, in the frame of this topic, are photosynthetic or herbivorous or un-fed species. There is also preference for fish farming that relies on feed ingredients low in fish meal and oil and/or produced in the region where the farm is situated or in neighbouring to the farm regions, as well as feed ingredients derived from circular practices, such as, the use of wastes or by-products.
Topic proposals 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 impacts:
- Agri-food systems contribute to the EU strategic autonomy by fostering food and nutrition security practices and safeguarding long-term sustainability with multi-disciplinary approaches including One Health.
- Farmers and relevant actors in agricultural primary sector are enabled to manage sustainable, efficient, profitable, circular, low greenhouse gas-emitting farming systems contributing to climate-neutrality and climate-resilience. This will be achieved by new knowledge, innovation and the upscaling and replication of existing and new sustainable farming approaches, including organic farming, while making farming a professionally attractive and remunerative life choice.
- Sustainable and resource efficient farming practices contribute to ecosystems´ health, and their related ecosystem services, while minimising pollution, including in surface and groundwaters and the marine environment, and restoring and protecting biodiversity.
- Sustainable fisheries and aquaculture (including organic aquaculture) contribute to fair, healthy, resilient and environment-friendly food systems, promote low-impact and diverse aquatic food production. Healthy aquatic ecosystems with thriving diversity of species and habitats provide ecosystem and climate services for safe and sustainable fisheries and aquaculture and use of coastal zones for leisure activities, thus triggering growth and jobs’ creation in coastal, and rural areas. Technological knowledge on the elimination of negative impacts of fishing and aquaculture is improved, in particular through the creation of innovative, more selective, energy and resource efficient and environmentally sustainable techniques.
- The just transition to overall sustainable, healthy and inclusive food systems is consistently developed. Analysis of existing barriers and enablers to change allows to design effective leverages to steer the sustainability transition. Co-benefits for climate change mitigation and adaptation, environmental sustainability and circularity, sustainable healthy diets, malnutrition and hunger reduction are delivered.
- Food environments are transformed so that citizens and communities are empowered to move towards healthy, affordable and sustainable diets; food businesses can flourish; food processing industries’ competitiveness is improved, while ensuring sustainability; food safety and food sovereignty as well as human health is preserved and food waste is reduced.
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