Fostering common farmland birds and mammals for resilient food production systems – Förderung EU-weit

Expected Outcome: Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes: • land managers, farmers, conservation organizations, researchers, policymakers, and agribusinesses are equipped with the knowledge and tools to implement practices that enhance habitats for farmland birds and mammals, thereby improving pest control, supporting pollination, and strengthening agricultural resilience; • challenges, measures, and needs of land managers, farmers and conservation organizations are known and supported via appropriate incentives to facilitate the wide adoption of bird- and mammal-friendly practices. Scope: Maintaining and improving farmland bird populations is crucial for both conservation and the long-term sustainability of food production systems. Farmland birds and mammals provide valuable ecosystem services, such as pest control, pollination, and seed dispersal, which are essential for resilient agriculture. Focusing on birds ensures the preservation of these services, while also contributing to broader biodiversity goals. Additionally, including farmland mammals in the research helps assess potential synergies and trade-offs in pest control, providing a more holistic ecological understanding. As farmland birds and mammals can cause damage by consuming crops, it is important that research seeks the correct equilibrium between the utility of these animals and the damage they can cause. This broader perspective allows for more informed decisions on how to design farming systems that are not only beneficial to bird populations but also support the protection and restoration of healthy ecosystems. Overall, the objective is to foster sustainable agriculture that enhances both productivity and biodiversity, and offers opportunities for nature restoration. Proposals should: • synthesize the impact of various farming practices on both farmland bird populations and agricultural productivity, while also considering farmland mammals for a more comprehensive picture. Also, assessing the role and impact of specific bird species in pest control and soil health to better understand their contributions in agricultural landscapes and to the sustainability of farming systems; • develop participatory research programs that encourage landscape-level collaboration among farmers, land managers, and conservationists. These programs should focus on identifying and testing locally tailored bird-friendly solutions while addressing farmers' perceptions, needs, and challenges in adopting these practices; • improve existing incentives (also under CAP), or potentially create new targeted ones to promote the adoption of bird- and mammal-friendly solutions. These incentives should be geographically relevant and designed to address farmers' specific challenges, while fostering collaboration among farmers, land managers, and conservationists to ensure effective implementation and long-term sustainability; • design a comprehensive farmer education program focused on bird-friendly practices and their economic benefits. This should include advisory services with ecologists, field days, and demonstration farms showcasing successful bird-focused measures in profitable farming systems. Also assess effectiveness of peer-to-peer learning networks and highlight the economic co-benefits of these practices (e.g., pest reduction and pollination); • conduct research to assess the effectiveness of scaling up proven biodiversity-friendly farming practices, such as creating and preserving semi-natural habitats of farmland or other farming practices and in consideration of at least maintaining productivity. Focus on successful models, that can be applied to different regions, and evaluate their impact on bird and selected mammal populations. The projects under this topic are relevant to the EU Vision for Agriculture and Food, the biodiversity strategy for 2030, the EU Birds and Habitats Directives, the EU Action Plan for the Development of Organic Production[1], the EU Nature Restoration Regulation and Target 10 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Proposals must implement the multi-actor approach, involving a range of stakeholders, particularly farmers and land managers, to ensure that the knowledge and needs from various sectors are integrated and the results are impactful. Proposals should, where relevant, build on previous EU and nationally funded projects, including Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe, and LIFE, and the Agroecology Partnership; and foresee appropriate resources to ensure close cooperation with the EC Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity (KCBD) and its Science Service. [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52021DC0141R%2801%29 ">General conditions 1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System. 2. Eligible Countries 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. 3. Other Eligible 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. described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. 4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes. 5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. 5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. 5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes. 6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants 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) [[This decision is available on the Funding and Tenders Portal, in the reference documents section for Horizon Europe, under ‘Simplified costs decisions’ or through this link: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/ls-decision_he_en.pdf]]. described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific conditions described in the [specific topic of the Work Programme] Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA): Application form templates — the application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System Standard application form (HE RIA, IA) Evaluation form templates — will be used with the necessary adaptations Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA)  Guidance HE Programme Guide  Model Grant Agreements (MGA) Lump Sum MGA  Call-specific instructions  Detailed budget table (HE LS)  Guidance: "Lump sums - what do I need to know?" Additional documents: HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 9. Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes HE Programme Guide HE Framework Programme 2021/695 HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764 EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509 Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual  Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions  Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement