Agriculture, Climate, Environment, Energy & Food: April 2026 Funding Opportunities (50 new opportunities!)
109 active signals: $500M+. Europe deploys a simultaneous Horizon Europe climate-biodiversity-circular economy wave, and a new generation of food systems calls.
The April update for Agriculture, Climate, Environment, Energy & Food is the largest edition in this cycle — and the signal across new calls is unusually coherent given the breadth. Funders are increasingly asking the same question from different angles: not whether the science is right, but whether the solution can hold at real operational scale without ongoing grant dependence.
In Biodiversity and Ecosystem Governance, Europe deployed a cluster of simultaneous Horizon Europe calls this month that collectively represent one of the largest single-month conservation funding pulses in recent memory. Nature-based solutions mainstreaming (€18M), aquatic bioremediation (€23M), organic farming innovation (€12M), agricultural competitiveness (€13.5M), circular cities (€10M), citizen action for nature (€10M), species decline (€12M), and climate modeling for Africa (€13M) all share the same first-stage deadline. These aren’t thematically identical, but they reflect a consistent Commission logic: fund the translation layer between research and governance, so evidence doesn’t stay in journals and pilots don’t stay local. For practitioners, the signal is that “policy uptake” is now a deliverable, not a hope. The new DCNA Key Habitats call in the Dutch Caribbean, new WIOMSA seagrass call across the Western Indian Ocean, new CEPF knowledge product for the Comoros, and new Fundo Ecos call in Brazil’s Cerrado and Caatinga add a non-European dimension to this biodiversity cluster — all small-scale, all governance-oriented, all asking for evidence that communities can act on.
In Food and Agriculture Systems, the pattern is bifurcated. At the large end, the EC Ethiopia nutrition call (€4M) treats investment mobilization and diet behavior change as one connected intervention — proposals that separate them will struggle. The PRIMA partnership deploys four simultaneous Mediterranean agriculture calls (desalination, alternative feeds, post-harvest processing, and WEFE Nexus governance), all with the same two-stage deadline structure. The new IGNITE Challenge in Rwanda, the new EIT Food Jumpstarter across Eastern Europe, and the new Circulab circular economy program in Mindanao represent a parallel track: smaller, faster, venture-oriented calls that use acceleration logic to move agrifood innovation from prototype to market. The new WFP Eswatini food security call and new ReForEst Uganda value chain call represent the humanitarian-to-resilience end of the spectrum. Together, these calls show a food systems funding market that is simultaneously funding policy infrastructure and early-stage commercialization — with almost nothing in the middle.
In Energy and Climate Transition, the large anchors are Brazil’s FINEP energy transition round (BRL 500M, ~$87M) and Australia’s NSW EV charging infrastructure program (AUD $39M). Both are infrastructure-oriented, co-investment-structured, and performance-measured. The new Swedish Energy Agency battery value chain call and new negative emissions research call are more targeted — both explicitly require adoption pathway planning, not just technical performance. The new ERIA acceleration program in Spain, new Creative Climate Action Fund in Ireland, and new Youth4Climate call from UNDP signal the other end of the scale spectrum: small, fast, and designed to test whether energy and climate transitions can be designed from the community up, not just the grid down. The new Carbon Capture Technologies Program Round 2 in Australia sits at an interesting midpoint — technically ambitious but structured as a demonstration instrument, asking for proof of scalability before committing to deployment-scale support.
In Circular Economy and Waste, the new Circulab program in Mindanao, new PRIMARY open call for agricultural residue valorization in rural Europe, new FCC Community Action Fund in England, and new Waste Minimisation Fund in Whangārei all share a common logic: treat waste streams as input infrastructure. Across different geographies and scales, funders are backing ventures and organizations that can demonstrate a viable circular model, not just a circular ambition.
Snapshot of New Opportunities
Total Estimated Funding Pool: $500 Million USD+ USD
The grants are organized into three categories:
Open Calls: Current grant and opportunities with a deadline. Grants are listed by closing date. 85 open opportunities - 50 new!
Rolling Applications: current grant and opportunities with rolling applications (but it’s still best to submit as early as possible). 21 rolling opportunities!
Long term planning: Grants that have closed their current rounds, but are expected to open new windows. 3 long term opportunities!
A quick tip for returning readers: if you want to jump straight to the newest additions, use CTRL F to search for “New!” and navigate quickly to the latest funding opportunities
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Open Calls:
National Call for Proposal on Strengthening Sustainable Production and Management in Thailand’s Tiger Landscape Buffer Zones, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). *Closing soon!*
UNDP Thailand seeks proposals that connect biodiversity protection with practical local economic incentives by strengthening sustainable production and enterprise development in tiger landscape buffer zones and corridors. The funder’s objective is to help civil society organizations work directly with MSMEs and community enterprises to become investment-ready while improving conservation outcomes and climate resilience in high-priority landscapes. This is a results-oriented small grants call that emphasizes nature-positive enterprise pipelines, measurable ecosystem benefits, and inclusive economic development, including women’s leadership and participation. The strongest proposals will show a credible pathway from capacity-building to finance access, pairing hands-on business support (market access, branding, business planning, financial management) with clear safeguards for biodiversity and low-carbon practices. UNDP’s selection logic favors partnerships that can mobilize local networks and leverage follow-on capital, while staying feasible within a two-year delivery window and within cost rules that prioritize implementation over overhead.
Geographies: Thailand (tiger landscape buffer zones and corridors linked to major forest complexes).
Who can apply: Thailand-registered NGOs/CSOs; coalitions allowed; government and for-profit entities may join as partners only.
Funding amount: Up to USD $90,000 per successful proposal.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Biodiversity Conservation; Focus areas: nature-positive MSME pipelines, investment readiness support, sustainable production and value chains, eco-tourism and forest-linked livelihoods, climate resilience and low-carbon practices, gender equality and social inclusion.
Deadline: April 2, 2026 (11:59 PM Bangkok time).
This call rewards proposals that treat enterprise support as a conservation tool, with clear targets for finance readiness and verified biodiversity outcomes.
Blue Economy and Green Sustainability, European Commission. *Closing soon!*
The European Commission seeks to accelerate Lebanon’s recovery and resilience by investing in large, consortium-led actions that link environmental outcomes with livelihoods and value chain competitiveness. This call is structured around two complementary pathways: strengthening the blue economy through more sustainable fisheries and aquaculture systems, and reinforcing green sustainability through ecosystem restoration, wildfire preparedness, and improved protected-area management. The funder’s logic emphasizes coordinated, multi-stakeholder delivery that can feed into national strategies, close regulatory gaps through evidence and technical input, and translate community engagement into lasting behavior change and local ownership. Proposals are expected to show practical implementation capacity, strong partnerships, and a clear route from improved practices and infrastructure to measurable ecological and economic benefits, with added value for integrated approaches that connect coastal and terrestrial resilience.
Geographies: Lebanon.
Who can apply: Non-profit NGOs established in an EU member state or Lebanon with activities in Lebanon, applying as lead with 2 to 3 co-applicants (universities and research centers may join as co-applicants).
Funding amount: EUR 1,600,000–2,500,000 per grant (Lot 1 or Lot 2); Total pool: EUR 10,000,000.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Climate & Environment; Focus areas: sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, marine biodiversity, wildfire prevention, reforestation, protected areas governance, community engagement.
Deadline: April 3, 2026 (16:00 Brussels time).
This call rewards designs that treat ecosystems, local economies, and governance as one system, and that can convert on-the-ground implementation into durable national uptake.
IGNITE Challenge 4.0, Impact Hub Kigali. *New!* *Closing soon!*
IGNITE Challenge 4.0 is designed to scale growth-stage agrifood ventures that can close persistent gaps in Rwanda’s food system while creating better jobs, with a deliberate emphasis on opportunities for young women. Delivered by WFP and Impact Hub Kigali under the WFP–Mastercard Foundation partnership, the program combines equity-free grants with structured technical assistance, market linkages, and investor exposure to help ventures move from traction to scalable operations. Its staged pathway (bootcamp, pitch shortlisting, due diligence, then acceleration) functions as a feasibility filter and ensures that funding is paired with a clear scaling plan and execution support. The funder lens prioritizes ventures that are commercially viable, can demonstrate impact through job creation and stronger value chains, and are willing to transfer learning through peer mentorship with Farmer Service Centers.
Geographies: Rwanda.
Who can apply: Registered startups, SMEs, and cooperatives with at least 2 years of operations and proven revenue traction in Rwanda.
Funding amount: Up to USD $24,000 per venture (equity-free).
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Agriculture & Food Systems; Focus areas: agrifood value chains, job creation, post-harvest, market access.
Deadline: April 4, 2026.
This challenge is built as a jobs-and-markets accelerator, funding ventures that can translate agrifood innovation into measurable employment outcomes and scalable value chain performance.
Design and Run your Own Circular Economy Programme, Climate KIC. *New!* *Closing soon!*
Climate KIC is using this call to strengthen the “enablers” of circular entrepreneurship, backing ESOs that can translate circular economy concepts into investable venture support and measurable social outcomes. The Circular Economy Innovation Cluster (CEIC), funded by IKEA Foundation and implemented with local partners in Nairobi and Bengaluru, is structured as a pipeline: first, masterclasses build shared methods across cohorts (circular economy fundamentals, inclusive program design, impact measurement, investor engagement, and MEL), then a targeted grant enables selected ESOs to run a time-bound entrepreneurship support program for circular ventures. The investment logic prioritizes ecosystem collaboration and uptake, favoring consortium proposals that can coordinate local networks, pilot replicable support models, and explicitly improve income opportunities for informal workers in venture value chains.
Geographies: India (Bengaluru); Kenya (Nairobi).
Who can apply: Entrepreneurship Support Organizations (incubators, accelerators, innovation hubs, university-linked centers, climate-focused business support networks) operating in India or Kenya, with a clear Bengaluru or Nairobi implementation focus.
Funding amount: Up to EUR €50,000 per geography (per city) for the grant stage, following successful completion of masterclasses.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Climate & Environment; Focus areas: circular economy program design, social inclusion of informal workers, impact measurement, MEL
Deadline: April 6, 2026 (23:59 CET).
This call is designed to shift circular economy outcomes by upgrading the support infrastructure around ventures, not by funding ventures directly.
Wetland Program Development Grants, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). *Closing soon!*
Seeking to fund cooperative agreements that strengthen the capacity of public agencies and eligible regional entities to build comprehensive wetland programs, with a clear emphasis on program development rather than routine implementation. The funding is designed to help applicants improve how wetlands are protected, managed, and restored by investing in the enabling systems that make decisions more effective, such as mapping and monitoring frameworks, assessment tools, staff and stakeholder training, and evidence-building demonstrations that can be transferred to other jurisdictions. The call’s structure prioritizes projects that advance core elements of wetland programs and produce measurable outputs that support water quality, habitat, and resilience outcomes across Region 6. Proposals are also expected to plan for active transfer of results, reinforcing EPA’s objective to scale usable methods and lessons learned beyond a single agency or watershed.
Geographies: United States: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas.
Who can apply: Indian Tribes; state and local governments; eligible institutions of higher education; interstate agencies; intertribal consortia.
Funding amount: USD $1,234,000-2,468,000 total pool; up to USD $500,000 per award.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Climate & Environment; Focus areas: wetland program development, wetland mapping and monitoring, wetland assessment, wetland permitting and regulation, wetland water quality standards.
Deadline: April 6, 2026.
This is capacity capital for wetlands governance, backing the systems and tools that let jurisdictions protect more acres and improve wetland condition over time.
Honeybush Small Grant Call for Applications (UNDP/GEF 6 Bioprospecting Value Chains Project), Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (South Africa). *Closing soon!*
Through the UNDP/GEF bioprospecting value chains portfolio, DFFE is seeking to professionalize and scale community-led delivery in the honeybush sector by funding practical interventions that raise compliance, quality, and sustainability across harvesting and processing. The call is structured around two investment areas: one prioritizes refresher training aligned to sustainable harvesting guidelines and stronger monitoring of practices, while the other targets processing performance through fit-for-purpose equipment, quality control, and compliance support. The funding logic is cohort and producer oriented, aiming to strengthen implementation capacity among local organizations while improving real-world value chain performance for harvesters and producer clusters. Proposals that clearly translate training or equipment inputs into verifiable practice change, stronger governance and procurement readiness, and credible delivery safeguards will best match the funder’s intent.
Geographies: South Africa (Eastern Cape, Western Cape; Southern Africa).
Who can apply: Emerging or established NPOs, emerging and established NPCs and NPOs, and CBOs located in the Eastern Cape or Western Cape with honeybush or related industry experience.
Funding amount: Investment Area 1: ZAR >0 to ZAR 1,050,000 (established NPOs) or ZAR 25,000 to ZAR 300,000 (CBOs and emerging NPCs and NPOs); Investment Area 2: ZAR >0 to ZAR 1,800,000 (established NPOs) or ZAR 25,000 to ZAR 300,000 (CBOs and emerging NPCs and NPOs); Integrated cap: ZAR 1,900,000.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Agriculture & Food Systems; Focus areas: sustainable harvesting training, value chain development, processing equipment, quality control, PPE and safety.
Deadline: Stage 1 EOI: April 7, 2026; Stage 2 Comprehensive Application: May 18, 2026.
This is a value chain performance call, the strongest applications will show a clear line from capacity and equipment support to measurable practice change, compliance, and sustained local delivery.
Environmental Art Grants (2026), Anonymous Was A Woman. *Closing soon!*
This grant backs environmental art as a driver of public understanding and ethical engagement, prioritizing projects that do more than document harm by activating audiences and communities around tangible environmental questions. The funder’s selection lens emphasizes ecological and social ethics, clarity of intent, and a credible path to completion, with a strong preference for proposals that demonstrate real development progress and can deliver a free public engagement component within the grant term. In practice, the program is structured to advance works already in motion and help artists complete a full project or a defined phase, pairing rigorous review with minimum award protections that support feasibility. The themes encouraged signal a systems orientation, including regeneration, interdependence, and approaches rooted in Indigenous and ancestral practices, alongside climate, materials, and energy transitions.
Geographies: United States.
Who can apply: Women, transgender, and gender-nonconforming artists who are 18+ and the individual project lead, residing in the 50 states, a Tribal Nation, a U.S. Territory, or the District of Columbia.
Funding amount: Up to $20,000 per project; over $470,000 total funding in the 2026 cycle.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Climate & Environment; Focus areas: regeneration, eco-social engagement, climate change, systems restoration, recycling and repurposing, clean energy production.
Deadline: April 7, 2026 (5:00 PM ET).
This is climate and justice funding through cultural strategy, using public-facing work to shift narratives, norms, and collective action.
Open Call for Expression of Interest: GoU-UNICEF Nutrition Programme 2026 - 2030, UNICEF. *New!* *Closing soon!*
UNICEF is selecting implementing partners to accelerate Uganda’s nutrition outcomes by tackling two linked bottlenecks: persistently poor diets and practices across the life course, and low coverage and quality of wasting detection and treatment in both development and emergency contexts. The call is framed around systems change rather than isolated service delivery, emphasizing strengthened national and sub-national capacity to shape food systems with a child lens, improve affordability and equity of diets and services, and increase timely identification, referral, and treatment of child wasting. UNICEF’s results framing also signals a focus on vulnerable geographies and populations, including those affected by climate shocks and displacement, with attention to disability inclusion. Partners are expected to contribute to measurable progress on dietary diversity and reductions in wasting and stunting through coordinated annual workplans aligned to government leadership and multi-partner delivery.
Geographies: Uganda.
Who can apply: Non-profits.
Funding amount: Funding amount not found.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Health; Focus areas: infant and young child feeding, wasting prevention and treatment, micronutrients, nutrition systems and policy, nutrition in emergencies
Deadline: April 8, 2026.
This is a systems-first nutrition call, so UNICEF is effectively selecting for partners who can connect diet improvement and wasting treatment pathways to measurable population-level outcomes.
EIT Food Accelerator Network (FAN) Call for Startups 2026, EIT Food. *Closing soon!*
EIT Food seeks to accelerate agrifood and foodtech ventures that can meaningfully improve how food is produced, processed, and delivered across Europe—by pushing startups past “promising prototype” and into credible market adoption. The program is designed as a structured validation and commercialization pathway delivered through six specialized hubs, each anchored in a priority theme (from circular food systems and biotech ingredients to water-smart agrifood and low-carbon supply chains). Selection logic emphasizes strong problem–solution fit, technology novelty, team quality, and demonstrated traction, with a clear bias toward solutions that can validate technical performance in real-world conditions and move faster toward repeatable commercial uptake. The strongest applicants will frame their work as a measurable leap in readiness: what must be proven, where it will be proven, and how validation evidence will translate into deployment, partnerships, and revenue momentum in the European market.
Geographies: Europe (EU Member States; Horizon Europe Associated Countries).
Who can apply: Agrifood/foodtech startups incorporated in an EU or Horizon Europe eligible country; pre-seed to Series A; registered 2016+; 1–20 employees; revenues up to €1M; prototype/pilot plus traction indicators (e.g., LOIs, sales, letters of support).
Funding amount: Total pool: €816,000; €3,000 travel subgrant per startup; Tech Validation subgrant: €20,000 / €30,000 / €50,000 (top 3 per Hub pitch event); max €53,000 per startup.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Agriculture and Food Systems; Focus areas: circular solutions for food systems, biotech ingredients and bioprocessing, digital & autonomous farming, future resilient agriculture, water-smart agrifood systems, smart and low-carbon supply chains.
Deadline: April 8, 2026 (12:00 CET).
This call rewards startups that treat validation like an evidence pipeline—tight hypotheses, credible facilities or partners, and a clear bridge from proof to purchase.
ROOTS 4P Matching Grant 3.0, ROOTS Project. *Closing soon!*
ROOTS seeks to accelerate inclusive agribusiness growth by co-investing in Farmer Organizations that can move beyond primary production into viable post-harvest processing, value addition, and stronger market linkages in the rice and vegetable value chains. The funder’s logic is partnership-led and outcomes-driven: the matching grant is positioned as 4P financing that rewards commercially credible business plans, integrates producers with public and private actors, and reduces bottlenecks that limit competitiveness (processing capacity, quality control, storage, and distribution). This window also signals an inclusion mandate, aiming to ensure women, youth, and persons with disabilities can access both business development support and catalytic capital, while maintaining safeguards against elite capture through enforced eligibility screens. Strong proposals will clearly connect the proposed equipment and infrastructure to measurable improvements in throughput, quality, and market access, with a feasible plan for delivery, contribution financing, and follow-on reporting.
Geographies: Africa (West Africa); The Gambia (West Coast Region, Lower River Region, North Bank Region, Central River Region North and South, Upper River Region).
Who can apply: Registered Gambian Farmer Organizations and Commercial FOs with eligible operations/facilities in ROOTS agricultural regions.
Funding amount: Maximum investment: USD $50,000; ROOTS contribution: 80% (USD $40,000 maximum); Beneficiary contribution: 20% (USD $10,000 maximum).
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Agriculture & Food Systems; Focus areas: post-harvest processing, value addition, cold chain logistics, farmer organizations, women and youth agribusiness.
Deadline: April 10, 2026.
This is structured as market-building co-investment, so clarity on your value chain bottleneck and how the assets translate into sustained revenue and inclusion outcomes is central to fit.
Key Habitats Program Call for Proposals 2026 (Expression of Interest), Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA). *New!* *Closing soon!*
DCNA’s Key Habitats Program is designed to shift Dutch Caribbean conservation from fragmented, short-term projects toward a coordinated regional effort that can measurably halt or reverse habitat loss across six islands. The 2026 call targets practical interventions that reduce two high-leverage pressures: free-roaming grazers that suppress forest and scrubland recovery, and climate impacts that erode ecosystem resilience. The funder’s approach emphasizes on-the-ground actions tied to clear ecological outcomes, while still allowing policy and advocacy projects where governance and enforcement are limiting factors. Applications are sequenced to prioritize fit and feasibility: an Expression of Interest screens alignment and delivery credibility, followed by invitation-only full proposals for shortlisted applicants. The result is a pipeline intended to fund implementers who can deliver restoration and protection where it matters most across coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves, and tropical forests.
Geographies: Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten (Dutch Caribbean).
Who can apply: Legally registered nonprofit or for-profit NGOs based in the Dutch Caribbean.
Funding amount: USD $56,000–168,000 (projects); approximately USD $650,000 total available (Q1 2026); policy and advocacy stand-alone caps USD $10,000 or USD $20,000; education and outreach supporting cap USD $2,250.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Biodiversity & Conservation; Focus areas: coral reef conservation, mangrove restoration, seagrass ecosystems, tropical forest restoration, grazing management, nature-based wastewater solutions, climate resilience
Deadline: Expression of Interest: April 13, 2026; Full Proposal (invited only): July 3, 2026.
This call rewards implementers who can connect a single pressure reduction strategy to measurable habitat recovery within a practical 24-month delivery window.
ERIA Acceleration Program 2026, ERIA Estabanell Innovation Hub. *New!* *Closing soon!*
ERIA, Estabanell’s corporate venturing vehicle, is running an equity-free acceleration program to surface and validate high-leverage solutions for Spain’s evolving electricity system. The 2026 edition is explicitly challenge-led, aiming to convert early-stage product potential into field-ready value through structured mentoring, access to Estabanell know-how, and a clear pathway to pilots and proof-of-concept collaboration. The funder’s priorities cluster around four operational bottlenecks: smarter O&M for photovoltaic plants (including remote inspection and analytics), new scalable digital services over the low-voltage network (data, interoperability, and trusted measurement/verification), affordable home batteries designed for mass-market constraints, and customer-controlled residential microflexibility that can scale even without “premium” assets. The program design rewards commitment and measurable evolution, culminating in a Demo Day where one team is recognized for strongest progress and collaboration potential.
Geographies: Spain, Europe.
Who can apply: Pre-seed/seed energy startups based in Spain or Europe with at least two full-time founders and a legally incorporated entity.
Funding amount: Up to EUR €10,000 non-repayable aid; EUR €10,000 prize for one startup.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Energy; Focus areas: grid digitalization, energy storage, demand flexibility, renewable energy O&M.
Deadline: April 13, 2026.
ERIA is using a tightly scoped, real-world validation pathway to turn promising energy innovations into deployable solutions that fit grid constraints and customer adoption realities.
Improving the competitiveness of the agricultural sector by enhancing the efficient and sustainable use of agricultural production factors, European Commission. *Closing soon!*
The European Commission seeks Innovation Actions that strengthen EU farming competitiveness while accelerating the green transition through smarter, more sustainable use of production factors. Projects are expected to move beyond analysis by building prototypes and practices that can be tested in real operational settings, then translated into cost-effective business models that support market uptake and measurable environmental and biodiversity benefits. The funder places weight on adoption and scalability, asking applicants to surface behavioral and structural barriers, propose solutions for upscaling, and deliver training and communication that reaches farmers, advisors, SMEs, and other value-chain actors. A required multi-actor approach and the expected contribution of social sciences and humanities reflect a clear investment logic: pair technical innovation with credible pathways for uptake, regulation alignment, and durable change in farming systems.
Geographies: Europe; European Union.
Who can apply: Consortia of at least three independent legal entities from different countries, including at least one established in an EU Member State and at least two others established in different EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries.
Funding amount: Total pool: EUR 13.50 million; expected EU contribution per project: around EUR 4.50 million.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Agriculture & Food Systems; Focus areas: sustainable agricultural inputs, resource efficiency, on-farm prototyping and testing, technology adoption, biodiversity-friendly practices.
Deadline: First Stage: April 14, 2026 (17:00 Brussels time); Second Stage: September 15, 2026 (17:00 Brussels time).
This topic rewards consortia that treat adoption as a design variable, aligning prototype performance, business incentives, and farmer decision-making from the outset.
Boosting organic farming for a competitive, sustainable and resilient farming sector, European Commission. *Closing soon!*
The European Commission is funding Innovation Actions to close remaining research and innovation gaps that limit the competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience of organic farming in Europe. The topic is framed as a systems effort: generate viable, cost-effective innovations for both crop and livestock organic systems, and demonstrate how they improve performance across diverse pedo-climatic conditions and biogeographical regions. Proposals are expected to prioritize uptake by building networks of sites where farmers and other stakeholders co-create, test, validate, and upscale solutions, while strengthening knowledge exchange and best-practice diffusion across the sector. The call also emphasizes evidence for policy and standardization, aiming to support the EU organic regulatory framework and the Common Agricultural Policy with methodologies and monitoring approaches that are robust and transferable.
Geographies: Europe; European Union.
Who can apply: Consortia of at least three independent legal entities from different countries, including at least one established in an EU Member State and at least two others established in different EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries.
Funding amount: Total pool: EUR 12.00 million; expected EU contribution per project: around EUR 6.00 million.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Agriculture & Food Systems; Focus areas: organic farming, agronomic innovation, knowledge exchange, on-farm testing sites, value chain development, monitoring frameworks.
Deadline: First Stage: April 14, 2026 (17:00 Brussels time); Second Stage: September 15, 2026 (17:00 Brussels time).
The strongest proposals will link on-farm co-creation to policy-ready evidence, so innovations can scale through markets and public programs rather than staying local pilots.
Advancing Seagrass Science, Policy, and Practice in the Western Indian Ocean, Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association. *New!* *Closing soon!*
WIOMSA and IUCN are funding this call to close the evidence and governance gap that continues to limit seagrass protection and restoration in the Western Indian Ocean, despite seagrass meadows’ outsized importance for blue carbon, fisheries productivity, shoreline stability, and coastal livelihoods. The funder’s lens is explicitly applied and decision-oriented: proposals must generate standardized, scalable, management-relevant evidence that can inform real policy and investment pathways such as marine spatial planning, NDC integration, biodiversity commitments, and regenerative blue economy strategies. Projects are expected to embed inclusive co-design with non-academic stakeholders where it improves relevance and uptake, and to deliver open-access publications and FAIR-aligned datasets with appropriate safeguards. The structure is tightly time-bound to push actionable outputs within a year, favoring teams that can move from research questions to policy-ready insights quickly.
Geographies: Western Indian Ocean, with primary focus on Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Tanzania.
Who can apply: Consortia from at least two eligible WIOCOR countries (PI based in an eligible country).
Funding amount: Up to EUR €150,000 per project (up to two projects; total pool EUR €300,000).
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Climate & Environment; Focus areas: seagrass conservation, seagrass restoration, blue carbon, coastal governance.
Deadline: April 15, 2026.
This call is built to convert seagrass science into governance leverage, funding research that can directly shape near-term management decisions and longer-term investment pathways in the region.
