Expected Outcome:

The successful proposal will contribute to the European Green Deal priorities and the farm to fork and the EU biodiversity strategies, as well as of the EU’s climate ambition for 2030 and 2050. It will also contribute to the Food 2030 priorities: nutrition for sustainable healthy diets, circularity and resource efficiency, innovation, and empowering communities. The successful proposal will support the development of policies, business models, and market conditions that contribute to the sustainable and inclusive growth of urban areas and to the empowerment and resilience of their communities, enabling them to access, afford, and choose sustainable food.

Scope:

Achieving sustainable food systems requires managing numerous interconnected activities and actors that have a significant impact on the nutrition, environmental, and economic outcomes relevant to the EU, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Understanding the interconnections and interdependencies of food systems is crucial in decision-making processes to steer a food system change. Yet, for governments to promote more sustainable food systems, they will need to enhance their capacity to address the complexity of interdependencies with effective governance mechanisms and principles that support a more systemic approach. Strengthening food systems governance in the urban context is a crucial area and opportunity for research, innovation, and implementation to accelerate sustainability impacts in the local context. 

It has the potential to enhance coordination and coherent actions, leading to the development of more effective urban policies that ensure food security and nutrition for all, without compromising the economic, environmental, and social foundations.

Proposals should include a dedicated task in the work plan and appropriate resources to collaborate with projects funded under this topic and under topic HORIZON-CL6-2022-GOVERNANCE-01-01 (Mobilisation of society to transform food systems for co-benefit, Cleverfood).

Collaboration and complementarity with the European Partnerships on “Sustainable Food Systems” and “Agroecology”, as well as the EU Missions “A Soil Deal for Europe” and “Climate-Neutral Smart Cities”, and the New European Bauhaus (NEB) Facility are encouraged. Cooperation with the JRC may be envisioned, particularly for actions related to monitoring and enhancing the governance of food systems.

To achieve the expected outcomes, cooperation with legal entities established in other countries is strongly encouraged. International collaboration is also encouraged.

In total, two projects will be funded, with the European Union providing the funding.

Budget per project: Around € 6.000.000,00

Call deadline: 16 September 2025, 17:00:00 Brussels time

Funding rate 

• RIA: 100%