Official call identifier: HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE-08
Objective of the call
This call aims to scale up generative AI solutions and improve the availability and quality of digital food data to support consumers and food service professionals in food purchasing, preservation and preparation.
It seeks to enhance productivity, sustainability (including climate mitigation), and dietary health, while ensuring data sovereignty for consumers and farmers.
The topic contributes to digital and governance solutions supporting the European Green Deal and sustainable food systems.
Scope of activities
Proposals must:
- Develop and deploy human-centric generative AI solutions supporting consumers and food service professionals in purchasing, preserving and preparing food, with measurable impacts on dietary health, sustainability (reduced greenhouse gas emissions, energy and water footprint, food and packaging waste) and productivity
- Support innovators, especially SMEs and start-ups, through tailored innovation support packages and high-impact innovation platforms (e.g. Digital Innovation Hubs, accelerators, incubators), prioritising solutions with strong end-user relevance and impact potential
- Engage a broad range of stakeholders (consumers, retailers, caterers, equipment manufacturers and others) to ensure practical adoption, and provide training and ongoing user support
- Improve access to trustworthy, high-value digital food product data and enhance data quality, availability and sovereignty
- Encourage businesses, public authorities and certification bodies to improve data capture, optimise sharing and promote reuse
- Mobilise high-quality data from multiple sources (in-situ, sensor, device, remote sensing, model, personal and government data) across the food system, from primary production to consumption and disposal
Where relevant, proposals should build on and interoperate with tools and infrastructures developed under the Digital Europe Programme and Horizon Europe, including European Data Spaces and the Common European Agricultural Data Space (CEADS).
Projects must apply the multi-actor approach and ensure effective involvement of food system stakeholders and data economy actors. The effective contribution of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines is required.
Eligible applicants
- Innovative SMEs, startups and enterprises aiming to scale and strengthen competitiveness
- Public-sector organisations driving transformation and societal impact
- Research and academic institutions commercialising knowledge
- Non-profit organisations delivering purpose-driven innovation
- Organisations based in EU Member States, EFTA/EEA, or Associated Countries (described in General Annex A, General Annex B, General Annex C)
- Minimum 3 independent partners from 3 eligible countries
Specific consortium we are looking for:
- AI developers and digital solution providers
- Food service operators and catering companies
- Retailers and food supply chain actors
- SMEs and start-ups in food-tech and data innovation
- Research organisations specialised in AI, data science and food systems
- Public authorities and certification bodies
- SSH experts and institutions
Entities directly or indirectly controlled by China are not eligible to participate under the restrictions applicable to this Innovation Action.
Applicants must form multi-actor consortia.
Eligible costs
Eligible costs follow the Horizon Europe Lump Sum Grant model and may include:
- Development and deployment of generative AI solutions
- Data collection, integration and quality improvement
- Pilot implementation and user testing
- Innovation support services for SMEs and start-ups
- Stakeholder engagement, training and capacity building
- Impact assessment on sustainability, productivity and dietary health
- Exploitation and scalability planning
Funding conditions
Type of action:
Innovation Action (IA)
Funding rate:
70% of eligible costs (except for non-profit legal entities, where a rate of up to 100% applies)
EU contribution per project:
Around EUR 7.5 million
Number of funded projects:
2 projects
Project duration:
Typically 36 months
Technology Readiness Level (TRL):
Activities may start at any TRL
*Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) describe the maturity of a technology, from basic research (TRL 1) to fully deployed, market-ready solutions (TRL 9).
Deadline for submission
15 April 2026