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Fostering co-innovation in the agricultural sector and beyond

The EU-backed PREMIERE consortium is streamlining the project proposal process by reinforcing the multi-actor approach.

The environmental, economic and social challenges facing the agricultural sector today call for a completely new approach that reflects the complexity of current times and leads to more readily applicable solutions. Achieving a high level of innovation requires pooling diverse resources and knowledge from all partners involved in a project’s preparation and implementation. Enter the multi-actor approach (MAA), a collaborative and participatory model that brings together actors with diverse competencies and complementary skills and expertise, engaging them throughout a project’s lifetime, from inception to end. In the context of empowering rural communities, the EU is supporting this model in a variety of ways. Horizon Europe - Cluster 6: ‘Food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture and environment’ fosters research and innovation activities oriented towards the objectives of the European Green Deal, the Farm to Fork Strategy and the Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. Over 40 % of the projects that apply for funding under this cluster are based on the MAA. The European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-AGRI) network is also founded on the MAA; its aim is to facilitate communication and knowledge sharing towards a more competitive and sustainable sector. What is more, building stronger Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) improves the flow and valorisation of information across sector specialists and end users. The PREMIERE project began in January 2023 and will run until the end of 2027, focusing its efforts on strengthening the MAA and maximising its potential. The goal is to promote synergy and co-creation among project partners, accelerating innovation in agriculture and related industries.

The PREMIERE methodology

PREMIERE focuses on the preparation of successful multi-actor projects for Horizon Europe and beyond, encouraging the involvement of organisations with no prior experience in multi-actor projects, as well as those that are better versed in leading and supporting multi-actor project proposal development. Encouraging engagement and dialogue between the consortium and prospective partners is among the project’s objectives. To that end, it has developed a suite of support activities and an extensive repository of tested and validated training tools, resources and materials, which aim to improve user experience and promote contextual learning.

PREMIERE helps you ‘plant the seeds of your vision’

To bolster participation in the proposal development phase for Horizon Europe 2025-2026 calls, PREMIERE is introducing its Seed-Funding Initiative. Apart from guidance from experienced partners throughout the project development process, successful applicants will also receive a maximum of EUR 6 000 each; this sum will go towards supporting their proposal development activities, for example training and capacity building, attending consortium meetings, drafting communication plans and outsourcing services. The initiative is aimed at practice-oriented organisations operating within the EU that are interested in becoming part of the Horizon Europe family of projects. With the applicants’ feedback, PREMIERE (Preparing multi-actor projects in a co-creative way) project partners will draft and disseminate a handbook on enhancing seed-funding programmes. If you are interested in applying, please submit your application by 14 February 2025. For more information, please see: PREMIERE project website

Keywords

PREMIERE, co-innovation, agriculture, multi-actor, EIP-AGRI, AKIS, seed-funding

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