OPEN CALL #1 – CO-CREATION
Goal: The most aspiring consortia of farmers and technical experts will jointly co-create, test and replicate the best suitable digital technologies benefiting small- and medium-sized farms. We aim to empower small and medium-sized farms with affordable digital technologies that bridge the gap with larger producers, support sustainable agroecological practices, foster tech-farmer collaboration, and address real-world challenges faced by small-scale agriculture.
Target applicants:
Consortia composed of 2 entities:
- 1 technology provider (SMEs – including Startups, RTOs – Research and Technology Organizations, Universities);
- 1 Small to medium-sized farm.
See full eligibility criteria in Section 3 of the complete Guide for Applicants.
Total funding: € 729.000
Beneficiaries:
Fert4Olive – Cost-effective Digital Advisor for Olive Groves Precise Fertilization
Fert4Olive is developing an affordable digital advisory service that helps small-scale olive farmers optimize fertilization using precision agriculture, without requiring expensive sensors or advanced technical skills. It uses satellite data, agronomic systems, and AI to provide simple nitrogen recommendations in natural language.
The project aims to reduce fertilizer use by up to 20%, lower costs, and improve yield, oil quality, and soil health. Designed for family farms, it is accessible and adaptable to other crops such as vineyards and almond orchards.
Team:
- Tech provider: N. PAPAZIS KAI SIA O.E. (AltSol) – GREECE
- Farmer: ALEXANDER MARCEL SCHUSCHNIGG – GREECE
BrocoMatuRisk – Broccoli Maturity & Risk Monitoring for Optimal Harvest Timing
BrocoMatuRisk is developing an intelligent decision-support system to help small and medium broccoli farms identify the optimal harvest window and anticipate climate risks affecting crop quality and value.
It addresses heatwave-driven premature flowering by combining drone imagery, weather forecasts, market data, and AI models to deliver accurate harvest recommendations. The user-friendly platform analyzes crop development, predicts flowering risk, and supports planning.
Designed for accessibility, it uses low-cost imagery and allows manual data input. Initially tested in Greece, it can be adapted to other crops and regions, aiming to improve profitability, reduce losses, and strengthen climate resilience.
Team:
- Tech provider: INLECOM INNOVATION ASTIKI MI KERDOSKOPIKI ETAIREIA – GREECE
- Farmer: AFOI STATHOPOULOI KAI SIA G.P. – GREECE
VINE-CARE – AI-Powered Vineyard Health Monitoring & Forecasting System
VINE-CARE is developing an affordable AI-powered solution to help small vineyards monitor vine health, anticipate stress, and improve grape quality through early, data-driven actions.
It combines hyperspectral imaging, drones, and AI to detect early signs of disease, water stress, and nutrient deficiencies, delivering real-time insights via a simple mobile dashboard. The system enables timely interventions, reducing inputs and improving yield and quality.
Designed for small and medium vineyards, it works in low-connectivity environments and can be adapted to other crops, supporting accessible and scalable precision agriculture.
Team:
- Tech provider: UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN – IRELAND
- Farmer: KTIMA G. KOKOTOS AGRICULTURAL WINERY COMMERCIAL – GREECE
FarmLinker – Bridging connectivity gaps for safer and more efficient fruit farming
FarmLinker is developing an interoperable digital platform that helps fruit farmers overcome data fragmentation and improve decision-making.
It integrates data from sensors, satellites, weather services, and farm systems into a single, user-friendly interface, providing real-time insights and actionable recommendations. Farmers can monitor crop conditions, manage risks, and connect with service providers more efficiently.
Designed for accessibility and compatibility, it supports small farms in improving productivity, safety, and sustainability, and can be adapted to different crops and contexts.
Team:
- Tech provider: RAW DATA S.L. – SPAIN
- Farmer: Citrics Corriols CB – SPAIN
AgriWing – Aerial Plant Protection for Sustainable Farming
AgriWing is developing a precision crop protection solution that helps small and medium farms reduce pesticide use and improve pest control through AI and drone-based interventions.
It combines smart pest traps, sensors, and AI to monitor insect activity and conditions, generating early warnings and targeted treatment recommendations. Farmers can respond quickly with precise drone applications.
Designed for farms with difficult terrain, it lowers costs, improves safety, and enhances crop resilience, and can be adapted to different crops and farming contexts.
Team:
- Tech provider: AVOGADRO, D.O.O. – SLOVENIA
- Farmer: TERRA MAGICA – SLOVENIA
DigiBio – Digital Intelligence for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Optimisation
DigiBio is developing an intelligent pest management solution that helps small and medium farms reduce pesticide use through digital monitoring and biological control.
It uses smart sensors and AI to track pests in real time, identify risks, and provide early warnings and clear recommendations. A key feature is the integration of natural enemies, supporting more sustainable and biodiversity-friendly pest control.
Designed to be affordable and easy to use, it helps farmers improve resilience and can be adapted to different crops and farming contexts.
Team:
- Tech provider: ALBERAMI S.R.L. SOCIETÀ BENEFIT – ITALY
- Farmer: SOCIETÀ AGRICOLA LI MATONNI S.A.S. DI SAMMARCO ASCANIO & C. – ITALY
SafeBirds – Protecting biodiversity through intelligent bird monitoring and risk prevention
SafeBirds is developing an intelligent monitoring and alert system that helps farmers protect bird populations during field operations.
It uses sensors, acoustic monitoring, and AI to detect bird presence in real time and provide simple alerts, enabling farmers to adjust activities and avoid disturbing nests and habitats.
Designed to be affordable and easy to use, it supports biodiversity-friendly farming without compromising productivity and can be adapted to different crops and environments.
Team:
- Tech provider: KONSTANTINOS M TSARAMIRSIS – GREECE
- Farmer: ELEFTHERIOS CHALKIDIS – GREECE
LIVET – Smart livestock monitoring for more efficient and sustainable farming
LIVET is developing an intelligent livestock monitoring system that helps small and medium farms improve animal welfare and farm efficiency using real-time data and AI.
It uses sensors and connected devices to track animal behaviour and barn conditions, with AI detecting anomalies, predicting risks, and sending alerts through an easy-to-use dashboard.
The system enables earlier interventions, improving health, productivity, and sustainability, and is designed to be affordable, flexible, and suitable for different livestock farming systems.
Team:
- Tech provider: EWALA IT SERVICES SL – SPAIN
- Farmer: ARANZAZU FREIJE MESA – SPAIN
Infruse – Smart infrastructure monitoring for efficient and sustainable resource management
Infruse is developing an intelligent infrastructure monitoring solution that helps small and medium farms optimise water, energy, and irrigation systems using real-time sensing and AI.
It detects inefficiencies such as leaks, pump failures, and uneven water distribution, providing alerts and recommendations through an easy-to-use dashboard.
The system enables proactive maintenance, reduces water and energy waste, lowers costs, and improves resilience. It is designed to be affordable, flexible, and suitable for different farm setups.
Team:
- Tech provider: PLAN Z RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT D.O.O. – SLOVENIA
- Farmer: FRUIT FARM TRSTENJAK (SADJARSKA KMETIJA TRSTENJAK) – SLOVENIA
Benefits:
- For farms: try and become familiar with technologies and digital solution
- For technology providers: find new sites and replicators for your technology and make your technology be promoted in GUARDIANS’ portfolio. This portfolio will also be promoted within the Open Call #2.
Programme Structure
Selected consortia will participate in a 15-month funding programme divided into 4 phases:
- Phase 1: Co-Design (3 months)
- Delivery of a detailed roadmap for implementation proposal
- Organisation of a in-presence workshop/roadshow for partner cooperatives to bring innovations closer to small-and-medium farms
- Phase 2: Development (6 months)
- Development and initial deployment of the digital solution
- Documentation to justify developments produced
- Phase 3: Validation (6 months)
- Implementation and testing with end users
- Development of an action plan for sustainability post-project
- Phase 4: Replication (3 months)
- Replication of solutions in use cases from the Open Call #2 – Test-Before-Invest
Financial support
Each selected consortium will receive up to € 81.000 distributed as follows:
- Tech provider: up to €60.000
- Farm: up to €21.000
The funding will be provided on a lump sum basis in compliance with EC’s Guidelines for Horizon Europe, with payments linked to achievement of relevant deliverables.
Deadline for applications: 15/07/2025 5:00 pm
Application period: 15/05/2025 - 15/07/2025
Instructions for the application:
How to Apply
- Applications must be submitted through the online form here
- All eligibility criteria, terms and conditions must be attentively checked in the Guide for Applicants
- All mandatory sections must be completed in English
- The deadline for submission is 15/07/2025 at 5:00 pm CEST (Brussels time)
- Upon successful submission, you will receive a confirmation email
If you encounter any technical issues while filling out the online Application Form or have questions about this Open Call, please email us at ocguardians@ctic.es.
Important Dates
- Submission period: 15/05/2025 – 15/07/2025
- Eligibility check: 16/07/2025 – 23/07/2025
- Evaluation of proposals: 24/07/2025 – 29/08/2025
- Consensus meeting: 01/09/2025 – 07/09/2025
- Communication of results: 08/09/2025 – 15/09/2025 | DEADLINE EXTENDED – PROCESS CLOSED
- Contracting: 16/09/2025 – 16/10/2025 | DEADLINE EXTENDED – PROCESS CLOSED
Info session – How to apply?
Documents:
FAQs: below you can find some of the most FAQs. To check all FAQs, please click here.
FAQ 1 Eligibility Criteria - Who can apply?
For this Open Call only consortia made up of 2 entities are eligible to apply: one technology provider and one small or medium-sized farm.
- Technology providers for the co-design, development and implementation of digital
technological solutions: SMEs1 (including Startups), RTOs and Universities - Small or medium-sized farms for the co-design, testing and validation of the
technological solutions (See Annex A of the Guide for Applicants)
Please note the following eligibility conditions:
- Each participating entity must provide a valid VAT number at the time of Sub-Grant Agreement preparation. Failure to provide a valid VAT number will automatically result in exclusion from the Sub-Grant Agreement preparation process.
- GUARDIANS Consortium partners, and their affiliated entities (Horizon Europe definition) are not eligible. However, for those beneficiaries that are cooperatives with “members” then regular members that do not receive financial compensation (e.g., employees), or hold decision making power (e.g. serving on the board of directors) from the Cooperatives involved in GUARDIANS are eligible to apply.
- Entities under liquidation, classified as ‘in difficulty’ according to EU regulations, excluded from EU funding, or subject to national bankruptcy laws are not eligible to apply
FAQ 2 Eligibility Criteria - What countries are eligible?
We are looking for entities legally registered at the time of application submission to this Co-Creation Open Call in one of the following countries:
- The Member States of the European Union and its Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT)
- Associated Countries (AC) to Horizon Europe. Association to Horizon Europe is governed by the Horizon Europe Regulation 2021/695.
The applicants who are subject to EU restrictive measures under Article 29 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and article 215 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU) are not eligible to participate in this Open Call.
FAQ 3 Application Submission - How do I submit my application?
Your application needs to be submitted through this form. Proposals submitted by other means are not eligible and will not be considered for evaluation.
FAQ 4 Funding Programme - Can I apply if I have received FSTP grants from other projects before?
Yes, it is possible to apply if you have received funding from other EU projects before.
However, costs for the same activity cannot be funded twice from the EU budget. You cannot receive funding for the same project more than once. If you are selected for multiple EU projects, you must ensure compliance with the “no double funding” rule. This means that the same costs for the same activity cannot be funded twice through public funds. You will need to confirm that any funding you received from other EU projects does not cover the same costs or tasks that are being funded through the GUARDIANS project.
FAQ 5 Evaluation Process - What happens after my application has been submitted?
The applicants will receive a notification from the system confirming that their application has been successfully submitted. If you do not receive this confirmation, please get in touch with us.
Immediately after the submission deadline on 15th July 2025 at 5:00 pm CEST (Brussels Time), a First Check will be conducted to verify if applicants meet the eligibility criteria outlined in the Guide for Applicants. For a complete description of the Evaluation Process, please refer to the Guide for Applicants.
FAQ 6 Evaluation Process - Who is the Selection Committee?
The GUARDIANS Selection Committee is composed of the coordinator (CTIC) and at least two of the technical partners from the GUARDIANS Consortium (ITACyL, CARBON, CZU, LINKS, ART21, FLOX, IVL). This committee will review the External Evaluators’ ranking list and, by vote (with a minimum 2/3 majority), decide on the Provisional List of FSTP recipients and the Reserve List. Please check Section 4.3 of the Guide for Applicants for further information regarding the Selection Committee.
FAQ 7 Evaluation Process - What is the minimum score to pass the experts evaluation phase?
The threshold for each individual criterion is 3 out of 5 points. The overall threshold, which applies to the sum of the three individual scores, is 14 out of 20 points. The maximum total score is 22 points (Up to 2 points could be provided in accordance with the eight extra features described in Section 4.2 of the Guide for Applicants). Proposals with a overall score below 14 or with any individual criterion score below 3 will not be recommended for funding.
For more information on the scoring and evaluation criteria, please refer to Section 4.2 of the Guide for Applicants.
