Boosting data availability and AI solutions in food for consumers and food service professionals
Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
Horizon Europe is the European Union (EU) funding programme for the period 2021 – 2027, which targets the sectors of research and innovation. The programme’s budget is around € 95.5 billion, of which € 5.4 billion is from NextGenerationEU to stimulate recovery and strengthen the EU’s resilience in the future, and € 4.5 billion is additional aid.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
The decisions taken by consumers and food service professionals when they purchase, prepare and preserve food impact their productivity as well as the sustainability of food systems, and dietary health.
AI solutions offer opportunities to assist consumers and food service professionals in these decisions. To maximise the impact of these AI solutions it is necessary to increase their uptake as well as the availability and quality of the data on which they rely.
Detailed Call Description
Proposals should:
- develop and deploy human-centric, generative AI solutions for consumers and food service professionals to support them in the processes of food purchasing, preservation and preparation, with a view to increase dietary health, sustainability (lower greenhouse gas emissions, energy & water footprint; lower food waste, and packaging waste) and productivity.
- support innovators working on generative AI solutions in food. The support should include: Encourage participation of SMEs and start-ups, such as through high-impact innovation platforms (e.g. EU Digital Innovation Hubs, accelerators, incubators). Offer innovation support packages that are tailored to innovative SMEs and start-ups and that are effective in bringing solutions to market. Prioritize support based on end-users needs, data availability and the likely impact potential on dietary health, sustainability and productivity when solutions are scaled-up, including for reducing greenhouse gas emissions;
- engage with a broad range of stakeholders (e.g. consumers, retailers, caterers, equipment manufacturers) to ensure that the solutions developed are practical and widely adopted. Include plans for providing training and ongoing support to end users to maximize the effective and significant use of the AI solutions;
- advance the access to trustworthy digital product data in food. Improve the availability, sovereignty and quality of data sets that are high value in view of end-users needs, and the likely impact potential on dietary health, sustainability and productivity when solutions are scaled-up, including for reducing greenhouse gas emissions;
- encourage businesses and other relevant actors (e.g. public authorities, certification bodies) in the food system to enhance data capture, optimize data sharing, and promote data reuse;
- ensure that sufficient and good quality data is mobilised from different relevant data sources (e.g. in-situ data, model data, sensor data, device data, remote sensing, personal data, government data) across the computing continuum, and from different parts of the food system, from primary production, over food processing to consumption and disposal.
Where appropriate, proposals should use, federate, optimise and complete tools, capacities and infrastructures created under the Digital Europe Program (incl. European Data Spaces, EDIHs) and under Horizon Europe projects and partnerships (incl. Partnerships Agriculture of Data & FutureFoods). Proposals are encouraged to building on results from previous and relevant calls and projects. Proposals should also comply with existing EU framework and strategies and building upon the concepts and solutions developed in other Union initiatives aimed to facilitate data sharing, such as the Common European Agricultural Data Space (CEADS).
Proposals must implement the ‘multi-actor approach’ and ensure adequate involvement of the main stakeholders of food systems and the data economy. This topic should involve the effective contribution of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
70%
Expected EU contribution per project: €7.50 million
Thematic Categories
- Environment and Climate Change
- Information and Communication Technologies
- Information Technology
- Other Services
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
- Rural development
- Small-Medium Enterprises and Competitiveness
- Social Affairs & Human Rights
Eligibility for Participation
- Associations
- Businesses
- Central Government
- Chambers
- Consumer Organisations
- Educational Institutions
- Farmers, Agriculturalists
- Large Enterprises
- Legal Entities
- Natual person / Citizen / Individual
- NGOs
- Non Profit Organisations
- Other Beneficiaries
- Private Bodies
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- Services Providers
- Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
- State-owned Enterprises
Eligibility For Participation Notes
In line with the “restriction on control in innovation actions in critical technology areas” delineated in General Annex B of the General Annexes, entities established in an eligible country but which are directly or indirectly controlled by China or by a legal entity established in China are not eligible to participate in the action.
The following additional eligibility criteria apply: The proposals must apply the multi-actor approach. See definition of the multi-actor approach in this work programme part.
Subject to restrictions for the protection of European communication networks.
A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects.
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Research and Innovation Foundation
29a Andrea Michalakopoulou, 1075 Nicosia,
P.B. 23422, 1683 Nicosia
Telephone: +357 22205000
Fax: +357 22205001
Email: support@research.org.cy
Website: https://www.research.org.cy/en/
Contact Person:
Marcia Trillidou
Scientific Officer A’
Email: trillidou@research.org.cy