Build the European food safety knowledge ecosystem, ensuring safe food as the basis for healthy diets and sustainable food systems.

The objective this call is to address, by collection and analysis of experimental and observational evidence, key knowledge gaps identified during EFSA plant health risk assessment and preparedness activities on invasive insect plant pests and on insect vectors of invasive plant pathogens.

This call is divided into three specific groups. Applicants may apply for one or more groups.

Lot 2: focuses on understanding the thermal ecology and biology of the different life stages of the false codling moth (Thaumatotibia leucotreta) in East Africa, to reduce key risk assessment uncertainties on this pest.

Maximum budget available: €250.000.00 for a maximum duration of 36 months from kick off meeting.

• Agriculture - Farming - Forestry
• Environment and Climate Change
• Research, Technological Development and Innovation
• Rural development

• Businesses
• International Organisations
• Legal Entities
• Other Beneficiaries
• Private Bodies
• Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
• State-owned Enterprises

To be eligible, applicants must be on the list of competent organisations designated by the Member States in accordance with Article 36 of Regulation (EC) 178/2002 and Commission Regulation (EC) 2230/2004. This list is regularly updated by EFSA Management Board and is available for consultation using this link https://efsa.force.com/competentorganisations/s/.

In order to achieve the main objective of the call, proposals can be submitted by one eligible organisation or by a consortium of eligible organisations. In case of a consortium, one of the partners must be identified in the proposal as the consortium leader. The applicant (consortium leader) is responsible for identifying consortium partners.

If you are searching for consortium partners, please contact your Focal Point at the following address: https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/partnersnetworks/eumembers 

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: For proper understanding of this call it is important to have clarity on the terminology regarding involved organisations and their roles.

Proposals submitted by a sole applicant:

The Applicant submits the proposal to EFSA. There can be only one applicant in the proposal.

As soon as the grant agreement is signed, the applicant becomes the beneficiary. The beneficiary is liable for the technical implementation of the project as described in the proposal which becomes Annex 1 of the grant agreement.

The beneficiary:

• Communicates with EFSA;
• Receives and answers all claims EFSA might have in relation to the implementation of the project;
• Requests and reviews any documents or information required by EFSA and verifies their completeness and correctness before passing them to EFSA;
• Informs EFSA of any event that is likely to substantially affect the implementation of the project;
• Submits the deliverables and reports to EFSA;
• Requests and receives payments from EFSA.

Proposals submitted by consortium:

• The Applicant submits the proposal to EFSA on behalf of the consortium. The applicant is the leading entity of the consortium.
• The Partner is the other entity in the consortium. There can be a minimum of one partner or more partners.

Once the grant is awarded, the grant agreement is signed between EFSA and the applicant (leading entity of the consortium).
Partners do not sign the grant agreement directly but instead sign a mandate (template provided by EFSA) authorising the applicant to sign the grant agreement and any future amendments on their behalf.

As soon as the grant agreement is signed, the applicant becomes the Coordinator and partner/s become co beneficiary/ies. The coordinator and co-beneficiary/ies are referred to as the beneficiaries. The beneficiaries are jointly and severally liable for the technical implementation of the project as described in the proposal. If a beneficiary fails to implement its part of the project, the other beneficiaries become responsible for implementing that part.

The coordinator has the following important roles:

• Takes part in implementing the project;
• Monitors the action is implemented properly;
• Act as intermediary for communication between the consortium and EFSA;
• Receives and answers all claims EFSA might have in relation to implementation of the project;
• Requests and reviews any documents or information required by EFSA and verifies their completeness and correctness before passing them to EFSA;
• Informs EFSA and the partner/s of any event that is likely to substantially affect implementation of the project;
• Submits the deliverables and reports to EFSA;
• Requests and receives payments from EFSA and distributes the funds to partner/s without unjustified delays.

The coordinator may not delegate the above-mentioned tasks to the co-beneficiary/ies or subcontract them to any third party.

The other beneficiary/ies:

• Take part in implementing the project;
• Forward to the coordinator the data needed to draw up reports, financial statements and other documents required under the grant agreement;
• Inform the coordinator of any event or circumstances likely to substantially affect or delay the implementation of the project.

For help related to this call, please contact: EFSAProcurement@efsa.europa.eu

• Funding&Tenders
• Call document