New funding opportunity for biotech agri-food projects
- Rural Pact
- Rural Revitalisation Platform
- Prosperous rural areas
- Bioeconomy & circular economy
- Agriculture and food
The European Commission’s European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) has launched a call for proposals for agri-food projects focused on fermentation technologies. Submit your application by 2 June 2026.
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The call, Agri-food Biotech Scaling-up (SMP-COSME-2026-BIOAGRIFOOD), will support bioeconomy projects focusing on advanced fermentation for food and feed applications.
Fostering the use of fermentation technologies presents important economic opportunities for rural areas, as it allows for rapid production of protein-rich foods with minimal inputs.
The selected projects should boost collaboration between small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and relevant stakeholders, provide support to SMEs in establishing a coherent strategic direction, facilitate knowledge exchange and networking, and provide tailored scale-up and regulatory support.
Projects should last for a maximum of 36 months and support the EU priorities of strategic autonomy, sustainability, resilience and food security.
The call is open to consortia with a minimum of three applicants from two different countries. Eligible applicants include legal entities established in EU Member States and countries participating in the Single Market Programme.
The estimated available budget is EUR 3 000 000, which is expected to fund two projects.
Applicants can submit proposals by 2 June via the Funding and Tenders portal.
A recording of an informative webinar on the call is available on the EISMEA website.
Explore the latest Rural Pact resources on the topics of bioeconomy and agriculture and food.