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Diversification of nutritional food ingredient sources for increased EU resilience and strategic autonomy

European Commission

Expected Outcome:

Successful proposals will contribute to the implementation of the EU initiative on Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing and the EU Life Sciences Strategy as well as the updated EU Bioeconomy Strategy, the upcoming EU Biotechnology Act and EU Circular Economy Act.

Projects’ results are expected to contribute to the following expected outcomes:

Full industrial scale biorefinery and related value chain(s) for the production of nutritional food ingredients.
Resilience and strategic autonomy of EU food sectors via diversification of nutritional food ingredient sources.
Increased environmental sustainability of food sectors (e.g. addressing issues like land use, water use, energy consumption, nitrogen cycle, other nutrients, etc.).
Improved consumers awareness and acceptance of nutritional food ingredients from alternative sources, contributing to sustainable healthy diets.

Scope:

Human nutrition is a key area where the bio-based industries can play an important role in addressing the present societal and climate challenges. Considerable attention is given to the utilisation of alternative sources of proteins, fibres and oils/fats, due to the increasing world population and the pressure on finite natural resources. Many sources for food ingredients, alternative to agricultural crops, exist and have been successfully piloted across the EU. However, efforts are needed to scale up sustainable processes to achieve adequate or even improved nutritional properties, ensure safety and consumers/end users acceptance, while achieving cost competitiveness.

Proposals under this topic should:

Demonstrate (at TRL 8) the efficient production of nutritional ingredients for food applications. Proteins, lipids, specialty carbohydrates, and fibres are in scope. Target at least one of these as the main product driving the business case. Structural or functional ingredients such as colourants, preservatives, stabilisers, texturisers, enzymes are not in scope as the main product.
- Synergistic co-production of multiple and different food and feed ingredients and other bio-based products is also in scope following the cascading approach.
- All sources of bio-based feedstock[1] are in scope.
- Direct production of food from food crops, livestock, fisheries and aquaculture is not in scope. The use of industrial grade feedstock[2] from agricultural crops is in scope for conversion into food grade ingredients.
Validate (at TRL 6 and above) the use of the obtained nutritional food ingredient(s) into the formulation of at least 1 food product proving quality, stability, nutritional and sensorial properties. Additional aspects related to prevention of intolerances/allergies, improved palatability and digestibility, health benefits, etc. are also in scope depending on the ingredient(s), formulation(s) and product(s) developed.
Address resource efficiency and circularity aspects to increase economic and socio-environmental added value. When pursuing circular models, ensure that neither pathogens nor contaminants are injected back in the loop, to avoid negative toxicological effects.

In addition to the specific requirements applicable for the type of action, as described in section 2.2.3.1 of the CBE JU Annual Work Programme 2026[3], proposals under this topic should:

Assess the safety of developed nutritional food ingredients, in line with EU regulatory requirements and EFSA guidance documents. Moreover, identify potential EU regulatory gaps and propose recommendations to relevant EU policymakers on how to better support food ingredient companies (including startups and scaleups) in addressing EFSA risk assessment.
As part of the multi-actor approach (MAA), involve end-users (including consumers) and other relevant actors starting from the early stages to gather input, raise awareness and ultimately foster market acceptance of the targeted end-products and incorporate insights into product development.
Ensure complementarities and avoid overlaps with past and ongoing R&I projects addressing similar challenges funded under CBE JU and Horizon Europe topics.

All Horizon Europe proposals are scored on three decisive pillars:

✔️ Excellence

Clear, innovative idea beyond state-of-the-art
Strong methodology and scientific credibility
Well-defined, measurable objectives

✔️ Impact (most decisive in practice)

Demonstrated societal, economic, or environmental impact
Strong dissemination & exploitation plan
Alignment with EU priorities (Green Deal, digital, SDGs)

✔️ Quality & Efficiency of Implementation

Realistic work plan, timeline, and deliverables
Clear governance and task distribution
Feasible and justified budget

👉 Proposals must meet minimum thresholds (≈10/15 total) and ≥3 per criterion to be fundable

🧠 2. Consortium Strength (Top Empirical Predictor)

From large-scale studies of EU Framework grants:

Key factors:

Prior EU funding experience (very strong predictor)
High scientific reputation / excellence of partners
Strong existing collaborations (network familiarity)
High “network visibility” in EU research ecosystem

Structural advantages:

Balanced consortium (academia + industry + SMEs)
Inclusion of well-established Western EU institutions
Application-oriented collaborations perform better

👉 This is one of the most consistently proven predictors across studies

🌍 3. Strategic Consortium Composition

Successful proposals often show:

Multidisciplinary & cross-sector teams
Inclusion of:
- Universities
- Industry/SMEs
- Public or non-profit organizations
Alignment of partner roles with project objectives

👉 “Triangular collaboration” (academia + industry + research orgs) is common in funded projects

📊 4. Strong Alignment with Call Topic

Precise match with call scope and expected outcomes
Explicit referencing of:
- Work Programme priorities
- EU missions / policy goals
Avoid “generic” proposals

👉 Misalignment is a major reason for rejection (even for strong science)

📑 5. Proposal Quality & Compliance

Critical but often underestimated predictors:

Full compliance with:
- Formatting rules
- Page limits
- Mandatory annexes
Clear, readable, structured writing
Inclusion of ethics, gender, and data management plans

👉 Administrative errors can lead to automatic rejection

💰 6. Budget Credibility

Budget must be:
- Realistic
- Justified per work package
- Linked to outputs

👉 Weak or inflated budgets reduce evaluation scores

⏳ 7. Preparation Time & Proposal Development

Successful consortia typically:
- Start 6–8 months in advance
- Iterate drafts and internal reviews
Proposal preparation often requires 2–3 person-months effort

📈 8. Experience with Evaluation Process

Understanding scoring system and evaluator mindset is crucial
Key predictors:
- Prior submissions (even unsuccessful ones)
- Use of experienced coordinators or consultants

👉 Studies show success depends on both:

Excellent idea
Understanding evaluation system

📉 9. Success Rate Context (Competitiveness)

Average success rate ≈ 16% in Horizon Europe

👉 Meaning: even strong proposals fail → optimization of all predictors is essential

🧩 Summary: Most Important Predictors (Ranked)

Highest impact factors:

Strong consortium (experience + reputation)
Clear impact (policy + societal relevance)
Excellence of idea

Moderate but critical:
4. Implementation quality
5. Call alignment
6. Budget credibility

Supporting factors:
7. Proposal writing quality & compliance
8. Early preparation
9. Familiarity with EU evaluation process

💡 Practical Insight

The biggest shift from Horizon 2020 → Horizon Europe is:

👉 Impact is now as important (or more) than scientific excellence

Specialties

Others

Eligibility Requirements

General conditions

1. Admissibility conditions: Proposal page limit and layout

described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.

2. Eligible countries

described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.

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. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

3. Other Eligibility Conditions

described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: European Commission

Sponsor Type: Government/Federal

Address: Berlaymont Building, Rue de la Loi 200, 1040 Brussels

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