News

The European project GUARDIANS (Smart solutions to empower small- and medium-sized farms as guardians of the territory), funded under the Horizon Europe programme, has announced its 1st Open Call (Open Call #1 – Co-Creation), aiming to develop innovative, affordable digital solutions to empower small and medium-sized farms.

GUARDIANS Co-Creation Open Call invites consortia consisting of one technology provider (such as SMEs, startups, Research and Technology Organizations, or Universities) and one small or medium-sized farm. Selected consortia will receive funding to co-design, develop, test, and reuse solutions based on the real needs of small farmers, with the goal of promoting agroecology, sustainability, and resilience in the agricultural sector.

What does the Open Call offer?

The selected consortia will participate in a 15-month funding programme structured in four phases:

• Phase 1 – Co-Design (3 months): Development of a detailed roadmap and organization of a roadshow to promote the solutions.
• Phase 2 – Development (6 months): Development and initial implementation of the technological solution.
• Phase 3 – Validation (6 months): Pilot application and final evaluation by end-users.
• Phase 4 – Replication (3 months): Deployment of the solutions in new use cases through the upcoming GUARDIANS Open Call #2.

Who can apply?

• Consortia made up of one technology provider and one small or medium-sized farm.
• Eligible entities: SMEs, startups, research organizations, universities, agricultural enterprises.

Please consult the detailed eligibility criteria in the Guide for Applicants – Section 3.

Financial Support

The total funding available for this call is €729,000.

Each selected consortium can receive up to €81,000, allocated as follows:

• Technology provider: up to €60,000
• Farm: up to €21,000

The funding will be provided as a lump sum and will be linked to the successful completion of predefined deliverables, in line with the European Commission’s guidelines for Horizon Europe.

Benefits of Participation

• For farms: Access to digital solutions tailored to their needs and familiarity with new technologies.
• For technology providers: Opportunity to test their solutions in real-life conditions and be included in the GUARDIANS technology portfolio, which will also be promoted in the project’s second open call.

Call Timeline

• Application period: 15/05/2025 – 15/07/2025 (17:00 CEST)
• Eligibility check: 16/07 – 23/07/2025
• Evaluation: 24/07 – 29/08/2025
• Announcement of results: 08/09 – 15/09/2025
• Contract signing: 16/09 – 16/10/2025

Applications must be submitted exclusively online via the submission form.

All applications must be written in English and comply with the requirements outlined in the Guide for Applicants.

For questions or technical issues, please contact the support team at: ocguardians@ctic.es.