Deadline: 08-Jun-2026
The PRIMARY Open Call is accepting applications from 2–3 partner consortia in Europe for grants of up to €150,000 to validate, adapt, and scale sustainable agricultural solutions. The programme supports projects focused on agricultural waste valorisation, real-world testing, and building profitable value chains from underused agricultural feedstocks.
PRIMARY Open Call 2026 at a Glance
The PRIMARY Open Call supports innovative partnerships that can expand sustainable agricultural solutions across Europe.
It focuses on replicating and scaling proven models for agricultural waste valorisation in new regions, while generating practical evidence of technical feasibility, economic viability, and sustainability under real rural conditions.
Key focus areas:
- Sustainable agriculture
- Circular economy
- Bioeconomy
- Agricultural waste management
- Rural innovation
- Green value chains
What is the PRIMARY Open Call?
The PRIMARY Open Call is a European funding opportunity that supports small consortia in testing and refining PRIMARY’s proven business models for turning agricultural waste into valuable and marketable products.
The programme aims to help applicants:
- Validate existing sustainable agricultural solutions
- Adapt them to new European regions
- Demonstrate replicability and scalability
- Test them under real rural conditions
- Build profitable value chains from underutilised agricultural feedstocks
Funding Available
Funding depends on the size of the consortium.
Maximum Grant Amounts
- Up to €150,000 for a 3-partner consortium
- Up to €100,000 for a 2-partner consortium
- Up to €50,000 per individual partner
Number of Projects
- 6 to 9 sub-projects are expected to be funded
Who is Eligible?
The call is open to 2–3 partner consortia from Europe with complementary expertise.
Eligible applicants may include:
- Universities
- Research institutions
- Public bodies
- Primary producers
- Agricultural cooperatives
- Start-ups
- SMEs
- NGOs
The programme especially encourages:
- Technical partners that can test or apply the technology
- Implementation partners that can demonstrate it in real conditions
- Market or public-sector partners that can support scaling and value chain development
What Kind of Projects Does PRIMARY Want?
Projects should focus on proving that sustainable agricultural innovations can work beyond their original pilot setting.
Priority objectives include:
- Validating and refining PRIMARY’s business models for agricultural waste valorisation
- Demonstrating replicability in new European regions
- Showing scalability of innovative processes
- Proving technical feasibility under real rural conditions
- Demonstrating economic viability and sustainability
- Developing profitable value chains from underutilised agricultural feedstocks
What is Agricultural Waste Valorisation?
Agricultural waste valorisation means converting agricultural residues or underused biomass into something useful, valuable, or commercially viable.
This can help create:
- New products
- Additional income streams
- More efficient use of farm resources
- Stronger circular economy models
- Better sustainability outcomes in rural areas
Why This Opportunity Matters
This Open Call is important because it supports real-world implementation, not just research.
It gives organizations the opportunity to:
- Test sustainable agricultural solutions in practical settings
- Prove that a model works in a new region
- Build evidence for future scale-up
- Strengthen commercial pathways for agri-innovation
- Support rural circular economy development
How to Apply
Applicants should prepare a strong consortium-based proposal that clearly demonstrates technical, commercial, and sustainability value.
Suggested Application Steps
- Build the right consortium
Form a 2–3 partner team with complementary roles. - Choose the feedstock or waste stream
Clearly identify the agricultural waste or underutilised biomass your project will focus on. - Align with PRIMARY’s goals
Show how your project will validate, adapt, and scale a proven model in a new region. - Demonstrate feasibility
Explain the process, testing conditions, and expected outcomes. - Show economic potential
Include the business case, market relevance, and profitability pathway. - Highlight sustainability impact
Show how the project supports waste reduction, circular economy, and rural resilience.
Tips for Applicants
To improve your chances:
- Build a balanced consortium with clear partner roles
- Focus on a specific and realistic agricultural waste stream
- Show real implementation conditions, not just theory
- Include a clear business model
- Demonstrate how the solution can scale in other European regions
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Avoid these common errors:
- Submitting a consortium with unclear or overlapping roles
- Focusing only on technology without a business case
- Making vague sustainability claims without practical evidence
- Proposing a project that is too early-stage for real-world validation
- Failing to explain how the solution can be replicated or scaled
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the maximum funding available?
The maximum funding is €150,000 for a 3-partner consortium, €100,000 for a 2-partner consortium, and up to €50,000 per partner.
2. Who can apply?
Eligible applicants include 2–3 partner consortia that may involve universities, research institutions, public bodies, cooperatives, primary producers, start-ups, SMEs, and NGOs.
3. Can a single organization apply alone?
No. The call is designed for consortia of 2 or 3 partners, not single applicants.
4. What types of projects are suitable?
Projects should focus on validating, adapting, and scaling sustainable agricultural solutions, especially those related to agricultural waste valorisation and real-world rural testing.
5. How many projects will be funded?
The programme plans to fund 6 to 9 sub-projects.
6. Why is this grant important?
It helps organizations move from concept to practical implementation, while proving that sustainable agricultural solutions can be replicated, scaled, and made commercially viable.
Conclusion
The PRIMARY Open Call 2026 is a strong funding opportunity for European organizations working in sustainable agriculture, circular bioeconomy, and agricultural waste valorisation.
If your consortium can demonstrate real-world feasibility, scalability, and a viable value chain, this grant of up to €150,000 could be a valuable opportunity.
For more information, visit PRIMARY.