Call: Thematic Area 3 Food value chain in the Nexus

Proposals should support the co-design, development, demonstration, and validation of compact, modular, and cost-efficient processing solutions enabling the on-site or near-site transformation of perishable Mediterranean the on-site or near-site transformation of perishable Mediterranean plant agricultural products (e.g., onions, tomatoes, peppers, grapes, olives, citrus fruits, figs, etc.) into higher-value food products (such as dried fruits, pastes, spreads, fermented products, preserved vegetables, herbal extracts etc.). Solutions should be adapted to typical Mediterranean agro-climatic conditions and socio-economic contexts, including areas with limited water availability and weak infrastructure. Technologies should be simple to operate, maintain, repair, and replicate locally, ensuring long-term adoption and sustainability. Processing units may be powered by renewable energy sources (e.g. solar, wind, biomass) or hybrid off-grid systems, and may include capabilities such as drying, cooling, fermentation, preservation, or green extraction. Where relevant, digital and AI-enabled functionalities may be integrated to improve quality control, resource efficiency, and traceability along the value chain.
In line with the award criteria for Innovation Actions, proposals will be assessed on the credibility of their pathways to impact, including the meaningful involvement of SMEs and other innovation actors, as well as on the economic and financial viability of the proposed processing solutions.

Applicants are therefore expected to demonstrate cost-effectiveness, affordability, replicability, and scalability, supported by appropriate business and financing models and, where relevant, engagement with value-chain actors or investors.

Projects are expected to address all the following activities:

• Co-develop, validate, and field-demonstrate decentralised and modular processing technologies adapted to smallholder, cooperative, and community-based production contexts, including mountain communities and other geographically remote or marginal rural areas.
• Solutions should integrate renewable-energy-powered or hybrid off-grid systems to ensure environmental and operational sustainability under diverse Mediterranean conditions.
• Apply participatory and user-centred design approaches throughout development, testing, and demonstration phases. Proposals are strongly encouraged to adopt a Multi-Actor Approach (MAA)25, ensuring meaningful involvement of end users, SMEs, technology providers, researchers, and local authorities/communities across the entire project cycle. Living Labs26 are encouraged as a framework to support co-creation and stakeholder engagement in real operational contexts.
• Demonstrate technical performance, cost-effectiveness, replicability, and scalability of the proposed solutions in real operational settings. This should include comprehensive technological economic and market analyses, comparative cost and affordability assessments, and the validation of feasible business and scale-up models. Proposals should also present credible exploitation, manufacturing, and deployment strategies, including pathways for local production or assembly, distribution models, and long-term operational support structures.

In addition to selecting at least three PRIMA-specific KPIs, applicants are expected to monitor and report on the following compulsory KPIs:

• Reduction of post-harvest losses (%) for the targeted product(s)
• Energy consumption per unit of transformed product, including renewable energy share;
• Increase in added value retained locally (%) at farm, cooperative, or community level.

Proposals are encouraged to develop and implement training, maintenance, and capacity-building programmes to enable long-term operation, local repair capabilities, and sustained uptake within target territories. Projects selected under this topic are encouraged to establish active synergies with projects funded under the Horizon Europe call HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-FARM2FORK-02. Such synergies could focus on the exchange of best practices, joint dissemination activities, and cross-fertilisation of innovative technological and business-model solutions.