Descrição

The PRIMA Programme has launched a new funding call under Thematic Area 3: Food Value Chain in the Nexus, supporting innovative solutions for sustainable on-site transformation of perishable Mediterranean agricultural products. The call aims to reduce post-harvest losses, strengthen local value chains, and promote climate-resilient agri-food systems across Mediterranean regions.

Opening Date: 20 March 2026 Submission Deadline (Stage 1): 15 May 2026 at 13:00 CET Type of Action: Innovation Action (IA) Total Budget: EUR 10.814 million

Scope

Proposals should focus on the development of modular, cost-efficient processing solutions; on-site or near-site transformation of perishable agricultural products; renewable-powered processing technologies; digital and AI-enabled processing solutions where applicable; and technologies suitable for rural and infrastructure-limited areas.

Targeted agricultural products include onions, tomatoes, peppers, grapes, olives, citrus fruits, and figs. Example processing solutions include drying, fermentation, cooling, preservation, herbal extraction, and food pastes and spreads.

Expected Outcomes

Projects funded under this call are expected to reduce post-harvest losses of perishable agricultural products; improve competitiveness of local agricultural products; strengthen circular bioeconomy models; increase income diversification for rural communities; support participation of women and youth in agri-food entrepreneurship; promote renewable energy use in processing systems; and improve resilience of Mediterranean agri-food systems.

Project Requirements

Projects are expected to demonstrate technical feasibility; validate solutions in real operational environments; demonstrate scalability and replicability; provide viable business models; include SMEs and value chain actors; apply multi-actor approaches and stakeholder involvement; and develop training and capacity-building programmes.

Projects must monitor the following Key Performance Indicators: reduction of post-harvest losses (%), energy consumption per unit of product, and increase in local value retention (%).

Eligibility

Eligible applicants include universities, research institutions, SMEs, startups, cooperatives, technology providers, NGOs, and public sector organisations. Consortia are encouraged and multi-actor participation is strongly recommended, including farmers, SMEs, researchers, and local authorities.

Eligible countries include Mediterranean region countries participating in PRIMA: Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Turkey, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel.

How to Apply

• All templates are available here.
• The proposal must be submitted via the Electronic Submission System (ESS), including:
  • Part I: Administrative Data, which comprise both those to be filled out directly on the ESS, and those to be uploaded by using the Part I template.
  • Part II: Technical Annex (scientific document), which is the description of the planned project (page limit stage-1: 10 pages, stage-2: 40 pages, all sections included).
  • Detailed Budget Table (excel template) is needed only during the Second Stage.
• Proposals, all Annexes, and any additional documents must be written in English, in a legible font.
• The work described in the proposal must correspond to the PRIMA Call Section 1. The proposal must meet all eligibility and admissibility conditions described in these guidelines and in the WP2026. Proposals that do not comply with such requirements will be considered ineligible or inadmissible.
• Between Stage-1 and Stage-2, NO MODIFICATIONS are allowed in the consortium composition (Organisations, Coordinator and PIs), budget and scientific objectives.
• Please note that there is no “Submit” button on the ESS. The last version of all the uploaded documents will be automatically submitted at the call deadline’s closure time.