The European project GUARDIANS aims to empower small - and medium-sized farms through smart solutions, bridging the technological gap with larger food producers. GUARDIANS will put in place a set of cost-effective and human-centric digital solutions, which aim to support and empower the penetration, sustainability and resilience of more agroecological farming models, like regenerative agriculture, natural grazing, alternative managed grazing strategies, and the promotion of pollinators in different farm structures. Following a multi-actor co-creation methodology 9 different technologies, combining software and hardware, will be customized to cover the farmers' needs.
To reinforce multi-actor collaborations and foster co-creation between research and technical experts and farmers and boost the overall impact of the project, GUARDIANS will launch two Open Calls. The project aims to attract a substantial number of applications for both calls, expanding its portfolio of technologies and generating a multiplier effect through real-world use cases.
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Open Call
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Co-Creation OC
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Test Before Invest OC
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TOTAL
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Nº of projects
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Up to 9
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Up to 9
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Funding per project
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Up to €81,000
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Up to €10,000
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Total budget
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€729,000
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€90,000
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€819,000
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Beneficiaries from GUARDIANS Co-Creation Open Call will join a 15-month funding programme which includes the following phases:
Phase 1 - Co-Design (3 months): Delivery of a detailed roadmap describing the proposed implementation of the solution and how it will be implemented attending to specific user requirements more detailed than in the proposal phase. (Milestone 1)
Additionally, a presential workshop or roadshow will be organized, for the farms associated with the cooperatives involved in the project to bring these innovations closer to small-and-medium farms. (Milestone 2)[1]
Phase 2 - Development (6 months): Development and initial deployment (if needed) of the digital solution ready to start the implementation in the pilot, the developments in this phase should be documented and justified. (Milestone 3)
Phase 3 - Validation (6 months): Implementation and modification of the digital solution in the pilot. Definition and performance of test scenarios to ensure that the solution conforms with the requirements specification. Testing the solution with end users and obtaining their feedback; usability testing. Action plan for sustainability post-project and commercialisation. Delivery of recommendations and technical guidelines for the use of the solution in similar settings. (Milestone 4)
Phase 4 - Replication (3 months): Solutions within the Co-Creation Open Call will be replicated in the use cases resulting from the Test-Before-Invest Open Call. Phase 4 will be developed in parallel with the last 3 months of Phase 3. (Milestone 5)
The funding of the GUARDIANS Co-creation Open Call is deliverable based, provided in 4 instalments, to be distributed upon successful submission of the relevant deliverables and its positive assessment by the GUARDIANS Selection Committee.
Payments will be done after Milestone’s Review at the end of each phase (no prefinancing will be allocated), following the scheme below:
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Phase
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Duration
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Funding
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1 / Design
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3 months
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Technology provider up to €10,000
Farm up to €6,000
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2 / Development
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6 months
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Technology provider up to €20,000
Farm up to €6,000
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3 / Validation
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6 months
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Technology provider up to €20,000*
Farm up to €10,000
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4 / Replication
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3 months**
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Technology provider up to €10,000
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TOTAL
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Up to €81,000
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*Payments regarding Phase 3 will be linked to the participation of the tech provider in the Test-Before-Invest Open Call that will run in parallel during the last 3 months, and the mandatory video-demo submission and online presentation to validate the technology.
**In parallel with phase 3.
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Technology providers whose solutions are selected in the Test Before Invest Open Call will receive up to €10,000 for the deployment of their technology in a second farm, as part of the replication phase (Phase 4).
Please note that for those technology providers whose technology is selected in the Test Before Invest Open Call, the payment of this amount, as well as the payment of up to €20,000 for Phase 3 (Validation), is conditional on the technology provider’s participation in the replication phase.
Technology providers whose solutions are not selected in the Test Before Invest Open Call will receive the payment of up to €20,000 for Phase 3 (Validation).
[1] Milestone 2 can also be achieved in month 6 of the project (the 3rd month of Phase 2) if it is considered beneficial for the project, such as by presenting a more developed Proof of Concept (PoC). Please note that this will affect the Lump Sum payment.
