The latest call for the next round of projects funded under the European Innovation Partnerships (EIP) programme has been announced today (Wednesday, April 24), including two new project themes.
The next two calls for project ideas will focus on animal health and welfare, and gender balance in farming in Ireland, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), Pippa Hackett said.
Selected projects will be funded for a period of between three and five years with a maximum budget allocation of €650,000 per project. The closing date for expressions of interest is Wednesday, May 22, at 5:00p.m, by electronic submission.
EIP projects are locally-led schemes which are designed and implemented by collaborative groups involving farmers, scientists, ecologists and other experts to deliver specific goals.
There are currently two flagship EIP projects under Ireland’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2023-2027 strategic plan, namely the Water Quality EIP and the Breeding Waders EIP.
EIP projects
The EIP initiative involves a range of stakeholders (farmers, advisors, researchers, NGOs) coming together in what are termed “operational groups” to trial innovative solutions that the groups themselves have developed.
The two calls are designed using a two-phase process, whereby expressions of interest are first being sought from potential operational groups, with those who present the most potential then being invited to submit more detailed proposals.
The EIP initiative is co-funded by the European Commission and the Irish government under the CAP strategic plan. The DAFM will fund payments to farmers as well as the operational groups’ administrative costs.
Further information on the EIP initiative and the guidelines for this call for proposals can be accessed on the DAFM website under “European Innovation Partnership Scheme”.
CAP Network Ireland will run a webinar to inform applicants of the requirements under the EIP programme, including available supports and advice on writing a proposal. The intended date of this webinar is Thursday, May 2, at 2:30p.m.
The call later in the year will focus on environmental themes such as soil health and climate mitigation, following on from the “great success” of the biodiversity EIPs and the recent launch of the Water Quality EIP, Minister Hackett said.
Announcing the latest call for expressions of interest, Minister Hackett said: “I am delighted to announce the call for the next round of projects under the European Innovation Partnerships.
“This latest round of projects will cover animal health and welfare, and gender balance in farming in Ireland – two policy areas that are hugely important and that are rightly gaining increasing awareness in our sector.
“EIPs have proven over the last number of years to be a great way to bring farmers and other stakeholders together, backed up with financial and administrative support, to develop new and innovative ways to tackle the many existing and emerging challenges faced by the agriculture sector.”
“I look forward to a continuation of this positive engagement between farmers and the relevant stakeholders in this round of projects, and indeed to a call later this year for a further round of EIP proposals,” she added.