Research and innovation for food waste prevention and reduction at household level through measurement, monitoring and new technologies

The main goal of this opportunity is to support research and innovation that helps prevent and reduce food waste at the household level. The focus is on developing ways to measure and monitor food waste, using new technologies to make reporting easier, and understanding why food waste happens in homes. Projects should help harmonize food waste measurement across Europe and support better decision-making for policymakers and stakeholders. The geographic scope covers EU countries, EU outermost regions, and countries in Central and Eastern Europe, with special attention to widening countries and international partnerships, especially with Africa.

• Design and validate new or existing tools and methods (e.g. IoT-enabled sensors, AI, predictive analytics, smart scales) for measuring household food waste, differentiating avoidable vs unavoidable fractions.

• Enable harmonised, reliable, comparable data collection across EU Member States to support Waste Framework Directive reporting requirements.

• Provide insights into consumer behavior and causal drivers of food waste, to inform targeted interventions and policies.

• Facilitate policy-maker uptake by delivering scalable solutions that reduce food waste, greenhouse gas emissions, and pressure on natural resources

Example Projects:

• A project that creates a mobile app to help households track and reduce their food waste, designed with input from local authorities, NGOs, and technology companies.
• A research initiative that studies the social and economic causes of food waste in different European regions, involving universities, community groups, and policymakers.
• An awareness campaign co-developed by researchers, food retailers, and civil society groups to educate households on food storage and waste reduction techniques.

• Personnel costs for project staff
• Costs for equipment and technology needed for measurement or monitoring
• Expenses for developing and testing new tools or applications
• Travel and meeting costs for project partners and stakeholders
• Communication and dissemination activities
• Workshops and training sessions
• Data collection and analysis
• Costs for engaging stakeholders, including NGOs and civil society
• Project management and coordination

All expenses must fit within the lump sum funding model. Specific restrictions or further details may apply as outlined in the program guidelines.

• Budget for this Call: 8.000.000€
• Number of Grants attributed: 2
• Budget per project: 4.000.000€

• At least three independent entities from three different eligible countries, including one from an EU Member State.

• All participants must be based in EU Member States or Horizon Europe associated countries.

• Financial and operational capacity required per Horizon Europe Annexes B and C.

• Action type is Research & Innovation Action (RIA) using a lump-sum grant model.

• Must align with FARM2FORK objectives and build on previous EU research.

• Standard Horizon Europe ethics, legal, and data rules apply.