Applications for the Path4Med Open Call must be submitted electronically via the opencalls.fund platform. All necessary information regarding the Open Call will be available on the Path4Med website: https://www.path4med.eu/open-call/. Submissions received through any other channel will not be considered and will be automatically discarded.
- Applicants are strongly encouraged to read all documents carefully — particularly the Applicants’ Guide, which outlines eligibility requirements, evaluation criteria, and submission procedures. By submitting an application, applicants automatically accept the terms and conditions of the Open Call as described in the Path4Med Open Call Kit.
- If multiple versions of the same application are submitted, only the most recent version will be evaluated; earlier versions will be disregarded.
- English is the official language of the Path4Med Open Call. Applications submitted in any other language will not be evaluated.
Throughout the entire process, the confidentiality of applicants’ identities and proposal contents will be strictly maintained. Information related to the selected Path4Med solution(s) and their planned implementation will be treated with the utmost discretion.
After the Open Call closes, an eligibility check will be conducted by the Open Call Advisory Board to identify and exclude non-eligible applications. Following this, a remote evaluation will be carried out by carefully selected external experts.
Each proposal will be assessed by two (2) independent external evaluators with relevant technical and/or business expertise related to the call’s topics. Evaluators will score proposals based on three award criteria: i) Excellence, ii) Impact, and iii) Capacity.
All award criteria have the same weight. Each award criterion can be scored from 1 to 5 with a threshold of 3 points in each category, and a minimum of 9 points in total.
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The Path4Med Open Call is a key mechanism to support the real-life testing and demonstration of the innovative solutions that will be developed within the project. It is designed to empower public authorities—particularly in the Mediterranean basin and associated regions—to take an active role in reducing nutrient-related pollution and promoting sustainable agricultural practices.
Through this Open Call, the Path4Med consortium will provide Financial Support to Third Parties, selecting five (5) proposals in total. The call aims to showcase the feasibility, replicability, and scalability of the Path4Med solutions in diverse regional and environmental contexts.
Applications will be accepted only from single applicants that will be public authorities (no consortia), acting on a regional or local level. Selected public authorities will be expected to:
● Implement and test at least one (1) of the Path4Med solutions in real-world settings within their region.
● Demonstrate the applicability and value of the solution(s) in reducing excess nutrient pollution and improving soil and water management.
● Engage local stakeholders (e.g., farmers, citizens, service providers) to promote knowledge sharing, co-creation, and wider awareness.
● Provide feedback and insights that will support the broader adoption, adaptation, and policy alignment of the tested solution(s) across Europe.
Path4Med will accept applications submitted by local or regional public authorities from specific associated regions that are eligible to participate in Horizon Europe excluding those with partners in the Path4Med consortium, as described in paragraph 3.2.2 of the Applicant’s Guide. To ensure associated regions have the opportunity to work with the most relevant and impactful solutions, a list is provided for the applicants to choose from. Applicants must select at least one category and implement one or more solutions from it, based on the needs and priorities of their region. Applicants are encouraged to combine solutions either within the same category or across different categories, provided this approach aligns with their regional needs and remains feasible within the project scope.
The implementation of the Path4Med sub-projects will be divided into three phases:
Phase 1 – Feasibility (M1), Phase 2 – Replicability (M2–M7), and Phase 3 – Scalability (M8–M9).
Each phase will conclude with the submission of a deliverable summarising the work carried out during that period. Following each submission, the Path4Med Open Call Advisory Board will conduct a review of the deliverable. If necessary, subgrantees may be requested to revise their submission based on specific feedback or required modifications. Payments will be made after the successful review and acceptance of each phase deliverable, according to the following schedule:
- Phase 1 - Feasibility 1 month (Jul. ‘26) | Payment of 20% of the total grant | Deliverable: Feasibility Plan;
- Phase 2 - Replicability 6 months (Aug. ‘26 - Jan. ‘27) | Payment of 60% of the total grant | Deliverable: Demonstration report;
- Phase 3 - Scalability 2 months (Feb. ‘27 - Mar ‘27) | Payment of 20% of the total grant | Deliverable: Scale-up Plan.
