GATE5.0 Open Call for Agrifood & Technology SMEs – Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP)
Grant | Cascade funding
General Information
- Opening date: 01 March 2026
- Deadline model: single-stage
- Deadline date: 30 April 2026 23:00 (Brussels time)
- Expected duration of participation: Up to 25 months, depending on progression through the SEED, SPROUT and HARVEST phases of the GATE5.0 Acceleration Programme. The programme follows an innovation funnel approach: projects advance through successive development stages based on performance, milestone achievement and evaluation results. Progression to each next phase is conditional, therefore not all projects will reach the final stage.
- Total funding available: 1 970 000,00 €
- Project acronym: GATE5.0
- Full name of the EU funded project: Green and Digital Transitions for a Sustainable European Agrifood Ecosystem
- Grant agreement number: 101236973
- Topic: SMP-COSME-2024-CLUSTER-01 - Joint Cluster Initiatives (EUROCLUSTERS) for Europe’s recovery
Submission & evaluation process
Applications must be submitted electronically using the official GATE5.0 Application Form before the call deadline of 30 April 2026. The evaluation will be conducted in accordance with the procedures and criteria defined in the Call for Proposals. Projects will be ranked based on their total score. In case of equal scores, the ex-aequo rules described in the Call will apply. Selected applicants will undergo eligibility and financial capacity assessments. Those successfully approved will be invited to sign a Sub-Grant Agreement under the GATE5.0 FSTP scheme and formally enter the Acceleration Programme.
Further information
Project applications must be submitted by a consortium composed of a minimum of two SMEs: one Agrifood SME and one Technology SME. Both SMEs must comply with the EU SME definition and the eligibility requirements set out in the official Call for Proposals. The two SMEs will jointly design and submit a single proposal and, if selected, each SME will sign an individual Sub-Grant Agreement under the GATE5.0 FSTP scheme.
Full call documentation and application links
- https://www.b2match.com/e/gate50-matchmaking-agri-tech-community
- https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/GATE50_FSTP_OpenCall
Task description
GATE5.0 (Green and Digital Transitions for a Sustainable European Agrifood Ecosystem) aims to accelerate the green and digital transformation of the European agrifood sector. Through this Open Call, the project provides Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) to consortia composed of one Agrifood SME and one Technology SME to jointly develop and validate innovative solutions addressing key agrifood challenges. Selected projects will participate in the GATE5.0 Acceleration Programme, structured as an innovation funnel (SEED, SPROUT and HARVEST phases). Projects must start at a minimum TRL 6 and aim to achieve advanced validation and market readiness. The programme supports the development, piloting and scaling of green and digital solutions contributing to sustainability, resource efficiency and digitalisation of the agrifood ecosystem.