Open Call
The PRIMARY Open Innovation Call closed on 8 June 2026. 192 proposals were received, exceeding the number anticipated at the outset of the project.
Evaluation is now underway. Results will be published on this page once the evaluation process is complete.
What was the call about?
The call invited consortia of 2–3 partners to validate, adapt, and scale processing approaches for underutilised agricultural feedstocks — grass, greenhouse byproducts, cotton residues, and olive tree prunings — in new European regions. Sub‑projects were expected to generate practical evidence of technical feasibility, economic viability, and sustainability under real rural conditions.
Funding available
- €150,000 maximum for 3‑partner consortia
- €100,000 maximum for 2‑partner consortia
- €50,000 maximum per individual partner
Who could apply?
Applications were open to consortia including at least one technical partner and at least one partner from the public or private sector — universities, research institutions, cooperatives, start‑ups, SMEs, or NGOs.
Timeline
Call launch: March 9, 2026 Call deadline: June 8, 2026 Project implementation: November 2026 – April 2028 Duration: 1‑18 months per sub‑project Results: expected autumn 2026
By the numbers
- 192 proposals received
- 59 countries represented across consortium partners
- Top 5 applicant countries: Spain, Greece, Italy, Türkiye, Germany
Applicants proposed working with a wide range of feedstocks. Among PRIMARY's four reference feedstocks, olive tree prunings attracted the most interest (29% of applicants), followed by grass (20%), greenhouse byproducts (14%), and cotton residues (5%). 72% of applicants also proposed working with other feedstocks beyond PRIMARY's four, reflecting strong demand for replicating the PRIMARY approach with locally available materials.
The most commonly proposed processing approaches were biorefinery processes (34%) and pyrolysis/gasification (33%), together appearing in approximately 68% of all applications. 65% of applicants formed 3‑partner consortia.
How to apply?
The application period is now closed. For questions, contact primary@opencalls.fund.
Open Call Kit
- Annex 1: Call for Evaluators – Download
- Annex 2: Open Call Text (Fiche) – Download
- Annex 3: Hand‑out Summary – Download
- Annex 4: Applicants Guide – Download
- Annex 5: Proposal Template – Download
- Annex 6: Budget Template – Download
- Annex 7: Consortium Declaration – Download
- Annex 8: Declaration of Honour – Download
- Annex 9: SME Declaration – Download
- Annex 10: Model Sub‑grant Agreement – Download
- Annex 11: Bank Account Information – Download
- Annex 12: FAQ – Download