The ICAERUS project has launched the second and final PULL Open Calls Farming, Forestry, and Rural Challenges (FFRC) on July 8, 2024.
ICAERUS aims to showcase and support the effective, efficient, and safe deployment of drones, as well as identify the risks and added values associated with their use.
The 6 sub-projects selected from the 1st PULL Open Call are already into their second phase of implementation. More information can be found about the sub-projects and the organizations behind them on the Open Call Trial page.
The 2nd PULL Open Calls will fund an additional 6 sub-projects up to 50,000 € to implement ideas that can utilise drones and the services built around them for individual commercial needs and/or community-related issues.
The following types of applications/solutions (but not limited to) have the potential to be funded:
- Applying innovative solutions that leverage drone technology to address specific challenges faced by farmers, foresters, and rural communities.
- Sustainable agriculture, e.g., using drones to support regenerative farming methods, reduce the use of pesticides and fertilisers, and improve soil health.
- Logistics and supply chain management, e.g., for transporting goods and deliveries to remote areas, managing inventory and distribution, and monitoring supply chain operations using drones.
- Infrastructure monitoring and maintenance, e.g., using drones to inspect and maintain roads, bridges and other critical infrastructure in rural areas.
- Energy management, e.g., using drones to monitor and optimise renewable energy systems such as wind turbines and solar panels (agrivoltaics).
- Water management, such as the use of drones to monitor and manage water resources, including dams, reservoirs and irrigation systems.
- Public safety, such as the use of drones for crime
Who Can Apply?
ICAERUS PULL 2 Open Call is aimed at (but not limited to) European agri-food producers, environmental monitoring entities and rural communities/cooperatives that are either an SME or rural community/cooperative in Horizon Europe eligible countries. The full eligibility criteria are provided in the Applicant’s Guide.
SME’s are legal entities established and based in an EU member state or HE associated country with a Headcount in Annual Work Unit less than 500 and annual turnover less or equal to €100 million*
A rural community/cooperative is a group of people in a rural area who form an organisation to address common challenges, based on democratic decision-making, equality and mutual support.
The cooperative doesn’t need to be an SME but must provide confirmation of registration from a business registry (e.g. Commercial Court.)
Timeline
Application Period: July 8, 2024- October 16, 2024, 17.00 CET
Sub-projects will begin in February 2025 with a 12 month implementation divided into three phases: Design, Development and Market.
Guidelines
To apply, you simply register on the Open Call Hub! You can access all the Necessary Documents at the end of this post. Evaluation will be conducted by independent evaluators who will assess the concept and feasibility, technology readiness and innovation development, Impact and exploitation, as well as organisational capacity and allocation of resources. Full details on eligibility criteria can be found in the applicant’s guide below.
English is the official language for ICAERUS Open Calls. Applications submitted in any other language will not be evaluated. English is also the only official language throughout the whole execution of the ICAERUS project. This means all requested contributions must be submitted in English to be eligible.
Don’t miss out! Learn more from the Open Call documents below and sign up to the Open Call Hub to see frequently asked questions and start your proposal submission.
Key Facts & Figures
- Instrument: Horizon Europe- Financial support to third parties
- 1st PULL Open Call budget: 300,000 €
- Funding for each third party: up to 50,000 €
- Duration of each sub project: 12 months
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