TRAILS4SOIL has launched an Open Call for Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) technology providers, offering an opportunity for companies with innovative soil health monitoring solutions. Selected providers can test their technologies across a large European network of regenerative agriculture Living Labs, with up to €200,000 in funding available per provider to support implementation over two agricultural seasons.
Program Overview
• Project Focus: TRAILS4SOIL investigates how Regenerative and Conservation Agriculture Practices (ReCAP) can restore soil health and support the long-term productivity, environmental sustainability, and economic viability of European farms.
• Consortium: The project involves a consortium of approximately 20 partner organizations, including universities, research institutes, and farmer associations across Europe.
• EU Soil Mission Objectives: The project's work is framed around six key objectives: reducing land degradation, conserving soil organic carbon, reducing soil pollution, preventing erosion, improving soil structure, and increasing soil literacy.
• ReCAP Pillars: The approach combines Conservation and Regenerative Agriculture based on four pillars: minimal soil disturbance, permanent soil cover, species diversification, and livestock integration.
• Living Labs Network: The project operates through five distinct Living Labs, each addressing a specific regional challenge: LL1 – Permanent Crops (Spain & Portugal), LL2 – Organic Farming (Austria, Switzerland), LL3 – Adaptation to Climate Change (Germany), LL4 – Black Soil (Moldova, Romania, Ukraine), and LL5 – Crop-Livestock Integration (Slovenia).
Open Call Objectives and Scope
• Primary Goal: The call seeks to improve the precision of evaluating ReCAP's impacts by integrating advanced MRV solutions and fostering collaboration between the agricultural and technology sectors.
• Key Expectations: Implement innovative technologies across lighthouse farms and experimentation sites to monitor soil health indicators for two agricultural seasons; acquire precise data on indicators like water retention, organic matter, and microbial biodiversity; and build new collaborations between farmers and technology companies.
• Eligible Technologies: The call is open to a range of technologies, including in-situ soil indicator estimation tools (sensors, probes), laboratory or field-based spectroscopy, remote sensing (satellite, drone), proximal sensing (IoT, electromagnetic methods), modelling platforms, biomass assessment methods, and AI/ML solutions or digital twins.
Funding and Benefits
• Total Budget: The call has a total budget of €250,000 to be distributed among all selected providers.
• Funding Structure: Funding is structured in two tiers, with up to €50,000 available per technology and a maximum of €200,000 per provider, allowing a single provider to receive funding for up to four distinct technologies.
• Cost Categories: Funding covers technological implementation costs, operation and maintenance, personnel training, and data collection and analysis.
• Network Access: Selected providers gain direct access to real farming conditions across 100 farms in nine countries, enabling technology validation across multiple pedo-climatic zones and cropping systems.
• Feedback and Refinement: Providers will work directly with farmers and researchers, benefiting from user feedback to enhance their product's practicality and effectiveness.
• Intellectual Property: Providers retain ownership of any intellectual property generated, while granting TRAILS4SOIL and the European Commission a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use the results for research, policy, and communication purposes.
Eligibility Criteria
• Eligible Applicants: The call is open to private technology providers with innovative soil health monitoring solutions, technology companies specializing in environmental measurement, and collaborating entities with proposals aligned with the project's objectives.
• Application Limit: Each applicant is permitted to submit only one application.
• Conflict of Interest: Applicants must declare the absence of any conflict of interest that could compromise the impartial implementation of the proposed activities.
Application Process
• Submission: Applications must be submitted online via the official application form and must be completed in English.
• Application Package: A single PDF document, not exceeding 8 pages, must be submitted, containing: proof of company registration; documents showing no debt to Finance and Social Security Authorities; contact person details and company website; CV of the lead solution developer; a brief team overview; methodological approach and technical specifications of the solution; a detailed testing plan specifying the what, where, and when, with a preference for testing across all five Living Labs; a description of the expected impact and scalability potential; and a detailed economic budget.
Key Dates
• Call Opens: 30 June 2026
• Call Closes: 31 August 2026, 23:59 CEST
• Interviews: 14–18 September 2026
• Shortlist Announcement: 30 September 2026
• Confirmation of Selected Companies: 30 October 2026
• Agreements Signed: 2–6 November 2026
Proposal Requirements and Commitments
• Funded Activities: Providers must cover the development, implementation, installation, and maintenance of their technologies at the farms.
• Training and Support: Responsibilities include training farmers and Living Lab teams on the use of the equipment.
• Data and Reporting: Providers are required to report and analyze collected data, submitting two testing reports over the project's duration.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Active engagement with farmers and Living Lab stakeholders through on-farm testing, training, and feedback loops is expected.
• Data Framework and Interoperability: Providers must adhere to a common framework for data collection to ensure interoperability and participate in periodic cross-Living Lab calibration and validation exercises.
Evaluation and Selection Process
• Three-Stage Process: Applications undergo an eligibility check, followed by an evaluation and scoring stage, and concluding with clarification and verification.
• Evaluation Criteria: Proposals are scored on a scale of 1 to 5 against five weighted criteria, with a minimum score of 3 required for each: Technological Innovation (20%), Technical Feasibility (25%), Scalability and Replicability (20%), Contribution to the Project’s Objectives (20%), and Provider Experience (15%).
• Tie-Breaking and Final Selection: In case of a tie, an online interview will determine priority. The final selection is based on the ranked list, available budget, and the strategic balance of technologies within each Living Lab.
This open call presents a significant opportunity for providers of soil-monitoring technologies, from sensor and spectroscopy developers to remote-sensing and AI companies, who have a market-ready solution. The program is particularly well-suited for providers with multiple distinct technologies in their portfolio, as the funding structure incentivizes testing several solutions across the network. It offers a unique platform for those seeking to build a harmonized dataset and validate their products across diverse European soil types and climates within a single, structured programme.