Minister Hackett announces calls for proposals for European Innovation Partnerships

Animal Health & Welfare and Gender Balance in Farming are the two new project themes

Following on from the landmark Breeding Waders and Water Quality European Innovation Partnership (EIP) projects, Minister of State Pippa Hackett has announced further plans for European Innovation Partnership (EIP) projects across the themes of Animal Health and Welfare, and Gender Balance in Farming in Ireland.

Minister Hackett said:

"I am delighted to announce the call for the next round of projects under the European Innovation Partnerships. This latest round of projects will cover Animal Health and Welfare, and Gender Balance in Farming in Ireland, two policy areas that are hugely important and that are rightly gaining increasing awareness in our sector. EIPs have proven over the last number of years to be a great way to bring farmers and other stakeholders together, backed up with financial and administrative support, to develop new and innovative ways to tackle the many existing and emerging challenges faced by the agriculture sector."

Minister Hackett continued:

"The ongoing commitment of my Department to EIP projects highlights the value they bring in demonstrating how new and innovative ways of farming can be trialled and developed, and then mainstreamed into agri-environmental schemes, such as ACRES. I look forward to a continuation of this positive engagement between farmers and the relevant stakeholders in this round of projects, and indeed to a call later this year for a further round of EIP proposals. The call later in the year will focus on environmental themes such as soil health and climate mitigation, following on from the great success of the biodiversity EIPs under the Rural Development Programme and the recent launch of the Water Quality EIP."

Commenting on the launch of the call, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, said:

"My Department is investing significantly in European Innovation Partnerships as part of the CAP Strategic Plan. This approach has proven successful in the past across a wide variety of projects, and I've no doubt that the same success will be achieved by this latest call, which will cover the areas of Animal Health and Welfare, and Gender Balance in Farming in Ireland."

Minister Hackett concluded:

"The two calls announced today are designed using a two-phase process, whereby Expressions of Interest are first being sought from potential Operational Groups, with those who present the most potential then being invited to submit more detailed proposals. The role of the Operational Group is key here in bringing together a variety of actors that can collectively, and in a very interactive way, enhance innovation through a locally-led approach to addressing some of the challenges facing Irish agriculture today."

Notes to Editors:

The EIP initiative is co-funded by the European Commission and the Irish Government under the CAP Strategic Plan. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine will fund payments to farmers as well as the Operational Groups' administrative costs.

The EIP initiative involves a range of stakeholders (farmers, advisors, researchers, NGOs) coming together in what are termed 'Operational Groups' to trial innovative solutions that the Groups themselves have developed.

EIP projects are locally-led schemes which are designed and implemented by collaborative groups involving farmers, scientists, ecologists and other experts to deliver specific goals.

There are currently two flagship EIP projects under the CSP, namely the Water EIP and the Breeding Waders EIP.

These next two calls - Call 2 and Call 3 - will focus on Animal Health and Welfare and Gender Balance, respectively. Each of the selected projects will be funded for a period of between 3 and 5 years, with a maximum budget allocation of €650,000.00 per project.

Further information on the European Innovation Partnership initiative and the guidelines for this call for proposals can be accessed on the Department website at European Innovation Partnership Scheme https://www.gov.ie/en/service/18a855-european-innovation-partnership-scheme/ https://www.gov.ie/en/service/18a855-european-innovation-partnership-scheme/,  or by contacting [email protected] / [email protected]

The closing date for this Expressions of Interest Call is 5pm on 22nd May 2024, by electronic submission.

To further assist the preparation of an EIP proposal, the CAP Network will run a webinar to inform applicants of the requirements under the EIP program, which will include available supports and advice on the writing of an EIP proposal etc. The intended date of this webinar is Thursday 2nd May at 2.30pm.

To attend this webinar you must pre-register at the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_tPBxJDkFSrS4p9lsnBi5-Q https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_tPBxJDkFSrS4p9lsnBi5-Q