Fostering strategic advice and synergies between national and EU research and innovation agendas, including SCAR foresight

The main focus of the successful proposal should be to support the work of the SCAR SWGs and CWGs. This includes notably the organisation and facilitation of the activities, particularly meetings and workshops of SCAR SWGs, CWGs and potential ad hoc task forces, according to the initiatives taken by the Working Groups themselves.

This should in the short- to medium-term improve the quality of outputs of the SCAR SWGs or CWGs in the different areas covered, thus having a positive impact on achieving the objectives of the European Green Deal, the farm to fork strategy, the common agricultural policy, the biodiversity strategy, the wider food systems and bioeconomy research and innovation policies and the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems in Member States and Associated Countries.

Main activities are the collection of a portfolio of ongoing or finished projects at national, regional and EU level relevant to the various themes covered in the work plans of the SCAR SWGs and CWGs, as well as on other issues that may arise in light of policy developments and priorities. This includes the search, the summarising and analysis of relevant project content and outputs in order to help prepare the activities of each SWG/CWG, including their regular meetings, according to the specific theme(s) covered. This should support the depth of strategic discussions in the Working Groups. At the end of each year, an annual overview document of all portfolios per theme should be made.

Activities should consider the linkages to Horizon Europe partnerships and missions, to Joint Programming Initiatives and ERA-Nets, other relevant policies (e.g. Education policy) and interesting Member States/Associated Countries networking activities. Support for phasing-in of SCAR SWGs or CWGs that may be set up in the future also forms part of the scope. Ad hoc task forces may be used to support specific activities for short time periods.

This proposal should furthermore ensure broader dissemination of the outputs of the SCAR SWGs and CWGs, including the portfolio analysis, to any actor interested in their respective domains, both in classical ways (e.g. with reports, factsheets, videos, workshops, conferences, etc.) as by using up to date IT tools and websites, providing on a case by case basis interactive linkages with the young generation of scientists, innovators and citizens for example by hackathons. These materials and tools should be widely spread and also be made available to the SCAR Steering Group and the SCAR Plenary. It includes helping to prepare the input from the SWGs/CWGs for the SCAR Foresights and to help disseminate outcomes, as well as supporting its take-up by SCAR Working Groups and possible ad hoc task forces, including linking to international R&I partnerships (EU-AU) and processes, such as the UN Food Systems Summit follow-up.

The consortium should be representative of the EU Member States and Associated Countries. Entities in EU Member States and Associated Countries not integrated in the consortium should be identified and the reasons for not participating in the Consortium clearly explained in the proposal. These countries should nevertheless be invited and encouraged to participate in the project activities (e.g. meetings, workshops).

A project duration of 4 years is expected.

This topic should involve the effective contribution of SSH disciplines.

The foreseen services stated under the tender specifications (Annex II to the invitation to tender) of the on-going public procurement procedure on “Framework Services Contract for Strategic Analysis and Support for Enhanced Research Cooperation in Agriculture and Food” (see procurement documents available at https://etendering.ted.europa.eu/cft/cft-display.html?cftId=7758) are out of the scope of this topic.