Given the strategic importance of the multi-actor approach (MAA) for reinforcing Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS), the Italian CAP Network has introduced a specific project to build the functional capacities required to apply this approach effectively. Evidence from the CAP Strategic Plan and EU studies shows persistent gaps in understanding AKIS principles, innovation dynamics and partnership governance, which limit advisors, Operational Group members and coordination bodies in facilitating co-creation and contributing to CAP objectives. CREA has therefore designed a pilot programme targeting three groups, with tailored activities: A. Farm advisors and innovation support providers • Online coaching on MAA and soft skills • In-presence training on facilitation, brokerage and partnership management • Cross-visits among advisors involved in Operational Groups B. Actors preparation to partnering in OGs • Workshops on collaboration and innovation process management • Cross-visits between OGs to observe functioning multi-actor partnerships C. Regional AKIS coordination bodies • Online modules on AKIS governance and system analysis • In-presence training on strategic coordination and multi-level action The programme integrates materials and tools developed in PREMIERE, together with modernAKIS, ATTRACTISS, i2Connect and EU-FarmBook, adapted and translated into Italian. Embedded in the Italian CAP Network work programme, the initiative aims to scale AKIS-relevant competencies nationwide and strengthen collaborative innovation capacities.

Within the PREMIERE project, a structured analysis of the draft Horizon Europe Work Programmes 2026–2027 was carried out to understand how the Multi-Actor Approach (MAA) is embedded in upcoming calls and what this means in practice for farmers, advisors, cooperatives and other end-users. The analysis covered 123 topics from Cluster 6 and the Soil Mission. Among these, 51 topics require the MAA as an eligibility condition, while 7 additional topics strongly encourage its use. Topics were grouped by destination and project type, showing that Farm-to-Fork, Soil and Governance are the most involved areas. The MAA is present across all main project types, including 40 Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), 19 Innovation Actions (IA) and 14 Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), confirming the European Commission’s increasing focus on co-creation with end-users. Several topics also combine the MAA with Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP), creating concrete opportunities for direct funding to farms, SMEs, local organisations and other actors operating on the ground. This reinforces the role of farmers and practitioners not only as recipients, but as active contributors to innovation. Beyond Horizon Europe, this analytical approach can support the design of future CAP calls by helping to define clear MAA requirements, promote on-farm testing and co-creation, and introduce flexible financial tools that directly support practical experimentation. In this way, public funding can better deliver solutions that are usable, relevant and rooted in real farming and land management needs.

A statistical analysis of the implementation and scope of the Multi-actor Approach (MAA) projects funded by Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe confirms that the MAA is on the rise since 2015 in Cluster 6—exponentially. The analysis collected data on 604 projects, 5741 entities, and 308 coordinators, reflecting projects started or scheduled to start until January 2026. The largest number of approved MAA projects is recorded in Research and Innovation Actions (RIA). Furthermore, the network is characterized by significant expansion in HEU, with 3722 new MAA project participants identified who were not involved in H2020 MAA projects. This includes 88 new entities as coordinators and 2952 new entities as partners.  Geographical participation is high in several countries. The top five EU countries by total number of partners are Spain, Italy, France, Germany, and Belgium. Spain leads also by the number of coordinators (96).    The analysis provided by PREMIERE reveals that the projects have an average of 21.2 partners and a median of 19 partners. The maximum number of partners observed in a project is 120.  The confirmed exponential growth of the MAA, coupled with the identification of 3722 new partner and coordinator entities in Horizon Europe, highlights a rapidly expanding network of innovation actors. This statistical overview provides the necessary context for potential partners and innovation actors to conduct efficient and strategically engage with this crucial platform, maximizing the MAA across Europe. 

Implementing Multi-Actor Approach (MAA) projects faces critical operational challenges identified through PREMIERE focus groups. A core difficulty is ensuring equitable participation and securing appropriate compensation or benefits for actors who are not direct project beneficiaries. Relatedly, budget allocation to support practitioners, such as farmers, for involvement beyond research activities remains challenging, impacting the sustainability of project actions after completion.  Budgeting overall for MAA activities is made difficult by uncertainty regarding the number of external experts required and limitations on transferring funds between budgetary categories. Solutions emphasize improving financial guidance. Project coordinators require clearer guidance on the different financial options available for reimbursing stakeholder efforts. This guidance should specifically cover existing rules for compensation methods, including service contracts, travel costs for meetings, prizes, and vouchers.  To increase flexibility during project duration, a substantial share of the budget needs to be reserved for actors (whether they are partners or external stakeholders). Furthermore, part of the budget should be allocated as 'seed money' to address unforeseen needs that arise, and national seed-funding programs should be scaled up to include more actors beyond universities.  Complementary efforts should focus on strong communication of non-financial motivations, such as networking and enhancing a positive public image. 

Effective stakeholder engagement is essential for innovative projects like PREMIERE. To design its Stakeholder Engagement Strategy, it is crucial to know who the stakeholders are. PREMIERE uses the Quadruple Helix Model, which identifies four key stakeholder groups: Government/Policy stakeholders shape regulations and funding to support innovation; Science/Academia stakeholders provide research, knowledge, and evidence-based expertise; Industry/Business stakeholders develop products, services, and technologies for economic growth; and Society/Community stakeholders, including NGOs and local groups, contribute social perspectives, networks, and practical insights. By engaging with all four sectors, PREMIERE ensures a balanced, inclusive approach to collaboration, knowledge exchange, and co-creation. This framework guides the identification, mapping, and active participation of stakeholders throughout the project, helping align activities with real-world needs and increasing the relevance and impact of project outcomes. The Quadruple Helix Model offers a simple, adaptable approach that any Horizon Europe project can use to engage diverse actors, foster collaboration, and ensure that innovations are practical, socially relevant, and widely supported. 

• Multi-Actor Inclusion & Stakholder Engagement

Horizon Europe projects in Cluster 6 calls require a Multi-Actor Approach (MAA), which centers on including key stakeholders. To simplify the complex process of finding, analysing, and mapping stakeholders, the PREMIERE project created a 5-step strategy for engaging and communicating with Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) stakeholders participatively throughout the project.    Step 1: Internal Participatory Planning: Project team works together to set goals, roles, and a shared approach for stakeholder engagement.    Step 2: Stakeholder Identification and Mapping: Relevant actors are identified and visually mapped to understand their roles, influence, and connections.    Step 3: Stakeholder Categorisation and Analysis: Stakeholders are grouped and assessed to decide who to get involved, how, and when.    Step 4: Engagement and Co-Creation: Stakeholders take part in discussions, activities, and development of project outputs.    Step 5: Dissemination and Exploitation: Results are shared widely, and stakeholders help support their uptake and long-term use.   Effective stakeholder engagement is essential for Horizon Europe projects, which aim to deliver practical, socially relevant innovations. They rely on the knowledge and involvement of diverse actors. The five-step approach developed by the PREMIERE partners offers a simple, structured method any consortium can use to ensure engagement is meaningful, well-planned, and aligned with project objectives. 

• Multi-Actor Inclusion & Stakholder Engagement

The PREMIERE project developed seven practical Profile Types to help farmers, advisors, SMEs and other actors engage more effectively in multi-actor innovation projects. These profiles summarise who the main stakeholder groups are, what they need, and how best to collaborate with them. For practitioners, the key benefit is clearer, more efficient cooperation with research and policy actors, leading to quicker uptake of useful solutions. By understanding each group’s motivation, communication habits, and typical barriers, project teams can design activities and messages that are easier to follow and directly relevant to farming practices. Farmers and other end-users can use these Profile Types to better position themselves in projects, express their needs, and ensure that project outputs are practical and applicable on the ground. The profiles also help reduce time spent in unproductive meetings, improve knowledge transfer, and increase the chances that innovations reflect real field conditions. Practitioners can use them when planning new collaborations, joining EU projects, or shaping innovation actions within their own networks. 

• Multi-Actor Inclusion & Stakholder Engagement

A Multi-Actor Approach (MAA) is a strong and growing requirement for Horizon Europe projects, especially in Cluster 6 calls which cover Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment. Broadly speaking, MAA projects must involve diverse stakeholders, such as policymakers, farmers, researchers, and advisors throughout the lifecycle of the project. The PREMIERE project defines a stakeholder as someone who shares their views or interests at certain points in a project but does not take part in the project’s co-creation work. The impact and success of Horizon Europe projects are often dependent on their engagement with relevant stakeholders.       The PREMIERE project was tasked with engaging an extensive and diverse network of Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) stakeholders to foster the co-creation of coherent and well-prepared multi-actor project proposals that could engage in Horizon Europe projects. Effective stakeholder engagement serves as a key mechanism to implement the MAA. The PREMIERE project has shown that meaningful stakeholder engagement is essential. Through activities such as the Macro-Regional Panels, stakeholder dialogues, the 100+ Club, seed-funding, and brokerage events, stakeholders contributed practical insights, expertise, and diverse perspectives. Their input strengthened knowledge exchange and shaped project outcomes, demonstrating how vital stakeholders are, not only for PREMIERE but for all Horizon Europe projects.    

• Multi-Actor Inclusion & Stakholder Engagement

EIP-Agri Operational Groups (OGs) hold the hands-on knowledge and practical insights needed to accelerate solutions for major challenges, such as climate change and food system resilience. Joining major EU research (Horizon Europe - HEU) turns your local solution into a powerful European tool, strengthening the agri-food sector. Our study of PREMIERE Focs Group found OGs currently face high hurdles: administrative complexity, demanding timelines, the dominance of the English language, and difficulty finding research partners who value farm-level expertise equally. How practitioners can contribute in Horizon projects: Seek flexible roles: Don't aim just for full partnership status, which carries massive paperwork. Instead, focus on defining specialized contributions, such as offering practical insights that address real-world challenges, providing test sites, or acting as local dissemination experts. This flexibility is often the quickest path to involvement and impact. Demand tailored support: Insist that your project coordinators, local CAP Networks and National Contact Points (NCPs) explain HEU information to you. You need support that specifically tackles the financial and administrative realities faced by farmers and small organizations. Use Peer Power: When sharing your OG results, prioritize face-to-face exchanges, on-farm demonstrations, and short, practical communication. Peer-to-peer learning builds the trust needed to scale up innovative solutions and attracts the right partners for your next big project.

The PREMIERE Project developed a 5-step approach to engage and communicate with key AKIS stakeholders, with a strong focus on identifying and mapping the most relevant actors for the project. Using the Quadruple Helix Model, four groups were considered: Government/Policy, Science/Academia, Industry/Business, and Society/Community. PREMIERE partners collaboratively created a targeted list of stakeholders across all 27 EU Member States, including regional actors (NUTS 2 and NUTS 3), ensuring that those with practical knowledge and the ability to contribute meaningfully were included. Stakeholders are stored in a central, GDPR-compliant database, regularly updated to maintain their active and relevant participation in project activities. This system enables peer-to-peer, place-based knowledge exchange, builds trust, and captures insights from the regions where innovation happens. At the EU level, stakeholders are identified collectively, reflecting the interconnected AKIS ecosystem. The Stakeholder Engagement Strategy ensures systematic and inclusive continuous participation. By combining careful stakeholder mapping at national, regional, and EU levels with strong data protection, PREMIERE promotes co-creation, effective knowledge sharing, and multi-actor projects that are inclusive and locally grounded. This structured, targeted mapping approach is transferable and can guide any Horizon Europe project in engaging the right stakeholders efficiently.    

• Multi-Actor Inclusion & Stakholder Engagement

Stakeholder mapping in the PREMIERE project stresses the importance of well-balanced and inclusive consortia for Multi-Actor Approach (MAA) projects. It also highlights the importance of strong gender inclusion in Horizon Europe projects. Women are key players in farming, agricultural innovation, and rural development, yet their participation in MAA projects often remains limited. This reduces the diversity of knowledge and practical insights that women could bring to MAA projects under the European Innovation Partnership for Agriculture (EIP-AGRI) and Horizon Europe. The PREMIERE project applies a targeted strategy to make sure women farmers, advisors, entrepreneurs, and community leaders are engaged throughout all stages of project co-creation. Key actions should include 1.) Inclusive stakeholder mapping, which identifies women’s networks, cooperatives, and rural organisations; 2.) Adaptive engagement formats that are flexible and take women’s family responsibilities into account; 3.) Facilitating dialogue to ensure women’s voices and ideas are equally heard during project setup and implementation; 4.) Capacity-building activities, such as peer-to-peer learning, leadership workshops, and mentorship, that strengthen women’s confidence and skills; and finally, 4.) Showcasing women’s innovations, making sure their contributions are visible and valued. These actions lead to a more inclusive and innovative multi-actor approach in any project.

The PREMIERE Multi-Actor Academy is an online learning platform designed under the EU-funded PREMIERE project to assist in preparing high-quality multi-actor project proposals for Horizon Europe, particularly in Cluster 6 (food, agriculture, environment, climate, and rural areas). It aims to boost the skills and confidence of all participants in multi-actor projects, from beginners to seasoned coordinators, ensuring proposals genuinely address real-world needs and integrate scientific, practical, and policy knowledge from diverse stakeholders. The Academy features a comprehensive toolkit including stakeholder mapping, co-creation methods, planning templates, and reflection tools to guide consortia through effective proposal design and execution. It also offers webinars on Horizon Europe requirements, practitioner testimonials, and visual “pathway” cartoons illustrating proposal preparation processes. A serious game allows users to practice multi-actor decision-making in realistic scenarios, fostering better understanding of collaboration dynamics and trade-offs. Additionally, a structured online course with videos, readings, case studies, and exercises is under development, providing a flexible learning path. The Academy is freely accessible and benefits anyone involved in multi-actor projects. More information is available at https://premiere-multiactor.eu/academy/. 

• PREMIERE MA Academy

As part of the PREMIERE project we developed a story driven serious game that lets players experience the full journey of building a Horizon Europe Multi Actor project through a rich narrative. The game follows a new coordinator who moves between offices, farms, labs, and conferences while meeting characters that represent farmers, community groups, researchers, and public agencies. Through dialogue and small decision moments, players see how each actor thinks, what they value, and how their needs shape a project. The unfolding storyline reveals common challenges such as aligning interests, choosing partners, planning participation activities, organising community activities, and preparing a convincing proposal.  The main outcome is a narrative storyline that teaches collaboration by letting players live through it. Farmers and practitioners gain because the story makes clear how their knowledge influences project choices and how early involvement can improve testing, cost efficiency, and real life success. The game can be used during consortium building or training sessions to spark honest conversation about roles, expectations, and practical needs. Its story helps teams avoid misunderstandings, create stronger work plans, and design activities that fit daily farm realities. This supports projects that deliver workable innovations and more meaningful engagement with end users.

• PREMIERE MAA Simulation Games

The PREMIERE project has developed an online Toolbox that brings together practical tools, templates, and guidelines to make Horizon Europe projects more successful under the Multi-Actor Approach (MAA). Building a consortium and writing a proposal can be difficult, especially under time pressure, with many different actors involved. The Toolbox simplifies this process by providing a one-stop shop with tested instruments such as templates for dividing roles, methods for co-creation, tips for writing proposals together, online collaboration tools, and examples of participatory approaches. For coordinators, this means less time lost searching for solutions and more focus on building a strong consortium. For farmers, advisors, SMEs, and other end-users, the added value is that projects will be designed more inclusively, ensuring their needs are better reflected from the very start. Using the Toolbox helps reduce misunderstandings, build trust between partners, and increase the chances of securing funding. The recommendation is to consult the Toolbox early in the proposal process to quickly find the right instruments for each stage (whether finding partners, agreeing on roles, or shaping the work plan). This way, projects become more collaborative, efficient, and more likely to deliver results that make a difference on the ground.

• PREMIERE MA Toolbox

We created the 9 MA Skills Framework: a simple, ready to use checklist of nine skills your team needs to scuccesfully write, excute and deliver results in a European project with multi-actor as an eligibility criteria. This framework helps you quickly identify gaps in your team's skills to work in a multi-actor way as defined by the European Commission. We based it on official sources and experts reviewed it. It also helped us to categorise tools in the PREMIERE toolbox. While wielding MA skills, your project will be better focused on solutions relevant to practitioners’ contexts. Use the 9 MA Skills as an internal quality assurance tool. Check how your team members cover the 9 skills together, scored on a scale (see the Consortium Builder tool in the PREMIERE Toolbox for a template). The 9 skills are: 1. Able to work with a diversity of personal and professional backgrounds; 2. Able to recognize and work with the limitations of different organizations; 3. Able to communicate transparently about agenda's, expectations, and results; 4. Is comfortable with co-ownership and responsibility of tasks, results, and outcomes; 5. Experience with multi-actor methods or practical engagements. 6. Able to negotiate and defend the needs of both yourself and the consortium as a whole. 7. Able to work with diverse digital co-working tools. 8. Able to promote and maintain a safe, open, cohesive social culture; and 9.  Supports the active participation of, and focus on end-users.   

• Consortium Builder Toolsheet

The PREMIERE project has developed a practical tool to support coordinators of Horizon Europe projects that must follow the Multi-Actor Approach (MAA). Building a strong consortium with complementary skills and clear roles is often difficult and time-consuming. The new Excel-based tool makes this easier by guiding users step by step through five key tasks: identifying the skills and competences needed for a successful proposal, checking whether these are covered within the planned consortium, dividing MAA roles across partners, assessing whether the combination of skills and roles forms a balanced team, and highlighting any gaps that should be filled to increase project success. For coordinators, this tool reduces uncertainty during the early proposal phase and helps to avoid costly mistakes later. By making partner strengths and weaknesses visible, it speeds up the process of finding the right partners, dividing responsibilities, and ensuring that the consortium is well-prepared to deliver impact. The tool is simple to use, requires only basic Excel knowledge, and comes with clear instructions and ready-to-use templates. For practitioners, the added value lies in saving time, improving collaboration, and increasing the likelihood of funding success. Using this tool early in project planning can turn a loose network of actors into a strong, well-structured consortium ready to innovate together.

• Consortium Builder Toolsheet

The PREMIERE project has developed an (online) role-playing game that makes the Multi-Actor Approach (MAA) easier to understand and apply in practice. Too often, farmers and practitioners find that research projects do not fully reflect their needs, while coordinators struggle to balance different expectations. This game tackles that challenge by letting participants take on the role of another organisation (farmers play scientists, advisors play SMEs, researchers play producer groups, and so on). By stepping into someone else’s shoes, participants experience first-hand how priorities, interests and limits can clash or complement each other in a project. The result is more awareness, stronger negotiation skills, and practical insight into how to design better proposals. For farmers and end-users, the added value is clear: projects that have used this tool are more likely to build fairer partnerships, reduce misunderstandings, and deliver results that work on the ground. For coordinators, it saves time and avoids costly conflicts during the project. The game is easy to organise online, low-cost, and ideal for training events or consortium kick-offs. By practicing collaboration in this way, consortia can move faster from discussion to action, ensuring innovation reaches the field more effectively.

• MAMY Game materials

In multi-actor (MA) project proposals, good ideas succeed only when supported by the right skills. A proposal needs to both deliver the competencies that have been listed in the funding call and show that the consortium can execute the proposed solution. The PREMIERE project study found that a lack of key competencies often causes promising proposals to fail. Even valuable ideas from farmers, advisers, or researchers may fall short without clear coordination, structure, or teamwork. The key skill-related factors to consider are: (1) strong leadership skills of the coordinator, (2) good professional skills of consortium partners, (3) partners’ mastery of technical and digital co-working solutions used during the proposal development, (4) good transversal skills of partners, (5) purposeful matching of project tasks with partners’ skills and competencies. Strong leaders plan, manage conflicts, and balance power while keeping a shared vision. They value diversity within the consortium and ensure that every partner’s voice is heard. Partners must have relevant subject knowledge and the ability to meet call requirements. Yet expertise alone is not enough – teamwork and openness to collaboration are equally vital. All partners should be confident in using shared tools, and coordinators must ensure equal access and support for less-experienced ones. The soft skills of communication, negotiation, and time management help resolve conflicts, meet deadlines, and maintain trust across diverse teams. Roles should be assigned by competence, not hierarchy. Pairing experienced and new partners builds efficiency and shared learning. Investing in people’s skills is as important as investing in innovation. For more see 10.5281/zenodo.16778405

Well‑structured and collaborative relations are essential for success in developing multi-actor projects. A quantitative survey conducted in the PREMIERE project found that actors engaged in Horizon Europe projects believe that relations between consortium partners is the key factor leading to a successful application. How partners communicate, trust each other and define their roles often predicts the outcomes of proposal development more than having a sound initial idea. Six key relational practices drive this success: (1) starting partner recruitment early, (2) combining trusted and new partners, (3) defining roles clearly, (4) ensuring decisive leadership, (5) keeping communication transparent, (6) aligning different personalities and organisational cultures. For academic and practice partners alike, this means choosing partners strategically – involving a mix of experience and fresh perspectives and ensuring that there is time for both advancing the proposal and building trust. Clear roles prevent duplication and gaps, while strong, inclusive leadership keeps momentum and resolves conflicts. To build close relations, communication must avoid professional jargon, should encourage and value all voices and recognise different working styles. Managing personality differences through complementary pairing of partners and use of shared planning and discussion tools strengthens collaboration. These practices cost little but save time, reduce delays and increase funding chances. Implementing them makes projects more relevant, practical and impactful, ensuring innovations work in real-life contexts. In short: put relationships first to turn good ideas into lasting results. For more see 10.5281/zenodo.16778405

Motivation is a key factor in creating strong multi-actor (MA) project proposals and cannot be taken for granted. Motivational factors capture aspects that shape the willingness of partners to be involved in the consortium and engage in the co-creative process. The PREMIERE project study shows that writing often falls on a small group of people, limiting consortium’s ability to reflect the ideas and competencies of the full spectrum of partners thus reducing the creativity and weakening quality of final proposal. Expanding this group with genuinely motivated partners improves engagement, ideas, and balance. Partner motivation depends on several factors, including their (1) interest in the call topic and project idea, (2) feeling of ownership over the proposal development, (3) interest in the project's anticipated practical output, (4) commitment to devote time and effort to proposal writing, (5) willingness to collaborate with other types of partners. Partners are most committed when they share interest in the topic and feel ownership of the proposal. Early involvement, transparent goals, and mutual trust build a sense of responsibility across the consortium. Motivation also grows when partners see tangible benefits from the envisaged project. Coordinators should offer flexible ways for all partners to stay involved and avoid internal segmentation by creating shared tasks across different actor types. Encouraging equal participation and co-writing strengthens commitment and creativity. Coordinators who nurture ownership, ensure relevance, and value collaboration can turn individual interest into collective drive, leading to realistic, high-quality, and impactful proposals. For more see 10.5281/zenodo.16778405

The context in which partners collaborate strongly shapes the quality and success of multi-actor project proposals. Even strong ideas may fail if differences in partners’ capacities, resources, and working conditions are overlooked. The relevant context covers the economic, organisational, sectoral, and cultural environments that affect partners’ contribution. Thus, the diverse partner experiences form a unique background against which the project proposal needs to be co-developed. A successful consortium depends not only on the idea, but on partners’ capacities and mutual balance. A study conducted in the PREMIERE project shows that actors engaged in Horizon Europe multi-actor projects believe that key contextual factors with particularly strong impact on the success of the proposal include (1) administrative, financial, and staff capacity, (2) prior experience with international projects, (3) national regulatory framework, (4) organisational profiles and work cultures, (5) organisation-specific budget setting, and (6) consortium size. Understanding of and willingness to adapt to different national and organisational contexts allows fair workload sharing and avoids misunderstandings, while sensitivity to diverse institutional cultures ensures that each partner’s strengths are used effectively. Proposals should adjust coordination, communication, and budgeting to align with partners’ motivation, capacities, and expectations. For a well-balanced multi-actor proposal, partners need to recognise the variations in organisational capabilities and available resources and find a way to empower others actors who are invited to join the consortium. For more see 10.5281/zenodo.16778405

Results of the PREMIERE project study show clear patterns in the factors that stakeholders regard as conducive to drafting robust multi-actor (MA) project proposals. The main outcomes underline that success depends not on creativity alone but also on carefully respecting what the funding call asks for. The cluster of so-called predefined factors encompasses those aspects of developing an MA proposal that cannot be changed without strong justification or substantial effort. Proposal developers can benefit if they ensure: (1) good understanding of the administrative, budgetary, reporting, and evaluation criteria of the call; (2) purposeful selection of partners focusing on their profiles; (3) deep understanding of the objectives, scope, and expected impacts of the call; (4) the skills represented by the consortium mirroring the skillset in the call; (5) time allocated for working out which are the right partners and the right focus for the proposal already in the early stages of proposal development; (6) internal formal consortium agreements being developed and signed already at the stage of proposal development. Overall, a solid understanding of the call’s requirements is needed by get into the nuts and bolts of the particular call topic text. It includes but is not limited to the project type, eligibility of and funding rates for different partner types, MA evaluation criteria, along with proper identification and strategic recruitment of the required stakeholders’ profiles, and addressing issues related to intellectual property and public access to results. These are the predefined factors that the consortium needs to recognise and react to if it aims to succesfully develop an MA project proposal. For more see 10.5281/zenodo.16778405

Multi-actor (MA) project proposal preparation requires bringing together partners with different yet complementary expertise, skills, and knowledge, which can be a challenging task. Based on interviews, survey and workshops involving actors engaged with Horizon Europe, the PREMIERE project identified key factors that enable effective collaboration among farmers, advisers, researchers, businesses, and communities in preparing MA project proposals. These factors can be organised into five groups: (1) Predefined factors – aspects that emerge directly from the formulations used in the call and issues proposals are expected to react to; (2) Contextual factors – different socio-economic, political, cultural, sectoral, institutional backgrounds of partner organisations; (3) Motivation factors – aspects that shape the willingness of partners to be involved in the consortium and engage in the proposal development; (4) Relational factors – the power positions and links between partners; (5) Skill-related factors – experiences, knowledge, and skills of partners. The results of the survey show that, out of the explored 28 individual factors, the top five most highly ranked ones in terms of their importance across all factor groups for MA proposals have to do with a dedicated interest in the proposal and a good understanding of the requirements of the specific call topic. At the same time, strong leadership is needed in line with a wise delegation of tasks between the partners. More generally, success depends on motivated partners, strong coordination, mutual trust, contextual awareness, and timely planning – transforming proposals into true opportunities for collaboration and innovation. For more see 10.5281/zenodo.16778405

In Horizon Europe Cluster 6, projects must show how their results will be exploited after the project: that means used to create real benefits such as new practices, tools, policies or services. For projects following the Multi-Actor Approach (MAA), many users are involved: farmers, foresters, advisors, companies, NGOs, policymakers and researchers. This diversity is a strength, but it requires clear and early planning. A key challenge is defining early who will use which results, in what form, and how uptake will be measured. Without structured cooperation, results risk being too technical, not practical enough, or not adapted to local contexts. Monitoring often starts too late, making it hard to adjust materials or channels during the project. Good exploitation planning begins with a shared discussion on user needs and expected results. Exploitation starts with knowing who will use the results and designing them together. Involving end-users early to co-create practical tools and outputs, and assigning clear roles for development, testing and diffusion, increases the chances that results will be taken up after the project. During implementation, regular checks with users (feedback sessions, demonstrations, pilots) help improve clarity, usability and accessibility. Simple indicators can track progress: actors reached, quality of materials, engagement, and early signs of uptake.   Exploitation is broader than commercial use: it includes better advice, improved decisions and policy support. Using trusted EU platforms like the EIP-AGRI database or EU-FarmBook increases visibility and long-term access. Continuous communication, transparency and user involvement at every stage are key to successful exploitation in MAA projects. 

In multi-actor projects, effective dissemination ensures that innovations reach farmers, advisors, SMEs and rural practitioners in a form they can easily use. To achieve this, dissemination should be planned from the beginning of the project so that co-creation and regular interaction between partners guide the development of outputs. Using clear and accessible formats such as factsheets, practice abstracts, short videos, visuals and trusted advisory channels helps make results understandable and practical. Messages should be adapted to the needs and knowledge levels of each stakeholder group to avoid overly technical communication. Peer-to-peer exchange and early feedback from practitioners make it easier to align project results with on-farm realities and local conditions. When dissemination is well targeted, farmers gain faster access to relevant solutions, reduce the risk of misapplying results, and save time in identifying useful innovations. Overall, optimised dissemination reinforces trust, increases knowledge flow and supports the real adoption of new practices in agriculture and rural areas. 

Innovation depends on knowledge sharing all along the project, from developing the idea to application of an invention. Knowledge sharing includes continuous dialogue with stakeholders outside the partnership. It complements simple dissemination (via, for example, conferences or workshops). Many Horizon 2020 projects reviewed by LIAISON have set up structures to foster dialogue, tailoring their approaches to the needs of different stakeholders to maximise impact.
LIAISON, for example, shares knowledge with EU and national level policy makers via the SCAR Strategic Working Group on Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems. It has set up multinational, multidisciplinary groups of around 15 experts in each of four macro-regions, ‘Atlantic-North Sea’, ‘Danube-Balkan’, ‘Nordic-Baltic’ and ‘Mediterranean’, as forums for dialogue with local stakeholders. Fifteen ‘Rural Innovation Ambassadors’ from inspirational innovation partnerships across Europe are sharing their practical experiences with LIAISON.
Regular discussions are held between the LIAISON team and other multi-actor project consortia (especially, but not only, H2020). Dialogue with academics occurs through participation in workshops and conferences, as well as publication of the LIAISON research results in academic journals. The LIAISON website invites feedback from all stakeholders including farmers, foresters and the general public. Finally, through teaching activities, the LIAISON team engages in dialogue with the stakeholders of tomorrow.
Effective dialogue should embrace many different types of stakeholder to ensure that all their needs are met

• Dialogue with different stakeholders should take place all along the project

The multi-actor approach (MAA) in Horizon Europe requires the genuine and continuous involvement of diverse actors—both scientific and non-scientific—throughout the entire project cycle. Proposals must meet seven key requirements: 1) target (end-)user needs; 2) ensure a balanced consortium with relevant actors and expertise; 3) build on existing practices and tacit knowledge; 4) use appropriate engagement methods; 5) add practical use to existing research; 6) deliver practical, accessible results; and 7) disseminate outputs via channels widely used by end-users.The 2025 Work Programme for the Cluster 6 includes 82 topics: 30 require MA as an eligibility condition, and 9 more encourage its use. To understand how these requirements are expressed in the calls, the PREMIERE project analyzed MAA calls in detail. The most frequently cited requirement is consortium composition (n. 2), with 60% of MAA calls requesting a balanced mix of relevant actors with complementary knowledge to ensure broad uptake of results. The use of existing practices and tacit knowledge (n. 3) appears in 10% of calls, highlighting the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge integration. Targeting end-user needs (n. 1) is also present in about 10% of calls, often linked to maximizing project impact. Additionally, the added value for end-users (n. 7), such as promoting solution adoption, is explicitly mentioned in approximately 6.7% of cases. Some calls set quantitative requirements, for example, a minimum of 50% of a specific type of participant must be involved as relevant actors (call 03-GOVERNANCE-13). Overall, these findings demonstrate how Horizon Europe emphasizes genuine MA involvement to increase innovation relevance and impact.

Calls launched under Cluster 6 (Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture, Environment) of the EU Horizon Europe research and innovation programme (2021-2027) include three project types: Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Innovation Actions (IA), Coordination and Support Actions (CSA). Many of the call topics require the application of the multi-actor approach (MAA). Yet, proposal developers might not always be aware of the MAA nuances per project type, thus limiting the full potential of the MAA and increasing the risk of type-specific MAA pitfalls. While RIAs aim to generate new knowledge, improve understanding and explore feasibility of specific solutions, IAs are targeted at the development, testing and scaling of solutions, and CSAs are focused on facilitating knowledge exchange and networking. In RIAs, the MAA commonly focuses on the involvement of users in the co-creation of research questions and validation of findings, in IAs – on piloting and deploying innovations in real-life settings, whereas in CSAs – on extensive stakeholder dialogue and good practice sharing. Each type features different engagement motivations by actor profile bringing also specific challenges around issues such as data ownership and use, societal relevance of solutions and types of outputs. Effectively integrating the MAA into proposals with tailored levels of the various actors' engagement can significantly boost a project's impact. See PREMIERE factsheet: 10.5281/zenodo.15756479

• Factsheet: Specificities of the Multi-Actor Approach in different project types…