The ‘Support Facility for Innovation and Knowledge exchange including EIP-AGRI’ is a key part of the EU CAP Network. Its role is to facilitate cooperation between those with a keen interest in sharing knowledge and innovative ideas for sustainable agriculture, forestry and rural areas.
Building robust knowledge flows and speeding up innovation
The EU CAP Network, with the support of the EIP-AGRI Support Facility, connects farmers, foresters, advisors, researchers, business representatives, environmental groups, NGOs, consumer interest groups and other innovators in the EU CAP Network. Its ultimate aim is to help build robust knowledge flows and speed up innovation in agriculture, forestry and rural areas.
The activities of the EU CAP Network focusing on innovation and knowledge exchange, including EIP-AGRI, cover all nine specific CAP objectives as well as the cross-cutting objective of ‘modernising agriculture and rural areas by fostering and sharing knowledge, innovation and digitalisation’. They connect research and practice, bringing together people and different types of innovative multi-actor projects.
The EU CAP Network helps to bridge research and practice by sharing results from research and innovation (R&I), best practices and innovative solutions with farmers, foresters, advisors, rural communities and innovative projects. Practical knowledge and research needs can eventually also be taken up in dedicated R&I activities under future Horizon Europe Work Programmes.
Efforts to promote innovation and knowledge exchange:
- contribute to building effective Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) across the EU;
- foster smart and resilient agricultural, forestry and rural sectors, and ensure food security;
- reinforce environmental care and climate action;
- strengthen the socio-economic fabric of rural areas.
Funding opportunities to support collaboration and turn innovative ideas into actions
Funding sources are available to support R&I, get innovative projects started and turn new ideas into actions. These include EIP-AGRI Operational Groups (OG) and Horizon Europe multi-actor projects and thematic networks.
The Common Agricultural Policy provides opportunities for setting up and funding EIP-AGRI OGs. These are innovative projects that aim to explore opportunities or find practical solutions to problems that European farmers, foresters and rural communities are facing. OGs were formerly funded through European Rural Development Programmes and currently through national CAP Strategic Plans, which are developed in each Member State. More information on EIP-AGRI OGs and previous OGs.
Under Cluster 6 on 'Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment', Horizon Europe offers funding for research and innovation projects that allow researchers to develop innovative solutions together with practitioners, advisors and other stakeholders, sharing knowledge and producing results that are ready to be put into practice. In addition, it provides support for thematic and advisory networks, which collect R&I solutions and good practices and make them widely available.
Find out more about Horizon Europe and its multi-actor projects, including thematic networks and advisory networks. Or take a look at opportunities under the EU Mission: A Soil Deal for Europe, addressing issues that farmers, foresters and rural communities face.
Main activities
The activities of the EU CAP Network focusing on innovation and knowledge exchange, including EIP-AGRI, inform, engage and inspire innovators across Europe through the following services:
- A helpdesk answering your questions.
- Networking activities to connect interested parties from research and practice to foster knowledge exchange and innovation. This includes EIP-AGRI Focus Groups, workshops and seminars, cross-visits between projects and brokerage activities.
- Identifying synergies and opportunities for collaboration between projects; contributing to closing the gap between research and practice.
- Informing, inspiring and sharing innovation through publications, a newsletter, an annual magazine, social media and the press.
EU CAP Network - Support Facility - Overview events
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soike7-overview-publications-sf-202411.pdf
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Inspiring networking events on Innovation & Knowledge exchange | EIP-AGRI
Between September 2023 and June 2024, the EU CAP Network is organising 16 networking events with the support of the EIP-AGRI Support Facility. Topics include 'competitive mountain areas', 'skills and lifelong learning', 'women-led innovation' and more.
AKIS
Effective ‘Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems’ (AKIS) make sure that relevant people get connected, and that knowledge is shared between farmers, foresters and rural communities to support the development of innovative solutions that work in practice.
Find out moreDigital Agriculture
Be inspired by digital technologies and innovative projects for the farming and forestry community and find out how to improve your digital knowledge and skills.
Find out moreEIP-AGRI Projects Database
Browse innovative projects from across Europe that boost innovation for agriculture and forestry. You can search by funding source, country and keywords. For each project, you will find its objectives, results and contact details.
Find out moreEIP-AGRI Operational Groups
Operational Groups bring together farmers, researchers, advisors, businesses, environmental groups, consumer interest groups or other NGOs to advance innovation in the agricultural and forestry sectors.
Find out moreFocus Groups
Focus Groups are temporary groups of selected experts from across the EU focusing on a specific subject and sharing knowledge and experience.
Find out moreEU CAP Network publication on innovation, knowledge exchange and EIP-AGRI
The EU CAP Network shares innovation and best practices through brochures, factsheets, magazines, videos and reports.
Find out moreLatest publications
EU CAP Network Magazine - Issue 2
This edition of the EU CAP Network magazine focuses on the economic, social and environmental resilience of rural areas and the role networking plays to help build resilience.
EIP-AGRI Innovation Awards 2024 for Operational Groups: seven winners from the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Ireland and Spain
On 7 May 2024 an awards ceremony was held in Estoril, Portugal, to announce the winners of the EIP-AGRI Innovation Awards 2024 for Operational Groups. The ceremony was held during the EU CAP Network conference ‘EIP-AGRI Operational Groups: Innovation in practice’, to celebrate the achievements of more than 3400 Operational Groups.
EIP-AGRI Operational Groups - Collaboration and funding opportunities
This brochure highlights examples of collaboration, funding opportunities, support platforms and activities that can inspire National CAP Networks, Operational Groups and other innovators to connect and boost innovation across the EU.
Press articles
Find out moreBrochures
Find out moreAgrinnovation magazine
Find out moreReports
Find out moreVideos
Find out moreLatest news
EU CAP Network cross-visits 2025 - call for hosting EIP-AGRI Operational Groups
Apply to become a host for one of the three new EU CAP Network cross-visits for Operational Groups.
Innovation Market at the Finnish Agricultural Machinery Trade Fair
Finnish and Estonian Operational Groups showcase what is happening in R&D in agriculture, forestry, and horticulture.
Final results from MOVING project on management and sustainability of mountain areas
Discover an inventory of mountain value chains, ‘story maps’ presenting the unique characteristics of twenty-three mountain regions, and much more.
