AI for agriculture, horticulture, water and food 2026

AI for agriculture, horticulture, water and food 2026 is sponsored by Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO) - Dutch Research Council. This program provides funding for research into AI applications specifically within the agriculture, horticulture, water, and food sectors.

KIC AI for agriculture, horticulture, water and food 2026 | NWO The aim of this research programme is to develop, apply, and expand AI methods that can contribute to finding solutions to urgent societal challenges within the agriculture, horticulture, water, and food sectors.

AI technology can support these sectors, for example in improving and making production in agriculture and horticulture more sustainable, improving water management, allocation, and safety, and ensuring a healthy, nutritious, and safe food supply.

The focus of research proposals within this programme can vary from the application and further development of existing AI algorithms to demonstrating a proof-of-principle that is relevant to the agriculture, horticulture, water, and food sectors. This programme also emphasizes the importance of considering relevant societal aspects and involving relevant stakeholders and end users.

Proposals are submitted by the main applicant and one or more co-applicants. Researchers may submit an application if they have a tenured position (and therefore a paid position for an indefinite period*) or a tenure track agreement at a research organisation. A proposal is written by a consortium in which besides the applicants two or more co-funders, and potentially one or more cooperation partners, are involved as well.

All consortiumpartners should play an active role in the formulation of the research questions and in the design and implementation of the project. For more information: see section in the Call for Proposals. In the period prior to the deadline for submitting the proposal, NWO facilitates a matchmaking event for this Call for proposals.

Participation to this event is strongly recommended but is not compulsory to submitting an application. The matchmaking events in the KIC aim to bring together and connect researchers from different scientific disciplines and persons from societal organisations and companies. The budget for this research programme is 7 million euro.

NWO will fund each project within this programme with a minimum of 600,000 and a maximum of 1,840,000 euro. With this, NWO finances maximally 80% of the total project budget; the rest of the funding must be contributed by the compulsory co-funding (in kind and/or in cash). Successful projects will have a maximum duration of six years.

The matchmaking event will take place on 2 April 2026 . The deadline for submitting a statement of intent 30 June 2026. The deadline for submitting a full proposal is 13 October 2026 .

The deadline for a request to review foreign organisations is 29 September 2026 . The full proposal is assessed on the basis of four criteria: Problem definition and analysis (20%), Envisaged impact and route to impact (20%), Quality of the consortium (30%), Quality of the research (30%). After submitting a proposal it is first assessed by referees.

The applicant will be given the opportunity to write a rebuttal on the reports of the referees. On the basis of the proposal, the referee reports, and the rebuttal the assessment committee selects consortia for an interview. After the interview, the assessment committee advices NWO on the ranking of the research proposal.

Information session on AI for Agriculture, Horticulture, Water, and Food 2026 (KIC) 12 May 2026, 14:00 - 15:00 Responsible research data management is an essential component of good research practice. Prepare a data management plan after the grant is awarded and before the project starts.

Programme-/ policy officer NWO Domain Applied and Engineering Sciences (AES) Applications must be submitted through the Isaac application and reporting system. If you do not have an Isaac account yet, then please create one at least one workday in advance. More information about writing a proposal and which forms you need to use can be found in Isaac.

Please download and use the forms in Isaac. Below you will find examples of the required forms. The application should indicate how the proposed research answers the Call for proposals, which societal problem/challenge the project addresses, as well as what the goals, hypotheses, research methods and scientific feasibility of the project are.

Also, in the proposal needs to be described how the consortium is built up, and how the research is carried out to aid in the application of the research results. The Impact Plan approach needs to be applied and described in the proposal. In this program, obligatory annexes to a research proposal are: declaration of cofunding; a ‘statements and signature’ form.

If applicable, a guarantee for continuity in the project management (see section 3. 1 in the call for proposals).

Downloads for your application KIC AI for agriculture, horticulture, water and food | call for proposals KIC AI for agriculture, horticulture, water and food | application form KIC AI for agriculture, horticulture, water and food | declaration co-funding KIC AI for agriculture, horticulture, water and food | declaration research organisation KIC AI for agriculture, horticulture, water and food | statement appointment and project supervision KIC AI for agriculture, horticulture, water and food 2026 | statements & signature form Online manual grant application system ISAAC ISAAC offers applicants for research funding the possibility to track their application in the assessment process.

The funding process explained NWO has a fixed procedure for handling all applications. Learn more about how the application procedure is set up – from the moment you apply until a decision is reached. Do you already have an account in Isaac?

Have you submitted the letter of intent? Have you completed the application form? Has the statement been signed by the main applicant?

Do the co-applicants have a statement of approval signed? Have the co-financing declarations been signed? Have you uploaded all the required attachments?

You can read all the details about the application for funding in the call for proposals. If you have any questions, please contact the contact person.