Open call for applications

 

Submission opens: 17 August 2026

Deadline for submission: 15 September 2026

Project period: 1 January 2027 – 31 December 2030

The Nordic Public Private Partnership on Pre-breeding (PPP) invites applications for collaborative plant pre-breeding projects, that focus on preparedness, resilience and sustainable Nordic crop production utilizing diverse plant genetic resources.

Funding for projects depends on approval of a new PPP Agreement by the Nordic Council of Ministers for Fisheries, Aquaculture, Agriculture, Food and Forestry (MR-FJLS).

PPP was established by the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2011. The purpose of the Partnership is to promote the development of Nordic plant breeding by supporting long-term breeding goals for Nordic agriculture and horticulture in a changing climate through collaborative pre-breeding projects.

These activities should support the strategic goals of Nordic policies on green growth, bioeconomy, sustainable food systems, preparedness, and resilience. The activities should also maintain and strengthen the competitiveness of the plant breeding sector for Nordic agriculture and food production. The Partnership should seek to include NordGen and plant genetic material from NordGen in projects and development activities. 

Objective of the call

Plant production in the Nordic countries faces increasing pressures from climate change, emerging pests and diseases, natural resource limitations, reduction of environmental impacts and geopolitical uncertainty. In this context, preparedness related to supply, resilience and climate change adaptation and mitigation are essential components of sustainable Nordic food and feed systems.

To accomplish this goal, pre-breeding efforts that bridge the gap between non-adapted plant genetic resources and extensively bred crop plants must be emphasized. The objective with this call is to facilitate utilization of diverse genetic resources to enable future breeding of climate‑resilient, resource‑efficient, and high‑quality crops relevant for Nordic agriculture and society.

Who can participate?

The call is open for project proposals made in collaboration between:

• Nordic plant breeding entities that are partners in PPP or Nordic plant breeding entities that have applied to become a member of PPP.
• Nordic research organizations and NordGen.
• Associated partners from the Nordic and Baltic countries can participate on the same conditions as PPP partners. However, associated partners cannot be project leaders. Other non-Nordic partners can participate in a project but cannot receive PPP funding.

Eligible projects and activities

The funding opportunities provide support for pre-breeding projects. Projects may focus on one or more main crops that are important in the Nordic region today, or on new or upcoming crops, e.g. protein crops for food, feed or diversification. Pre-breeding is defined as pre-competitive cultivar development, including technology development to improve or speed up the breeding process.

Projects may address one or more of the following topics, but other relevant topics are welcome:

• Crop quality, e.g. quality stability, quality traits for food or feed or post-harvest quality.
• Crop resilience to biological stresses, e.g. plant diseases or insect pests.
• Crop resilience to environmental stresses, e.g. drought, heat, water logging, irrigation or winter hardiness.

Pre‑breeding may include, but is not limited to:

• Development and characterization of breeding‑relevant germplasm.
• Advanced phenotyping and genotyping strategies.
• Integration of new technologies and data‑driven approaches.
• Development of shared methods, datasets or resources supporting breeding.

Projects are encouraged to demonstrate clear relevance to preparedness, resilience, sustainability and Nordic added value. 

Funding

The total budget available under this call is expected to be approximately SEK 64 million, consisting of SEK 32 million in public funding, matched by SEK 32 million in contributions from project partners.

Projects may run for up to four years (2027–2030) and must demonstrate a balanced funding structure, with public funding matched by corresponding partner contributions, which may be provided as cash or in-kind contributions.

The maximum total budget per project is SEK 20 million, including up to SEK 10 million in public funding and a minimum of SEK 10 million from project partners.

General application requirements

Project application

The project description should be limited to a maximum of 25,000 characters and 4 illustrations (e.g. figures, tables, etc.)  and contain:

• Title of the project.
• Name and affiliation of the project leader.
• List of the participating partners and a short description of the consortium.
• Detailed description of the proposed project; including objective, background (if relevant, include previous PPP project results), methods, collaborations, and the significance of the project in relation to future development of climate-resilient crops for Nordic agriculture.
• Project plan including a description of work plan, a time schedule, a description of the practical framework, e.g. experimental facilities and an assessment of the feasibility of the project.
• Assessment of feasibility and risks.
• Communication and dissemination plan.
• Data management plan, addressing data generation, storage, accessibility and long‑term use.
• Statement on ownership and use of results.
• Gantt Chart summarizing activities, including tasks, milestones and deliverables.
• CV of the project leader and other key people.
• Letters of commitment from consortium partners.
• Short summary (200 words) of the project in English for the public.

It is important that the application explains how the project and the project outcome can add value to the participating Nordic plant breeding entities, Nordic agriculture and food production as well as to the Nordic societies. 

Budget

Public participants (universities and research organizations)

• Own contributions (in kind) from the respective public project partner can be calculated at cost with max 1050 SEK per hour, cost level properly verified.
• Overhead calculation - According to the accounting principles of the respective public participant as accepted by national funding agencies, properly justified and verified.

Private participants (companies)

• Own contributions (in kind) from the respective private project partner can be calculated at cost with max 1050 SEK per hour with the cost level properly verified.
• Overhead calculation – As agreed between all project partners in the consortium agreement, properly justified and verified or with a max level of 25% of the direct project costs (personnel costs, consumables and travel).

Baltic partners

• On a case‑by‑case basis, the PPP Steering Committee may approve matched PPP funding for associated partners from the Baltic countries. Any such funding must be included within the total project budget and is conditional on the partner making a clear and documented contribution to Nordic plant breeding in accordance with the purpose and objectives of the PPP.

Assessment and assessment criteria

Proposals will be evaluated by three independent experts and prioritized by the PPP Steering Committee. Applicants will be notified by the end of January 2027. Funding decisions will be communicated to the project leader by e-mail. The Steering Committee does not provide feedback on non-successful applications.

The assessment will focus on the quality, potential impact, structure and feasibility of the project. In addition, the ability and commitment of the project consortium will be assessed. Additional areas that will be prioritized in the final assessment are:

• Broad involvement of private and public PPP partners working with a specific crop.
• Focus on crops relevant to the Nordic region that have not previously been part of a PPP project.
• Use of diverse non-adapted plant genetic resources.
• Use and implementation of new breeding methods or technologies.
• Level of expertise and knowledge building and sharing for the benefit of future Nordic plant breeding.
• Previously obtained project results and the long-term nature of the project in the case of application for continuation of an already established PPP project.

How to apply for funding?

• Applications are submitted through efond (www.efond.dk), link will be published on this website. 
• Submission is open from 17 August to 15 September 2026.
• For questions, please contact the PPP Secretariat at NordGen by e-mail: PPP-Secretariat@nordgen.org