Call for Projects in the Agri-Food and Cosmetics Sectors (Italy)

Fondazione LGH has launched a Call for Projects to transform research and experimental-development activities into measurable benefits for local communities and productive sectors in Italy. The priority areas are circular and bio-based economy, digitalization and enabling technologies, sustainable management of natural resources and biodiversity, energy transition and decarbonization, talent development, and innovation ecosystems, with particular relevance to the agri-food and cosmetics sectors. Opportunity at a Glance

- Funding organization: Fondazione LGH

- Opportunity: Call for Projects

- Type of funding: Non-repayable grant

- Grant amount: €20,000–€50,000 per project

- Co-financing requirement: Not required

- Application period: 1 September–30 November 2026

- Evaluation and results: By 31 December 2026

- Formal acceptance of funding: 15 January 2027

- Project implementation period: 1 January–31 December 2027

- Project duration: 6–12 months

- Eligible geographical area: Italy

- Contact: info@fondazionelgh.it

- Address: Via dell’Innovazione Digitale 8, 26100 Cremona, Italy

- Tax identification number: 93065390192

About the Opportunity

The Fondazione LGH Call for Projects supports initiatives that connect scientific research with local needs and practical applications. It seeks to transform scientific and technological expertise into projects with measurable impacts, particularly for the agri-food and cosmetics sectors. Applicants may submit basic research, applied research or experimental-development projects, depending on their level of technological maturity.

Objectives

The call aims to:

- Transfer scientific and technological knowledge into practical initiatives. - Generate measurable benefits for communities and productive sectors. - Support innovation in the agri-food and cosmetics industries. - Promote collaboration among research organizations, startups and other innovation actors. - Encourage environmental and energy sustainability. - Strengthen digital transformation. - Develop technical skills and human capital. - Help promising research advance toward operational application. Funding and Benefits Selected projects may receive a non-repayable grant ranging from €20,000 to €50,000. Applicants are not required to provide co-financing. The grant will be paid in two instalments:

- First instalment: 50% at the beginning of the project.

- Final instalment: 50% after project completion and approval of the technical and financial reports.

Unexpected accessory expenses may represent up to 5% of the total project budget. These costs must already be included within the proposed budget and cannot be added to the requested grant later. Who Is Eligible? The following applicants may submit proposals: - Nonprofit research organizations. - Innovative startups.

Nonprofit research organizations must:

- Have purposes connected with research, knowledge dissemination or knowledge transfer. - Have at least one approved financial statement.

Innovative startups must:

- Be registered in the appropriate special section. - Have been registered for at least 12 months but no more than five years. - Have at least one approved financial statement. Applications must originate from within Italy. Additional eligibility conditions and exclusions should be verified in the official call regulations. Eligible Project Types Projects must fall under one of three categories based on Technology Readiness Level.

Basic Research: TRL 1–2

Basic research projects may focus on producing, organizing or expanding new scientific, technical or methodological knowledge. These projects may still be at an early stage and do not need to demonstrate an operational solution.

Applied Research: TRL 3–4

Applied research projects must use scientific, technological or methodological knowledge to address a practical need. Projects should examine feasibility, effectiveness and potential application.

Experimental Development: TRL 5–6

Experimental-development projects may involve the development, testing, adaptation or validation of solutions in an operational or applied setting.

Eligible outputs may include:

- Products - Services - Processes - Models - Technologies - Methodologies - Operational solutions Priority Areas Proposals must align with one or more of six scientific directions. Circular and Bio-Based Economy Projects may develop circular production models, bio-based solutions, waste-reduction systems or approaches that transform by-products into useful resources. Digitalization and Enabling Technologies

Projects may use technologies such as:

- Artificial intelligence - Internet of Things - Data infrastructure - Digital platforms - Data analytics - Process automation - Other enabling technologies Sustainable Natural-Resource Management and Biodiversity Projects may improve the management of natural resources, protect biodiversity or reduce environmental impacts connected with production systems. Energy Transition, Decarbonization and Green Energy Projects may support cleaner energy, reduced emissions, improved energy efficiency or the transition toward low-carbon production. Talent Culture Projects may strengthen human capital through: - Skills development - Upskilling - Professional training - Knowledge transfer - Scientific and technical capacity development Innovation Ecosystems Projects may create or strengthen cooperation among organizations within relevant value chains. Activities may involve shared platforms, data systems, technology transfer or collaborative innovation networks. Eligible Costs The call identifies the following categories of eligible expenditure: - Permanent and non-permanent personnel assigned to the project. - Research contracts. - Scholarships and research grants. - Scientific collaborations. - Technical and administrative personnel involved in implementation. - Scientific, technological or methodological consultancy. - Laboratory analyses and tests. - Data processing. - Specialist services. - Consumable mat