Call for Ecophyto – Maturation projects (2023 edition) Innovations to support the Ecophyto plan

The third edition of the "Ecophyto - Maturation" call for proposals aims to promote projects that transfer research results to the socio-economic world with the objective of reducing the use of phytopharmaceutical products and their impacts.

In order to contribute to the achievement of the Ecophyto II+ Plan, by using research results, the Ministries of Higher Education and Research, of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty, of Ecological Transition and of Territorial Cohesion, Health and Prevention, are launching a third edition of the Ecophyto - Maturation call for proposals.

The goal of the “Maturation” calls is to support the valorization of scientific work successfully completed in a previous research program. The objective is to bring a breakthrough solution to a level allowing its appropriation through products, technologies, methodologies or services. More specifically, consortia are encouraged to develop research that demonstrates the operationality of a solution in a real environment and which meets the needs of the end users.

On a technology readiness level (TRL) scale, projects must be based on initial work having reached a TRL of 4 and aim, for a TRL of 6 or higher at the end of the projects.
The proposals must address  innovations in support of national Ecophyto plan and be in line with the objective of reducing plant protection products by at least 50% and/or reducing the associated risks and impacts on health or the environment.

The targeted innovations must refer to one of the agroecology levers allowing, directly or indirectly, to reduce the use and impacts of phytosanitary inputs from synthetic chemistry, such as for example:

• Agronomic practices (rotations, mixtures of species, plant cover, tools for redesigning systems or prophylactic measures, etc.) and more generally all prophylaxis practices (preventive approaches or based on biological regulations);
• Biocontrol (in the broad sense: biological control by conservation, by acclimatization, by augmentation; autocidal control, etc.), as well as applications of chemical ecology (use of chemical mediators, “attract & kill” strategies);
• Genetics and plant breeding (resistant varieties, diversification, service plants, resistance durability management tools, etc.);
• Sensors and digital technology (for diagnosis, epidemiological surveillance aimed at prevention, monitoring, system management, historical record of pesticide exposure, etc.);
• Agro-equipment, including agricultural robotics, in particular those facilitating the combination and deployment of agro-ecological practices or those providing an improvement in risk prevention and protection of health at work;
• Tools and services promoting the stakeholder organizations (all types of organizational and social innovation with the implementation at the scale of the company, value chain or a territory) and helping to create value associated with sustainable crop protection methods;
• Public policy tools or insurance systems that facilitate the transition to more sustainable systems;
• Innovations based on activities mobilizing new business models (moving away from the dominant model of product use in a "one pest - one solution" logic);
• Innovations offering solutions to orphan situations.

Finally, any innovation which is not on the previous list but which contributes to the Ecophyto II+ Plan thanks to a solution with a TRL greater than 6 at the end of the project, will be eligible to apply for this call.

The consortia must include at least one "research organization or similar" partner and at least one "socio-economic " partner (private companies, technical centers and institutes, professional organizations, chambers, associations, etc.).