The European Commission launched grants to information provision and promotion measures concerning agricultural products implemented in the internal market and in third countries. The general objective of this call for proposal is to enhance the competitiveness of the Union agricultural sector.

The specific objectives of the information provision and promotion measures are to:

• increase awareness of the merits of Union agricultural products and of the high standards applicable to the production methods in the Union;
• increase the competitiveness and consumption of Union agricultural products and certain food products and to raise their profile both inside and outside the Union;
• increase the awareness and recognition of Union quality schemes;
• increase the market share of Union agricultural products and certain food products, specifically focusing on those markets in third countries that have the highest growth potential;
• restore normal market conditions in the event of serious market disturbance, loss of consumer confidence or other specific problems.

The 2020 Annual Work Programme sets out the thematic priorities for actions to be co-financed through the present call.

Eligible actions and activities

The information and promotion programmes consist of a coherent set of operations such as promotional activities and information campaigns, in particular in the form of public relations, advertising, sales activities, participation in events and trade fairs.

The call supports the implementation of simple programmes, detailing actions in the internal market or in third countries, which cover the following topics:

Actions under thematic priority 1: Simple programmes in the internal market Internal market

Topic 1:

• The objective is to increase the awareness and recognition of the Union quality schemes: protected designation of origin (PDO), protected geographical indication (PGI), traditional specialty guaranteed (TSG) and optional quality terms;
• organic production method;
• the logo for quality agricultural products specific to the outermost regions of the Union.

Budget: EUR 12 000 000

Topic 2:

The objective is to highlight at least one of the specific features of agricultural production methods in the Union, particularly in terms of food safety, traceability, authenticity, labelling, nutritional and health aspects, animal welfare, respect for the environment and sustainability, and the characteristics of agricultural and food products, particularly in terms of their quality, taste, diversity or traditions. The expected ultimate impact is to increase the awareness of the merits of Union agricultural products by the European consumers and to enhance the competitiveness and consumption of Union agri-food products, raise their profile and increase their market share.

EUR 8 000 000

Actions under thematic priority 2: Simple programmes in third countries

Topic 3 Information provision and promotion programmes targeting one or more of the following countries: China

Budget: 27.500.000 euro

Topic 4 Information provision and promotion programmes targeting one or more of the following countries: Canada, USA or Mexico

Budget: 20.000.000 euro

Topic 5 Information provision and promotion programmes targeting other geographical areas

Budget: 22.500.000 euro

Topic 6 Information provision and promotion programmes on beef and/or veal targeting any third country(ies)

Budget: 5.000.000 euro

Types of eligible activities

Promotion and information provision actions may notably consist of the following activities, eligible under this call:

1. Management of the project
2. Public relations: PR activities, Press events
3. Website, social media: Website setup, updating, maintenance, social media (accounts setup, regular posting), mobile apps, e-learning platforms, webinars
4. Advertising: Print, TV, Radio, Online, Outdoor, Cinema
5. Communication tools: Publications, media kits, promotional merchandise, promotional videos
6. Events: Stands at trade fairs, seminars, workshops, B2B meetings, trainings for trade/cooks, activities in schools, restaurant weeks, sponsorship of events, study trips to Europe
7. Point-of-sale (POS) promotion: tasting days, promotion in retailers’ publications, POS advertising

Eligible applicants

Proposals for simple programmes can only be submitted by legal persons or other entities which do not have a legal personality under the applicable national law. More specifically, applications from the following organisations and bodies are eligible:

• trade or inter-trade organisations, established in a Member State and representative of the sector or sectors concerned in that Member State;
• producer organisations or associations of producer organisations;
• agri-food sector bodies the objective and activity of which is to provide information on, and to promote agricultural products and which have been entrusted, by the Member State concerned, with a clearly defined public service mission in this area those bodies must have been legally established in the Member State in question at least two years prior to the date of the call for proposals.

Proposals may be submitted by one or more proposing organisations, which shall all be from the same EU Member State. Only applications from entities established in EU Member States are eligible.

Budget

The total budget earmarked for the co-financing of actions under this call is EUR 95 000 000.

The EU grant is limited to the following maximum co-funding rate of:

• Simple programs in the internal market: up to 70% of eligible costs
• Simple programmes in third countries: up to 80% of eligible costs

The co-financed action (information provision/promotion programmes) shall be implemented over a period of at least one year but not more than three years.

Deadline & official documentation

The deadline for submission is 15 April 2020, 17.00 CET. Official documentation is available here