AGROSTRATEG – R&D funding for digital agriculture, AI and Agriculture 4.0

What is AGROSTRATEG?

The AGROSTRATEG programme is a strategic funding instrument for research and development (R&D) in the agri-food sector. It supports projects that increase production efficiency, food and raw material safety, and environmental sustainability. In practice, this means a strong focus on precision agriculture, fertilizer and pesticide reduction, soil and water monitoring, as well as the development of modern data-driven systems for the farm-to-fork value chain.

Key support areas in AGROSTRATEG

1) Sustainable crop production

• improving soil quality and fertility, soil monitoring
• reduction of fertilizers and plant protection products and more efficient formulations
• optimization of fertilization, fertigation, irrigation and cultivation technologies

2) Sustainable livestock production

• integrated animal health and welfare management
• microbiological and physicochemical safety of feed and raw materials
• reduction of losses and waste across the production chain

3) Digital agriculture (Agriculture 4.0)

• remote sensing and geolocation (EO, GNSS/RTK), crop and resource monitoring
• Big Data and AI, predictive analytics, decision support systems
• data interoperability, API integrations, integration of agricultural machinery and IoT sensors
• traceability and digital management of the agri-food value chain

4) Innovative agricultural techniques

• new cultivation and production technologies in controlled environments
• optimization of drainage and irrigation systems
• renewable energy in agriculture (e.g. agrivoltaics, biogas, wind energy in farming systems)

Funding amount and support intensity in AGROSTRATEG

Funding is provided from NCBR targeted grants. The level of funding depends on the type of applicant and the type of R&D activities:

• Research organisations: up to 100% of eligible costs for basic research, industrial research, experimental development and pre-implementation work.
• Enterprises (state aid):
  • industrial research: up to 80% (micro/small), 75% (medium), 65% (large);
  • experimental development: respectively up to 60%, 50% or 40%;
  • pre-implementation work: under the de minimis aid scheme.
• Other entities capable of implementing project results: up to 100% of eligible costs for R&D and pre-implementation activities.

Project duration: up to 48 months, with a possible extension to 60 months during project implementation.

Detailed eligibility rules and call conditions are specified in the official documentation of each specific funding call.

What types of projects can receive funding?

Projects with a high implementation potential (TRL 6–9) that deliver measurable impact on efficiency, cost reduction, and risk management in agriculture and food processing are the most competitive. Key examples include:

• AI/ML solutions: yield prediction, quality estimation, disease risk models, scoring and recommendation systems
• computer vision and image processing (e.g. pest detection, crop health analysis, raw material quality assessment)
• soil and water monitoring, variability maps, fertilizer reduction and optimization of agronomic practices
• remote sensing and geolocation: satellite imagery analytics integrated with IoT data
• data interoperability and integration of IoT sensors, farm machinery and enterprise systems (API/ERP)
• traceability and digital farm-to-fork value chain management

Who is the AGROSTRATEG programme for?

The programme is dedicated to research organisations, universities, agri-food companies and scientific–industrial consortia, with the active involvement of farmers and industry organisations as end-users and beneficiaries of R&D results.

How does Agri Solutions support AGROSTRATEG projects?

If you are preparing an application to NCBR (AGROSTRATEG) and need support in agricultural digitalisation, Agri Solutions can act as a technology partner, substantive partner, subcontractor or consortium member.

How can we support your AGROSTRATEG project?

1. R&D agenda preparation and proposal development – defining project scope, work packages, milestones, KPIs, TRL levels and implementation strategy.
2. Agriculture 4.0 R&D development – AI/ML, computer vision, image processing, remote sensing, geolocation (GNSS/RTK), Big Data, predictive and scoring models, digital twins, decision support systems, data interoperability, IoT (LoRaWAN, MQTT, edge computing), ISOBUS/ISO-XML and CAN-BUS integrations.
3. Subcontracting – execution of dedicated R&D and implementation tasks, supported by extensive experience in agri-food innovation and scalable digital solutions.
4. Consortium participation – providing FarmPortal and FarmCloud as ready-to-use digital infrastructure, along with strong competencies in AI, data integration and technology demonstrators.

FAQ – frequently asked questions

1. What is AGROSTRATEG and what is its main objective?

AGROSTRATEG is a strategic R&D programme by NCBR aimed at fostering innovation in the agri-food sector, including precision agriculture, fertilizer reduction, soil monitoring, digital production and farm-to-fork value chain optimisation.

2. What thematic areas does AGROSTRATEG cover?

The programme focuses on four key areas: sustainable crop production, livestock production, digital agriculture (Agriculture 4.0), and innovative agricultural technologies including AI, Big Data, remote sensing and geolocation.

3. Who can apply for AGROSTRATEG funding?

Eligible applicants include research organisations, universities, agri-food enterprises and scientific–industrial consortia, with farmers and industry bodies involved as end-users.

4. What is the level of funding?

Funding is granted from NCBR targeted grants, with support intensity depending on the applicant type and the nature of R&D activities (industrial research, experimental development, pre-implementation).

5. What projects have the highest chances of success?

Projects with strong implementation potential (TRL 6–9), especially in AI, soil and water monitoring, fertilizer reduction, interoperability, traceability and digital farm management systems.

6. Does Agri Solutions support proposal preparation?

Yes. We support full R&D agenda design, work package definition, TRL planning, implementation strategy and the digital architecture of AGROSTRATEG projects.

Experience in R&D projects (summary)

Contact: If you are building an AGROSTRATEG consortium and want to strengthen the digital layer (AI, IoT, remote sensing, interoperability, traceability), contact the Agri Solutions team.