Published on 12 January 2026

Support for agricultural advisory projects

The support of agricultural advisory projects serves to promote knowledge transfer and innovation in the agricultural sector. The aim of strengthening a diverse range of advisory services is to accompany and support people working in agriculture in decision-making and business management in order to achieve and maintain competitiveness and sustainability.

© Federal Office for Agriculture FOAG

Initial situation

Agricultural advisory services play an important role as a link between research, education, administration and agricultural practice. They help to intensify the exchange of knowledge so that new findings and framework conditions can be implemented more quickly in practice and practical problems can be incorporated into research projects.

Agricultural advisory projects are intended to develop tools and methods that support advisory services in intensifying the exchange of knowledge and contribute to the following overall objectives.

The funding for advisory projects is open to all innovative advisory topics related to agriculture, and all applications will be considered equally. However, it should be noted that within the upcoming submission deadline on 18 February 2026, applications on the topic of ‘Strategy for sustainable crop protection’ will be particularly welcome.

Overall objectives

An advisory project should pursue at least one of the four main objectives:

1. Optimising the agricultural advisory system

Advice as a self-regulating subsystem within LIWIS

As in any system, the structure and functioning of the advisory system must be constantly questioned in order to improve the system. Projects should help to address new topics and develop methods, to clarify the responsibilities and roles of the players and to optimise the exchange of knowledge.

2. Introducing new knowledge into practice

Agricultural advisory services as a link between research and practice

Advisory services provide a link between scientific knowledge from research and practical implementation. Projects shall contribute to introduce new knowledge into practice using known or new methods or by testing on how scientific findings can be implemented best in reality on the farms. Findings from practice and any new problems shall flow back to research.

3. Disseminating knowledge and experience

Agricultural advisory as a catalyst for exchange in practice

The exchange of knowledge within practice enables the broad application of existing experiences and/or new findings. Projects shall contribute to the preparation and further development of practical knowledge so that it can be applied in as many different practical situations as possible. In particular, projects promote the exchange of experience within agriculture from farm to farm.

4. Communicating framework conditions and measures

Advisory services as a mediator of political measures and economic framework conditions to practitioners

Agricultural advisory services address concerns from politics, administration and society and conveys them to the practice. Projects shall help to explain agricultural policy decisions and to address and communicate developments in society so that farms can prepare for changing expectations.

Formal requirements

• Funding for projects can be requested by institutions or organisations that act on an inter-regional or national level.
• The federal government will cover a maximum of 50% of the proven and recognised costs.
• Applicants must complete and submit the application form and the corresponding cost table (see also «Further information» / «Documentation»).
• Funding is also available for collaborative projects aligned as consortia. A consortium is defined as an association of at least two institutions or organisations. Preferably, suitable practioners are also included.

The submission deadlines and the address to which the application should be sent can be found at the end of this webpage.

Evaluation criteria

Projects are evaluated according to the following criteria:

• Thematic evaluation: benefit (agricultural policy or agricultural relevance) and urgency
• Methodological assessment: quality and embedding (links to existing knowledge, integration in LIWIS and measures to ensure optimal dissemination of results)
• Evaluation in terms of resources: relationship of resources used in relation to project objectives, amount of own funds, additional sources of funding

The projects should be developed in a bottom-up process and be geared to the needs of the target group, for which the project is intended to achieve a direct benefit.

Decision

• The application for financial assistance is evaluated by the FOAG's General Directorates; the final decision on project funding is then taken by the FOAG's Senior Management.
• The decisions are communicated in writing to the applicants.
• If the application is accepted, financing is contractually agreed.
• The project can be launched at the earliest four months after submission of the application to the FOAG.

Approved projects

Completed and ongoing advisory projects are published here:
ARAMIS - The research database of the Federal Administration - Project search

Further information

The FOAG provides a reduced English-language version of its website that does not include all further information such as documents, legislation or links. These can be found on the pages in the three official languages (German, French and Italian).

• Legislation

  Federal Act on Agriculture
  Agriculture Act, AgricA of 29 April 1998

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