A Teagasc co-ordinated project called FAIRshare (Farm Advisory Digital Innovation Tools Realised and Shared) is looking for applications for projects to help improve the adoption of digital advisory tools and services.

The EU Horizon 2020-funded project aims to enable a more digitally active farm and farm advisory community by focusing on bridging the digital divide evident between, and within, advisory services.

The project focuses explicitly on existing digital advisory tools and services (DATS), which include communication tools, farm software, benchmarking tools, web and phone applications, digital education and training materials and supports, among others.

The project is now offering the opportunity to develop a number of external user cases to help and support the implementation of a range of DATS across the EU.

Funding

Applications are open for external user cases to apply for funding. User cases aim to address a challenge faced by a group of agricultural advisers by implementing DATS.

User cases can include an advisory service, a cohort of advisers within an advisory service or a group of independent advisers.

Initially, FAIRshare will fund 10 user cases from across Europe to represent different sectors, production systems, regions and farm advisory contexts.

User cases

FAIRshare will support each user case by providing €90,000 worth of funding and also via strategic assistance.

The funding is not available for the development of new digital tools and services - rather it is for the adoption, or adaption, of existing DATS.

Funding should be used to meet costs for aspects such as staff time, travel, workshops, hosting cross-visits, training or licencing of key DATS, etc.

Information gathered from this call may be used at a later date to allocate funding towards 10 smaller user cases, which will be funded up to €30,000.

Learnings from the user cases will be used to collect insights of the environmental factors (human, infrastructural, cultural, economic, etc) that influence the adoption of DATS.