The Focus Group Training on Cluster 6: Food and Agriculture, organized to enhance the technical capacity of applicants from Türkiye and to increase the number of high-quality proposals submitted under the Horizon Europe Programme, was successfully held on 23–24 June 2025 in Ankara. The training was coordinated by Çınar Öner and Merve Polat, National Contact Points for Horizon Europe Cluster 6 at TÜBİTAK, in collaboration with the Technical Assistance for Türkiye in Horizon Europe Project.
The event aimed to provide participants with practical knowledge on the full proposal development process within Cluster 6 – Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment, from call analysis to impact planning. The thematic training was delivered by Thanos Karvounis, as experienced thematic expert on Cluster 6.
On the first day, participants gained in-depth knowledge on the structure and destinations of Cluster 6, how to analyse topics, identify suitable calls, develop networking and partner search strategies, and improve project visibility. These topics were reinforced through interactive tests and group discussions.
The second day focused on structuring the Impact Section of Horizon Europe proposals. Participants worked through examples to explore impact pathways, scale and significance, and strategies for dissemination, exploitation and communication. The training also included a review of funded proposals, common mistakes, and evaluation summary reports under Cluster 6.
The programme welcomed a diverse group of stakeholders, including researchers, industry representatives, non-governmental organization, and public institutions, and was enriched through interactive group exercises, multiple-choice assessments, sample proposal reviews, and Q&A sessions.
This training marked the third thematic focus group training, following previous sessions on the Cancer Mission and Health. The Technical Assistance for Türkiye in Horizon Europe Project will continue to offer similar focus group trainings in different thematic areas in the upcoming period.
