Shaping the Future of Animal Health and Welfare

Document research last revised 2026-07-31.

Opportunity Type

International collaborative research funding.

Current Stage

Full proposals may be submitted only by consortia invited after the pre-proposal stage.

Next Expected Opening

Not announced.

Minimum Award

Not specified.

Pre-Proposal Closing Date

30 March 2026 at 11:00am UK time.

Full-Proposal Closing Date

16 September 2026 at 12:00pm CEST, equivalent to 11:00am UK time. Full proposals are by invitation only.

BBSRC Eligibility

Applicants must meet BBSRC’s standard eligibility criteria.

BBSRC Remit

The UK research component must be primarily biological or biotechnological.

Eligible Coordinator

The coordinating organisation must be eligible for and request funding from a participating funder.

Self-Funded Coordinator

A self-funded associated partner cannot coordinate the consortium.

Principal Investigator Limit

A principal investigator may coordinate one proposal and may participate as a partner in another, subject to national rules.

Multiple Applications

BBSRC applicants may participate in more than one proposal where the same work or cost is not funded twice.

Minimum Consortium Size

Three funded partners from three different participating countries.

Maximum Consortium Size

Eight partners requesting funding.

Country Funding Limit

Partners from one country cannot request more than 50% of the project’s total funding.

EUPAHW Beneficiary Limit

EUPAHW beneficiary organisations cannot receive more than 35% of the consortium’s total requested funding.

Associated Partners

Self-funded partners may participate but do not count towards the minimum or maximum consortium size.

Associated Partner Requirement

Self-funded partners must demonstrate added value and provide a signed letter of commitment.

Consortium Agreement

A consortium agreement may be required before national funding is released.

Industry Participation

Industry involvement is encouraged.

Mandatory Industry Participation

An industrial partner is required for projects addressing SRIA actions OO7-2 or OO7-3.

BBSRC Industry Funding

BBSRC cannot fund industrial partners or their direct or indirect costs.

Defra Industry Funding

Industrial funding may be available through Defra, subject to Defra’s national rules.

UK Funder Allocation

BBSRC and Defra determine the final UK funding allocation at office level.

Research Category

Animal welfare; animal infectious diseases; disease prevention and control; vaccines; therapeutics; diagnostics; resilience; biosecurity; and related socioeconomic research.

Topic 1 – Animal Welfare

Positive welfare indicators; welfare-assessment technologies; transport monitoring; slaughter and emergency-killing assessment; humane stunning and killing; and improved livestock or fish transport systems.

Topic 2 – Prevention and Control

Therapeutics and vaccine models; proof-of-concept interventions; diagnostic and transmission tools; DIVA methods; pathogen infectivity; and livestock resilience through feeding, breeding or biological factors.

BBSRC Priority

BBSRC will prioritise SRIA action OO7-2 under Prevention and Control.

Socioeconomic Research

OO9-2 and OO9-4 may support a core research action but cannot be the project’s sole focus.

Eligible Species

Farmed or managed terrestrial and aquatic animals, livestock, poultry, fish and bees.

Companion Animals

Eligible only where directly relevant to risks affecting livestock, aquaculture or public health.

Wildlife

Eligible only where directly relevant to livestock or aquaculture health and welfare.

Eligible Pathogens

Bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi and prions.

Non-Infectious Diseases

Eligible where they have a significant effect on animal welfare.

Other Ineligible Scope

Standalone socioeconomic projects; development of new antimicrobials; AMR research without an animal focus; and projects duplicating EUPAHW internal activities.

Laboratory Animal Models

Permitted only where essential to SRIA actions OO7-2 or OO7-3.

Collaboration Costs

Costs arising directly from working with consortium partners may be requested, including laboratory visits and exchange of materials.

Resource Justification

All requested resources must be clearly justified.

Industrial Partner Costs

BBSRC will not meet costs incurred by industrial partners.

Equipment

Equipment costing more than £25,000 requires additional justification and a contribution from the research organisation.

Exchange Rate

Costs must be entered in euros using a justifiable exchange rate, with the rate, source and access date stated.

Subcontractors

No opportunity-specific subcontracting rules are stated.

Subsidy Scheme

No opportunity-specific subsidy scheme is stated.

Export Controls

Applicants must check whether information shared for international assessment requires a UK export-control licence.

Animal Research Rule

Animal research must have appropriate authorisation and comply with national, international and Horizon Europe ethical requirements.

Ethics Requirement

A Horizon Europe ethics self-assessment is required.

Ethics Review

Ethical issues identified in full proposals may be reviewed by the EUPAHW Ethics Advisory Board.

Responsible Research

UK applicants must follow BBSRC policies on animal use, biosecurity, research misuse and Trusted Research and Innovation.

UKRI Funding Service

Not used to receive pre-proposals or invited full proposals.

Successful UK Applicants

Successful BBSRC applicants will later upload a mirror PDF of the full proposal to the UKRI Funding Service and answer additional questions.

Application Process

Two stages: mandatory pre-proposal followed by an invited full proposal.

Pre-Proposal Limit

The project description was limited to 10,000 characters, including spaces.

Pre-Proposal Images

Up to three graphics or images were permitted.

Pre-Proposal Sections

Project title; acronym; topic; keywords; SRIA action; duration; start and end dates; TRL; coordinator; consortium; budget; publication summary; background; objectives; work packages; impact; management; and industry involvement.

Full-Proposal Documents

Full proposal form; Communication and Dissemination Plan; Data Management Plan; ethics information; and supporting national documents.

Letter of Commitment

Required for self-funded or otherwise unfunded associated partners.

Application Changes

Core consortium and budget information cannot normally change between stages without approval.

Widening Rule

One additional funded partner from an undersubscribed country may be added only with prior funder and Call Office approval.

Pre-Proposal Assessment

Eligibility checks followed by assessment by three to five independent experts.

Pre-Proposal Criteria

Excellence and Impact.

Pre-Proposal Threshold

At least three out of five for each criterion.

Full-Proposal Assessment

At least three experts assess each invited full proposal.

Full-Proposal Criteria

Excellence; Impact; and Quality and Efficiency of Implementation.

Interview Stage

No applicant interview is specified.

Final Decision

Each participating funding organisation makes its funding decision under its national rules.

Pre-Proposal Outcome

Selection decisions were scheduled for July 2026.

Full-Proposal Evaluation Outcome

Scheduled for October 2026.

Final Funding Decision

Scheduled for December 2026.

Project Start Period

January to April 2027.

Redress

Procedural redress requests must be submitted within 30 calendar days of the outcome email.

Scientific Judgement Appeals

Redress cannot be used solely to challenge expert scientific or technical judgement.

Reporting Requirements

Funded projects must provide transnational mid-term and final reports.

Project Meetings

Funded projects must participate in kick-off, mid-term and final meetings.

Dissemination

Projects must budget sufficient resources for communication and dissemination.

Open Access

Peer-reviewed articles must be deposited in a suitable open-access repository.

Publication of Results

EUPAHW may publish project titles, acronyms, duration, funding, coordinator and partner details, summaries, keywords and SRIA actions.

Key Requirements

Eligible BBSRC organisation; BBSRC remit; compliant international consortium; one eligible call topic; no duplication; mandatory portal submission; and compliance with national funding rules.

Grant Enquiries

europe@bbsrc.ukri.org

EUPAHW Call Office

ptj-pahw@fz-juelich.de

BBSRC Funding Contacts

Ruvimbo Gamanya, +44 20 4589 0853; Temiloluwa Daike, +44 20 4589 0250.

https

//www.ukri.org/opportunity/shaping-the-future-of-animal-health-and-welfare/

Official source

Read the funding authority guidance