European consortium launches €10 million project to strengthen agricultural advisory networks

A new €10 million European Union-funded project has been launched to strengthen agricultural advisory services. Representatives of the 21 beneficiary organisations met in Kilkenny, Ireland, on 22 and 23 September, including Jane Kavanagh, dynADVICE Project Coordinator at Teagasc, and Tom Curran, Head of advisory services in Teagasc.

The project called dynADVICE brings together 21 beneficiaries from 16 countries, including agricultural advisory services, professional networks, research organisations, and innovation specialists. The seven-year project is funded through Horizon Europe. It began on 1 September 2026 and is coordinated by Teagasc, the Agriculture and Food Development Authority in Ireland. The first meeting was held in Kilkenny on 22 and 23 September.

Agricultural advisors play a central role in helping farmers respond to economic, environmental, and societal challenges. However, advisory systems across Europe remain fragmented, and advisors do not always have equal access to professional development, peer networks or the latest research and innovation.

The ambition of dynADVICE is to build a sustainable, high-value European advisory network by brokering and strengthening dynamic learning communities of advisors. It will connect advisers and advisory organisations across countries and sectors, enabling knowledge to move more effectively between research, policy, innovation, advisory services, and farms.

The project will develop a better understanding of advisors’ needs and the barriers they experience; build their skills, confidence, and professional capacity; accelerate the flow of practical and research-based knowledge; and integrate advisors more strongly into Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems. Monitoring, reflection, and feedback will allow the consortium to learn and adapt throughout the project.

Advisors will be able to participate in training, mentoring, peer learning, workshops, cross-country visits, and exchanges with colleagues from other organisations and regions. Multilingual digital tools and an online collaborative space will support continued knowledge-sharing and engagement.

A central feature of dynADVICE will be €3.9 million in cascade funding, distributed through seven open calls. These calls will enable impartial agricultural advisors and advisory networks, beyond the original consortium, to apply for funding to participate in project activities.

The first open call is expected in early 2027. Details on eligibility, available funding and the application process will be announced separately.

Representatives of the 21 beneficiary organisations met in Kilkenny, Ireland, on 22 and 23 September for the project’s kick-off meeting. The meeting focused on building a shared understanding of the project’s ambition, strengthening relationships across the consortium, and agreeing how the partners will work together to deliver an interconnected programme of activity.

Jane Kavanagh, dynADVICE Project Coordinator at Teagasc, said: “No single organisation or country can achieve the ambition of dynADVICE on its own. Success will depend on partners combining their experience, networks, and expertise, and on agricultural advisers themselves helping to shape the activities and solutions we develop.

“Our aim is to create a European ecosystem in which advisory networks are continuously learning, connecting, and moving knowledge into practice. The open calls are an essential part of this approach, providing funding for advisors and advisory networks beyond the consortium to participate, share their experience and benefit from the opportunities created by the project.”

Tom Curran, Head of advisory services in Teagasc, said: “Agricultural advisors are a vital link between knowledge and decisions on farms. By strengthening professional networks and creating more opportunities for advisors to learn from one another, dynADVICE can improve the support available to farmers across Europe.”

Through this collaborative approach, dynADVICE aims to develop stronger advisor skills and confidence, better-connected learning communities and closer integration between advisors, research, policy, and innovation. Ultimately, this will help farmers access timely, impartial, and practical advice as they work towards more competitive, sustainable, and resilient farming systems.

The dynADVICE project will run until 31 August 2033.
Notes to editors
dynADVICE stands for DYNamise ADvisors through Valuable Interaction for Capacity Building and Engagement. Its ambition is captured in the phrase “An ecosystem of agricultural advisory networks in motion.”
The project has received €9,999,180.91 in funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement number 101293590.
The 21 beneficiaries are Teagasc, F6S and NuaFund (Ireland); CONSULAI (Portugal); EUFRAS (Latvia); CREA (Italy); AUA (Greece); the Soil Association (United Kingdom); ProAgria (Finland); ZLTO (the Netherlands); ceiA3, INTIA and AIA (Spain); agrathaer (Germany); Boerenbond Projects (Belgium); LK Österreich (Austria); SEASN (Croatia); METK (Estonia); CDAF and Idele (France); and IFOAM Organics Europe (Sweden).