€7 Million Project to Boost Nature Along South Coast

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, and Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O’Sullivan TD, have today launched a new €7 million open call for project proposals under Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan.

The latest European Innovation Partnership (EIP) call – the seventh to date – will focus on enhancing habitats for biodiversity in arable farmland along the south coast, stretching from South Cork through Waterford to Wexford.

The call invites innovative proposals that aim to support wildlife and biodiversity in some of the country’s most intensively farmed regions, with particular attention to species such as the Hen Harrier, Yellowhammer, Skylark, and Chough.

Targeted Investment to Support Innovation on the Ground

This call will fund one large-scale, four-year project, to run from September 2025 to December 2029. The project will be selected through a competitive process and co-financed by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). Funding will cover both payments to participating farmers and project administration.

About the EIP Initiative

The European Innovation Partnership (EIP) model brings together farmers, advisors, researchers, NGOs, and other stakeholders in ‘Operational Groups’ to test and scale practical solutions to agricultural and environmental challenges.

To date, six other open calls have been launched under Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan, covering themes including animal welfare, gender balance, generational renewal, digital technologies, and environmental sustainability.

Current flagship EIP projects include the Farming for Water EIP and the Breeding Waders EIP.

More details.