GRASS CEILING Project

What GRASS CEILING Project does

GRASS CEILING (Gender Equality in Rural and Agricultural Innovation Systems) is a multi-actor three-year research project funded by the European Union under Horizon Europe (grant agreement 101083408). It operated from March 2023 to December 2025, coordinated by South East Technological University (SETU) in Ireland under Professor Sally Shortall. The project aimed to empower rural women and increase socio-ecological innovations led by women in agriculture, the rural economy, and rural communities across nine European countries: Croatia, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Spain, and Sweden.

The project delivered three core products: (1) nine multi-actor Living Labs, each co-led by a women innovator and an academic, providing closed coaching sessions and multi-actor engagement; (2) an Online Academy offering MOOCs, webinars, video journeys, tools repository, stories, reports, practice abstracts, and publications; and (3) a Policy Forum developing gender-responsive policy tools and recommendations for EU policymakers. The consortium comprised 25 partner organizations spanning academic institutions, farmer cooperatives, agricultural organizations, and EU policy bodies. The project administered two awards: the Rural Women Innovators (RUWI) Award (coordinated by AEIDL, 64 applications from 28 countries) and the Parental Leave Champions (PARCA) Award (coordinated by Copa-Cogeca).

GRASS CEILING generated no commercial revenue. All outputs were distributed free of charge as part of the project's grant-funded dissemination obligations. The project concluded with a Final Showcase Event at the European Economic and Social Committee in Brussels on 4 December 2025 and was recognized as a Horizon Europe Success Story by the European Commission's DG RTD. As a time-bounded public-good research initiative, the project has completed its three-year operational mandate.

Name

GRASS CEILING Project

Legal name

GRASS CEILING (Gender Equality in Rural and Agricultural Innovation Systems)

Website

https://grassceiling.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

GRASS CEILING is a concluded EU Horizon Europe-funded research project (2023–2025) operating nine multi-actor Living Labs across nine European countries to empower rural women innovators in socio-ecological transitions and agricultural innovation, delivering open-access training and policy recommendations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Innovation Research

NAICS

Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Support Activities for Crop Production (1151)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Carbon, Sustainability & MRV Services for Farms (Baseline, Monitoring, Reporting, Verification) (AFACACAK)

Keywords

• Agricultural innovation research
• Rural gender equality
• Participatory living labs
• EU Horizon Europe project
• Women farmer empowerment

Headquarters

HQ city

Carlow

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. EU Horizon Europe Grant Funding: GRASS CEILING is a multi-actor three-year project funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe programme, grant agreement number 101083408. The project does not generate commercial revenue; it is a grant-funded research and innovation initiative aimed at advancing gender equality and socio-ecological innovation in agriculture and rural areas.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

GRASS CEILING is a multi-actor three-year research and innovation project that uses participatory Living Lab methodology across nine European countries to empower rural women innovators, co-create gender-inclusive tools and resources, and inform EU policy on gender equality in agriculture and rural development. The project delivers training (Online Academy, MOOCs), awards (RUWI Award, PARCA Award), policy forums, a tools repository, and video journeys to support rural women across the bioeconomy.

Product overview

GRASS CEILING (Gender Equality in Rural and Agricultural Innovation Systems) is a multi-actor three-year project funded by the European Union under Horizon Europe (grant agreement 101083408). The project operates through three core offerings: (1) Nine Living Labs across European countries supporting women-led socio-ecological innovation through coaching and multi-actor collaboration sessions; (2) An Online Academy providing educational resources including MOOCs, webinars, tools repository, video journeys, stories, reports, practice abstracts, and publications; and (3) A Policy Forum developing gender-responsive policy tools and recommendations. Additionally, the project administers two awards: the Rural Women Innovators (RUWI) Award coordinated by AEIDL, and the Parental Leave Champions (PARCA) Award coordinated by Copa-Cogeca.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Country Living Labs Participatory spaces in nine European countries that bring together rural women innovators, researchers, and support organizations to co-design gender-inclusive solutions in agriculture and the rural bioeconomy.
• Online Academy A digital learning platform that delivers training and capacity-building resources to rural women, advisors, and innovation support organizations across Europe.
• MOOCs Open-access online courses covering gender equality, rural innovation, and capacity building for rural women and the organizations that support them.
• European Policy Forum A policy engagement forum that connects researchers, rural women representatives, and EU policymakers to translate project findings into policy recommendations on gender equality in rural areas.
• RUWI Award An award recognizing rural women who have developed innovative solutions and enterprises across the rural bioeconomy in participating European countries.
• PARCA Award An award recognizing organizations, networks, and individuals who contribute to gender parity and rural cohesion across European regions.
• Tools Repository An open repository of co-created tools, resources, and good practices designed to support gender-inclusive rural and agricultural innovation across Europe.
• Video Journeys A series of documentary-style video profiles following rural women innovators through their participation in the Country Living Labs.

Quantifiable outcome

• GRASS CEILING has been recognised as a Horizon Europe Success Story by the European Commission's DG RTD under the title 'Cutting a path through European agriculture's grass ceiling'.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

32 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• South East Technological University (SETU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2023Project Coordinator — Professor Sally Shortall leads the overall project coordination from SETU in Ireland. SETU serves as the primary contact for the Horizon Europe grant and manages the consortium's activities.
• Wageningen University (WU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner; Dutch Living Lab co-lead alongside LTO Noord. Contributes research expertise on gender equality and agricultural innovation systems.
• European Environmental Bureau (EEB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner; contributes environmental policy expertise and supports the socio-ecological transition focus of the project.
• Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner; contributes expertise on women's entrepreneurship and gender equality in business.
• European Association for Innovation in Local Development (AEIDL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner; coordinates the EU Policy Forum and the RUWI Award. AEIDL led the two-stage selection process for the RUWI Award and coordinates policy recommendations.
• CIHEAM ZaragozacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner; leads the Online Training Academy and MOOC modules workshop. Provides communication expertise for disseminating project results.
• CIHEAM BaricoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner; runs the Italian Living Lab in collaboration with Legacoop Puglia and the Biodistretto delle Lame.
• Pisa University (UNIPI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner; contributed foresight research on the future of women-led innovation in agriculture and rural areas.
• Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences (LCSS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner and academic co-lead of the Lithuanian Living Lab. Research team includes Tomas Baležentis, Dalia Štreimikienė, Justas Štreimikis, Vaida Šapolaitė, and Vida Dabkienė. Published research article 'From glass to grass ceiling: addressing gender barriers in agricultural innovation'.
• Institute for Rural and Regional Research (RURALIS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner from Norway; contributes expertise on rural and regional development research.
• Valladolid University (UVa)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner; academic coordinator of the Spanish Living Lab from the Palencia Campus, led by Professor Margarita Rico. Scientifically coordinates the Spanish Living Lab across 9 meetings.
• Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner; co-lead of the Swedish Living Lab alongside Hela Sverige, with Dr Katarina Pettersson as academic co-lead.
• Copa-CogecacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner; umbrella organisation representing European farmers and agri-cooperatives. Led the independent evaluation for the PARCA Award and co-hosted the annual meeting at their Brussels headquarters.
• Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias de España (CCAE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner; represented by Carmen Martínez Ramiro (Head of Equality Department). Participated in Spanish Living Lab coordination and highlighted value of networking for female leadership in cooperatives.
• Croatian Chamber of Agriculture (HPK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner; supports the Croatian Living Lab (Eco-Women Entrepreneurs) and coordinates with the Croatian agricultural sector.
• Zagreb University (UNIZG FAZ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner; contributed research on existing knowledge of rural women-led innovation across Europe.
• Oi! Trøndersk Mat og Drykke (Oi!)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner from Norway; represents local food and drink producers in the Trøndelag region.
• AgriFood Lithuania DIH (AFL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner; practical co-lead of the Lithuanian Living Lab (Renata Rudnicka). Organised the AgriFood Lithuania 2024 showcase event and supports innovation ecosystem connections.
• Kilpatrick Innovation Ltd. (KI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner from Ireland; contributes innovation and entrepreneurship expertise.
• Zuid-Hollandse Land- en Tuinbouw Bond (ZLTO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner (operating as LTO Noord); Dutch Living Lab co-lead alongside Wageningen University. Organised Dutch Living Lab meetings and men's focus groups.
• Lega Regionale delle Cooperative e Mutue di Puglia (LEGACOOP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner; runs the Italian Living Lab alongside CIHEAM Bari and the Biodistretto delle Lame, building an ecosystem of innovative solutions for rural women in Puglia.
• Hela Sverige LANSBYGDERADET JONKOPINGS LAN (HELA SVERIGE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner; co-lead of the Swedish Living Lab alongside SLU, with Siv Lindén as practical co-lead. Organised meetings at the County Administrative Board of Jonköping.
• University of Newcastle Upon Tyne (UNEW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner; contributes academic expertise in gender studies and rural research. Project coordinator Sally Shortall is affiliated with this institution.
• The Scottish Crofting Federation (SCF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner; coordinates the Scottish Living Lab and represents crofters and small-scale farmers in Scotland.
• Macra na FeirmecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner from Ireland; represents young farmers and contributes to the Irish Living Lab activities.
• European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for the GRASS CEILING Final Showcase Event on 4 December 2025 in Brussels. EESC members (Stoyan Tchoukanov) opened the event alongside Copa-Cogeca.
• EU CAP Network / EIP-AGRImajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU CAP Network support unit for Innovation and Knowledge Exchange | EIP-AGRI organised the workshop 'Women-led innovations in agriculture and rural areas' in Krakow, Poland (April 2024), with GRASS CEILING participation and presentation.
• FLIARA ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister project presented at the 1st Annual Meeting; FLIARA focuses on female-led innovation in farming and rural communities. Coordinated by Maura Farrell, University of Galway.
• SWIFT ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister project presented at the 1st Annual Meeting. Coordinated by Marta Rivera (CSIC-UPV).
• Rural Pact Support Office (RPSO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresented the Rural Pact and its Community Groups at the 1st Annual Meeting. GRASS CEILING contributes to the 'Women in Rural Areas' community group on the Rural Pact Community Platform.
• Copa-Cogeca (Parental Leave Champions Award Coordinator)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerCopa-Cogeca led the independent evaluation process for the PARCA Award, recognising Asti Agricoltura for promoting parental leave in agriculture.
• AEIDL (Rural Women Innovators Award Coordinator)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerAEIDL coordinated the two-stage selection process for the RUWI Award, which received 64 applications from 28 countries including non-EU nations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• EIP-AGRI (European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural productivity and Sustainability): EU-wide partnership under the CAP that connects research, farmers and advisors to accelerate agricultural innovation. Provides the broader institutional ecosystem within which GRASS CEILING's Living Labs operate.
• Copa-Cogeca: Umbrella organisation representing European farmers and agri-cooperatives; a core GRASS CEILING consortium partner coordinating the PARCA Award. Comparable as a pan-European agricultural policy and innovation convener.
• CIHEAM (International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies): Mediterranean intergovernmental agronomic institute with two GRASS CEILING consortium partners (CIHEAM Bari and CIHEAM Zaragoza). Comparable as a multi-country agricultural research and training network.
• Wageningen University & Research: Leading agricultural research university and GRASS CEILING consortium partner co-leading the Dutch Living Lab. Comparable in agricultural innovation research and gender-in-agriculture expertise.
• EU CAP Network (formerly EIP-AGRI Service Point): European Commission network supporting CAP implementation and innovation knowledge exchange, with which GRASS CEILING has organised joint workshops (e.g., Krakow 2024). Comparable in stakeholder reach and policy focus.
• FAO Rural Women initiatives (e.g., FAO Joint Programme on Rural Women's Economic Empowerment): UN agency programme working globally on rural women's empowerment and socio-economic inclusion. Comparable mission at a global scale, with overlapping Living Lab and policy advocacy approaches.

Direct peers

• RURALIS — Institute for Rural and Regional Research: Norwegian research institute and GRASS CEILING consortium partner. Comparable as a peer research organisation producing applied rural development and gender research.
• SWIFT Project: Horizon Europe sister project on rural and agricultural innovation, coordinated by Marta Rivera (CSIC-UPV). Comparable in funding mechanism, multi-country scope and policy-research orientation.
• FLIARA Project: Horizon Europe sister project presented at GRASS CEILING's 1st Annual Meeting, focused on female-led innovation in farming and rural communities. Directly comparable in scope, methodology and EU funding profile.

Emerging players

• European Rural Parliament: Pan-European grassroots initiative gathering rural civil society to influence EU rural policy. Comparable as a multi-stakeholder rural Europe platform, complementary rather than directly competing with GRASS CEILING.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GRASSCeiling_eu
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@GRASSCeiling
• Facebookfacebook.com/GRASSCEILING
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/grass-ceiling-project
• Instagraminstagram.com/grassceiling_eu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about GRASS CEILING Project