SOIL CARES RESEARCH BV

Their core work

Soil Cares Research BV is a Dutch private SME based in Wageningen — Europe's foremost agricultural research hub — specialising in soil health analysis, diagnostics, and sustainable soil management. The company develops and applies technologies to assess soil quality and guide decisions on crop production and soil improvement at field and European scale. In H2020 research consortia they contribute hands-on soil expertise and measurement capabilities alongside academic and institutional partners. Their work bridges practical soil diagnostics with scientific research on sustainable agriculture and bio-based inputs.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their first H2020 project (2016–2021), the focus was squarely on the agronomic and economic dimensions of soil care — making crop production more profitable and sustainable through better soil management practices. By 2019, with LEX4BIO, the emphasis shifted toward the regulatory and knowledge-infrastructure side: understanding what policy frameworks are needed to scale bio-based fertilisers across Europe. The trajectory is a clear broadening from field-level soil science toward science-policy integration, a direction that aligns with the EU Farm-to-Fork agenda.

They are moving from technical soil improvement toward the policy and knowledge-base work needed to mainstream sustainable soil inputs — a useful profile for consortia targeting regulatory impact alongside field research.

How they like to work

Soil Cares Research BV has participated exclusively as a consortium member across both H2020 projects, never as a coordinator, indicating a preference for contributing specialist capabilities rather than leading large initiatives. Despite a small portfolio of two projects, they have worked with 50 unique partners — roughly 25 per project — pointing to membership in large, multi-actor RIA consortia where they are valued for a specific technical contribution. This profile suggests they are a reliable, focused partner rather than a generalist, and are unlikely to compete for the coordinator role in a future proposal.

Their two projects have connected them with 50 unique partner organisations across 22 countries, which is a notably broad reach for a small SME with only two projects. This reflects participation in large pan-European RIA consortia typical of the Food, Agriculture, and Environment research community.

What sets them apart

Soil Cares Research BV sits at the intersection of commercial soil technology and academic research, which is uncommon for a company of this size. Being based in Wageningen — home to one of the world's top agricultural universities — positions them close to the best soil science expertise in Europe and makes them a credible technical partner for both research and applied projects. For a consortium seeking a grounded, practical SME voice in soil health and sustainable agriculture, they offer real-world diagnostic capability that most academic partners cannot replicate.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SOILCARE
  Their entry into H2020 and the only project with confirmed EC funding, directly addressing soil management practices for sustainable and economically viable crop production across multiple European farming systems.
• LEX4BIO
  Signals a strategic shift toward policy-relevant science, contributing to the knowledge base needed for new EU regulations on bio-based fertilisers — a growing regulatory and market priority under the European Green Deal.