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Call key data
Restoring Ocean and Waters in waterfront Cities and their Ports
Funding Program
Horizon Europe: Missions
Call number
HORIZON-MISS-2025-03-OCEAN-05
deadlines
Opening
07.05.2025
Deadline
24.09.2025 17:00
Funding rate
70%
Call budget
€ 15,000,000.00
Estimated EU contribution per project
€ 15,000,000.00
Link to the call
Link to the submission
Call content
short description
The goal of this topic is to accelerate the implementation of innovative solutions to achieve Mission objectives and targets in waterfront cities and ports.
Call objectives
The project should test and demonstrate effective solutions to achieve the Mission’s specific objectives and targets in waterfront cities. The project should thus test and demonstrate solutions that contribute to:
- protecting and restoring marine and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity, in line with the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030 and Nature Restoration Regulation, and/or
- preventing and eliminating pollution of our ocean, seas and waters, in line with the EU Action Plan Towards Zero Pollution for Air, Water and Soil and/or
- making the sustainable blue economy carbon-neutral and circular, in line with the European Climate Law and the holistic vision enshrined in the Sustainable Blue Economy Strategy.
Demonstration activities are expected to take place in at least [8] waterfront cities or ports with at least [2] in each of the four sea and river basins: 1. Atlantic and Arctic Sea basin, 2. Mediterranean Sea basin, 3. Baltic and North Sea basin, 4. Danube River basin, including Black Sea, with strong and meaningful involvement of public bodies managing waterfront cities and port authorities.
Projects under this topic would be place-based and people-centred, with their activities implementing a systemic transition across all Mission objectives and enablers, in all lighthouses. Special emphasis should be placed on nature-based solutions, land-sea interactions, and transboundary actions. The projects should support the blue economy by integrating sustainable and environmentally friendly methods that are both ecologically and economically beneficial. Resilience of waterfront communities to climate related extreme events, sea-level rise and water resilience should also be addressed.
The project should:
- Assess the economic, social and ecological impacts as well as the societal acceptance of the proposed measures to achieve the Mission objectives and targets in waterfront cities and ports;
- Identify, test and adapt innovative solutions to restore cities and ports by addressing one or several of the specific Mission objectives and targets;
- Facilitate citizen and stakeholder involvement and uptake through active participation in the restoration initiatives of coastal regions and riparian zones (e.g. through living labs), and through the follow-up of the restoration process with citizen science initiatives;
- Develop new innovative funding approaches to implement innovative solutions for the restoration of the ocean and waters in cities which are all operating in different jurisdictions and governance contexts;
- Monitor the effectiveness of the proposed solutions in relation to the Mission objectives and targets;
- Facilitate synergies with other R&I-relevant EU, national or regional programmes and leverage of funds through interactions with regional/local authorities and the private sector where relevant.
Under the Mission approach, collaborations to demonstrate, test and deploy effective innovative solutions between cities and ports facing similar challenges are highly encouraged and considered as a means to secure a larger impact. To facilitate replication of the solutions, proposals should already identify other suitable cities and ports where the solutions and approaches could be replicated. Projects should also systematically assess the potential barriers to their implementation and how these can be overcome. This would help enhancing the transferability of the knowledge and experiences to other cities and ports.
For the successful implementation of the solutions and to ensure their sustainability beyond the duration of the project, the testing and demonstration of the proposed solutions should support the River Basin Management Plans under the Water Framework Directive, the Programme of Measures under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, future national Nature Restoration Plans under the Nature Restoration Regulation, as well as, wherever already in place, existing mechanisms such as coastal restoration contracts, river contracts or Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM), etc. Proposed solutions should be based on good knowledge about coastal and riparian ecosystems to be restored. If necessary, projects may include mapping and assessment of condition of related habitats and species.
Public bodies managing cities and port authorities participating in the project are encouraged to pool and enhance synergies with other sources of funding (e.g. structural, cohesion funds such as ERDF, or LIFE) for implementing and deploying innovative solutions, through e.g. the conclusion of a Cooperation Working Arrangement. This will support a common approach towards urban waterfront ecosystem restoration, and sustain the implementation of solutions, transfer of knowledge and innovative solutions, and identify opportunities to scale up the solutions demonstrated and to foster their broad deployment across Europe.
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Expected effects and impacts
The project should build (when relevant) on previously developed or existing solutions by other projects, funded by EU and national programmes, in particular the European Union Framework programmes for Research and Innovation (such as Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe under their different pillars and clusters and from the EU Mission on Cities), as well as EMFAF, INTERREG and LIFE programmes. Proposals should also establish links with “HORIZON-MISS-2024-OCEAN-02-01: Community-led actions to restore our ocean, seas and waters” and “HORIZON-MISS-2024-OCEAN-02-02: Support for the Coalition of waterfront cities, regions and islands for Mission Ocean and Waters”, and are encouraged to consider, where relevant, the services offered by European research infrastructures.
The funded project should share experiences and good practices with the projects selected under the joint topic of the EU Mission Cities and Zero Emission Waterborne Transport Partnership on “Real time monitoring of regulated and non-regulated emissions in order to enforce emission limits in waterfront cities (HORIZON-MISS-CIT-CL5-2025-0X-0X).
Proposals should include a mechanism and the resources to establish operational links and collaboration with the Lighthouses CSAs and the Mission Implementation Platform, notably to contribute to tracking progress towards the objectives of the Mission.
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Expected results
Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:
- Measurable, quantifiable, verifiable and ambitious progress towards reaching one or several interlinked objectives and targets of the Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030”, as set out in the Mission Implementation Plan through implementation of effective and well-managed place-based and people-centred actions.
- Involvement and increased readiness cities and port authorities for testing, deploying and upscaling systemic innovative solutions for restoring their urban waterfront ecosystems and preventing their degradation, incl. by strengthening synergies with their own programmes and resources.
- Increased number cities and port authorities taking concrete measures to protect and restore marine and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity, prevent and eliminate pollution of our ocean, seas and waters, and make the blue economy carbon-neutral and circular.
- Increased resilience of waterfront communities to extreme climate events and sea-level rise.
Public and private investment is encouraged and leveraged at urban level to protect and restore degraded ecosystems, to prevent and eliminate pollution, and make the blue economy carbon-neutral and circular, and mitigate the impact of climate change on urban communities.
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Eligibility Criteria
Regions / countries for funding
Moldova (Moldova), Albania (Shqipëria), Armenia (Հայաստան), Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosna i Hercegovina / Босна и Херцеговина), Canada, Faeroes (Føroyar / Færøerne), Georgia (საქართველო), Iceland (Ísland), Israel (ישראל / إِسْرَائِيل), Kosovo (Kosova/Kosovë / Косово), Montenegro (Црна Гора), Morocco (المغرب), New Zealand (Aotearoa), North Macedonia (Северна Македонија), Norway (Norge), Serbia (Srbija/Сpбија), Tunisia (تونس /Tūnis), Türkiye, Ukraine (Україна), United Kingdom
eligible entities
EU Body, Education and training institution, Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) / Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Other, Private institution, incl. private company (private for profit), Public Body (national, regional and local; incl. EGTCs), Research Institution incl. University, Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)
Mandatory partnership
Yes
Project Partnership
To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the following countries:
- the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions
- the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States
- countries associated to Horizon Europe - see list of particpating countries
Only legal entities forming a consortium are eligible to participate in actions provided that the consortium includes, as beneficiaries, three legal entities independent from each other and each established in a different country as follows:
- at least one independent legal entity established in a Member State; and
- at least two other independent legal entities, each established in different Member States or Associated Countries.
Any legal entity, regardless of its place of establishment, including legal entities from non-associated third countries or international organisations (including international European research organisations) is eligible to participate (whether it is eligible for funding or not), provided that the conditions laid down in the Horizon Europe Regulation have been met, along with any other conditions laid down in the specific call topic.
A ‘legal entity’ means any natural or legal person created and recognised as such under national law, EU law or international law, which has legal personality and which may, acting in its own name, exercise rights and be subject to obligations, or an entity without legal personality.
Specific cases:
- Affiliated entities (i.e. entities with a legal or capital link to a beneficiary which participate in the action with similar rights and obligations to the beneficiaries, but which do not sign the grant agreement and therefore do not become beneficiaries themselves) are allowed, if they are eligible for participation and funding.
- Associated partners (i.e. entities which participate in the action without signing the grant agreement, and without the right to charge costs or claim contributions) are allowed, subject to any conditions regarding associated partners set out in the specific call conditions.
- Entities which do not have legal personality under their national law may exceptionally participate, provided that their representatives have the capacity to undertake legal obligations on their behalf, and offer guarantees to protect the EU’s financial interests equivalent to those offered by legal persons.
- Legal entities created under EU law (EU bodies) including decentralised agencies may be part of the consortium, unless provided for otherwise in their basic act.
- International European research organisations are eligible to receive funding. International organisations with headquarters in a Member State or Associated Country are eligible to receive funding for ‘Training and mobility’ actions or when provided for in the specific call/topic conditions. Other international organisations are not eligible to receive funding, unless provided for in the specific call/topic conditions, or if their participation is considered essential for implementing the action by the granting authority.
- Joint Research Centre (JRC)— Where provided for in the specific call conditions, applicants may include in their proposals the possible contribution of the JRC but the JRC will not participate in the preparation and submission of the proposal. Applicants will indicate the contribution that the JRC could bring to the project based on the scope of the topic text. After the evaluation process, the JRC and the consortium selected for funding may come to an agreement on the specific terms of the participation of the JRC. If an agreement is found, the JRC may accede to the grant agreement as beneficiary requesting zero funding or participate as an associated partner, and would accede to the consortium as a member.
- Associations and interest groupings — Entities composed of members (e.g. European research infrastructure consortia (ERICs)) may participate as ‘sole beneficiaries’ or ‘beneficiaries without legal personality’. However, if the action is in practice implemented by the individual members, those members should also participate (either as beneficiaries or as affiliated entities, otherwise their costs will NOT be eligible.
- EU restrictive measures — Entities subject to EU restrictive measures under Article 29 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and Article 215 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU) as well as Article 75 TFEU, are not eligible to participate in any capacity, including as beneficiaries, affiliated entities, associated partners, third parties giving in-kind contributions, subcontractors or recipients of financial support to third parties (if any).
- Legal entities established in Russia, Belarus, or in non-government controlled territories of Ukraine — Given the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the involvement of Belarus, there is currently no appropriate context allowing the implementation of the actions foreseen in this programme with legal entities established in Russia, Belarus, or in non-government controlled territories of Ukraine. Therefore, even where such entities are not subject to EU restrictive measures, such legal entities are not eligible to participate in any capacity. This includes participation as beneficiaries, affiliated entities, associated partners, third parties giving in-kind contributions, subcontractors or recipients of financial support to third parties (if any). Exceptions may be granted on a case-by-case basis for justified reasons.
With specific regard to measures addressed to Russia, following the adoption of the Council Regulation (EU) 2024/1745 of 24 June 2024 (amending Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 of 31 July 2014) concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine, legal entities established outside Russia but whose proprietary rights are directly or indirectly owned for more than 50% by a legal person, entity or body established in Russia are also not eligible to participate in any capacity. - Measures for the protection of the Union budget against breaches of the principles of the rule of law in Hungary — Following the Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/2506, as of 16 December 2022, no legal commitments can be entered into with Hungarian public interest trusts established under the Hungarian Act IX of 2021 or any entity they maintain. Affected entities may continue to apply to calls for proposals and can participate without receiving EU funding, as associated partners, if allowed by the call conditions. However, as long as the Council measures are not lifted, such entities are not eligible to participate in any funded role (beneficiaries, affiliated entities, subcontractors, recipients of financial support to third parties, etc.).In case of multi-beneficiary grant calls, applicants will be invited to remove or replace that entity in any funded role and/or to change its status into associated partner. Tasks and budget may be redistributed accordingly.
other eligibility criteria
This topic aims at directly engaging and supporting waterfront cities and their ports in demonstrating and accelerating the transitions needed for achieving one or several objectives of the Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters”. The participation of relevant public bodies managing waterfront cities and port authorities as full partners of the consortium is strongly encouraged.
The project should work with public bodies managing waterfront cities, and port authorities in carrying out activities which will contribute to achieving the Mission objectives in the coastal zones and riparian zones of any city as well as in their surface waters (rivers, lakes, transitional and coastal waters). This covers both coastal and inland cities.
If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS (other data and services may additionally be used).
The proposed actions should implement their activities in at least [8] waterfront cities and ports, aiming for an equal distribution across the four lighthouses as defined in the Mission Implementation Plan: 1. Atlantic and Arctic Sea basin, 2. Mediterranean Sea basin, 3. Baltic and North Sea basin, 4. Danube River basin, including Black Sea.
Additional information
Topics
Relevance for EU Macro-Region
EUSAIR - EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region, EUSALP - EU Strategy for the Alpine Space, EUSBSR - EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, EUSDR - EU Strategy for the Danube Region
UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs)
Additional Information
Applications must be submitted electronically via the Funders & Tenders Portal electronic submission system (accessible via the topic page in the Search Funding & Tenders section). Paper submissions are NOT possible.
Applications must be submitted using the forms provided inside the electronic submission system (not the templates available on the topic page, which are only for information). The structure and presentation must correspond to the instructions given in the forms.
Applications must be complete and contain all parts and mandatory annexes and supporting documents.
The application form will have two parts:
- Part A (to be filled in directly online) contains administrative information about the applicant organisations (future coordinator and beneficiaries and affiliated entities), the summarised budget for the proposal and call-specific questions;
- Part B (to be downloaded from the Portal submission system, completed and then assembled and re-uploaded as a PDF in the system) contains the technical description of the project.
Annexes and supporting documents will be directly available in the submission system and must be uploaded as PDF files (or other formats allowed by the system).
The limit for a full application (Part B) is 45 pages.
Call documents
Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025 - MissionsHorizon Europe Work Programme 2025 - Missions(1773kB)
Contact
RTD-HORIZON-EUROPE-MISSIONS@ec.europa.eu
Website
National Contact Points for Horizon Europe
Website
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