BlueActionBANOS Open Call for Community-Led Actions

The BlueActionBANOS Open Call for Community-Led Actions is a funding initiative under the EU's HORIZON-MISS-2024-OCEAN-02-01 topic aimed at supporting community-driven projects that contribute to the EU Mission Ocean and Waters objectives in the Baltic and North Sea (BANOS) basin. The program has a total funding pool of €7,000,000, designed to empower local communities in implementing proven innovations related to marine ecosystem restoration, pollution prevention, and promoting a sustainable blue economy.

Eligible applicants include a wide variety of stakeholders such as regional and local authorities, NGOs, educational and research organizations, SMEs, startups, knowledge brokers, and financial institutions. The call encourages collaboration and requires teams to consist of a minimum of two and a maximum of twelve entities. Applicants must be registered in one of the BANOS countries—Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, and Sweden—with the possibility for exceptions in special cases involving other EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries.

Funding for each Community-Led Action ranges from €200,000 to €2,000,000, with a cap of €500,000 per entity involved in the project. The application process comprises two stages: submission of a Project Idea Form by March 16, 2026, followed by a mandatory consultation, and a full proposal submission due by May 29, 2026. The evaluation of proposals includes multiple stages, such as admissibility checks and independent evaluations to ensure compliance and relevance to the EU's goals.

Selected projects will benefit from both financial grants and ongoing technical support provided during implementation, which lasts up to 24 months. The projects should foster participation from local communities and focus on sustainable practices within the BANOS region, promoting long-term commitments to conservation and restoration efforts. The initiative reflects a shift towards inclusive governance models that recognize the critical role of local expertise and community engagement in environmental restoration efforts.

The BlueActionBANOS Open Call for Community-Led Actions is a funding opportunity under the HORIZON-MISS-2024-OCEAN-02-01 topic, aiming to support community-led initiatives that contribute to the EU Mission Ocean and Waters objectives in the Baltic and North Sea (BANOS) basin. The project acronym is BAB, and the full name of the EU funded project is BlueActionBANOS, with grant agreement number 101217604.

The opening date for submissions is 28 November 2025, and the deadline for submitting full proposals is 29 May 2026 at 14:00 (Brussels time). This is a single-stage submission model. The expected duration of participation is up to 24 months. The total funding available is 7,000,000.00 EUR.

Teams or consortia of minimum 2 up to 12 entities registered in Baltic and North Sea basin (BANOS) countries that, at the time of application, are Member States or Associated Countries to Horizon Europe are invited to apply. These countries include: Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, and Sweden. Applicants from EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries outside the BANOS area will be eligible in special cases, where justified. Proposed Community-Led Actions must be focused on the BANOS lighthouse area. Proposals may concern actions in one BANOS country only or in several BANOS countries, and must address at least one of the EU Mission Ocean and Waters objectives.

The EU Mission Ocean and Waters objectives include: protection and restoration of marine and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity, prevention and elimination of pollution of our ocean, seas and waters, and making the sustainable blue economy carbon-neutral and circular. More information on the objectives can be found on the WISE Marine site: https://water.europa.eu/marine/europe-seas/eu-mission-restore-our-oceans-and-water.

The types of entities in the communities that can apply for support are: Regional and local authorities (including island and waterfront authorities), Non-governmental organisations, foundations, and professional associations engaged in local development, nature conservation, environmental protection, sustainable use of marine resources, or blue economy activities, Educational establishments, research performing organisations and/or similar, Locally based companies, SMEs and startups (provided this is not in conflict with the State Aid rules), Knowledge brokers, facilitating organizations, Enterprises, cooperatives, and other registered organisations fostering inclusion, skills development, or sustainable blue economy activities, Financial institutions or registered cooperatives supporting sustainable investments or local development initiatives, and any other legal entities in the below-described communities.

The types of communities relevant to the Community-Led Actions Open Call are: Ports (including inland ports), Islands authorities and communities, Fishing and aquaculture communities, producers, processors, retailers and manufacturers, and other representatives of blue economy, Operators of various vessels, River basin and inland water communities engaged in water management and pollution reduction, Citizen education, science and community innovation initiatives contributing to marine and freshwater monitoring or restoration, Indigenous and traditional knowledge communities involved in sustainable use and stewardship of marine and freshwater resources, Blue tech and digital innovation communities contributing to ocean observation, data sharing, or circular blue economy, Cultural heritage and maritime identity communities promoting ocean literacy and traditional connections to the sea, Local financial institutions, cooperatives, and impact investors supporting sustainable blue investments, Enterprises and organisations fostering inclusion, skills, and employment in the blue economy, Local Action Groups described by the Community-Led Local Development strategies, Waterfront cities/regional authorities and communities (avoiding overlaps with Cities’ Mission), Conservation and environmental protection communities, Representatives of the tourism sector, Maritime infrastructure operators (including offshore wind, wave/tidal energy, and similar infrastructure and their operators), and any other community within the BANOS area that could benefit from the impact of funded Community-Led Action(s).

Submissions will be accepted through the online form available at: https://opportunities.getonepass.eu/applications/bab/start. The application process consists of 2 steps: Compulsory submission of Project Idea Form and individual consultation, and Full proposal submission (consisting of 3 main sections: Relevance, Impact, Implementation including resources and budget). Only those projects who submit the Project Idea Form and go through the individual consultation will be invited to submit a full proposal. Project Idea Forms will be accepted by 16 March 2026 17:00 (Brussels time). The organizers reserve the right to contact and consult only those applicants who submit complete and full information in the Project Idea form. While Project Idea Form submission and consultation are a mandatory step, they are not subject to evaluation. Only complete full proposals that were submitted via official tools within the indicated deadline will be evaluated.

The evaluation process consists of the following steps: Full proposal submission, Admissibility & eligibility check: full proposals submitted within the deadline will be screened against the admissibility & eligibility conditions based on the self-declarations in the proposal. Later on, during the evaluation process, the above conditions will be verified, and non-compliant applicants will be excluded, Independent Evaluation: independent evaluators will assess proposals based on the established evaluation criteria, Jury Day (optional): If, following the Independent Evaluation phase, a large number of proposals reach the required threshold, an additional "Jury Day" step may be incorporated into the Selection Process, Consensus Meeting: The Selection Committee will prioritise proposals based on the Independent Evaluation results and the objectives of BAB project, and Formal Check: legal screening of the pre-selected entities before they are invited to sign the Sub-Grant Agreement.

The project website is http://www.blueactionbanos.eu/funding/open-call-community-led-actions/ and submissions can be made at https://opportunities.getonepass.eu/applications/bab/start. The OC helpdesk email is BAB_helpdesk@fundingbox.com.

BlueActionBANOS will select up to 15 Community-Led Actions led by area-based or interest-based stakeholder groups proposing impactful solutions that are innovative for their community, aimed at achieving at least one or several interlinked Mission Ocean and Waters objectives in the Baltic and North Sea (BANOS) basin. The activities should foster a participatory approach that empowers local stakeholders, builds on their local know-how and application of sustainable practices, and encourages their long-term commitment to Mission Ocean and Waters objectives.

Selected Community-Led Actions will receive financial support between EUR 200,000.00 and up to EUR 2,000,000.00 per Action, based on the budget included in the full proposal form. The maximum amount to be granted to each entity within a Community-Led Action is EUR 500,000.00. Ongoing Action support will be provided by dedicated Project Key Accounts and tailored technical assistance, defined during onboarding workshops, for a maximum duration of 24 months.

The support programme will be divided into three stages, with clearly defined milestones and milestone review procedure: Stage 1 - Individual Integrated Project Plan (IIPP), duration: 2 months (M1-M2), deliverable - completed IIPP, Stage 2 Mid-Term Review, duration: 12 months (M3 - M14), deliverable - CLA Mid-Term Report, and Stage 3 Final Review, duration: 10 months (M15 - M24), deliverable - CLA Final Report. The Grant will be paid as a lump sum. Payments depend on the successful and timely completion of each stage of the work planned and outlined in the Individual Integrated Project Plan (IIPP) developed in Stage 1 of the support programme.

In summary, this open call seeks to fund up to 15 community-led projects in the Baltic and North Sea region that address the EU Mission Ocean and Waters objectives. It involves a two-step application process, starting with a mandatory Project Idea Form and consultation, followed by a full proposal submission. Successful projects will receive financial support ranging from 200,000 to 2,000,000 EUR, along with ongoing technical assistance. The projects are expected to actively involve local stakeholders and contribute to the sustainable use and restoration of marine and freshwater resources. The funding is structured around three stages, each with specific deliverables and milestones, ensuring a structured approach to achieving the project goals.

Eligible Applicant Types: Eligible applicants include regional and local authorities (including island and waterfront authorities), non-governmental organizations, foundations, and professional associations engaged in local development, nature conservation, environmental protection, sustainable use of marine resources, or blue economy activities, educational establishments, research performing organizations, locally based companies, SMEs and startups (provided this is not in conflict with the State Aid rules), knowledge brokers, facilitating organizations, enterprises, cooperatives, and other registered organizations fostering inclusion, skills development, or sustainable blue economy activities, financial institutions or registered cooperatives supporting sustainable investments or local development initiatives, and any other legal entities in the described communities. Specific types of communities that can apply include ports (including inland ports), islands authorities and communities, fishing and aquaculture communities, producers, processors, retailers and manufacturers, and other representatives of blue economy, operators of various vessels, river basin and inland water communities engaged in water management and pollution reduction, citizen education, science and community innovation initiatives contributing to marine and freshwater monitoring or restoration, indigenous and traditional knowledge communities involved in sustainable use and stewardship of marine and freshwater resources, blue tech and digital innovation communities contributing to ocean observation, data sharing, or circular blue economy, cultural heritage and maritime identity communities promoting ocean literacy and traditional connections to the sea, local financial institutions, cooperatives, and impact investors supporting sustainable blue investments, enterprises and organisations fostering inclusion, skills, and employment in the blue economy, Local Action Groups described by the Community-Led Local Development strategies, waterfront cities/regional authorities and communities (avoiding overlaps with Cities’ Mission), conservation and environmental protection communities, representatives of the tourism sector, and maritime infrastructure operators (including offshore wind, wave/tidal energy, and similar infrastructure and their operators). Any other community within the BANOS area that could benefit from the impact of funded Community-Led Action(s) is also eligible.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, paid as a lump sum. This is cascade funding.

Consortium Requirement: A consortium of a minimum of 2 and up to 12 entities is required.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is primarily for entities registered in Baltic and North Sea basin (BANOS) countries that are Member States or Associated Countries to Horizon Europe. These countries include Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, and Sweden. Applicants from EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries outside the BANOS area will be eligible in special cases, where justified. The proposed Community-Led Actions must be focused on the BANOS lighthouse area.

Target Sector: The target sector is focused on the marine and freshwater ecosystems, blue economy, environmental protection, and sustainable development related to the EU Mission Ocean and Waters objectives. This includes areas such as protection and restoration of marine and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity, prevention and elimination of pollution of our ocean, seas and waters, and making the sustainable blue economy carbon-neutral and circular. Relevant sectors also include fishing and aquaculture, tourism, maritime infrastructure, and blue technology.

Mentioned Countries: Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden.

Project Stage: The project stage is for Community-Led Actions, implying a stage of development, validation, demonstration, or implementation of innovative solutions. The actions should foster a participatory approach that empowers local stakeholders and builds on their local know-how.

Funding Amount: The financial support ranges from EUR 200,000.00 up to EUR 2,000,000.00 per Community-Led Action. The maximum amount to be granted to each entity within a Community-Led Action is EUR 500,000.00. The total funding available is EUR 7,000,000.00.

Application Type: The application type is an open call.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive both financial support (grants) and non-monetary services, including ongoing action support provided by dedicated Project Key Accounts and tailored technical assistance for a maximum duration of 24 months.

Application Stages: The application process consists of 2 steps: compulsory submission of a Project Idea Form and individual consultation, followed by a full proposal submission. The evaluation process includes full proposal submission, admissibility & eligibility check, independent evaluation, an optional Jury Day, a consensus meeting, and a formal check.

Success Rates: The document states that up to 15 Community-Led Actions will be selected, but does not provide information to calculate success rates.

Co-funding Requirement: The document does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This BlueActionBANOS Open Call seeks to fund up to 15 Community-Led Actions aimed at achieving the objectives of the EU Mission Ocean and Waters in the Baltic and North Sea (BANOS) basin. The call is open to a wide range of entities, including regional and local authorities, NGOs, research institutions, SMEs, and other community-based organizations from BANOS countries and, in justified cases, from other EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries. Projects must be focused on the BANOS lighthouse area and address at least one of the EU Mission Ocean and Waters objectives, such as protecting and restoring marine ecosystems, preventing pollution, and promoting a sustainable blue economy. The funding ranges from EUR 200,000 to EUR 2,000,000 per action, with a maximum of EUR 500,000 per entity. The application process involves a mandatory Project Idea Form submission and consultation, followed by a full proposal submission. Selected projects will receive financial support and ongoing technical assistance for up to 24 months. The overall goal is to foster a participatory approach that empowers local stakeholders and encourages their long-term commitment to sustainable practices in the Baltic and North Sea region. The support programme is divided into three stages: Individual Integrated Project Plan (IIPP), Mid-Term Review, and Final Review, with payments depending on the successful completion of each stage.