BlueLightS - 2nd Call for Blue Challenges in European Schools

The BlueLightS project is launching its 2nd Call for Blue Challenges in European Schools, aiming to enhance education about 'blue' sustainability and the protection of marine and freshwater ecosystems through school and student activities. The funding opportunity opens on May 21, 2025, with a submission deadline set for September 25, 2025, at 19:00 Brussels time.

Schools are eligible to apply if they are members of the Network of European Blue Schools or agree to become members. Each selected school can receive a grant of up to 3,000 EUR, with a total budget of 222,000 EUR allocated for this call. Funding is provided as a lump sum, supporting individual projects that last between 2 to 5 months.

Applications must be submitted online and contain an administrative section with school details, a description of proposed blue challenge projects, an estimated budget, and a Declaration on Honour concerning exclusion criteria. The applications should be completed in English.

The selection process involves initial eligibility checks followed by a qualitative evaluation by a committee of evaluators from participating countries. Applications will be scored on a 100-point scale, leading to an overall ranking that considers the budget allocation to each country and E-twinning applications. The process is competitive, and the outcomes will be published on the project's website and disseminated through various educational networks.

In summary, this grant opportunity encourages schools to implement projects that raise awareness about marine and freshwater conservation and sustainability. Successful applicants will join a network aimed at promoting environmental education and will receive funding to support their efforts in addressing local water-related issues.

The BlueLightS project is offering a 2nd Call for Blue Challenges in European Schools. This funding opportunity aims to promote education on ‘blue’ sustainability and the protection of marine and freshwater ecosystems through student and school activities.

The opening date for submissions is May 21, 2025, and the deadline for applications is September 25, 2025, at 19:00 (Brussels time). This is a single-stage submission model.

The expected duration of participation in the Blue Challenge is a minimum of 2 months and a maximum of 5 months.

The total funding available for this call is 222,000.00 EUR. The maximum grant for each Blue Challenge is 3000 EUR. The approved budget will be awarded as a lump sum.

The project acronym is BlueLightS, and the full name of the EU-funded project is EnLIGHTening future Schools to deliver BLUE Sustainability in Europe. The grant agreement number is 101113043. The topic is HORIZON-MISS-2022-OCEAN-01-08, focusing on student and school activities for the promotion of education on ‘blue’ sustainability and the protection of marine and freshwater ecosystems.

Applications must be submitted online through the project’s webpage at https://blue-lights.eu/grant-for-schools/.

The application form includes the following sections:

1. An administrative section with information about the school, the contact person(s), and proof of membership in the Network of European Blue Schools (or a statement agreeing to apply as members of the Network).
2. A description of the proposed blue challenge project/activities to be carried out by the school.
3. The estimated budget of the blue challenge project/action.
4. A Declaration on Honour in relation to exclusion criteria.

Applications should be submitted in English. Questions can be posed via the Call’s webpage or via email to grants@blue-lights.eu until September 18, 2025. Replies will be sent via email. Additionally, FAQs will be published on the Call website.

The selection process involves eligibility checks followed by a qualitative evaluation by evaluators, based on selection criteria. The Selection Committee manages the evaluation process, which is performed by a team of competent evaluators from all participating countries. Evaluators will independently assess the proposals and give a score on a 100-point scale, following common instructions provided by the Selection Committee. After assessing the applications, the Selection Committee will organize a de-brief session with all evaluators to ensure the soundness of the evaluation and discuss the overall results before developing an overall ranking of all applications with their scores.

The Selection Committee will decide on the list of selected applications, taking into account:

The overall ranking of applications.
The budget allocated to each country.
E-twinning applications.

The partners retain the right to reduce the grant awarded to selected schools if the different cost elements are not fully justified.

BlueLightS will publish the outcome of the calls on its project website and announce it on social media. The publication will include a description of the selected blue challenge projects, the date of the award, the duration of the project, and the legal name and country of the recipient in charge of the project implementation. Results will also be published on the Network of European Blue Schools webpage and disseminated throughout the EU4Ocean and Mission Ocean communities.

In summary, this opportunity provides funding for European schools to conduct "Blue Challenges" projects focused on promoting education and awareness about marine and freshwater ecosystems and sustainability. Schools must apply online, detailing their proposed project, budget, and demonstrating their connection to the Network of European Blue Schools. A selection committee will evaluate the proposals based on specific criteria, and successful applicants can receive up to 3000 EUR in lump-sum funding to implement their projects over a period of 2 to 5 months. The BlueLightS project aims to disseminate the results widely to encourage further engagement in ocean and freshwater conservation.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant type for this opportunity is schools that are members of the Network of European Blue Schools or agree to apply as members.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, awarded as a lump sum.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity appears to be open to single applicants, specifically individual schools.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The opportunity is targeted towards European schools, as indicated by the "Network of European Blue Schools" and the project's focus on "BLUE Sustainability in Europe."

Target Sector: The target sector is education, specifically focusing on 'blue' sustainability, marine and freshwater ecosystems, and environmental education.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the focus is on Europe through the "Network of European Blue Schools".

Project Stage: The expected project stage is implementation, as the grant supports schools in carrying out "blue challenge project/activities."

Funding Amount: The maximum grant for each Blue Challenge is 3000 EUR. The total funding available is 222,000 EUR.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, with applications submitted online.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant.

Application Stages: The application process appears to be single-stage, with a single deadline for submissions.

Success Rates: The success rate is not explicitly mentioned.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding requirement is not explicitly mentioned.

Summary:

This opportunity is a call for proposals under the BlueLightS project, which aims to promote education on 'blue' sustainability and the protection of marine and freshwater ecosystems in European schools. The call is open to schools that are members of the Network of European Blue Schools or are willing to join. The selected schools will receive a grant of up to 3000 EUR to implement "blue challenge" projects or activities. The application process is online and requires an administrative section, a description of the proposed project, an estimated budget, and a declaration of honor. The deadline for submission is September 25, 2024. The projects are expected to last between 2 and 5 months. The selection process involves a qualitative evaluation by a committee of evaluators from participating countries, and the final decision will be based on the overall ranking of applications, the budget allocated to each country, and e-twinning applications. The BlueLightS project will publish the results on its website and disseminate them through the Network of European Blue Schools, EU4Ocean, and Mission Ocean communities. The full name of the EU funded project is EnLIGHTening future Schools to deliver BLUE Sustainability in Europe, under grant agreement number 101113043 and topic HORIZON-MISS-2022-OCEAN-01-08 - Student and school activities for the promotion of education on ‘blue’ sustainability and the protection of marine and freshwater ecosystems. The opening date for submissions is May 21, 2025, and the deadline is September 25, 2025, at 19:00 (Brussels time). Questions can be submitted via email to grants@blue-lights.eu until September 18, 2025.