Building a sustainable and innovative Blue Economy: mastering digital opportunities and fostering resilience

The Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership (fourth joint transnational co‑funded call) funds transnational research and innovation projects titled "Building a sustainable and innovative Blue Economy: mastering digital opportunities and fostering resilience" with a total budget of approximately €37.7 million. The call uses a mandatory two‑stage submission (pre‑proposal deadline 16 November 2026 15:00 Brussels time; full proposal deadline 14 June 2027 15:00 Brussels time) and selected projects are expected to run for 36 months. Eligible consortia must request funding from at least three different participating funding organisations in at least three different countries and are strongly recommended to cover at least two EU sea basins. Projects must address one of four priority areas: transitioning blue economy sectors, managing sea uses via digital and ecosystem‑based approaches, sustainable blue bioresources, or resilience of coastal communities and businesses.

What the call funds

Scope summary

Transnational research and innovation projects (36 months) supporting a climate-neutral, sustainable and innovative blue economy. Projects must address one of four priority areas: transitioning blue-economy sectors for sustainability and strategic autonomy; managing sea-uses via digital and ecosystem-based approaches; sustainable blue bioresources; and resilience of coastal communities (infrastructure and businesses). Proposals should target impacts across at least two EU sea basins and follow an impact-pathway approach.

Total budget and duration:Approx. €37.7 million available across this joint transnational co-funded call. Individual cofunded projects are expected to last 36 months ¹.

1. 1Who can apply: transnational consortia including eligible partners from at least three different participating countries requesting funding from at least three different participating funding organisations.
2. 2Minimum consortium composition: at least two independent legal entities from two different EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries eligible for EU funding in this call; self-funded partners allowed but do not count toward minimum.
3. 3Eligible activities: research, innovation, stakeholder engagement and piloting relevant to the four priority areas; projects should demonstrate cross-basin relevance and policy/impact uptake.

Evaluation uses a two-step process:pre-proposals assessed on excellence and impact to select invitations to full proposals; full proposals evaluated on excellence, impact and quality of implementation. National/regional funding rules in annexes apply and applicants must check eligibility and funding conditions for each participating funding organisation.

Where to find call documents:Full call text, annexes and application forms are available on the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership call page SBEP call page and in the EPSS portal EPSS ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Call documentation, participating funding organisations and national/regional eligibility rules are provided on the partnership website and the EPSS portal. See the call page for annexes and national contact points.

Call overview and key facts

This is the fourth Joint Transnational Co-funded Call under the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership (SBEP) coordinated under Horizon Europe (identifier HORIZON-CL6). The call title is Building a sustainable and innovative Blue Economy: mastering digital opportunities and fostering resilience. Opening date: 14 September 2026. Two cut-off deadlines: 16 November 2026 15:00 (Brussels time) and 14 June 2027 15:00 (Brussels time). Each selected co-funded project is expected to last 36 months. The total funding available across participating funding organisations and EU contribution is €37,723,260. The call pools national and regional resources from 33 funding organisations across 28 countries plus EU contributions.

Call portal and submission system:Pre-proposals and full proposals must be submitted electronically using the Electronic Proposal Submission System (EPSS) at proposals.etag.ee. The EPSS may experience high traffic and applicants are strongly advised to submit well before the deadline. Technical support: epss.sbep@g.etag.ee. General call information and documents are available on the Partnership website SBEP Call Page. ¹

Scope, objectives and policy alignment

The call aims to foster a climate-neutral, sustainable, innovative, and productive blue economy in Europe by supporting transnational research and innovation across marine and maritime sectors. Projects must be impact-driven, following an impact pathway approach and support knowledge generation, policy uptake, capacity development and inclusive innovation. The call explicitly contributes to European policy frameworks and initiatives including the European Green Deal, Digital Europe, the Ocean Pact, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, the Marine Spatial Planning Directive, the 2030 Climate Target Plan, the Zero Pollution 2050 vision, EU Strategies on Coastal Communities and Islands, and the UN Decade of Ocean Science.

Priority areas and themes

The fourth call converts the Partnership intervention areas into four priority areas. Applicants must address one main priority area and proposals should foster cross-basin collaboration to strengthen competitiveness and sustainability in the EU Blue Economy.

1. 1Priority area 1: Transitioning the blue economy sectors for sustainability and strategic autonomy
2. 2Priority area 2: Managing sea-uses by advancing digital and ecosystem-based approaches
3. 3Priority area 3: Promoting sustainable blue bioresources through innovation in production and harvesting
4. 4Priority area 4: Building resilience in coastal communities with infrastructure and businesses

Eligibility and consortium requirements

Consortia eligibility and participation rules combine transnational co-funding regulations from participating funding organisations and Horizon Europe rules as specified in the call annexes and national/regional regulations. Applicants must verify national/regional rules in Annex B (NCP and regulations) and the List of beneficiaries.

Minimum consortium composition and geographic eligibility:To be eligible, each consortium must include eligible partners requesting funding from at least three different countries participating in the call and requesting financial support from at least three different funding organisations. Additionally, projects must involve at least two independent legal entities from two different EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries eligible for EU funding in this call. Self-funded partners from non-participating countries/regions are permitted but do not count towards the minimum eligible consortium size.

Participating countries (funding organisations participating) explicitly listed by the call: Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Montenegro, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine. The call indicates participation by 25 Member States, 7 Associated Countries and 1 Third Country; the list above provides the countries named in the call documentation.

Project characteristics and recommended geographic scope

Projects should be transnational, 36 months duration, and strongly recommended to consider impacts across a minimum of two EU sea basins to ensure cross-basin replication and scalability. The five main EU sea basins recommended are: Atlantic Ocean, Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, North Sea. Proposals can focus on regional seas (e.g., Adriatic, Aegean, Arctic, Barents, Celtic), but must cover at least two different EU sea basins.

Eligible applicant types

The call encourages diverse consortia including research organisations, universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, public authorities, non-profit organisations, industry stakeholders, associations, civil society organisations and others. Applicants are strongly encouraged to involve stakeholders (SMEs, industry, authorities, public administrations, associations, civil society organisations) as (funded or self-funded) partners to increase innovation and policy relevance.

Funding type, amounts and co-funding

Funding type:co-funded grants (transnational co-funding by national/regional funding organisations combined with EU contribution under Horizon Europe). Total estimated budget for this call: approximately €37.7 million. The call documents and national/regional annexes define the maximum and eligible costs per partner and per funding organisation; applicants must consult these annexes for precise funding rules per participating funding organisation. Co-funding: As a transnational co-funded call, eligibility for funding and co-funding rules vary by participating funding organisation and national/regional regulations. Applicants must consult the national/regional annex (Annex B and List of beneficiaries) to determine whether cost-sharing or additional co-funding from applicants is required for each partner. Self-funded partners are allowed but do not increase the number of funded partners required for eligibility.

Typical grant scale and duration:The call pools around €38 million to fund multiple transnational projects. Individual project budgets are not specified in the high-level summary; potential applicants should consult the call annexes and national funder rules for indicative maximum project budgets and funding per partner. Each cofunded project is expected to last 36 months.

Submission and evaluation process

This Joint Transnational Call applies a mandatory two-stage submission and evaluation process. Stage 1: submission of pre-proposals (mandatory). Stage 2: submission of full proposals upon invitation only. Both pre-proposals and full proposals must be submitted via EPSS.

1. 1Stage 1: Pre-proposal submission. Evaluation by at least two independent evaluators (ideally three) from the Independent Evaluation Committee (IEC) based on two criteria: Excellence (threshold 3/5) and Impact (threshold 3/5). Pre-proposals are ranked and grouped into A (highest), B (medium) and C (below threshold). All Group A pre-proposals are invited to Stage 2. Group B proposals may be invited considering ranking, representativeness of Participating Funding Organisations (PFOs), and funding ratio limits. Group C proposals are dismissed.
2. 2Stage 2: Full proposal submission (invited projects only). Full proposals are evaluated by at least three independent reviewers from the IEC (one nominated rapporteur) against three criteria: Excellence (threshold 3/5), Impact (threshold 3/5), Quality and efficiency of implementation (threshold 3/5). IEC discussions produce final scores. Final ranking lists (one per priority area, four lists) are forwarded to the Call Steering Committee (CSC), which decides recommendations for funding to PFOs.

Evaluation criteria and thresholds

Stage 1 criteria:Excellence and Impact (each threshold 3 out of 5). Stage 2 criteria: Excellence, Impact and Quality and efficiency of implementation (each threshold 3 out of 5). Detailed evaluation procedures and scoring guidance are in the call text and annexes.

Application materials and templates

The call provides specific annex templates and forms to be used for pre-proposals and full proposals. Key annexes available on the Partnership call page include: SBEP 4th JTC Annex A Theory of Change, Annex B NCP and regulations (national/regional eligibility and funding rules), Annex C List of beneficiaries, Annex D Pre-proposal form, Annex E Full proposal form, Annex F Open Access and Fair Data, Annex G Co-branding. Applicants must use Annex D for pre-proposal submission and Annex E for full proposal submission when invited, following the EPSS data entry and document upload requirements.

Application type, stages and process count

Application type:open competitive joint transnational call with mandatory two-stage submission (pre-proposal then invited full proposal) submitted via EPSS. Number of formal application/evaluation stages: 2.

Nature of support and success factors

Nature of support:monetary grants awarded through national/regional funding organisations combined with EU partnership funding. Non-monetary expected support includes stakeholder engagement, policy uptake pathways, networking and matchmaking events organised by the Partnership (e.g., webinars and brokerage events).

Success rates and competitiveness

The call documentation does not publish explicit overall success rate percentages. Success likelihood depends on competition across priority areas, number of quality pre-proposals and available national/regional budgets. The pre-proposal ranking and grouping process (A, B, C) and national funding limitations affect progression to Stage 2. Applicants should assume a competitive selection and prepare high-quality, impactful, cross-basin consortia aligned with participating PFO priorities.

Recommended actions for applicants

1. 1Carefully read the full call text and all annexes, particularly Annex B (national/regional regulations) and Annex C (List of beneficiaries) to confirm eligibility and funding conditions for each partner.
2. 2Use the SBEP Partner Search Tool and attend matchmaking events to form eligible consortia with funding requests from at least three different participating funding organisations and from at least three different countries.
3. 3Prepare and submit a concise, impact-driven pre-proposal in EPSS well before the cut-off deadline to avoid technical issues.
4. 4If invited to Stage 2, follow the Annex E full proposal template and ensure all partners meet their national funder eligibility and reporting requirements.
5. 5Engage relevant stakeholders (SMEs, authorities, civil society) as funded or self-funded partners to strengthen applicability, uptake and impact.

Administrative contacts and events

Call secretariat contact:sbep.call-secretariat@uefiscdi.ro. EPSS technical support: epss.sbep@g.etag.ee. A general information webinar was scheduled for 29 September (year of publication) and a matchmaking/brokerage event was organised between 14 September and 13 November to assist in partner finding and project formation. Applicants should consult the Partnership website and social channels for updates and event recordings.

Structured extraction answers

Below are concise, structured answers to the categorisation and extraction questions based specifically on the call documentation and annexes.

1. 1Eligible Applicant Types: Research organisations, universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, public authorities, non-profit organisations, industry stakeholders, associations, civil society organisations, and other organisations able to participate in transnational research and innovation projects. Self-funded partners from non-participating countries are allowed but do not count towards funded consortium eligibility.
2. 2Funding Type: Cofunded grants (transnational co-funded call combining national/regional funding organisations and EU partnership funding under Horizon Europe).
3. 3Consortium Requirement: Consortium required. Minimum: eligible partners requesting funding from at least three different participating countries/funding organisations. Additionally, at least two independent legal entities from two different EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries eligible for EU funding must be involved.
4. 4Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): Transnational within participating countries and EU/Associated Countries. Participating countries include EU Member States, Associated Countries and one third country as listed; projects should address a minimum of two EU sea basins (Atlantic, Baltic, Black Sea, Mediterranean, North Sea) and may include other regional seas.
5. 5Target Sector: Blue economy sectors spanning marine and maritime domains including aquaculture and fisheries, coastal infrastructure and communities, marine bioresources, marine spatial planning, marine digitalisation, ecosystem-based management, decarbonisation and sector transitions. Cross-cutting themes include digitalisation, sustainability, resilience, innovation and policy uptake.
6. 6Mentioned Countries: Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Montenegro, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine.
7. 7Project Stage: Research to demonstration/innovation and piloting; projects are expected to be applied, impact-driven R&I that contribute to transformation, policy uptake and capacity development (research, development, demonstration and validation components are expected depending on proposals).
8. 8Funding Amount: Total call budget approximately €37,723,260. Individual project budgets are not specified in the summary and vary according to participating funder rules; applicants must consult national/regional annexes for per-project and per-partner funding limits.
9. 9Application Type: Open competitive joint transnational call with mandatory two-stage submission (pre-proposal then invited full proposal) via EPSS (open call with multiple cut-off deadlines).
10. 10Nature of Support: Monetary grants issued via participating national/regional funding organisations (co-funded), plus non-monetary project support through Partnership networks, stakeholder engagement and brokerage; non-monetary services include access to partnership events and policy engagement channels.
11. 11Application Stages: 2 (Stage 1 pre-proposal evaluation; Stage 2 invited full proposal evaluation).
12. 12Success Rates: Not specified in the call documentation. The selection process is competitive; progression to Stage 2 depends on pre-proposal ranking (Group A invited; Group B selectively invited considering PFO representativeness and funding ratios; Group C dismissed).
13. 13Co-funding Requirement: Varies. As a co-funded transnational call, national/regional funding organisations set country-specific eligibility and co-funding rules. Applicants must consult Annex B and the List of beneficiaries for exact co-funding and eligibility requirements per funding organisation.
14. 14Templates: The call provides specific templates and annexes: Annex D Pre-proposal form (to be used for Stage 1), Annex E Full proposal form (to be used for Stage 2), Annex A Theory of Change, Annex B NCP and regulations (national rules), Annex C List of beneficiaries, Annex F Open Access and Fair Data, Annex G Co-branding. Applicants must complete the pre-proposal form in EPSS and, if invited, the full proposal form. The pre-proposal and full proposal templates structure typical sections covering project summary, objectives, excellence, expected impact, implementation plan, consortium description, budget and compliance with national funder rules.

What this opportunity is about and final summary:

This Joint Transnational Co-funded Call under the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership finances transnational research and innovation projects to accelerate the green and digital transition of the EU Blue Economy. It promotes collaborative, cross-basin projects that align with EU policy objectives (European Green Deal, Digital Europe, Ocean Pact and other directives and strategies). The call focuses on four priority areas: transitioning sectors for sustainability and strategic autonomy, advancing digital and ecosystem-based approaches for sea-use management, innovating sustainable marine bioresources production and harvesting, and building resilience in coastal communities through infrastructure and business measures. Consortia must be transnational and request funding from at least three different participating funding organisations; projects should cover a minimum of two EU sea basins and are expected to last 36 months. Applicants must submit a mandatory pre-proposal via the EPSS and, if invited, a full proposal using provided templates and annexes. Funding is provided as co-funded grants via national/regional funders together with the EU contribution; detailed funding rules, eligible costs and co-funding obligations are defined by the national/regional annexes. The call is competitive and evaluators apply threshold scoring on Excellence, Impact and Implementation in a two-stage evaluation process. Interested applicants should consult the call page, annexes and national funder rules, use the SBEP partner search tools and attend brokerage events to build eligible, high-impact consortia that demonstrate cross-basin impact and clear pathways to policy uptake and societal benefits.

Footnotes

1. 1Primary call documentation and annexes available at the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership call page SBEP Call Page and proposals must be submitted via EPSS at proposals.etag.ee.

This is the fourth joint transnational co-funded call of the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership under Horizon Europe, supporting transnational research and innovation projects that advance a climate neutral, sustainable and productive blue economy across marine and maritime sectors.[1][3]

Core facts

What the funding is about

The call aims to mobilise national and regional resources from 33 funding organisations across 28 countries plus EU contributions to support collaborative research, innovation, and knowledge uptake for a more resilient, sustainable, and competitive blue economy.[1][3]

It is aligned with major EU and international policy frameworks, including the European Green Deal, Digital Europe, the Ocean Pact, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, the Marine Spatial Planning Directive, the 2030 Climate Target Plan, the Zero Pollution vision for 2050, coastal and islands strategies, and the UN Decade of Ocean Science.[1][3]

• Priority area 1 focuses on transitioning blue economy sectors for sustainability and strategic autonomy.[1][3]
• Priority area 2 focuses on managing sea uses through digital and ecosystem based approaches.[1][3]
• Priority area 3 focuses on sustainable blue bioresources through innovation in production and harvesting.[1][3]
• Priority area 4 focuses on resilience in coastal communities, including infrastructure and businesses.[1][3]

Who can apply

The call is intended for transnational consortia submitting eligible pre proposals and full proposals under the rules of the participating funding organisations, with eligibility determined by the national or regional funders involved in the consortium.[1][3]

At consortium level, the core eligibility rule stated in the call information is that applicants must come from at least three different participating countries and request funding from at least three different participating funding organisations.[1][3]

The call also indicates that projects should involve at least two independent legal entities from two different EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries eligible for EU funding, and applicants must follow the relevant national regulations set out in the call annexes.[3][1]

Proposals are strongly recommended to cover at least two EU sea basins, with the Atlantic Ocean, Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and North Sea highlighted as the main basins, although other regional seas may be included if the minimum of two different EU sea basins is respected.[1][3]

Selection and evaluation

The selection process is two stage, with pre proposals evaluated first on excellence and impact, each with a threshold of 3 out of 5, and full proposals then evaluated on excellence, impact, and quality and efficiency of implementation, each again with a threshold of 3 out of 5.[1]

Eligible pre proposals are ranked and divided into groups, with the strongest invited to step 2 and some medium ranked proposals selected subject to ranking, representativeness of the participating funding organisations, and funding ratio limits, while full proposals are ranked by priority area before final funding decisions are taken.[1]

Important applicant considerations

• Applicants should plan for a two stage process and submit well before the deadline because the system may experience high traffic in the final hours.[1]
• Late submissions and proposals that are not correctly submitted are declared ineligible, and deadline extensions for technical problems are not accepted.[1]
• No single EU wide funding rate or harmonised maximum grant amount is stated in the portal summary, so applicants must check the national regulations and annexes of the relevant funders for cost eligibility, rates, and any caps.[1]
• The call is explicitly cross basin and impact driven, so proposals should show how results can be replicated or scaled across more than one marine basin.[1][3]

Practical assessment

This opportunity is best suited to research and innovation consortia with expertise in marine science, maritime sectors, digital transition, ecosystem based management, bioresources, or coastal resilience that can coordinate multinational partners and present a credible transnational impact pathway.[1][3]

Applicants should prioritise consortium design, fit with the selected priority area, compliance with the participating funders' national rules, and a clear cross basin implementation logic because these elements are central to both eligibility and ranking.[1][3]