Call 1 – “Collection & Valorisation”

The UPSTREAM "Collection & Valorisation" Call is a funding opportunity aimed at supporting regional and local public authorities in the European Union and Associated Countries in addressing plastic pollution in rivers and implementing innovative solutions for the collection, recovery, and valorization of litter, plastics, and microplastics. The call is a part of the Horizon Europe initiative, specifically under the Mission Ocean goals, targeting areas with significant plastic leakage, particularly in the Balkans, Mediterranean regions, and North Africa.

Eligible applicants are exclusively regional and local public authorities or bodies representing them, from regions outside the UPSTREAM beneficiary countries, which include Spain, Belgium, Slovenia, Portugal, Serbia, Greece, Germany, The Netherlands, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Each authority is only allowed to submit one application under the "geographical diversity rule." The application process requires a comprehensive proposal submission via email, including specific documentation in PDF format.

Funding amounts to €210,000 per awarded project, provided as a fixed lump-sum grant that does not require detailed cost reimbursement, simplifying administration. The payment is divided into three tranches: 40% upon signing the grant agreement, 40% after mid-term deliverables, and 20% upon final project acceptance. While projects should last approximately six months, applicants may subcontract up to 30% of the total grant amount for specialized services, although core project responsibilities must remain with the local authority.

The targeting areas for the call focus on environmental protection and aspects of the circular economy. Specific interested activities include prevention and removal of litter and plastics, monitoring and digitalization of plastic pollution, recycling and valorization from freshwater systems, and promotion of nature-based solutions. The evaluation process consists of five stages, assessing admissibility, remote evaluation by experts, consensus meetings for ranking, ethics and risk screening, and finally, awards and grant preparation.

Significantly, the call encourages the participation of local communities through citizen science and public engagement, aiming to develop sustainable practices that can be implemented across Europe. The opening date for submissions is January 15, 2026, with a deadline of March 16, 2026, at 17:00 Brussels time. All applications must be in English.

Overall, this funding opportunity represents a concerted effort to tackle the critical issue of plastic pollution in freshwater environments by empowering local governance and encouraging innovative, community-driven initiatives for environmental sustainability. For more information, interested parties can reach out via the provided email or refer to the UPSTREAM project website.

This is a call for proposals under the UPSTREAM project, which aims to support regional and local authorities in deploying collection and recovery schemes for riverine litter, plastics, and microplastics (MP), as well as piloting valorisation pathways. The call is titled "Collection & Valorisation".

The opening date for submissions is January 15, 2026, and the deadline is March 16, 2026, at 17:00 Brussels time. This is a single-stage submission process. The expected duration of participation is 6 months. The total funding available is 210,000.00 €. The project acronym is UPSTREAM, and the full name of the EU-funded project is Circular and Bio-Based Solutions for the Ultimate Prevention of Plastics in Rivers Integrated with Elimination And Monitoring Technologies. The grant agreement number is 101112877. The topic is HORIZON-MISS-2022-OCEAN-01-04 - Prevent and eliminate litter, plastics and microplastics: Innovative solutions for waste-free European rivers.

To apply, applicants must submit an online form, a Technical Document, a Declaration of Honour, and legal status proof (in .pdf format) to OpenCall@upstream-project.eu with the subject line being the name of the call. The application language is English, and only one application per authority is allowed. More information, FAQs, annexes, and templates can be found at https://upstream-project.eu/.

Eligible applicants are regional/local public authorities (or directly representing bodies) from associated regions (EU Member States/Associated Countries) outside UPSTREAM beneficiary countries and regions receiving FSTP funding from the INSPIRE project. The INSPIRE project is funded under the same Horizon Europe programme topic call HORIZON-MISS-2022-OCEAN-01-04.

Admissibility criteria include a complete application, submission via the official portal before the deadline, submission in English, and provision of all mandatory annexes.

Eligibility criteria require that the applicant is a regional/local public authority or a body directly representing it, with legal status proof attached. The applicant must be located in an eligible associated region (EU MS/AC) outside UPSTREAM beneficiary countries. The proposal must align with the call objectives and the eligible activities list. There must be no double funding (self-declaration), and activities must not have started before the grant. EU restrictive measures must not apply to the applicant or key subcontractors.

Eligible associated regions are in EU Member States/Associated Countries not covered by the UPSTREAM consortium (Spain, Belgium, Slovenia, Portugal, Serbia, Greece, Germany, The Netherlands, France, Italy, UK), with indicative priority to regions with high leakage to rivers/sea (e.g., selected Balkans/Mediterranean/ North African basins). A list of eligible and non-eligible countries is available via a provided link.

There is a geographical diversity rule: One award per region across the whole programme. Resubmissions are allowed across calls if not yet funded.

The evaluation process involves two external experts scoring each criterion, internal consensus ranking, and awards by the Call Owner. All eligible applicants receive an Evaluation Summary Report (ESR). The process includes admissibility and eligibility screening, remote evaluation by three internal consortium experts, an internal consensus meeting for final ranking and funding cut-off, ethics/risk checks, and awards & grant preparation.

The evaluation criteria and weights are as follows (100 points total, minimum quality thresholds apply):

1. Concept & Innovation – 25 points: clarity, credibility, interoperability, novelty (tech/strategic/implementation/practice).
2. Team Capacity & Excellence – 25 points: skills, roles, governance, delivery track record; access to required permits/sites.
3. Alignment & Work Plan – 25 points: logic, milestones, deliverables, verification means; budget realism; subcontracting justification.
4. Impact & European Dimension – 25 points: fit with Mission Ocean goals; scalability/replicability; cross-border relevance; KPIs.

Thresholds: A minimum score of 60/100 overall and ≥12/25 in each criterion is required. Ties are broken by higher Impact score, then Concept score, then geographic balance.

Applicants receive an ESR with strengths/weaknesses & scores. Ineligible applicants receive a reasoned notice and appeal route.

The objective of the call is to support regional/local authorities to deploy collection & recovery schemes for riverine litter/plastics/MP and pilot valorisation pathways aligned with UPSTREAM.

The funding model is a lump-sum grant fixed at the award, paid against milestones/deliverables set by awarded applicants. Indicative tranches are 40% at Grant Agreement signature, 40% after mid-term deliverables, and 20% at final acceptance. The cost basis involves no cost statements; beneficiaries keep evidence of task completion and outputs (deliverables, logs, datasets, photos, beneficiary reports) for audit.

Subcontracting is limited to a maximum of 30% of the total eligible grant amount. Only the procurement of Specialised Technical Services ancillary to the project’s core objectives is eligible. These are services that require expertise not available within the lead FSTP beneficiary organisation. Specialised tasks may include technical studies, surveys, advanced IT development, regulatory compliance services, monitoring and impact assessment, and fabrication/installation of complex technical components. The core responsibilities of project management, strategic steering, financial oversight, citizen engagement, and public services delivery must remain with the local authority lead and cannot be subcontracted. Any subcontracting must be justified in the proposal application and awarded via the beneficiary’s compliant public procurement procedures.

Mandatory deliverables for grantees include:

D1: Kick-off package (work plan, risk & ethics checklist, data plan, comms plan) – M1 (Month 1).
D2: Mid-term update (evidence of activities, preliminary results) – mid-point.
D3: Final pack (technical report, datasets, photos/videos, replication & exploitation plan, communication assets) – final month.

Illustrative KPIs (select per project) include: capture efficiency; tonnes/items collected; MP concentration trends; citizens engaged; policy changes enacted; % bio-based substitutions; valorisation outputs; open datasets published.

Visibility requirements include using MISSION OCEAN/EU/UPSTREAM logos and funding statements on all outputs, providing consented media assets, and following the project visual ID. Open data requirements include publishing non-sensitive results to UPSTREAM platforms/Portal as applicable.

Applicants may lodge an appeal within 7 calendar days of notification where they believe a procedural error occurred. Appeals are reviewed by an internal panel uninvolved in the original decision. Appeals cannot re-evaluate scientific/technical merit unless a manifest error is evidenced. Applicants will receive an appeal response within 14 days of confirmed receipt of the appeal.

The project will screen for environmental risks (e.g., disturbance to habitats during clean-ups), require mitigation plans and permits, and exclude actions with net negative impacts. It will ensure health & safety standards for fieldwork. An ethics self-assessment is required, and escalation to the Ethics Advisor is needed when necessary.

More information, FAQs, annexes, and templates are available at https://upstream-project.eu/ or for specific questions, contact OpenCall@upstream-project.eu with the subject: Question.

Activities sought include field pilots for capture/recovery, valorisation trials, monitoring linked to collection efficacy, logistics/model design, and citizen co-creation for uptake.

Eligible activities (exhaustive list) include projects that demonstrably support UPSTREAM objectives through:

1) Monitoring & digitalisation of plastics/MP in rivers & tributaries.
2) Prevention & zero-waste measures (e.g., substitution with bio-based/biodegradable alternatives, upstream interventions).
3) Removal/collection & recovery of litter, plastics, and microplastics in freshwater systems.
4) Recycling/valorisation pilots for captured plastics (incl. pre-treatments that enable recycling).
5) Nature-based solutions & restoration in riparian and urban water systems.
6) Citizen science & co-creation (living labs, behaviour-change campaigns) that directly support the above.
7) Open data & knowledge sharing with UPSTREAM’s platforms.

Not eligible are basic research, routine municipal operations, activities completed before grant start, double-funded activities, purchases unrelated to project tasks, and measures with significant negative environmental impacts.

In summary, this funding opportunity aims to address the pressing issue of plastic pollution in European rivers. It provides financial support to regional and local public authorities for implementing innovative solutions for collecting, recovering, and valorising riverine litter, plastics, and microplastics. The call encourages projects that incorporate monitoring, prevention, removal, recycling, nature-based solutions, citizen engagement, and open data sharing. The application process involves submitting a comprehensive proposal that meets specific eligibility and admissibility criteria, and the evaluation process focuses on the concept, team capacity, alignment with the call objectives, and potential impact. The funding is provided as a lump-sum grant, with payments tied to the achievement of milestones and deliverables. This initiative is part of the broader Horizon Europe Mission Ocean program and seeks to contribute to waste-free European rivers.

Eligible Applicant Types: Regional/local public authorities (or directly representing bodies).

Funding Type: Grant (lump-sum).

Consortium Requirement: Single. One application per authority is allowed.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): Regional/local public authorities from associated regions (EU Member States/Associated Countries) outside UPSTREAM beneficiary countries. Priority is given to regions with high leakage to rivers/sea (e.g., selected Balkans/Mediterranean/ North African basins). UPSTREAM beneficiary countries are Spain, Belgium, Slovenia, Portugal, Serbia, Greece, Germany, The Netherlands, France, Italy, and the UK.

Target Sector: Environment, specifically focusing on the prevention and elimination of litter, plastics, and microplastics in rivers. Other relevant sectors include cleantech, recycling/valorisation, and citizen engagement.

Mentioned Countries: Spain, Belgium, Slovenia, Portugal, Serbia, Greece, Germany, The Netherlands, France, Italy, UK. The Balkans, Mediterranean, and North African basins are also mentioned as regions of interest.

Project Stage: Field pilots, valorisation trials, demonstration.

Funding Amount: Total funding available is €210,000. The funding is distributed as lump-sum grants.

Application Type: Open call.

Nature of Support: Money. Beneficiaries receive a lump-sum grant.

Application Stages: 5 stages: (1) Admissibility & eligibility screening; (2) Remote evaluation by three internal consortium experts; (3) Internal consensus meeting for final ranking and funding cut-off; (4) Ethics/risk checks; (5) Awards & grant prep.

Success Rates: Not specified, but there is a geographical diversity rule of one award per region across the whole programme.

Co-funding Requirement: Not explicitly stated, but beneficiaries must keep evidence of task completion and outputs for audit, implying that they may need to cover some costs initially.

This opportunity is a call for proposals under the UPSTREAM project, which is part of the Horizon Europe program, specifically addressing the Mission Ocean goals. The call aims to support regional and local public authorities in implementing collection and recovery schemes for riverine litter, plastics, and microplastics, as well as piloting valorisation pathways. The total funding available is €210,000, distributed as lump-sum grants to selected applicants. Eligible applicants are regional/local public authorities (or directly representing bodies) from associated regions (EU MS/AC) outside UPSTREAM beneficiary countries, with priority given to regions with high leakage to rivers/sea. The application process involves submitting an online form, a technical document, a declaration of honour, and legal status proof. The evaluation process includes admissibility and eligibility screening, remote evaluation by experts, an internal consensus meeting, ethics/risk checks, and finally, awards and grant preparation. Projects must support UPSTREAM objectives through activities such as monitoring and digitalisation of plastics in rivers, prevention and zero-waste measures, removal/collection of litter, recycling/valorisation pilots, nature-based solutions, citizen science, and open data sharing. The grant is paid in tranches against milestones and deliverables. Subcontracting is limited to 30% of the total grant amount and must be justified. Applicants can appeal decisions within 7 days if they believe a procedural error occurred. The call emphasizes environmental risk screening and ethical considerations. The deadline for submission is March 16, 2026.