DIGI4ECO - Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) to address critical data gaps for the Digital Twin of the Ocean (DTO)

The DIGI4ECO project is offering Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) through a cascading grants call aimed at addressing critical data gaps for the Digital Twin of the Ocean (DTO). The initiative targets external data holders, which include research institutions, public authorities, NGOs, fisheries organizations, and citizen-science networks. These applicants are expected to possess valuable biological, environmental, and socio-ecological datasets that are either not digitalized or not standardized. The datasets should be relevant to specific demonstration sites: OBSEA in Spain, SmartBay in Ireland, Kristineberg in Sweden, and Ancona in Italy. The total budget for this call is €260,000, with individual grants available up to €60,000 per project. The funding is designated for activities such as identifying, digitalizing, ensuring quality control, standardizing, and publishing datasets. All activities funded must adhere to FAIR principles, meaning they should be Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable, and comply with EMODnet Biology standards to ensure long-term interoperability within European marine data infrastructures. This open and competitive call operates under a single-stage application process with transparent evaluation criteria, simplified by using lump-sum funding modalities instead of reimbursement-based grants. The goal is to foster ecosystem engagement by mobilizing various stakeholders across Europe, reinforcing the European dimension of DIGI4ECO, and supporting the Mission Ocean objectives. The call prioritizes datasets that enhance the spatial and temporal coverage of biodiversity observations. Key focus areas include imagery and video data suitable for AI-based analysis, species occurrence records, long-term environmental time series, and socio-economic information, which together can strengthen ecological indicators and improve predictive modeling capabilities within the DTO. Key details include an opening date of 15 January 2026 and a deadline of 15 March 2026 at 01:00 (Brussels time), with an expected duration of participation of one year. The call aligns with the topic of integrating biodiversity monitoring data into the Digital Twin Ocean under the Horizon Europe program. Applications can be submitted through a dedicated website. In summary, this funding opportunity is designed to enhance the Digital Twin of the Ocean by filling significant data gaps, targeting a wide range of organizations and individuals who hold relevant marine datasets. The funding aims to support the digitalization and standardization of these datasets, ensuring they are usable and accessible for future marine biodiversity monitoring and ecological modeling efforts.

The DIGI4ECO project is offering Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) through a cascading grants call. This initiative aims to address critical data gaps that are currently limiting the performance of the Digital Twin of the Ocean (DTO). The call specifically targets external data holders who possess valuable biological, environmental, and socio-ecological datasets that are either not yet digitalized or are not standardized. These datasets should be relevant to the four DIGI4ECO demonstration sites: OBSEA, SmartBay, Kristineberg, and Ancona.

The total budget allocated for this call is €260,000. Individual grants will be awarded up to a maximum of €60,000 per project. The funding is intended to support activities such as data identification, digitalization, quality control, standardization, and publication. All activities funded under this call must adhere to FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) and comply with international standards, particularly those set by EMODnet Biology. This ensures that the data is interoperable and can be used within European marine data infrastructures for the long term.

The call employs transparent evaluation criteria, lump-sum funding modalities, and strict governance procedures, all of which are in full compliance with the Horizon Europe Model Grant Agreement. The initiative aims to foster ecosystem engagement by mobilizing various stakeholders, including research institutions, public authorities, NGOs, fisheries organizations, and citizen-science networks. This will reinforce the European dimension of DIGI4ECO and directly support the objectives of Mission Ocean.

The FSTP scheme prioritizes datasets that enhance the spatial and temporal coverage of biodiversity observations. This includes imagery and video data, species occurrence records, environmental time series, and selected socio-economic information. Datasets that can strengthen AI-based image analysis, ecological indicator computation, and long-term modelling are particularly encouraged, as they can improve the accuracy, robustness, and predictive capacity of the DIGI4ECO DTO.

Key Details:

Opening date:15 January 2026

Deadline:15 March 2026, 01:00 (Brussels time)

Deadline model:single-stage

Expected duration of participation:1 year

Total funding available:€260,000

Project acronym:DIGI4ECO

Full name of the EU funded project:Digital Twin-sustained 4D ecological monitoring of restoration in fishery depleted areas

Grant agreement number:101112883

Topic:HORIZON-MISS - Integration of biodiversity monitoring data into the Digital Twin Ocean

Applications can be submitted at:digi4eco.eu

In summary, this funding opportunity is designed to improve the Digital Twin of the Ocean by filling critical data gaps. It targets organizations and individuals who hold relevant marine data, particularly biological, environmental, and socio-ecological data from specific demonstration sites. The funding supports the digitalization, standardization, and publication of this data, ensuring it is FAIR and interoperable within European marine data infrastructures. The goal is to enhance biodiversity monitoring, improve AI-based analysis, and support long-term modelling efforts for a more accurate and predictive Digital Twin of the Ocean. The initiative encourages participation from a wide range of stakeholders, including research institutions, public authorities, NGOs, and citizen scientists, to contribute to the objectives of Mission Ocean.

Eligible Applicant Types:The opportunity targets external data holders, which can include research institutions, public authorities, NGOs, fisheries organisations, and citizen-science networks.

Funding Type:The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a cascading grant, provided through Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP).

Consortium Requirement:The description does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required or if single applicants are allowed. However, the mention of various eligible applicant types (research institutions, public authorities, NGOs, etc.) suggests that both single applicants and consortia could be eligible.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):The opportunity reinforces the European dimension of DIGI4ECO and supports Mission Ocean objectives, suggesting a focus on European beneficiaries. The four demonstration sites (OBSEA, SmartBay, Kristineberg, and Ancona) are located in Europe, further indicating a European focus.

Target Sector:The program targets the marine and environmental sectors, specifically focusing on the Digital Twin of the Ocean (DTO), biodiversity monitoring, data digitalisation, and related AI applications. The topic is HORIZON-MISS - Integration of biodiversity monitoring data into the Digital Twin Ocean.

Mentioned Countries:No specific countries are mentioned, but the demonstration sites are located in Europe. The four DIGI4ECO demonstration sites are OBSEA, SmartBay, Kristineberg, and Ancona.

Project Stage:The opportunity targets projects focused on data identification, digitalisation, quality control, standardisation, and publication. This suggests projects in the development and validation stages, aiming to prepare data for integration into the Digital Twin of the Ocean.

Funding Amount:The total funding available is €260,000, with individual grants of up to €60,000.

Application Type:The application type is an open and competitive cascading grants call.

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

Application Stages:The deadline model is single-stage.

Success Rates:The success rates are not explicitly mentioned.

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

Summary:

This opportunity, offered through the DIGI4ECO project, provides financial support to third parties (FSTP) to address critical data gaps in the Digital Twin of the Ocean (DTO). The initiative aims to integrate valuable but non-digitalised or non-standardised biological, environmental, and socio-ecological datasets into the DTO. The call is open to external data holders, including research institutions, public authorities, NGOs, fisheries organisations, and citizen-science networks. The total budget is €260,000, with individual grants up to €60,000. Funded activities should focus on data identification, digitalisation, quality control, standardisation, and publication, adhering to FAIR principles and EMODnet Biology standards. The call prioritises datasets that enhance spatial and temporal coverage of biodiversity observations and strengthen AI-based image analysis and ecological modelling. The application process is a single-stage, open, and competitive call, aligning with Horizon Europe Model Grant Agreement guidelines. The overall goal is to improve the accuracy, robustness, and predictive capacity of the DIGI4ECO DTO and support Mission Ocean objectives. The opening date is 15 January 2026 and the deadline is 15 March 2026 01:00 (Brussels time). The expected duration of participation is 1 year. The full name of the EU funded project is Digital Twin-sustained 4D ecological monitoring of restoration in fishery depleted areas. The Grant agreement number is 101112883.