Digitalisation and Innovation for Resilient Marine Ecosystems Businesses, and Communities to Strengthen the EU Blue Economy’s Competitiveness

The EU grant opportunity titled "Digitalisation and Innovation for Resilient Marine Ecosystems Businesses, and Communities to Strengthen the EU Blue Economy's Competitiveness" has a total budget of €43,495,835 and is part of the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership under the third Joint Transnational Co-funded Call. The open application period begins on September 15, 2025, with multiple cut-off deadlines including November 17, 2025, and June 17, 2026, each project expected to last three years.

Eligibility includes likely participation from universities, research institutes, small and medium-sized enterprises, large enterprises, and possibly government bodies. The initiative promotes collaboration across a minimum of two EU sea basins—such as the Atlantic Ocean, Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and North Sea—indicating a strong requirement for consortium projects.

Key priority areas for proposals include developing Digital Twins of the Ocean, transitioning blue economy sectors with integrated infrastructure, climate-smart planning for marine uses, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, and enhancing the resilience of coastal communities and businesses. The initiative is aligned with broader objectives of the EU Green Deal, Digital Strategy, Ocean Pact, and the UN Decade of Ocean Science.

The application process is divided into two stages: mandatory pre-proposals followed by full proposals for selected applicants. Pre-proposals will be evaluated based on excellence and impact criteria, and successful submissions will progress to a more detailed evaluation of full proposals based on excellence, impact, and implementation quality.

Co-funding is a requirement, necessitating that applicants ensure their contributions comply with national regulations. The opportunity emphasizes actionable knowledge generation, policy uptake, capacity development, and inclusive innovation to bolster the blue economy's competitive edge in Europe.

This grant represents a strategic effort to advance the sustainability of marine ecosystems and businesses through collaborative research and innovation projects, addressing critical environmental challenges while fostering economic growth in the blue economy. Interested applicants are encouraged to carefully review the details in the call text and national regulations for precise requirements.

The 2025 Joint Transnational Co-funded Call under the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership aims to boost research and innovation supporting the digitalisation, resilience, and sustainability of marine ecosystems, businesses, and communities. It mobilizes funding from 38 organizations across 28 countries plus EU contributions. The call contributes to the EU Green Deal, Digital Strategy, Ocean Pact, and the UN Decade of Ocean Science. Proposals must address one main priority area and foster cross-basin collaboration to strengthen the competitiveness and sustainability of the EU Blue Economy.

The opening date for submissions is 15 September 2025. There are multiple cut-off deadlines, with the first on 17 November 2025 at 15:00 (Brussels time) and the second on 17 June 2026 at 15:00 (Brussels time). The call is currently open for submission. Each co-funded project is expected to last three years. The total funding available is 43,495,835.00 €. The project acronym is SBEP. The full name of the EU funded project is "A climate neutral, sustainable and productive blue economy Partnership". The grant agreement number is 101086379. The topic is HORIZON-CL6-2022-GOVERNANCE-01-02 - European Partnership for a climate neutral, sustainable and productive Blue Economy.

The third Joint Co-funded Call encompasses all the five Partnership Intervention Areas converted for this call into five priority areas:

Priority area 1: Digital Twins of the Ocean (DTOs) at sub-basin scale.

Priority area 2: Transitioning the blue economy sectors, and the development of the coexistence and the marine multi-use infrastructures.

Priority area 3: Climate-Smart Planning and managing sea-uses at the regional level.

Priority area 4: Blue Bioresources; sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, and new bio-based products.

Priority area 5: Resilient Coastal Communities and Businesses.

Each of these areas contributes directly to one or more of the Ocean Decade Challenges, supporting actionable knowledge generation, policy uptake, capacity development, and inclusive innovation in the blue economy context.

Proposals are strongly recommended to consider a minimum of two EU sea basins: the Atlantic Ocean, Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and North Sea, and to assess the project proposal’s impact and potential replication/scalability on various sea basins. Proposals can target European regional seas such as Adriatic Sea, Aegean Sea, the Arctic, Barents Sea, Celtic Sea, etc., but they must be from a minimum of 2 different EU Sea basins.

A two-stage procedure will apply to this Joint Transnational Call. At stage 1, the submission of pre-proposals is mandatory, and at stage 2, applicants must submit full proposals upon invitation. (Pre-)proposals must be submitted electronically using the Electronic Proposal Submission System (EPSS): https://proposals.etag.ee/sustainable-blue/2025. It is highly recommended to submit the final version of the pre / full proposal well in advance of the deadline to avoid any last-minute technical problems. Requests for extensions of the deadline due to last-minute technical problems will not be considered. Any proposals not correctly submitted will be declared ineligible.

A two-step evaluation procedure will apply: pre-proposal stage (Step 1) and full proposal stage (Step 2).

Pre-proposal stage (Step 1): The eligible pre-proposals will be evaluated by a minimum of two independent evaluators of the IEC, and as far as possible, by three independent evaluators of the IEC who will be assigned by matching expert profiles with the need for pre-proposals evaluation, on two criteria: Excellence (Threshold: 3/5) and Impact (Threshold: 3/5). This Step 1 aims to identify the best proposals to proceed to step 2 and to ensure a balance between requested and available funds at the national level. The ranked eligible pre-proposals will be sent to the CSC and be divided into 3 groups, according to their scores: Group A (highest evaluation scores), Group B (medium evaluation scores), and Group C (under the threshold scores). All pre-proposals in Group A will be invited to Step 2. Among the pre-proposals in Group B, proposals will be selected for step 2, considering the ranking list, the representativeness of all PFOs, and the funding ratio limits. Group C will be dismissed for their low ranking and unavailability of funding.

Full proposal stage (Step 2): All eligible full proposals will be subject to a scientific evaluation by at least three independent reviewers of the IEC who will be assigned by matching expert’s profiles with the need for full proposals evaluation. One of the IEC members will be nominated as a rapporteur. The evaluation of each full proposal will be based on the following criteria: Excellence (Threshold: 3/5), Impact (Threshold: 3/5), and Quality and efficiency of implementation (Threshold: 3/5). During the IEC meeting, the evaluators will present the evaluation results of each proposal. The IEC will discuss full proposals and agree on the final scores for each criterion. The final ranking list will be forwarded to the CSC, which will meet to decide on the projects to be recommended for funding by PFOs.

The call is published on the Partnership website at https://www.bluepartnership.eu/funding-opportunity/sustainable-blue-economy-partnerships-third-joint-transnational-call. Interested applicants must carefully read the relevant national regulations in Annex with the Call text. Each applicant to the call must ensure that its contribution to the overall project conforms to these regulations.

In summary, this opportunity is a call for research and innovation projects focused on the sustainable blue economy. It seeks to fund projects that address digitalisation, resilience, and sustainability within marine ecosystems, businesses, and communities. The call is structured around five priority areas, ranging from digital twins of the ocean to resilient coastal communities. The application process involves a two-stage submission and evaluation, with pre-proposals followed by full proposals for those invited. The geographical scope encourages projects that consider multiple EU sea basins. The overall aim is to support the EU Green Deal, Digital Strategy, Ocean Pact, and the UN Decade of Ocean Science by fostering cross-basin collaboration and strengthening the EU Blue Economy.

Eligible Applicant Types: The information provided does not explicitly list eligible applicant types. However, given the focus on research and innovation, and the involvement of multiple organizations across various countries, it can be inferred that eligible applicants could include research institutes, universities, businesses (including SMEs and large enterprises), and other relevant organizations involved in the blue economy. The mention of "38 organisations across 28 countries" suggests a broad range of potential applicants.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, as indicated by the terms "Joint Transnational Co-funded Call," "funding," and "Grant agreement number." The call is also described as cascade funding.

Consortium Requirement: A consortium of multiple applicants is required. The call emphasizes cross-basin collaboration and involves multiple organizations across different countries, implying that a single applicant would not be sufficient. The recommendation to consider a minimum of two EU sea basins further supports this.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU countries and potentially associated countries participating in the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership. The call involves "38 organisations across 28 countries plus EU contributions," suggesting a focus on EU member states and associated countries. The emphasis on EU sea basins (Atlantic Ocean, Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and North Sea) further reinforces this.

Target Sector: The target sector is the Blue Economy, with a focus on digitalization, resilience, and sustainability of marine ecosystems, businesses, and communities. Specific areas include digital twins of the ocean, transitioning blue economy sectors, climate-smart planning for sea uses, blue bioresources, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, and resilient coastal communities and businesses. The call aligns with the EU Green Deal, Digital Strategy, Ocean Pact, and the UN Decade of Ocean Science.

Mentioned Countries: The text mentions 28 countries participating in the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership, but does not list them individually. It refers to EU sea basins, including the Atlantic Ocean, Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and North Sea. It also mentions European regional seas such as Adriatic Sea, Aegean Sea, the Arctic, Barents Sea, Celtic Sea.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project is likely to be in the research, development, validation, and demonstration stages. The call aims to boost research and innovation (R&I) and supports actionable knowledge generation, policy uptake, capacity development, and inclusive innovation, suggesting projects beyond the initial idea stage.

Funding Amount: The total funding available is 43,495,835.00 €. The funding range for individual projects is variable, depending on the scope and nature of the project.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a two-stage submission process. The first stage involves the submission of pre-proposals, and the second stage involves the submission of full proposals upon invitation. The call uses a multiple cut-off deadline model.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money through grants.

Application Stages: Applicants have to pass through two stages: pre-proposal stage (Step 1) and full proposal stage (Step 2).

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned. However, the two-stage evaluation process, where pre-proposals are divided into groups (A, B, and C) based on scores, suggests that only a portion of the initial applicants will be invited to submit full proposals, implying a success rate of below 40%.

Co-funding Requirement: The call is a "Joint Transnational Co-funded Call," implying that co-funding from the applicant or other parties may be required. However, the specific details of the co-funding requirements are not provided in the text and would likely be detailed in the call text and national regulations mentioned.

Summary:

This opportunity is a Joint Transnational Co-funded Call under the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership, aiming to boost research and innovation in the blue economy. It focuses on digitalization, resilience, and sustainability of marine ecosystems, businesses, and communities across EU sea basins. The call has five priority areas: Digital Twins of the Ocean, transitioning blue economy sectors, climate-smart planning for sea uses, blue bioresources, and resilient coastal communities and businesses. Applicants must form a consortium and address at least two EU sea basins in their proposals. The application process involves two stages: pre-proposal and full proposal upon invitation. The total funding available is over 43 million euros. This initiative aligns with the EU Green Deal and the UN Decade of Ocean Science, seeking to foster cross-basin collaboration and strengthen the competitiveness and sustainability of the EU Blue Economy. Interested applicants should carefully review the call text and national regulations for detailed requirements and guidelines. The opening date for submission is September 15, 2025, with multiple cut-off deadlines, including November 17, 2025, and June 17, 2026.