EU-India cooperation on cumulative impacts of marine pollution on marine organisms and ecosystems

The EU-India cooperation on marine pollution and waste-to-hydrogen initiative is a part of the Horizon Europe program, focusing on environmental sustainability and clean energy. The grant opportunity is aimed at addressing marine pollution and renewable hydrogen production through collaborative research.

Eligible applicants include researchers, startups, industries, universities, and research institutes specifically from the EU and India. The funding mechanism is primarily structured as a grant under the Horizon Lump Sum Grant model, with the total funding amount being approximately €12 million provided by the EU, alongside matching funds from Indian ministries.

The requirements dictate that proposals must be submitted by consortia that include at least one legal entity from India. The geographic scope encompasses EU member states and India, targeting challenges pertinent to both regions, including pollution in European seas and issues affecting Southeast Asia.

This initiative places particular emphasis on sectors related to environmental technologies, including marine pollution mitigation and renewable hydrogen production. The expected outcomes are the enhancement of scientific understanding surrounding various pollutants' impacts—specifically, their degradation and risks to marine ecosystems and human health.

The application process is a single-stage open call with a deadline set for September 17, 2025. The likely success rates for proposals are estimated to range between 10% and 39%. Additionally, Indian partners are required to provide co-funding, as specified by the involved government ministries.

Overall, this grant opportunity is designed to foster EU-India collaboration in developing advanced technologies for monitoring and addressing marine pollution while supporting broader sustainability goals.

The EU-India cooperation on cumulative impacts of marine pollution on marine organisms and ecosystems, under the HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-05 topic, is a Horizon Europe call for proposals aimed at addressing pollution for a healthier ocean, seas, and waters, aligning with the European Green Deal and the EU zero pollution action plan. This is a HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) grant with a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] model grant agreement. The call is currently open for submission with a deadline of 17 September 2025, 17:00:00 Brussels time. The opening date was 06 May 2025.

The expected outcomes of successful proposals include: improved scientific understanding of the interplay of different pollutants, their ‘cocktail effect’ and degradation pathways, on marine organisms and ecosystems; improved understanding of the risks and cumulative impacts of different forms of pollutants for the health of marine organisms and ecosystems and ultimately human health; policy-makers gain a better understanding of the interplay of the triple planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution on marine life; reinforced cooperation between EU and Indian research and innovation communities on marine litter and its effects, including cumulative effects with other forms of pollution.

The scope of this topic focuses on the harmful effects of marine pollutants on marine species and wildlife, the negative impacts on ecosystems, and the risks to human health. It addresses the lack of full understanding regarding the cumulative effects of various marine pollutants, such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), pharmaceuticals, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), heavy metals and trace elements, micro- and nano plastics, nanomaterials, biodegradable products, microbiological contaminants, pesticides, fertilisers and nutrients. The call emphasizes the need to examine the interplay of climate change with these pollutants, including changes in their bioavailability, toxicity, and water quality, and their implications for human health following a ‘One-Health’ approach.

Research and innovation in this area are expected to support the implementation of several directives and action plans, including: the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, the Water Framework Directive, the zero pollution action plan, the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030, the EU Nature Restoration Regulation, the Single Use Plastics Directive, the Global Agreement to End Plastic Pollution, and the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

Proposals should demonstrate significant contributions to: developing new analytical tools, methods, and sensors for the detection and monitoring of pollutants in the marine environment; advancing assessments of the risks, accumulation, exposure, and ecotoxicological effects of pollutants on marine organisms and populations; analysing the cumulative impacts of pollutant combinations (‘cocktail effect’) and their interplay with climate change; assessing bioaccumulation and biomagnification processes of pollutants in the marine food chain and their implications for human health.

Proposals should build on the outcomes and establish links with relevant projects, including those funded under the EU Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters and its Mediterranean lighthouse, and the topic HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-CLIMATE-02: The ocean-climate-biodiversity-people nexus: uncovering safe operating space for safeguarding the integrity and health of the global ocean and relevant JPI Oceans projects. Proposals are encouraged to liaise with and consider the services offered by, where relevant, European research infrastructures.

This topic falls within the scope of the EU-India Strategic Partnership and the EU-India Trade and Technology Council in relation to marine litter. The Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India has committed to co-funding associated partners in selected projects.

The general conditions for this call include: Admissibility Conditions regarding proposal page limits and layout as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form. Eligible Countries as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries. Other Eligible Conditions requiring consortia to include at least one legal entity established in India as an associated partner. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria as described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes. Evaluation and award criteria, scoring, and thresholds as described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. Submission and evaluation processes as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes. Legal and financial set-up of the grants, with eligible costs taking the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021.

Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application and evaluation forms and the model grant agreement (MGA) are available in the Submission System, including the Standard Application Form (HE RIA, IA) and Standard Evaluation Form (HE RIA, IA).

Additional guidance and documents include: HE Programme Guide, Lump Sum MGA, Detailed budget table (HE LS), Guidance: "Lump sums - what do I need to know?", HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 1. General Introduction, HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 9. Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment, HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 14. General Annexes, HE Framework Programme 2021/695, HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment, EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement, Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions, and Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

The budget overview indicates that the HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-05 topic has a budget of 12,000,000 EUR for 2025 and aims to fund around 2 projects.

There are 18 partner search announcements available for collaboration on this topic.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call seeks to foster EU-India cooperation in addressing marine pollution by funding research and innovation projects that develop new tools and methods for monitoring pollutants, assessing their impacts on marine ecosystems and human health, and informing policy-makers. The call requires the participation of at least one Indian legal entity as an associated partner and offers funding in the form of a lump sum grant. The deadline for submission is 17 September 2025.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but are implied to be legal entities such as research organizations, universities, SMEs, large enterprises, and other entities capable of conducting research and innovation activities. The call specifies that consortia must include at least one legal entity established in India as an associated partner. The Horizon Europe Programme Guide provides further details on eligible countries and associated conditions.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) and HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA) and HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions (HORIZON-COFUND). The eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires a consortium, as it is stated that "consortia must include as associated partner(s) at least one legal entity established in India."

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU member states, associated countries, and non-EU/non-associated countries with specific provisions for funding their participants in Horizon Europe projects. A key requirement is the inclusion of at least one legal entity from India as an associated partner.

Target Sector: The program targets the following sectors: environment, climate, marine, ocean, seas and waters, biodiversity, agriculture, food, bioeconomy, natural resources, pollution, and research and innovation. Specifically, it focuses on addressing marine pollution and its cumulative impacts on marine organisms and ecosystems.

Mentioned Countries: India, Southeast Asia, EU member states, non-EU/non-Associated Countries.

Project Stage: The project stage appears to be focused on research, development, and innovation actions, including the development of new analytical tools, methods, and sensors, as well as assessments of risks and impacts. Therefore, the project stages include research, development, and innovation.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call, ranging from €2,000,000 to €30,000,000. Some topics specify an "around" amount (e.g., around €4,000,000), while others provide a range (e.g., €5,000,000 to €6,000,000).

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant.

Application Stages: The application process consists of a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly stated, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight. For example, a topic with a budget of €10,000,000 and an indicative number of 1 grant suggests a highly competitive process.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding is required for associated partners in selected projects, with the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India making co-funding available.

Summary: This Horizon Europe Cluster 6 call focuses on EU-India cooperation to address the cumulative impacts of marine pollution on marine organisms and ecosystems. The call aims to improve scientific understanding of the interplay of different pollutants, their effects on marine life, and their connection to climate change and biodiversity loss. It seeks to reinforce cooperation between EU and Indian research and innovation communities. Eligible applicants include legal entities from EU member states, associated countries, and non-EU/non-associated countries, with a mandatory inclusion of at least one legal entity from India as an associated partner. The funding is provided as a lump sum grant, and the application process is a single-stage open call. The program targets sectors such as environment, climate, marine, biodiversity, agriculture, food, bioeconomy, natural resources, and pollution. Project activities should contribute to developing new analytical tools, assessing risks, analyzing cumulative impacts, and evaluating bioaccumulation processes. The call is structured around several topics, each with a specific budget and indicative number of grants, ranging from Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Innovation Actions (IA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) to Programme Cofund Actions (COFUND).