Green, circular and resilient harbours

This Horizon Europe Innovation Action HORIZON-MISS funds demonstrations to make harbours green, circular and resilient under the Restore our Ocean and Waters Mission. The total topic budget is €11.90 million with an expected EU contribution per project of €5.50–€5.95 million, two projects anticipated, funding rate up to 70%; planned opening 09 February 2027 and deadline 21 September 2027 at 17:00 Brussels time. Projects must demonstrate systemic solutions in at least four ports across the Atlantic/Arctic, Mediterranean, Baltic/North Sea and Danube/Black Sea basins, engage port authorities and at least four associated regions, and target TRL 6–8. Financial Support to Third Parties is allowed (grants up to €100,000 to local/regional public authorities) and eligibility follows Horizon Europe rules for EU Member States and Associated Countries.

Green, circular and resilient harbours (HORIZON-MISS-2027-03-OCEAN-03)

What it funds

Scope and aims

Innovation actions to test, deploy and upscale systemic solutions that make ports and their communities greener, circular and more resilient (pollution reduction, biodiversity restoration, nature-based solutions, transition to renewables/alternative fuels, circular waste management, adaptation to sea-level rise and extreme events). Projects must demonstrably advance Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters targets by deploying place-based, people-centred actions and sharing knowledge across ports and regions ¹.

Who can apply:Consortia of legal entities eligible under Horizon Europe (research, industry, public authorities, port managing authorities encouraged to participate). Strong involvement of public/local/regional port authorities and communities is expected.

1. 1Demonstration in at least 4 ports, one in each basin: Atlantic/Arctic, Mediterranean, Baltic/North Sea, Danube (incl. Black Sea).
2. 2Work with at least 4 associated regions (local/regional port authorities/public bodies) for replication and capacity building.
3. 3Projects may provide Financial Support to Third Parties (grants) only to local/regional public authorities in Member/Associated States; maximum per third party €100,000.
4. 4Expected TRL progression: target TRL 6–8 by project end.

Applications follow the Horizon Europe rules and submission forms available on the Funding & Tenders Portal. Proposals should describe demonstration sites, replication strategy, stakeholder engagement and how they will measure verifiable progress against Mission targets ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1See the Mission Implementation Plan: Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030 for objectives and targets and further guidance Mission Implementation Plan.

Green, circular and resilient harbours — Funding Opportunity Overview

Programme: Horizon Europe — Supporting the implementation of the Restore our Ocean and Waters Mission (HORIZON-MISS-2027-03). Topic ID: HORIZON-MISS. Type of action: HORIZON-IA Innovation Actions. Deadline model: single-stage. Planned opening: 09 February 2027. Deadline: 21 September 2027 at 17:00 Brussels time. Official topic page: Green, circular and resilient harbours (Funding & Tenders Portal). Work Programme reference: Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027 – Part 12 (Missions) Work Programme 2026-2027 – Missions.

Purpose and Expected Outcomes

This Innovation Action aims to directly engage harbour and port authorities and their communities to test, deploy, and upscale systemic innovative solutions that reduce pollution and environmental degradation, reverse biodiversity loss, and improve resource efficiency and resilience in port areas. It contributes to the EU Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030 across all three mission objectives: ecosystem restoration, zero pollution, and a carbon-neutral and circular blue economy.

• Demonstrate measurable, quantifiable, and verifiable progress towards the Mission’s objectives and targets by 2030 by implementing place-based, people-centred actions.
• Increase readiness and action by port cities and authorities to test, deploy and upscale systemic solutions, including monitoring of invasive species and facilitating ecosystem connectivity.
• Accelerate concrete measures in ports to protect and restore marine and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity, prevent and eliminate pollution, and advance carbon-neutral and circular blue economy practices.
• Enhance resilience of ports, cities, authorities, and communities to extreme climate events and sea-level rise through pollution reduction, improved environmental management, and adaptation measures.
• Boost knowledge sharing within and among ports to enable scalable and sustainable practices across Europe.

Scope and Mandatory Demonstrations

Projects must test, deploy, and upscale systemic innovations for port sustainability and resilience in both coastal and inland ports of any size and functional profile (commercial, fishing, marinas, recreational). Cooperation within and between ports is expected, leveraging pilots or leader ports and engaging follower ports via twinning, summer schools, living labs, and similar formats.

• Demonstration activities in at least 4 ports, with at least one port in each of the four sea and river basins: (1) Atlantic and Arctic Sea basin; (2) Mediterranean Sea basin; (3) Baltic and North Sea basin; (4) Danube River basin, including Black Sea.
• Strong and meaningful involvement of public administrations and port managing authorities in all demonstration sites.
• Engagement of at least 4 associated regions (represented by local or regional port authorities/public bodies) to follow, learn, and prepare replication.

The project should deliver:1) Testing, deployment, upscaling, and effectiveness monitoring of solutions addressing one or more Mission objectives and targets in harbour and port ecosystems; 2) Collaborative development of local Implementation Strategies with harbours, authorities, science and industry, targeting renewable energy and alternative fuels uptake, circular economy initiatives (including comprehensive waste management and recycling), nature-based solutions and biodiversity restoration, and climate adaptation to sea-level rise and extreme events; 3) Knowledge-sharing partnerships and transferability assessments; 4) Targeted assistance and capacity-building for small ports, including community engagement and practical nature-based measures like vegetated buffers; 5) Synergies and leverage with EU, national, and regional instruments and private finance to accelerate marine and port innovation cycles.

Technology Readiness and Synergies

Activities are expected to achieve TRL 6-8 by the end of the project. Projects should build on actionable knowledge and outcomes from previous national and EU projects and pursue synergies with funds such as ERDF, LIFE, and other relevant programmes. Alignment with relevant EU legislation and policy frameworks is required, notably the Industrial Emissions Directive, Water Framework Directive, Marine Strategy Framework Directive, Waste Framework Directive, Maritime Spatial Planning Directive, the Nature Restoration Regulation, and the upcoming EU Port Strategy, Industrial Maritime Strategy, and the European Ocean Pact.

Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP)

Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties in the form of grants for associated regions. The third parties eligible are local and/or regional authorities established as public bodies by public law in EU Member States or Associated Countries, not already involved as beneficiaries in a demonstration site of the same project. Maximum amount per third party: €100,000; one grant per recipient over the project duration. The use of FSTP is to showcase solution effectiveness and to develop replication plans in associated regions. Applicants must include an FSTP annex using the dedicated template Information on FSTP template.

Budget and Funding Scale

Who Should Apply — Eligible Applicant Types

• Public bodies managing port authorities and local/regional administrations (strongly encouraged as partners).
• Port operators and port companies (commercial, logistics, terminal operators, marinas).
• SMEs and large enterprises in maritime, logistics, energy, circular economy, waste and water management, environmental services, monitoring and sensing, ICT/data, nature-based solutions, shipbuilding and retrofit, alternative fuels and bunkering.
• Universities and research institutes in marine and freshwater ecosystems, port engineering, ocean observation, biodiversity, circular economy, climate adaptation, invasive species monitoring.
• Nonprofits/NGOs and civil society organisations with expertise in environment, biodiversity, ocean literacy, and community engagement.
• Clusters, technology platforms, living labs and innovation intermediaries.
• Financial actors and investors for leverage and replication planning.
• Associated regions (public authorities) as followers/replicators via FSTP.

Consortium Composition and Requirement

Horizon Europe Innovation Actions require a multinational consortium. As per Horizon Europe standard eligibility, at least 3 independent legal entities are required, each established in a different EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country. Given the scope, consortia are expected to include multiple port authorities/public administrations; technology and industry partners; research and innovation actors; and stakeholders for capacity building and replication. Strong, meaningful involvement of public administrations and port managing authorities at all demonstration sites is essential.

Geographic Eligibility (Beneficiary Scope)

Applicants must be established in countries eligible under Horizon Europe General Annex B: EU Member States (including Overseas Countries and Territories) and Horizon Europe Associated Countries. Other non-associated third countries may participate under their own funding arrangements as specified in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. FSTP recipients must be local or regional public authorities located in EU Member States or Associated Countries.

Target Sectors and Themes

• Ports and maritime logistics; inland ports and waterways interfaces.
• Environment, biodiversity, nature restoration, and invasive species monitoring.
• Zero pollution, water quality, waste prevention, waste and wastewater management, circular economy in port operations.
• Energy transition in ports: renewable energy integration, shore-side electricity, alternative fuels, energy efficiency.
• Climate adaptation and resilience: nature-based solutions, coastal and fluvial risk management, sea-level rise adaptation.
• Digitalisation, monitoring, and knowledge sharing; living labs and training.
• Community engagement and capacity building, especially for small ports.

Mentioned Regions/Basins and Countries

• Atlantic and Arctic Sea basin
• Mediterranean Sea basin
• Baltic and North Sea basin
• Danube River basin, including Black Sea

No specific countries are mandated by name. Demonstrators must include at least one port in each of the four specified basins across Europe. Associated regions must be in EU Member States or Associated Countries.

Project Maturity and TRL

Expected end-of-project maturity: TRL 6-8. This implies integrated system demonstrations in relevant environments, pilot deployments in operational port contexts, and upscaling pathways into real operations.

Application Modality and Timeline

• Application type: Open call via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal; single-stage submission and evaluation.
• Opening: 09 February 2027. Deadline: 21 September 2027, 17:00 Brussels time.
• Evaluation, award criteria, and thresholds: as per Horizon Europe General Annexes (RIA/IA standard criteria: Excellence, Impact, Quality and Efficiency of the Implementation).
• Legal and financial set-up: Horizon Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG].

Nature of Support and Co-funding

Primary mechanism: Grants (Innovation Actions) providing money to beneficiaries. In addition, projects may provide monetary sub-grants to third parties (FSTP) for associated regions. Under Horizon Europe, the standard funding rate for Innovation Actions is up to 70% of eligible costs for for-profit entities and up to 100% for non-profit entities, as set in General Annexes. Applicants should budget co-financing accordingly and describe leverage of other funds (e.g., ERDF, LIFE) for deployment and replication.

Success Rates

No success rate statistics are published for this forthcoming topic. The budget table indicates an indicative number of 2 grants for this topic, with an EU contribution range of €5.5–€5.95 millionper project.

Detailed Implementation Requirements and Content

• Ports portfolio: Cover a minimum of 4 demonstration ports across the four mission basins; profile diversity is encouraged (coastal and inland; commercial, fishing, marina, mixed-use).
• Public authority involvement: Ensure direct, meaningful participation of public administrations and port managing authorities in all demos and governance structures.
• Local Implementation Strategies: Co-develop with stakeholders concrete roadmaps for renewable energy and alternative fuels adoption, circular resource flows, biodiversity restoration, nature-based solutions, and climate risk adaptation.
• Pollution prevention and zero pollution: Integrate comprehensive port waste management, source separation, recycling and valorisation, stormwater and wastewater measures, spill prevention, and monitoring of harmful substances and microplastics.
• Biodiversity and invasive species: Establish monitoring protocols, early detection and management plans for invasive species introduced via maritime traffic; facilitate ecosystem connectivity and restoration in and around port areas.
• Nature-based solutions: Design, pilot and assess green buffers, wetlands, vegetated dunes, living shorelines, and other NBS to protect infrastructure, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate flood and erosion risks.
• Digitalisation and monitoring: Deploy sensors and platforms for environmental KPIs, port emissions and energy flows, waste streams, biofouling vectors, and invasive species; ensure FAIR data principles and contribute to knowledge sharing.
• Small port capacity building: Tailor technical assistance, training, and investment planning support to smaller ports; run summer schools, twinning, and living lab exchanges.
• Associated regions & FSTP: Engage at least 4 associated regions and provide technical assistance, continuous knowledge sharing, and FSTP grants (up to €100,000 each) to build replication roadmaps and local capacity.
• Leverage and finance: Plan synergies with EU, national, and regional programmes and, where relevant, private capital to accelerate deployment; connect with regional/local authorities and investors.
• Standards and compliance: Align with relevant EU directives and regulations governing industrial emissions, water, marine environment, waste, maritime spatial planning, and nature restoration; anticipate forthcoming EU Port Strategy and Industrial Maritime Strategy.

Evaluation, Legal and Financial Setup

• Admissibility: Proposal page limits and layout as stated in Annex A and the Application Form Part B.
• Eligibility of countries: As per General Annex B; some non-associated countries may have national provisions for self-funding.
• Award criteria: HE RIA/IA standard evaluation form; scoring and thresholds as per Annex D.
• Submission and evaluation process: As per Annex F; single-stage evaluation.
• Grant agreement: HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based; General Annex G conditions apply.
• Financial Support to Third Parties: Only in the form of grants; recipients restricted to local/regional public authorities in EU MS/AC; max €100,000 per recipient; one award per recipient.

Application Templates and Structure

Applicants must use the official templates in the Submission System. Examples and evaluation forms are provided in the Reference Documents. For projects using FSTP, the mandatory annex must be completed using the Commission template and uploaded as a separate annex to Part B.

• Part A (online forms): Administrative data; participants; budget; ethics; security.
• Part B (PDF upload using the topic-specific template):
• — Excellence: Objectives; relation to the work programme and Mission; concept and methodology; interdisciplinary and SSH integration; positioning vs state of the art; TRL path to 6–8; risk analysis.
• — Impact: Mission target contributions and KPIs; environmental, social, and economic impacts; uptake and replication plans; stakeholder and citizen engagement; open science and data management; exploitation, dissemination, communication; links to EU legislation and policy; synergies and leverage; investment and business models; measures to succeed in associated regions.
• — Implementation: Work plan with detailed work packages, tasks and deliverables; Gantt and PERT; management structures; role of port authorities and public bodies; demonstration design across 4 basins; associated regions work; FSTP management and selection criteria; risk and contingency; gender and diversity; resources and justification.
• Mandatory Annexes (where applicable): FSTP plan (objectives, max amount per third party, calculation rules, eligible activity types via a closed list, eligible third-party categories, award criteria); ethics self-assessment; security considerations; letters of commitment from demonstration ports and associated regions (recommended).
• Evaluation form (HE IA): Excellence, Impact, and Quality and efficiency of Implementation with standard sub-criteria applied to Mission context.

Co-funding Requirement

Innovation Actions typically fund up to 70% of eligible costs for for-profit entities and up to 100% for non-profit entities under Horizon Europe rules. Applicants should plan co-funding to cover the remaining share where applicable and outline leveraged finance for post-project deployment and replication.

Partner Search and Support

Use the Funding & Tenders Portal partner search and publish partner requests after logging in. National Contact Points (NCPs) can provide guidance. The Enterprise Europe Network supports SME participation. For IP matters, contact the European IPR Helpdesk. See the Online Manual and FAQ for submission and grant management support.

Categorisation Answers (Detailed)

Eligible Applicant Types:Port authorities and public administrations (strongly encouraged), ports and terminal operators, SMEs, large enterprises, universities, research institutes, nonprofits/NGOs, government bodies at local and regional level, innovation intermediaries and clusters, and investors as associated partners. Individuals are not typical direct beneficiaries in this IA. Public-private partnerships are possible within consortia.

Funding Type:Grant (Horizon Europe Innovation Action), with the possibility to issue sub-grants to third parties (Financial Support to Third Parties) for associated regions.

Consortium Requirement:Consortium. Minimum three independent legal entities from three different EU Member States or Associated Countries. Strong involvement of public administrations and port managing authorities is expected across all demonstration sites.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries as per General Annex B. Participation from other countries may be possible under their own funding. FSTP recipients must be local/regional public authorities located in EU MS/AC.

Target Sector:Maritime ports and inland ports, environment and biodiversity, climate adaptation and resilience, zero pollution and circular economy, renewable energy and alternative fuels in ports, waste and wastewater management, monitoring and digital services, nature-based solutions, and community capacity building.

Mentioned Countries or Regions:Regions/basins explicitly mentioned: Atlantic and Arctic Sea basin; Mediterranean Sea basin; Baltic and North Sea basin; Danube River basin including Black Sea. No specific countries are singled out.

Project Stage:Demonstration, validation, and upscaling to TRL 6-8, including real-environment pilots in operational ports and structured replication planning.

Funding Amount:Indicative EU contribution per project: €5,500,000 to €5,950,000. Total indicative topic budget: €11,900,000 with an indicative two grants to be awarded.

Application Type:Open call; single-stage submission and evaluation via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Nature of Support:Money (grant funding to beneficiaries; sub-grants to third-party public authorities). Non-financial support is indirectly expected through knowledge sharing, capacity building, and networking within projects.

Application Stages:1 stage (single-stage submission and evaluation).

Success Rates:Not specified. The budget envelope and indicative number of grants (2) suggest a competitive call.

Co-funding Requirement:Yes, for for-profit beneficiaries in Innovation Actions (up to 70% EU funding). Non-profit beneficiaries may receive up to 100%. Applicants should plan the remainder from own or leveraged sources and describe synergies with other funds for deployment and replication ¹.

Key Compliance and Policy Alignment

• Industrial Emissions Directive 2010/75/EU
• Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC
• Marine Strategy Framework Directive 2008/56/EC
• Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/EC
• Maritime Spatial Planning Directive 2014/89/EU
• Nature Restoration Regulation (EU) 2024/1991
• Upcoming EU Port Strategy, Industrial Maritime Strategy, European Ocean Pact

Submission Links and Resources

• Official topic page and submission: Funding & Tenders Portal topic
• Work Programme 2026-2027 – Missions: WP Part 12 Missions
• FSTP mandatory template: Information on FSTP
• Mission Implementation Plan (Restore our Ocean and Waters): Implementation Plan

Comprehensive Summary

Green, circular and resilient harbours HORIZON-MISS is a Horizon Europe Innovation Action under the Restore our Ocean and Waters Mission designed to transform European ports into living labs and deployment sites for systemic environmental and climate innovations. Consortia must run demonstrations in at least four ports across the Atlantic and Arctic, Mediterranean, Baltic and North Sea, and Danube/Black Sea basins, ensuring strong participation of port managing authorities and public administrations. Projects will co-develop local Implementation Strategies for clean and circular port operations, invest in pollution prevention and comprehensive waste and water management, restore biodiversity and deploy nature-based solutions, monitor invasive species and environmental KPIs, accelerate energy transition with renewables and alternative fuels, and build resilience to sea-level rise and extreme climate events. The action emphasises cooperation, knowledge transfer and capacity building, notably for smaller ports, and formally integrates at least four associated regions that will receive technical assistance and may be supported through project-issued sub-grants (up to €100,000 each) to prepare replication. End-of-project maturity is TRL 6-8, with clear pathways to scale-up. Funding per project is expected around €5.5–€5.95 million, with two projects anticipated. Eligibility follows Horizon Europe rules (EU MS and Associated Countries), and the call is single-stage with submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal. Proposals must show alignment with EU water, marine, waste, spatial planning, industrial emissions and nature restoration legal frameworks and anticipate new policy instruments like the EU Port Strategy. In essence, this is a deployment-focused call to make European ports cleaner, more circular, nature-positive, climate-resilient, and knowledge-connected across basins, while building a replication pipeline through associated regions to accelerate Europe-wide uptake.

Footnotes

1. 1Funding rates and legal-financial provisions are set in Horizon Europe General Annexes. See the Work Programme 2026-2027 – Missions and General Annex G for details WP Part 12 Missions.

Green, Circular and Resilient Harbours - HORIZON-MISS-2027-03-OCEAN-03

Opportunity Overview

This call for proposals under Horizon Europe supports the EU Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030. It funds Innovation Actions (IA) to demonstrate and accelerate transitions in harbours and ports towards sustainability, resilience, and alignment with Mission objectives, including ecosystem restoration, pollution reduction, and a carbon-neutral circular blue economy.

Key Dates

Planned opening:9 February 2027

Deadline:21 September 2027 at 17:00 Brussels time (single-stage submission).

Budget and Funding Details

Total indicative budget for this topic: €11.90 million. Expected EU contribution per project: €5.50 to €5.95 million. Indicative number of projects to be funded: 2. Type of action: HORIZON-IA (Innovation Actions). Funding rate: Up to 70% of eligible costs for Innovation Actions. Expected Technology Readiness Level (TRL) at project end: 6-8.

Objectives and Expected Outcomes

Projects must contribute to all expected outcomes: measurable progress towards Mission objectives through place-based actions; increased readiness of port cities for innovative solutions like invasive species monitoring and ecosystem connectivity; concrete measures for ecosystem protection, pollution prevention, carbon-neutral circular blue economy; enhanced resilience to climate events via pollution reduction and environmental management; improved knowledge sharing for scalable practices.

Scope and Key Activities

• Test, deploy, and upscale systemic innovative solutions for sustainability and resilience in ports (coastal and inland, all sizes and activities: fishing, commercial, marinas, recreational), aligned with EU legislation including Industrial Emissions Directive, Water Framework Directive, Marine Strategy Framework Directive, Waste Framework Directive, Maritime Spatial Planning Directive, Nature Restoration Regulation, upcoming EU Port Strategy, Industrial Maritime Strategy, and European Ocean Pact.
• Demonstration in at least 4 ports: one each in Atlantic/Arctic Sea basin, Mediterranean Sea basin, Baltic/North Sea basin, Danube River basin (incl. Black Sea), with involvement of public administrations and port authorities.
• Test/deploy/upscale solutions for ecosystem restoration, pollution mitigation, effectiveness monitoring.
• Collaborate harbours, stakeholders, authorities, science, industry for local strategies (renewable energy, alternative fuels, circular economy, biodiversity restoration, Nature-based Solutions, adaptation to sea-level rise/extreme weather).
• Knowledge-sharing (summer schools, twinning, living labs); capacity-building for smaller ports (waste management, community involvement, nature-based solutions like vegetated buffers).
• Synergies with EU/national/regional programmes, leverage funds from authorities/private sector/investors.
• Engage at least 4 associated regions (local/regional port authorities/public bodies) for replication plans and capacity-building; Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) allowed.

Projects must build on prior EU/national projects and pool synergies with funds like ERDF, LIFE. Supports July 2023 EU Missions assessment follow-up.

Eligibility and Who Can Apply

• Any legal entity from EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries.
• Strongly encouraged: public bodies managing port authorities and communities as consortium partners.
• Consortia must include partners enabling demonstrations across required basins.
• Admissibility: Proposal page limits/layout per General Annexes A/E.
• Eligible countries: Per General Annex B; some non-EU/Associated Countries may access funding.
• Financial/operational capacity/exclusion: Per General Annex C.

Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP)

Allowed: Grants to local/regional authorities (public bodies by public law, not already beneficiaries in demonstration sites, in Member/Associated Countries). Max per third party: €100,000. Recipients benefit once per project. Aims: showcase solutions, develop replication plans, build capacity. Projects must proactively engage associated regions, share knowledge, provide technical assistance.

Evaluation and Award

• Criteria, scoring, thresholds: Per General Annex D.
• Submission/evaluation: Per General Annex F and Online Manual.
• Indicative timeline: Per General Annex F.
• Model Grant Agreement: HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based (HORIZON-AG).

Application Guidance

Use application forms in Submission System. Detailed conditions in Work Programme General Annexes. Build on Mission Implementation Plan section 1.2: Mission Ocean and Waters Implementation Plan. Primary source: EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Support Resources

• Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
• Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual.
• National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), IT Helpdesk.
• Partner Search on Portal.

Related Context

Part of broader 2027 Ocean Mission call (total €100.40 million across 5 topics). Aligns with EU Green Deal, supports basin-scale lighthouses. Over 1,000 Mission Charter actions endorsed (>€7.7 billion budget).

Footnotes

1. 1Details from official EU Funding & Tenders Portal topic page and Work Programme 2026-2027.