Open Call for Financial Support to Third Parties as a mechanism to showcase the feasibility, replicability and scalability of innovation solutions through Public Authorities in the Mediterranean

The Path4Med Open Call is a funding opportunity under the Horizon Europe program, aimed at supporting public authorities in the Mediterranean region to implement innovative solutions addressing water and soil pollution. The total funding available is €500,000, to be divided among five selected proposals, allowing for approximately €100,000 per project.

Eligible applicants are public authorities acting at a regional or local level within specific regions associated with Horizon Europe, with a strict single-entity application requirement—no consortia are allowed. The initiative seeks to showcase the feasibility, replicability, and scalability of solutions related to water management, sustainable agriculture, and reducing nutrient pollution.

The application process operates as a single-stage open call, with submissions required through the opencalls.fund platform. The timeline indicates that the call opened on October 29, 2025, with a final submission deadline of January 30, 2026. Projects will be executed in three distinct phases over nine months: Phase 1 (Feasibility) lasts one month, Phase 2 (Replicability) spans six months, and Phase 3 (Scalability) takes two months.

Funding is structured as direct grants rather than traditional cost reimbursements, with payments based on successful completion of project phases: 20% after Phase 1, 60% after Phase 2, and 20% after Phase 3, contingent on the acceptance of deliverables. Evaluations will be conducted by two independent experts based on criteria of Excellence, Impact, and Capacity, requiring a minimum total score of 9 points across all categories.

This call is strategically aligned with broader Mediterranean research efforts and aims to empower local governance to test and adapt innovative environmental solutions for their specific contexts. The focus on real-life applications highlights the EU's commitment to addressing environmental challenges collaboratively through scientific and innovative approaches.

The Path4Med Open Call provides financial support to third parties to showcase the feasibility, replicability, and scalability of innovative solutions through Public Authorities in the Mediterranean. The Path4Med consortium will select five proposals in total.

The opening date for submissions is 29 October 2025, and the deadline for submission is 30 January 2026 at 17:00 (Brussels time). This is a single-stage submission model.

The expected duration of participation is nine months, structured into three phases: Phase 1 Feasibility (1 month), Phase 2 Replicability (6 months), and Phase 3 Scalability (2 months).

The total funding available is 500,000.00 EUR.

The project acronym is Path4Med. The full name of the EU-funded project is Demonstrating innovative pathways addressing water and soil pollution in the Mediterranean Agro-Hydro-System. The grant agreement number is 101156867. The topic is HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-SOIL-01-01 - Mission Ocean and Waters and Mission A Soil Deal for Europe – Joint demonstration of approaches and solutions to address nutrient pollution in the landscape-river-sea system in the Mediterranean sea basin.

Applications must be submitted electronically via the opencalls.fund platform. All necessary information is available on the Path4Med website: https://www.path4med.eu/open-call/. Submissions through any other channel will be discarded. Applicants are encouraged to read all documents carefully, especially the Applicants’ Guide, which outlines eligibility requirements, evaluation criteria, and submission procedures. By submitting an application, applicants accept the terms and conditions of the Open Call as described in the Path4Med Open Call Kit. If multiple versions of the same application are submitted, only the most recent version will be evaluated. The official language of the Path4Med Open Call is English. Applications in any other language will not be evaluated.

Throughout the process, the confidentiality of applicants’ identities and proposal contents will be maintained. Information related to the selected Path4Med solution(s) and their planned implementation will be treated with discretion. After the Open Call closes, an eligibility check will be conducted by the Open Call Advisory Board. Following this, a remote evaluation will be carried out by external experts. Each proposal will be assessed by two independent external evaluators with relevant technical and/or business expertise. Evaluators will score proposals based on three award criteria: Excellence, Impact, and Capacity. All award criteria have the same weight. Each award criterion can be scored from 1 to 5 with a threshold of 3 points in each category, and a minimum of 9 points in total.

Applications will be accepted only from single applicants that will be public authorities (no consortia), acting on a regional or local level. Selected public authorities will be expected to implement and test at least one of the Path4Med solutions in real-world settings within their region, demonstrate the applicability and value of the solution(s) in reducing excess nutrient pollution and improving soil and water management, engage local stakeholders (e.g., farmers, citizens, service providers) to promote knowledge sharing, co-creation, and wider awareness, and provide feedback and insights that will support the broader adoption, adaptation, and policy alignment of the tested solution(s) across Europe.

Path4Med will accept applications submitted by local or regional public authorities from specific associated regions that are eligible to participate in Horizon Europe, excluding those with partners in the Path4Med consortium, as described in paragraph 3.2.2 of the Applicant’s Guide. Applicants must select at least one category and implement one or more solutions from it, based on the needs and priorities of their region. Applicants are encouraged to combine solutions either within the same category or across different categories, provided this approach aligns with their regional needs and remains feasible within the project scope.

The implementation of the Path4Med sub-projects will be divided into three phases: Phase 1 Feasibility (M1), Phase 2 Replicability (M2–M7), and Phase 3 Scalability (M8–M9). Each phase will conclude with the submission of a deliverable summarising the work carried out during that period. Following each submission, the Path4Med Open Call Advisory Board will conduct a review of the deliverable. If necessary, subgrantees may be requested to revise their submission based on specific feedback or required modifications. Payments will be made after the successful review and acceptance of each phase deliverable, according to the following schedule:

Phase 1 - Feasibility: 1 month (Jul. ‘26), Payment of 20% of the total grant, Deliverable: Feasibility Plan.
Phase 2 - Replicability: 6 months (Aug. ‘26 - Jan. ‘27), Payment of 60% of the total grant, Deliverable: Demonstration report.
Phase 3 - Scalability: 2 months (Feb. ‘27 - Mar ‘27), Payment of 20% of the total grant, Deliverable: Scale-up Plan.

In summary, the Path4Med Open Call aims to support public authorities in the Mediterranean region in testing and demonstrating innovative solutions to reduce nutrient-related pollution and promote sustainable agricultural practices. The call provides funding for selected projects to implement Path4Med solutions in real-world settings, engaging local stakeholders and contributing to broader adoption and policy alignment across Europe. The projects are divided into three phases feasibility, replicability, and scalability with payments tied to the successful completion of deliverables for each phase. The call is open to local and regional public authorities from specific associated regions eligible to participate in Horizon Europe, excluding those with partners in the Path4Med consortium. The application process involves electronic submission, eligibility checks, and evaluation by external experts based on excellence, impact, and capacity.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant type for this opportunity is public authorities, acting on a regional or local level. Applications will be accepted only from single applicants; consortia are not allowed.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically Financial Support to Third Parties, provided by the Path4Med consortium.

Consortium Requirement: A single applicant is required. Consortia are not allowed.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is for local or regional public authorities from specific associated regions that are eligible to participate in Horizon Europe, excluding those with partners in the Path4Med consortium. The focus is on the Mediterranean basin and associated regions.

Target Sector: The target sector is related to addressing water and soil pollution in the Mediterranean Agro-Hydro-System, promoting sustainable agricultural practices, and reducing nutrient-related pollution. This includes areas related to agriculture/food, environment, and innovation.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity focuses on the Mediterranean basin and associated regions eligible to participate in Horizon Europe. No specific countries are explicitly named, but the focus is on regions within countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea and those associated with Horizon Europe.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project is focused on real-life testing and demonstration of innovative solutions, covering feasibility, replicability, and scalability. The project stages include demonstration and validation.

Funding Amount: The total funding available is €500,000. Five proposals will be selected, implying an average funding of €100,000 per project, but the exact distribution per project is not specified. Therefore, the funding range is variable, but likely under €200k per project.

Application Type: The application type is an open call.

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

Application Stages: The application process appears to be single-stage, with an eligibility check followed by a remote evaluation by external experts. However, the implementation of the sub-projects is divided into three phases: Feasibility, Replicability, and Scalability, each with deliverables and reviews.

Success Rates: The success rate is not explicitly mentioned, but given that five proposals will be selected from all applications, the success rate is likely to be below 10%, depending on the number of applications received.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required.

Summary:

The Path4Med Open Call provides financial support to third parties, specifically local and regional public authorities in the Mediterranean basin and associated regions eligible for Horizon Europe, to implement and test innovative solutions addressing water and soil pollution in the Mediterranean Agro-Hydro-System. The call aims to showcase the feasibility, replicability, and scalability of these solutions. The Path4Med consortium will select five proposals for funding. The selected public authorities will implement and test Path4Med solutions in real-world settings, demonstrate their applicability in reducing nutrient pollution and improving soil and water management, engage local stakeholders, and provide feedback for broader adoption across Europe. The application process is a single-stage open call, with submissions made electronically via the opencalls.fund platform. The total funding available is €500,000, to be distributed among the five selected projects. The implementation of the selected projects will be divided into three phases: Feasibility (1 month), Replicability (6 months), and Scalability (2 months), with payments made upon successful review and acceptance of deliverables at the end of each phase (20%, 60%, and 20% respectively). The call is part of the HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-SOIL-01-01 topic under the Mission Ocean and Waters and Mission A Soil Deal for Europe. The opening date for submissions is 29 October 2025, and the deadline is 30 January 2026 at 17:00 (Brussels time).