PartArt4OW Second Call

The PartArt4OW Second Open Call provides funding for participatory art initiatives that aim to engage Mediterranean communities in preventing, studying, and addressing water pollution. The call is open to individuals, single legal entities, and consortia from EU Member States, Associated Countries, and Third Countries. Eligible entities include artists, NGOs, universities, and other organizations involved in interdisciplinary projects that blend art, science, and community engagement. Each initiative can receive up to €50,000, with a total funding pool of €350,000.

Projects must focus on various forms of pollution, such as solid waste, chemical, and microplastics, and should actively involve local communities. A key requirement for proposals is the commitment to sustainability, including the Climate Pact Pledge, which emphasizes the need for full decarbonization or carbon neutrality in project activities.

The application process is an open call with four main stages: eligibility check, proposal review, shortlisting of the top 21 proposals for interviews, and final selection. Projects are expected to be implemented over a six-month timeframe, with successful applicants participating in the PartArt4OW Accelerator, which offers support through mentoring and training.

An additional stipulation is that selected projects must host a Sailing Lab event in specified Mediterranean areas, contributing to heightened awareness and citizen engagement regarding environmental issues. Proposals are due by October 2, 2025, with submissions requiring a short project idea, objectives, implementation plan, and community impact strategies.

The call emphasizes innovative, interdisciplinary approaches to tackle pressing water pollution challenges, fostering community mobilization for environmental protection and restoration.

The PartArt4OW Second Open Call supports participatory art initiatives (PAIs) addressing the challenge of "Engaging Mediterranean Communities to prevent, study, and tackle water pollution." Each funded initiative can receive up to 50,000 Euros. The call encourages interdisciplinary and intersectoral projects that blend art, science, and participatory practices. Collaborations between creative sectors, the scientific community, and civic society organizations are favored, but individuals are also eligible.

The overall goal of supported PAIs is to increase citizens’ ocean literacy, raise awareness of challenges faced by oceans and inland waters, and mobilize citizens and stakeholders for their protection and restoration. The specific challenge for this call is engaging Mediterranean communities in preventing, studying, and reducing ocean pollution. Projects should actively involve citizens, combining science-based research with artistic practices to co-create new ways of understanding and tackling pollution. The focus should be on communities near oceans, water basins, or rivers, addressing their societal and environmental challenges and amplifying unheard voices.

Proposals can address various types of pollution, including solid waste, chemical pollution, nutrient pollution, micro- and nanopollutants, biological pollution, noise, light, thermal, or pathogen pollution. Specific examples include plastics and marine litter, agricultural and industrial runoff, sewage discharges, harmful underwater noise, invasive species from ballast water or aquaculture, and microscopic contaminants in the food chain.

The call welcomes proposals that: adopt a whole-system approach, considering the entire chain of actions that generate pollution and the interplay between fresh-water and ocean; focus on less investigated forms of pollution and their effects; investigate the invisible, uncertain, and unknown aspects of pollution, including its sensory absence; investigate the societal impact of pollution, including how its effects reshape communities, their ways of living, how they see their future and how already-existing communal practices can be valorized. Projects can focus on ocean or inland waters, or both.

Successful applicants will refine their proposal, implement, and present findings of a participatory art project over six months. They will participate in the PartArt4OW Accelerator, receiving mentoring, networking, and training. Selected projects should be sustainable, using sustainable materials, circular solutions, and renewable energy. Proposals must commit to a Climate Pact Pledge, aiming for full decarbonization or carbon neutrality of the project activities.

The opening date for submissions is August 1, 2025, and the deadline is October 2, 2025, at 17:00 (Brussels time). The expected duration of participation is six months. The total funding available is 350,000 Euros. The project acronym is PartArt4OW, and the full name is Participatory Art for Society Engagement with Ocean and Water. The grant agreement number is 101157247. The topic is HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-01-11 - Ocean & water and arts: the contribution of creative sectors to Mission Ocean and waters.

Applications must be in English and submitted online via the PartArt4OW website. A short proposal (maximum 5 pages) should present the project idea, objectives, implementation plan, resources needed, team, communities engaged, and expected impact, following the template in the PartArt4OW ‘guide for applicants.’ Administrative information and a declaration of honor signed by the legal representative of the proposal lead are also required. Proponents must upload a Letter of Intent signed by the legal representative of a harbor or marina authority selected to host the Sailing Lab.

The evaluation process includes:

1. Eligibility check: Applicants must be individuals or organizations from EU Member States, Associated Countries, or Third Countries. The call is open to individuals, single legal entities, and consortia. All applicants in a consortium must be eligible. Project activities must occur in EU Member States or Horizon Europe associated countries, with a main event ideally the final one taking place in specified areas. Proposals must be able to host the PartArt4OW Sailing Lab in a yacht harbor or marina during its tour. Applicants must indicate the location and date of a relevant public event (between June 21 and July 26, 2026) in their proposal and on the submission platform. The event location must be within the area outlined in red on the map in the Guidelines for Applicants. A Letter of Intent from the hosting harbor authority is mandatory. Each entity can participate in only one application. Entities granted funding in the previous PartArt4OW call are ineligible.

2. Proposals review: Three reviewers assess each proposal based on relevance, quality, and impact, using a 5-point scale. Projects must pass the threshold value on each criterion and overall to proceed.

3. Shortlisting: Proposals above the thresholds are ranked. The top 21 proposals (3 times the number of winning PAIs) are invited to an interview.

4. Interviews: Shortlisted applicants participate in an online interview with an expert panel, consisting of a short pitch followed by questions. The PartArt4OW consortium decides which applicants will be accepted after the interviews.

Further information is available on the project website. The team can be reached at opencallpartart4ow@gmail.com.

In summary, this open call seeks innovative, interdisciplinary projects that use art and science to engage Mediterranean communities in addressing water pollution. It provides funding, mentorship, and networking opportunities to support the implementation of participatory art initiatives that promote ocean literacy, raise awareness about water-related challenges, and mobilize citizens for the protection and restoration of marine and freshwater environments. The call emphasizes sustainability and requires projects to commit to climate action.

Eligible Applicant Types: The call is open to individuals, single legal entities, and consortia. For consortia, all applicants must be eligible. Applicants must be individuals or organizations established or resident in EU Member States, Associated Countries, or Third Countries. Entities that have been granted in the previous PartArt4OW call are not eligible for this call.

Funding Type: Grant, specifically cascade funding.

Consortium Requirement: Both single applicants and consortia are eligible.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): Applicants must be established or resident in EU Member States, Associated Countries, or Third Countries. Project activities must take place in EU Member States or third countries associated with Horizon Europe, with a main event taking place in a specific area outlined in the Guidelines for Applicants, related to the location of the PartArt4OW Sailing Lab.

Target Sector: The program targets interdisciplinary and intersectoral projects mixing art, science, and participatory practices. It focuses on engaging Mediterranean communities to prevent, study, and tackle water pollution. Specific sectors include creative and cultural sectors, the scientific community, and civic society organizations. Thematic areas include ocean literacy, water pollution, environmental challenges, and community engagement.

Mentioned Countries: EU Member States, Associated Countries, Third Countries, Mediterranean region.

Project Stage: The projects are expected to be at the implementation stage, requiring refinement, implementation, and presentation of findings within a six-month period. The projects should move beyond awareness-raising and focus on co-creating new ways of understanding and tackling pollution.

Funding Amount: Each financed initiative can receive up to 50,000 Euros. The total funding available for this call is 350,000 Euros.

Application Type: Open call.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money (grants) and non-monetary services through the PartArt4OW Accelerator, which includes mentoring, networking opportunities, and training sessions.

Application Stages: The application process involves four stages: 1. Eligibility check, 2. Proposals review, 3. Shortlisting (21 proposals will be shortlisted for interviews), and 4. Interviews.

Success Rates: The document states that 21 proposals will be shortlisted for interviews, which is three times the number of winning PAIs (Participatory Art Initiatives). This implies that approximately 7 projects will be funded, out of all the applications received. Without knowing the total number of applications, the success rate cannot be precisely determined, but it is likely to be below 10%.

Co-funding Requirement: Selected projects are expected to be fully sustainable, including the use of sustainable materials, circular solutions, and renewable energy. Proposals must commit to a Climate Pact Pledge leading to full decarbonization or at least carbon neutrality of the project and of all the proposed activities. While not explicitly stated as a co-funding requirement, the emphasis on sustainability and carbon neutrality suggests that applicants may need to consider resource allocation for these aspects, potentially involving some form of investment or resource contribution.

Summary:

The PartArt4OW Second Open Call is a funding opportunity aimed at supporting participatory art initiatives (PAIs) that address the challenge of engaging Mediterranean communities in preventing, studying, and tackling water pollution. This call encourages interdisciplinary and intersectoral projects that blend art, science, and community engagement to foster innovative solutions for ocean and water-related environmental issues.

The call is open to individuals, single legal entities, and consortia from EU Member States, Associated Countries, and Third Countries. Successful applicants will receive up to 50,000 Euros to implement their projects over a six-month period. During this time, they will also participate in the PartArt4OW Accelerator program, which offers mentoring, networking, and training.

The application process involves submitting a short proposal (maximum 5 pages) outlining the project idea, objectives, implementation plan, resources, team, community engagement, and expected impact. A declaration of honor and a Letter of Intent from a harbor or marina authority willing to host the PartArt4OW Sailing Lab are also required.

The evaluation process consists of an eligibility check, proposal review based on relevance, quality, and impact, shortlisting of the top 21 proposals, and online interviews with an expert panel. The PartArt4OW consortium will then select the final projects to be funded.

The call specifically seeks projects that engage local communities, focus on various types of pollution (solid waste, chemical, nutrient, etc.), adopt a whole-system approach, investigate less explored forms of pollution, examine the societal impact of pollution, and promote sustainability and carbon neutrality. A key requirement is that the proposed projects must be able to host the PartArt4OW Sailing Lab during its tour, with a relevant public event scheduled between June 21st and July 26th, 2026, within a specified geographic area.

In essence, this open call provides a platform for creative and innovative projects that combine art, science, and community participation to address critical water pollution issues in the Mediterranean region, fostering ocean literacy, awareness, and citizen engagement for the protection and restoration of oceans and inland waters.