SUNDANSE – Open Call #1 (Sediment Matters – The Danube Call)

The SUNDANSE Open Call #1, known as the Sediments Matters Danube Call, is a funding opportunity targeting local and regional authorities located in Germany, Slovakia, Moldova, Hungary, and Croatia. The main aim is to support innovative projects that enhance the deployment and testing of established SUNDANSE solutions in the Danube River basin, focusing on sediment management and river health. The call opened on December 18, 2025, and runs until February 18, 2026, with submissions required through the F6S platform.

Eligible applicants must be local or regional authorities, as consortia applications are not permitted. The total funding available for this call is €300,000, with a maximum of €100,000 provided per project. Funding will be disbursed in three installments after key project milestones are achieved: 17% after the Project Definition phase, 58% following the Project Implementation phase, and 25% after the Project Evaluation phase.

Eligible projects must address at least one thematic area linked to sediment dynamics, including Flow Monitoring, Sediment Quantity Monitoring, Sediment Quality Assessment, and Awareness-Raising Actions regarding sediment flow alterations. Projects should incorporate replicable activities from the provided Replication Activities Catalogue.

The SUNDANSE Program comprises three phases over nine months: Project Definition, Project Implementation, and Project Evaluation. Awardees will also benefit from mentorship and must submit three mandatory reports throughout the project's duration, detailing project specifications, implementation progress, and stakeholder engagement outputs.

The application evaluation process involves an admissibility check, remote expert evaluations assessing Excellence, Impact, and Implementation, and final ranking, with proposals needing to meet minimum scoring criteria to be considered. The expected success rate for applications is estimated to be below 10%, as only three projects will be supported.

The required documentation during the application phase includes legal existence proof, a signed Declaration of Honour, bank account information, and identification from organization members. All communication must be in English, and applicants must verify their authority status.

In summary, the SUNDANSE Open Call #1 represents a significant funding opportunity aimed at fostering effective sediment management practices within the Danube basin for local and regional authorities, with a robust framework for project implementation and evaluation.

The SUNDANSE Open Call #1, also known as the Sediments Matters Danube Call, is a funding opportunity aimed at supporting innovative projects that expand the deployment, testing, and engagement of developed SUNDANSE solutions across new regions. The primary goal is to demonstrate the feasibility, replicability, and scale-up of SUNDANSE solutions and replicate SUNDANSE use cases in new regions and domains.

The call opened on December 18, 2025, and has a deadline of February 18, 2026, at 17:00 Brussels time. The expected duration of participation is 9 months. The total funding available for this call is €300,000, with a maximum of €100,000 available per project as a lump sum grant.

This call is exclusively for local and regional authorities located within Germany, Slovakia, Moldova, Hungary, and Croatia. Consortia applications are not accepted.

The SUNDANSE Programme implementation will run for 9 months, divided into three stages: Stage 1 Project Definition (2 months), Stage 2 Project Implementation (4 months), and Stage 3 Project Evaluation (3 months). Funding is paid in three lump sum installments: 17% after Stage 1, 58% after Stage 2, and 25% after Stage 3, contingent upon successful achievement of milestones and deliverables.

To be eligible, projects must address at least one of the following core thematic areas related to sediment dynamics and river health: Flow monitoring, Sediment quantity monitoring, Sediment quality assessment (including the identification of pollution sources of the river(s)), or Actions to improve awareness raising on sediment flow alterations. Applicants are also required to select some of the replicable activities presented in the Replication Activities Catalogue (Annex 2).

Awarded beneficiaries will participate in the 9-month SUNDANSE Programme, which includes support from a mentor to monitor project progress and facilitate communication with technical partners. Mandatory outputs include Report #1 (Individual Mentoring Plan project specifications), Report #2 (Project implementation), and a final Report #3, which must include Stakeholder Engagement Outputs, a Regional Action Plan & Roadmap, and an Evaluation of resources usage and impact of the project.

The application process involves submitting proposals online via the F6S Submission System. Proposals submitted by any other means will not be evaluated. All mandatory questions must be answered, and all requested documents must be uploaded; incomplete applications will be disqualified. Applicants must agree to the application's terms and conditions. All applications and programme communication must be in English. A Local and Regional Authority Proof will be requested during the application phase.

Contracting Documentation required during the contracting stage includes: Formal proof of the entity’s legal existence and tax activity, Declaration of Honour signed by the legal representative of the entity, and Bank Account Information. Mandatory Know Your Customer (KYC) checks require proof of residency and proof of ID from one or more members of the organisation.

The remote evaluation process consists of three phases: Admissibility and eligibility check, Remote expert evaluation, and Ranking and final selection of applicants. Applications are reviewed by a minimum of two External Evaluators and assessed against three criteria: Excellence, Impact, and Implementation. The threshold for individual criteria is 3, and the overall score threshold is 10. Proposals scoring less than 3 in any criterion or an overall score less than 10 will be rejected. Evaluators rank the applications and select the top-ranked projects in online interviews. Applicants will be informed of the decision via a written letter.

The project acronym is SUNDANSE, and the full name of the EU-funded project is Innovative sediment management framework for a SUstainNable DANube black SEa system. The grant agreement number is 101156533. The topic is HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-01-02 Danube river basin lighthouse Demonstration of effective and sustainable management of sediments in the Danube river-Black sea system.

The documentation pack includes: Annex 1 Guide for Applicants, Annex 2 Replication Activities Catalogue, Annex 3 Technical Proposal, Annex 4 Sub-Grant Agreement, Annex 5 Declaration of Honor Single entity, and Annex 6 Application form.

In summary, the SUNDANSE Open Call #1 is a funding opportunity for local and regional authorities in specific countries within the Danube River basin to implement innovative projects related to sediment management and river health. The call aims to scale up existing SUNDANSE solutions and replicate successful use cases in new areas. Projects must focus on flow monitoring, sediment quantity and quality monitoring, or actions to improve awareness of sediment flow alterations. The application process is competitive, with proposals evaluated based on excellence, impact, and implementation. Successful applicants will receive up to €100,000 in funding and participate in a 9-month program with mentoring and reporting requirements.

Eligible Applicant Types: The open call is exclusively for local and regional authorities.

Funding Type: The funding type is a lump sum grant.

Consortium Requirement: Consortia applications are not accepted under this call; therefore, a single applicant is required.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): Eligible regions are located within the following countries: Germany, Slovakia, Moldova, Hungary, and Croatia.

Target Sector: The target sector is related to sediment dynamics and river health, specifically addressing core thematic areas such as flow monitoring, sediment quantity monitoring, sediment quality assessment (including the identification of pollution sources of the river(s)), and actions to improve awareness raising on sediment flow alterations.

Mentioned Countries: Germany, Slovakia, Moldova, Hungary, Croatia.

Project Stage: The call aims to fund innovative projects that expand the deployment, testing, and engagement of developed SUNDANSE solutions across new regions, indicating a project stage of demonstration, testing, and scale-up.

Funding Amount: The total funding available for this specific call is €300,000. Total funding per project is a maximum of €100,000.00.

Application Type: The application type is an open call.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of lump sum grants. They will also receive non-monetary services in the form of mentoring and technical partner support.

Application Stages: The remote evaluation process involves three phases: (1) Admissibility and eligibility check, (2) Remote expert evaluation, and (3) Ranking and final selection of applicants. The SUNDANSE Programme itself is divided into three stages: Stage 1 – Project Definition (2 months), Stage 2 – Project Implementation (4 months), and Stage 3 – Project evaluation (3 months).

Success Rates: Up to 3 applications from eligible regions will be selected and supported, so the success rate is low, below 10%.

Co-funding Requirement: This information is not explicitly stated in the provided text.

Summary:

The SUNDANSE Open Call #1, also known as Sediments Matters The Danube Call, is a funding opportunity aimed at local and regional authorities in Germany, Slovakia, Moldova, Hungary, and Croatia. The call focuses on innovative projects related to sediment dynamics and river health in the Danube River basin. The primary goal is to expand the deployment, testing, and engagement of existing SUNDANSE solutions in new regions, showcasing their feasibility, replicability, and potential for scale-up.

Eligible projects must address at least one of the core thematic areas: flow monitoring, sediment quantity monitoring, sediment quality assessment (including identifying pollution sources), or actions to improve awareness of sediment flow alterations. Applicants are also required to select replicable activities from the Replication Activities Catalogue (Annex 2).

The funding is provided as a lump sum grant, with a maximum of €100,000 per project. A total of €300,000 is available for this call, and up to three projects will be selected. The selected beneficiaries will participate in a 9-month SUNDANSE Programme, divided into three stages: Project Definition (2 months), Project Implementation (4 months), and Project Evaluation (3 months). Funding is disbursed in three installments (17%, 58%, and 25%) upon successful completion of each stage and achievement of milestones and deliverables.

The application process involves a single-stage submission through the F6S platform. Proposals submitted through other means will not be evaluated. The evaluation process includes an admissibility and eligibility check, remote expert evaluation based on excellence, impact, and implementation criteria, and a ranking and final selection of applicants. Applications are reviewed by at least two external evaluators, and those scoring below 3 in any criterion or an overall score below 10 will be rejected. The evaluators rank the applications and select the top-ranked projects in online interviews.

Mandatory outputs include the submission of three reports: Report #1 (Individual Mentoring Plan project specifications), Report #2 (Project implementation), and a final Report #3, which must include Stakeholder Engagement Outputs, a Regional Action Plan & Roadmap, and an Evaluation of resources usage and impact of the project.

Consortium applications are not accepted; only single applicants (local and regional authorities) are eligible. The opening date for submissions is December 18, 2025, and the deadline is February 18, 2026, at 17:00 (Brussels time).