EU Blue Partnership - Transitioning Blue Economy Sectors

Your notes (local)

Relevance Comment (remote)

Enriched EU · Found: 2026-03-10 13:31

Funder: UNEP Finance Initiative - Sustainable Blue Economy

EU partnership supporting transition of blue economy sectors toward sustainability, including marine and coastal conservation components and climate adaptation integration.

Source: https://bluepartnership.eu/2026-intervention-area-transitioning-blue-economy-sectors

Funding Details

Funder: Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership (SBEP)
Funding Goal: Support transnational research and innovation projects in blue economy transformation, covering five priority areas: Digital Twins of the Ocean at sub-basin scale; Transitioning blue economy sectors and multi-use marine infrastructures; Climate-Smart Planning and managing sea-uses; Blue Bioresources including sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, and bio-based products; and Resilient Coastal Communities and Businesses. The 'Transitioning Blue Economy Sectors' intervention area focuses on technological and systemic R&I connecting environmental protection to economic viability, digital transformation, and circularity, including reducing pollution, enabling circular infrastructure, and nature-based solutions.
Funding Amount: Total estimated budget approx. EUR 43.5 million pooled across 38 national/regional funding organisations and co-funded by the EU (Horizon Europe). Individual project budgets depend on national regulations and participating funders. (up to 43.500.000 €)
Deadline: 2026-06-17 (Fixed)
How to Apply: Two-stage process: pre-proposals were due 17 November 2025 (closed); full proposals due 17 June 2026 at 15:00 CEST via the online portal at https://proposals.etag.ee/sustainable-blue/2025. Partner search tool available at the same URL. Contact: sbep.call-secretariat@uefiscdi.ro
Target Region: European Union and associated Horizon Europe countries; focus on EU sea basins (Atlantic, Baltic, Black Sea, Mediterranean, North Sea); projects must span at least 2 EU sea basins
Contact: sbep.call-secretariat@uefiscdi.ro; Coordinator: Ministry of Universities and Research (Italy) - sbep@mur.gov.it; Co-coordinator: Research Council of Norway
Official Page: https://bluepartnership.eu/funding-opportunity/sustainable-blue-economy-partnerships-third-joint-transnational-call
Last Checked: 2026-05-07 08:37

Application Checklist

Eligibility

Consortium must include partners from at least 3 different participating countries
At least 2 independent legal entities from 2 different EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries

Project Scope

Project must address exactly one of the five designated priority areas
Project must span at least 2 EU sea basins (Atlantic, Baltic, Black Sea, Mediterranean, North Sea)
Projects should integrate digital twin or AI approaches and contribute data to EDITO where applicable

Required Documents

Must include an impact plan under the Theory of Change framework (Annex A)
Full proposal form (Annex E) required — check national funding agency regulations in Annex B

Constraints

36-month project duration requirement
Funding available only for partners from countries/agencies listed in Annex B — self-funded participation otherwise

Summary

The Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership (SBEP) is a Horizon Europe European Partnership co-funded by the EU that has launched its third joint transnational call titled 'Digitalisation and Innovation for Resilient Marine Ecosystems, Businesses, and Communities to Strengthen the EU Blue Economy's Competitiveness.' The call pools approximately EUR 43.5 million from 38 national/regional funding organisations across 28 countries, combined with EU Horizon Europe contributions. The call targets transnational research and innovation projects of 36 months duration across five priority areas: (1) Digital Twins of the Ocean at sub-basin scale; (2) Transitioning blue economy sectors and marine multi-use infrastructures; (3) Climate-Smart Planning and managing sea-uses at the regional level; (4) Blue Bioresources including sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, and bio-based products; and (5) Resilient Coastal Communities and Businesses. Each proposal must address one priority area. Cross-cutting enablers include digitalisation, AI, digital twins, nature-based solutions, and social science perspectives. The 'Transitioning Blue Economy Sectors' intervention area (to which this program entry links) focuses on three thematic areas: secure and sustainable marine infrastructures; enabling circularity and ecosystem-based transition (including promoting circularity, reducing marine pollution and waste, nature-based solutions, and biodiversity enhancement); and co-creation of a just and inclusive digital transition. Projects should integrate digital twinning, AI, and contribute data to the European Digital Twin of the Ocean (EDITO). Eligible applicants include research organisations, universities, SMEs, public authorities, associations, NGOs, and civil society organisations. Each consortium must include partners from at least 3 participating countries and request funding from at least 3 funding organisations. Projects must span at least 2 EU sea basins (Atlantic, Baltic, Black Sea, Mediterranean, North Sea). Denmark's Innovation Fund Denmark (IFD) is among participating funders. The call was launched with a pre-proposal stage (deadline 17 November 2025) and full proposals are due 17 June 2026 via the online submission portal. The call is co-branded as an official UN Decade of Ocean Science action. Successful projects will be endorsed as Ocean Decade projects.

Historical Context

This is the third joint transnational call of the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership, a Horizon Europe European Partnership. Previous calls (1st and 2nd joint transnational calls) and a Transnational Access Call to Research Infrastructures 2025 have already closed. The Partnership launched in the context of EU Ocean Pact and aims to support blue economy transition by 2030 and sustainable ocean by 2050.

Why it was added

EU blue economy partnership potentially funding marine conservation and coastal adaptation projects.

Sources

Similar Programs

Program	Source	Shared Tags
EU Mission: Restore our Ocean and Waters - Research and innovation For NGOs For Researchers Government Multilateral Grant Arctic Baltic Sea Mediterranean North Sea Biodiversity Blue Economy Circular Economy Climate Coastal Protection Marine Conservation Pollution Research	Impact Investor	12
Horizon Europe Mission - Restore our Ocean and Waters 2026 For NGOs For Researchers Government Multilateral Grant Technical Assistance Arctic Baltic Sea Mediterranean North Sea Biodiversity Blue Economy Circular Economy Climate Coastal Protection Marine Conservation Pollution Research	EU	12
Horizon Europe - EU Research and Innovation Programme For NGOs For Researchers Government Multilateral Grant Global Aquaculture Biodiversity Blue Economy Capacity Building Circular Economy Climate Coastal Protection Marine Conservation Plastic Waste Pollution Research Seaweed & Algae	EU	11
Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme 2021-2027 For Communities / Cooperatives For NGOs For Researchers Government Multilateral Grant Baltic Sea Biodiversity Blue Economy Capacity Building Circular Economy Climate Fisheries Marine Conservation Plastic Waste Pollution Research	EU	11
Horizon Europe - Mission: Restore our Ocean and Waters Multilateral Grant Baltic Sea Global North Sea Biodiversity Blue Economy Coastal Protection Marine Conservation Marine Protected Areas Pollution Research	EU	10

← Back to list