Velux Foundations - Healthy Marine Environment in Danish Sea Areas

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Enriched Nordic · Found: 2026-03-10 13:20

Grants supporting healthy marine environment in Danish waters. Funds knowledge-based restoration of stone reefs, eelgrass meadows, and mussel beds. Grants up to DKK 500,000 with provisions for larger projects. Renewed DKK 20 million grant for National Centre for Marine Nature Restoration (2026-2030).

Source: https://villumfonden.dk/en/group/grantarea/environment-and-climate

Funding Details

Funder: VELUX FOUNDATION
Funding Goal: VELUX FOUNDATION's 'An ocean in balance' environmental programme funds projects that develop knowledge and solutions for challenges in the marine environment, with a focus on: (1) Restoration of marine and coastal ecosystems with climate focus; (2) Combating marine pollution (including plastic pollution, wastewater, underwater noise, oil); (3) Future climate solutions and their impact on maritime ecosystems. The currently open call specifically targets research on the North Sea region and the cumulative impacts of shipping on marine biodiversity, with the goal of integrating shipping governance into biodiversity and climate frameworks.
Funding Amount: Current call: DKK 3.0-10.0 million per project (approximately EUR 402,000-1,340,000 at current exchange rates). Total call framework: DKK 29 million. Larger budgets must justify coverage of more themes and cross-border collaboration. (402.000 € – 1.340.000 €)
Deadline: 2026-09-15 (Fixed)
How to Apply: Full proposals submitted through VELUX FOUNDATION's application portal (villumfonden.dk/en/application-create/11827) by 15 September 2026 at 14:00 CET. Applications must be in English. Required documents: project proposal (max 10 pages), CV of project leader (max 5 pages, must follow template), CVs of key collaborators (max 1 page each), and a project budget (using the provided template). Initial secretariat review followed by assessment by an external scientific expert panel. All applicants notified by December 2026.
Target Region: North Sea region, Western Baltic, Danish EEZ. Projects must have regional relevance to the North Sea.
Contact: Adam Billing, Senior Adviser: +45 24 34 24 67, abi@veluxfonden.dk. Ane-Marie Lovendahl Eskildsen, Senior Adviser: +45 24 95 16 31, ale@veluxfonden.dk. VELUX FOUNDATION, Tobaksvejen 10, 2860 Soeborg. info@veluxfonden.dk
Official Page: https://villumfonden.dk/en/group/channel/call-proposals-north-sea-region-lighthouse-sustainable-shipping
Last Checked: 2026-05-07 09:18

Application Checklist

Eligibility

Lead applicant: university/academic institution preferred; NGOs, public authorities, and industry actors also eligible if partnered with academic institutions
Commercial projects or projects related to aquaculture or fishing are explicitly excluded

Project Scope

Proposals must address impacts from shipping on North Sea ecosystems and have clear regional relevance to the North Sea
Interdisciplinary collaboration and engagement with industry, government, and international partners strongly encouraged

Required Documents

Application deadline: 15 September 2026 at 14:00 CET — submit via foundation's application portal
Required: 10-page project proposal, CV of PI (5 pages, using template), CVs of key collaborators (1 page each), budget (using template)

Constraints

Project duration must be 3-5 years; minimum grant DKK 3 million, maximum DKK 10 million
Proposals must be submitted in English only

Summary

VELUX FOUNDATION (part of the VKR Foundation family, related to but distinct from VILLUM FONDEN) runs the 'An ocean in balance' environmental programme from 2023 to 2030, focusing on Danish and international marine health challenges. The foundation is based in Soeborg, Denmark. Thematic scope covers three action areas: (1) Restoration of marine and coastal ecosystems with climate focus — targeting degraded ecosystems with carbon sequestration potential; (2) Combating marine pollution — addressing plastic pollution, wastewater, nutrients, marine litter, oil, and underwater noise; (3) Future climate solutions and their impact on maritime ecosystems — offshore wind, carbon capture and storage, deep-sea mining. The foundation is currently not accepting new project ideas outside open calls; the active open call concerns shipping impacts on North Sea biodiversity. The currently open call — 'The North Sea region as a lighthouse for sustainable shipping' — is within the 'Combating marine pollution' action area. It seeks research proposals addressing: (a) understanding cumulative impacts of shipping on North Sea ecosystems; (b) management and mitigation of shipping impacts including route changes, vessel speeds, fuels, and port development; (c) governance and decision support tools for marine spatial planning; (d) trade-offs and possible mitigation incentives. The call has a total framework of DKK 29 million and accepts proposals of DKK 3-10 million per project, for 3-5 year projects. Geographic scope for the current call is the North Sea region, Western Baltic, and the whole Danish EEZ. Projects should address cross-border challenges and involve partners from multiple North Sea countries. Eligible applicants include universities, academic institutions, public authorities, NGOs, and relevant industry actors. Preference for interdisciplinary teams. Danish and other North Sea country partners are encouraged. Commercial projects and aquaculture/fishing are explicitly excluded. The VELUX FOUNDATION is also engaged with IOC-UNESCO on the UN Ocean Decade and promotes integration with EU Mission 'Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030.' Grants in this call range from DKK 3-10 million (approximately EUR 400,000-1,340,000). The application deadline is 15 September 2026 at 14:00 CET. Full proposals must be submitted in English through the foundation's online portal. Notifications are expected by December 2026.

Historical Context

VELUX FOUNDATION is part of the VKR Foundation universe established by the Villum Kann Rasmussen family. Its environmental programme 'An ocean in balance' runs 2023-2030 with focus on three action areas. The foundation has co-established the National Centre for Marine Nature Restoration with the Danish Ministry of the Environment and is active in the UN Ocean Decade framework. Previous grants in the DKK 4-9.6 million range for specific marine projects.

Why it was added

Major Danish foundation funding marine habitat restoration including reefs, seagrass, and mussel beds - directly relevant for Baltic Sea marine conservation NGOs

Sources

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