EU Mission: Restore our Ocean and Waters - Research and innovation
Enriched Impact Investor · Found: 2026-03-11 08:12
The Mission provides a systemic approach to the protection and restoration of the ocean and Europe's seas and waters by 2030, fostering a sustainable marine and ...
Funding Details
- Funder
- European Commission – Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (Horizon Europe)
- Funding Goal
- Restore the health of the ocean, seas, and inland waters by 2030 through research and innovation, public engagement, and blue investments — focusing on ecosystem protection, zero pollution, and a carbon-neutral circular blue economy.
- Funding Amount
- Not specified on this page; Horizon Europe project grants typically range from several hundred thousand to several million euros per consortium.
- Deadline
- Rolling — periodic calls under the Horizon Europe Work Programme (2026/27 calls announced in January 2026) (Rolling)
- How to Apply
- Applications submitted via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal (ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders). Calls follow the standard Horizon Europe evaluation process with eligibility checks, expert review, and grant negotiation. Info days for 2026 calls were held on 20–21 January 2026.
- Target Region
- Europe (with lighthouses in Atlantic-Arctic, Mediterranean Sea, Baltic-North Sea, Danube-Black Sea)
- Contact
- EU-MISSION-OCEAN-AND-WATERS@ec.europa.eu
- Last Checked
- 2026-03-11 16:53
Application Checklist
Eligibility
Project Scope
Required Documents
Constraints
Summary
The EU Mission "Restore our Ocean and Waters" is a flagship initiative under Horizon Europe targeting the systemic restoration of marine and freshwater ecosystems by 2030. It operates across three strategic pillars: (1) protecting and restoring biodiversity in line with the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030, (2) preventing and eliminating pollution in line with the Zero Pollution Action Plan, and (3) making the sustainable blue economy carbon-neutral and circular. The mission is implemented via area-based "lighthouses" covering four major sea and river basins: Atlantic-Arctic, Mediterranean Sea, Baltic-North Sea, and Danube-Black Sea — functioning as living labs for demonstrating and scaling solutions. The Mission funds research and innovation projects through periodic open calls published on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal. Projects typically operate within international consortia and must contribute to one or more of the mission's pillars. Eligible applicants include research institutions, public bodies, NGOs, businesses, and civil society organizations from EU Member States and associated countries. As of 2026, new calls under the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026/27 are being announced. Supporting digital tools like the Digital Twin Ocean are being developed to enable real-time monitoring and predictive management of marine ecosystems. The Mission Charter has attracted over 1,000 pledges from Member States, regions, cities, and stakeholders, reflecting broad systemic ambition beyond Horizon Europe funding alone. The Baltic-North Sea lighthouse is one of the four core operational areas, making this mission highly relevant for organizations working on North Sea and Baltic Sea conservation. Calls are competitive, typically requiring multi-partner consortia with strong research and innovation components, which can be a barrier for smaller NGOs unless partnering with research institutions.
Historical Context
The Mission Implementation Plan was adopted on 29 September 2021. A portfolio analysis published in June 2023 covered 841 EU projects contributing to the mission. A two-year progress assessment was published in July 2023. In August 2025, 30 consortia signed grant agreements under 2024 calls. New 2026/27 work programme calls were announced at info days on 20–21 January 2026. The mission factsheet was last updated 4 July 2025.