VELUX Foundation Current Calls for Proposals
Enriched – · Found: 2026-03-13 16:25
Danish foundation funding research and projects in multiple areas. Maintains open calls including programs related to ocean conservation and combating marine pollution. Applicant base in Denmark, Greenland, and Faroe Islands. Five open calls listed as of March 2026. Contact: info@veluxfonden.dk for specific marine/pollution program details.
Source: https://veluxfonden.dk/en/basic-page/current-calls
Funding Details
- Funder
- VELUX FONDEN
- Funding Goal
- Fund research and knowledge-building projects that develop solutions to critical challenges facing marine ecosystems in the North Sea region, with a specific focus on understanding and mitigating the impacts of shipping on marine biodiversity, cumulative ecosystem pressures, and governance frameworks for integrating climate and biodiversity objectives in shipping decarbonisation.
- Funding Amount
- DKK 3 million to DKK 10 million per project (approx. EUR 400,000–1,350,000). Total framework: DKK 29 million (approx. EUR 3.9 million). (400.000 € – 1.350.000 €)
- Deadline
- 2026-09-15 (Fixed)
- How to Apply
- Full proposals submitted through the VELUX FONDEN online application portal (veluxfonden.dk). Opens 1 May 2026. Deadline 15 September 2026 at 14:00 CET. Initial secretariat review followed by external panel assessment on alignment, innovation, impact, collaboration, and budget appropriateness. All applicants notified December 2026.
- Target Region
- North Sea and Western Baltic, including the full Danish EEZ; international collaboration encouraged
- Contact
- info@veluxfonden.dk | +45 39 57 09 57 | Tobaksvejen 10, 2860 Søborg
- Official Page
- https://veluxfonden.dk/en/group/channel/call-proposals-north-sea-region-lighthouse-sustainable-shipping
- Last Checked
- 2026-05-07 02:18
Application Checklist
Eligibility
Project Scope
Required Documents
Constraints
Summary
VELUX FONDEN's 'Call for Proposals: The North Sea region as a lighthouse for sustainable shipping' is a targeted research funding initiative under its 'An ocean in balance' strategic grant area, sub-programme 'Combating marine pollution'. The call responds to scientific evidence that the North Sea is approaching ecological limits while simultaneously experiencing intense maritime traffic and major societal transitions (offshore wind, CCS, new shipping fuels). The programme objectives are to expand knowledge on shipping's contribution to cumulative ecosystem pressures in the North Sea, and to identify governance and mitigation solutions that align shipping decarbonisation with biodiversity and ecosystem protection. Key thematic priority areas include: understanding shipping impacts and cumulative pressures (now and future); management and mitigation measures (route changes, vessel speeds, fuels, port development, long-term ecosystem effects); governance and decision-support tools for marine spatial planning; tradeoffs and potential incentives for impact reduction. Research on the North Sea and Western Baltic, including the full Danish EEZ, is explicitly encouraged. Eligible activities are research-oriented: scientific studies, knowledge-building projects, modelling, governance frameworks, and multi-objective management strategies. The call explicitly does not fund operational implementation. Eligible applicants include academic institutions, NGOs, public authorities, industry actors, and research organisations. Lead PI need not be from a university but must have university partners. Projects must run 3–5 years. Geographic scope: North Sea and Western Baltic/Danish EEZ; borders cross national jurisdictions. Funding is anchored in Denmark, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands. International and cross-border collaboration is strongly encouraged. Budget per project: DKK 3 million (minimum) to DKK 10 million (maximum), with larger budgets requiring cross-border collaboration justification. Total call framework: DKK 29 million. Submission deadline: 15 September 2026 at 14:00 CET. Notifications by December 2026.
Historical Context
This is a specific call under VELUX FONDEN's 'An ocean in balance' grant area, sub-area 'Combating marine pollution'. VELUX FONDEN commissioned a prior Rambøll report on shipping and NDCs, and co-organised a 2024 World Maritime University workshop on shipping at the biodiversity-climate nexus, which informed this call's design.
Sources
- https://veluxfonden.dk/en/basic-page/current-calls
- https://veluxfonden.dk/en/group/channel/call-proposals-north-sea-region-lighthouse-sustainable-shipping