European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) 2021-2027

Your notes (local)

Relevance Comment (remote)

Enriched – · Found: 2026-03-13 17:21

EU-implemented partly through direct management with centralised calls for proposals on maritime biodiversity, marine litter reduction and sustainable blue economy. Relevant for ghost gear retrieval, circular handling of fishing gear, and port reception facilities. NGOs can be partners in transnational projects.

Source: https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/programmes/european-maritime-fisheries-and-aquaculture-fund_en

Funding Details

Funder: European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) / European Commission
Funding Goal: Support EU maritime policy, Common Fisheries Policy, and international ocean governance through direct management grants and calls for proposals. Focus areas include: marine biodiversity and ecosystems, marine litter reduction, sustainable blue economy, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, offshore renewable energy, and ocean governance.
Funding Amount: 13% of EUR 6.108 billion total EMFAF budget (approximately EUR 797 million) is directly managed by CINEA for direct grants and calls. Individual call budgets vary significantly by topic.
How to Apply: Register in EU Funding and Tenders Portal (ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders). Monitor CINEA's calls for proposals at cinea.ec.europa.eu/funding-opportunities/calls-proposals_en. Subscribe to EMFAF newsletters. Calls vary from open competitive to ad hoc pre-identified beneficiary grants.
Target Region: EU and international (ocean governance calls may be global)
Contact: CINEA (European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency) | Website: cinea.ec.europa.eu | FAQ portal: ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders
Last Checked: 2026-03-15 09:50

Application Checklist

Eligibility

Applicant must be a legal entity (NGO, research institution, public body, or company) - eligibility varies by call
EU-based organizations typically preferred; international partnerships often required

Project Scope

Project must align with EMFAF priorities: maritime policy, fisheries, aquaculture, ocean governance, or blue economy
Projects must demonstrate EU added value and contribution to EU Green Deal objectives

Required Documents

Register in EU Funding and Tenders Portal before applying
Full project proposal including budget, consortium composition, and work plan required

Constraints

Financial capacity to pre-finance activities may be required (EU reimbursement after delivery)
Reporting and audit requirements apply as per EU grant agreement standards

Summary

The European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) 2021-2027 is the EU's main instrument for supporting maritime policy, fisheries, aquaculture, and blue economy activities. The fund has an overall budget of EUR 6.108 billion. Approximately EUR 797 million (13%) is directly managed by CINEA — the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency — through open calls for proposals, calls for tenders, and ad hoc grants. CINEA-managed EMFAF actions cover: marine biodiversity protection, marine litter reduction, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture innovation, offshore renewable energy, sea basin governance, ocean literacy, and EU international ocean governance. Calls are published on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal and CINEA's website, typically open to research institutions, NGOs, public bodies, and industry organizations. Past and ongoing initiatives under EMFAF include the Sea Basins Assistance Mechanism, Maritime Spatial Planning Platform, BlueInvest, EU4Ocean coalition, and EMODnet. Individual project calls can range from small awareness campaigns to multi-million euro cooperation projects. For NGOs focused on marine litter, plastic pollution, marine biodiversity, and sustainable blue economy, EMFAF centralized calls represent an important EU-level funding opportunity. Organizations should register in the EU Funding and Tenders portal and monitor CINEA's upcoming calls regularly.

Historical Context

EMFAF (2021-2027) succeeds the EMFF (2014-2020). Total programme budget is EUR 6.108 billion. The CINEA-managed direct management component (EUR 797 million / 13%) covers calls for proposals, tenders, and ad hoc grants aligned with EU Green Deal, Farm2Fork, biodiversity strategy, and Circular Economy Action Plan priorities.

Sources

Similar Programs

Program	Source	Shared Tags
Call for proposals to support the development of Transition Agendas ... For NGOs For Researchers For Startups Government Multilateral Grant Baltic Sea Nordic / Denmark North Sea Aquaculture Biodiversity Blue Economy Circular Economy Climate Coastal Protection Fisheries Marine Conservation Plastic Waste Pollution	Nordic	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 For NGOs For Researchers Government Multilateral Grant Arctic Baltic Sea Mediterranean North Sea Biodiversity Blue Economy Climate Coastal Protection Fisheries Marine Conservation Plastic Waste Pollution Research	EU	10
Funding Opportunities Now Open for Baltic and North Sea ... For Communities / Cooperatives For NGOs For Researchers Multilateral Grant Baltic Sea North Sea Aquaculture Biodiversity Blue Economy Capacity Building Circular Economy Climate Coastal Protection Fisheries Marine Conservation Plastic Waste Pollution	Nordic	10
Programmes supporting 'Climate, Environment & Maritime' For NGOs For Researchers Government Grant Loan / Concessional Finance Technical Assistance Global Aquaculture Biodiversity Blue Economy Capacity Building Circular Economy Climate Coastal Protection Fisheries Marine Conservation Pollution Research	Impact Investor	10

← Back to list