EU Mission Ocean — HORIZON-MISS-2026-03-OCEAN-02: Aquatic Pollution and Biodiversity Loss Through Nature-Positive Solutions

Enriched EU · Found: 2026-03-14 15:17

Horizon Europe Innovation Action addressing aquatic pollution from source to sea. EUR 7-7.75m per project, up to 4 awards. Deadline: 23 September 2026.

Source: https://projects.research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/en/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe/eu-missions-horizon-europe/restore-our-ocean-and-waters/calls-proposals

Funding Details

Funder

European Research Executive Agency (REA) — Horizon Europe Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters

Funding Goal

Achieve mission objectives for aquatic pollution reduction and biodiversity restoration through nature-positive solutions from pollution source to sea, targeting both freshwater and marine ecosystems

Funding Amount

Approximately EUR 7M-8M per project; up to 4 projects funded; total indicative budget EUR 30M (7.000.000 € – 8.000.000 €)

Deadline

2026-09-23 (Fixed)

How to Apply

Submit via EU Funding and Tenders Portal. Call opened 4 February 2026. Topic: HORIZON-MISS-2026-03-OCEAN-02. Single-stage application. Contact your national Horizon Europe contact point for partner search support.

Target Region

EU Member States and Horizon Europe associated countries; international cooperation partners eligible

Contact

EU Mission Ocean team: research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe/eu-missions-horizon-europe/restore-our-ocean-and-waters_en

Official Page

https://projects.research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/en/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe/eu-missions-horizon-europe/restore-our-ocean-and-waters

Last Checked

2026-03-15 08:21

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Consortium of minimum 3 entities from 3 countries required
• At least 2 entities must be from EU Member States or associated countries
• NGOs eligible as consortium partners
• 100% co-funding rate — no applicant co-financing required

Project Scope

• Projects must address pollution source-to-sea pathway
• Plastic litter, nutrients, microplastics and chemical pollutants all in scope
• Nature-based solutions and community approaches eligible

Required Documents

• Single-stage submission via EU F&T Portal by 23 September 2026
• Contact national HE contact point for partner search support

Constraints

• International partners (Kenya, India, Indonesia) allowed but not EU co-funded

Summary

HORIZON-MISS-2026-03-OCEAN-02 is a Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action under the Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030. The call seeks to address aquatic pollution and biodiversity loss through nature-positive solutions, following the full pollution pathway from source to sea. Projects must demonstrate integrated approaches that tackle pollution sources on land and trace their pathways to freshwater bodies and ultimately to the sea, delivering measurable reductions in marine and freshwater pollution including plastic litter, nutrients, contaminants, and microplastics. The call opened on 4 February 2026 with a submission deadline of 23 September 2026. Up to 4 projects may be funded with budgets of approximately EUR 7-8 million each, from a total indicative envelope of EUR 30 million. The co-funding rate is 100% for Research and Innovation Actions, meaning no co-financing is required from the consortium. Projects typically run for 4-5 years. Eligible activities include developing and demonstrating source-to-sea pollution reduction solutions, nature-based solutions for water quality improvement, monitoring and early warning systems for pollution, and community-based approaches to reducing plastic and chemical inputs into water bodies. International cooperation with partner countries in Africa or Asia is welcomed and can strengthen proposals, particularly where transboundary water bodies or shared sea basins are involved. Consortia must include at least three organisations from three different countries, with at least two EU Member States or Horizon Europe associated countries represented. Danish research organisations and NGOs can lead or participate in these consortia. Contact DTU Aqua, Aarhus University Ecoscience, or similar institutions for potential consortium formation.

Historical Context

Annual Horizon Mission Ocean calls since 2022. OCEAN-02 call in 2025 closed September 2025. 2026 edition opened February 2026 with same structure. Pattern: calls open February, close September each year.

Why it was added

Grant scanner Tier A scan 2026-03-14

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