EU Mission Ocean — HORIZON-MISS-2026-03-OCEAN-01: Marine Habitat Mapping
Enriched EU · Found: 2026-03-14 15:17
Horizon Europe call for large-scale demonstration of marine habitat mapping. EUR 7-7.75m per project, up to 4 awards. Deadline: 23 September 2026.
Funding Details
- Funder
- European Commission (Horizon Europe / EU Mission: Restore our Ocean and Waters)
- Funding Goal
- Large-scale Innovation Action for mapping the distribution and condition of marine habitats to implement the Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR). Projects must deliver large-scale demonstration of habitat mapping methodologies covering multiple Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) regions, developing scalable, interoperable tools and approaches that Member States can use to meet NRR reporting obligations.
- Funding Amount
- EUR 7,000,000 to EUR 7,750,000 per project; up to 4 projects awarded from EUR 31,000,000 total budget (7.000.000 € – 7.750.000 €)
- Deadline
- 2026-09-23 (Fixed)
- How to Apply
- Single-stage submission via EU Funding and Tenders Portal (ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders). Topic identifier: HORIZON-MISS-2026-03-OCEAN-01. Call opened 4 February 2026. Submission type: HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA), HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based. UK applicants can apply through Innovate UK Business Connect. Brokerage events at b2match.com (open until 30 September 2026).
- Target Region
- European Union coastal and marine waters; projects must cover multiple MSFD regions; one of four Mission lighthouse basins (Atlantic-Arctic, Mediterranean, Baltic-North Sea, or Danube-Black Sea)
- Contact
- EU Funding and Tenders Portal. National Contact Points per country. UK support: Innovate UK Business Connect European Team (enquiries@iukbc.org.uk, 03333 403250).
- Last Checked
- 2026-05-07 01:50
Application Checklist
Eligibility
Project Scope
Required Documents
Constraints
Summary
HORIZON-MISS-2026-03-OCEAN-01 is a Horizon Europe Innovation Action under the EU Mission 'Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030', focused specifically on large-scale demonstration of marine habitat mapping to implement the EU Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR). Each funded project receives EUR 7-7.75 million, with up to 4 projects selected from a EUR 31 million budget. The call addresses a critical policy gap: Member States are required under the NRR to map marine habitat distribution and condition to set restoration targets, but current mapping capabilities are insufficient at the required spatial and taxonomic resolution. Projects must demonstrate scalable, interoperable mapping methodologies covering broad geographic areas within one of the four Mission lighthouse basins. Eligible activities include: development and validation of combined remote sensing, acoustic, and in-situ sampling approaches for habitat mapping; demonstration of mapping at scale across multiple MSFD regions; development of interoperable data standards and tools; integration with EU Digital Twin Ocean, Copernicus, and EMODnet; capacity building for national competent authorities; and preparation of guidance documents for Member State implementation. The geographic focus is on EU coastal and marine waters, with each proposal targeting one lighthouse basin: Atlantic-Arctic, Mediterranean, Baltic-North Sea, or Danube-Black Sea. The Baltic and North Sea basin is highly relevant for Danish and Nordic partners. Competent national/regional authorities responsible for MSFD/NRR implementation are strongly encouraged to participate as consortium partners. Eligibility follows standard Horizon Europe rules: transnational consortium of 3+ entities from 3+ different countries (EU Member States or Associated Countries including the UK). Single-stage submission, opened 4 February 2026, with a fixed deadline of 23 September 2026, 17:00 Brussels time.
Historical Context
Part of EU Mission 'Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030'. The EU Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR) sets binding targets for restoring degraded marine ecosystems by 2030 and 2050, creating urgent need for baseline habitat mapping data that this call specifically addresses. Companion call to OCEAN-02 under the same 2026 call package.
Why it was added
Grant scanner Tier A scan 2026-03-14
Sources
- https://iuk-business-connect.org.uk/opportunities/horizon-europe-2026-27-eu-missions-restore-our-ocean-and-waters/
- 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
- https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/horizon-miss-2026-03-ocean-02