Horizon Europe Mission Ocean 2026 — OCEAN-02: Addressing Aquatic Pollution and Biodiversity Loss through Nature-Positive Solutions (Source to Sea)

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Enriched EU · Found: 2026-04-20 16:07

Open Horizon Europe call for demonstrating nature-based, ecosystem-driven solutions to address aquatic pollution and biodiversity loss from freshwater sources to the sea, including plastic and chemical pollution.

Source: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-MISS-2026-03-OCEAN-02

Funding Details

Funder: European Commission / Research Executive Agency (REA) — Horizon Europe Mission Restore Our Ocean and Waters
Funding Goal: Demonstrate nature-positive, ecosystem-based solutions addressing aquatic pollution and biodiversity loss from source (freshwater) to sea, contributing to the EU Mission on Restoring Our Ocean and Waters
Funding Amount: Approximately EUR 7-7.75M per project; 4 projects expected; total call envelope ~EUR 28-31M from EUR 115M Mission Ocean budget for all 2026 topics (4.000.000 € – 7.750.000 €)
Deadline: 2026-09-23 (Fixed)
How to Apply: Apply via EU Funding & Tenders Portal (ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders). Call opened 4 February 2026. Single-stage submission. Topic ID: HORIZON-MISS-2026-03-OCEAN-02.
Target Region: EU Member States and Associated Countries; freshwater-to-marine systems; international cooperation possible
Last Checked: 2026-04-20 16:08

Application Checklist

Eligibility

Consortium of minimum 3 entities from 3 different EU/Associated Countries required
Innovation Action (IA) - 70% co-funding for commercial entities, 100% for non-profits

Project Scope

Must demonstrate source-to-sea (freshwater to marine) pollution solutions
Ecosystem-based and nature-positive approaches required
Must address aquatic pollution AND biodiversity loss together

Required Documents

Submit via EU Funding & Tenders Portal - deadline 23 September 2026

Constraints

Projects must be at demonstration scale (TRL 6-8)

Summary

HORIZON-MISS-2026-03-OCEAN-02 is an open Horizon Europe call under the EU Mission Restore Our Ocean and Waters, focusing on nature-positive solutions to address aquatic pollution and biodiversity loss across connected freshwater-marine systems (source to sea). The call opened 4 February 2026 with a deadline of 23 September 2026. The call targets the development and demonstration of ecosystem-based and cross-sector solutions that tackle pollution (including plastic, chemical, nutrient, and biological pollution) and biodiversity decline across freshwater-to-marine continua. Projects should implement systemic approaches that address multiple stressors simultaneously, involve multiple sectors (agriculture, water management, urban planning, fisheries), and demonstrate measurable improvements in water quality and biodiversity indicators. Eligible activities include: large-scale demonstration of nature-based solutions for water body restoration; pollution source identification and reduction measures; ecosystem connectivity restoration; citizen science engagement; multi-stakeholder governance frameworks; digital tools for monitoring pollution pathways; and replicable policy frameworks. The source-to-sea framing is critical — projects must address the full hydrological pathway from upstream freshwater sources to coastal and marine ecosystems. Eligible applicants are research organisations, universities, companies, NGOs, and local/regional authorities forming consortia of at least 3 entities from 3 different EU/Associated Countries. NGOs with expertise in marine conservation, coastal management, or water quality are strong candidates as consortium partners. Innovation Actions (IA) receive 70% co-funding for commercial entities and 100% for non-profit entities. Total budget approximately EUR 28-31 million for 4 projects (~EUR 7-7.75M each). Deadline 23 September 2026. The Mission Ocean has a broader 2026-2027 Work Programme with 5 total topics for 2026.

Historical Context

Previous Mission Ocean calls in 2024 included HORIZON-MISS-2024-OCEAN-02-01 (Community-led actions, deadline Oct 2024, now closed) and HORIZON-MISS-2025-03-OCEAN-02 (Marine plastics toolbox, also closed). The 2026 Source-to-Sea call is a new topic not previously funded. Mission Ocean runs through 2027 with annual calls expected.

Why it was added

dana-enricher-api-eu-ft-2026-04-20

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