VELUX FONDEN — Call for Proposals: The North Sea Region as a Lighthouse for Sustainable Shipping

Enriched private-foundation · Found: 2026-05-06 17:10

Open call under VELUX FONDEN An Ocean in Balance grant area, Combating Marine Pollution programme. Deadline: 15 September 2026. Focus on sustainable shipping in the North Sea region. Open from 1 May 2026.

Source: https://veluxfonden.dk/en/group/channel/call-proposals-north-sea-region-lighthouse-sustainable-shipping

Funding Details

Funder

VELUX FONDEN

Funding Goal

Fund research and knowledge-building projects that develop solutions to critical challenges from shipping on marine ecosystems in the North Sea region, including cumulative pressure impacts, biodiversity loss, and governance frameworks that balance shipping's role in the green transition with ecological protection. The call seeks to position the North Sea region as a regional lighthouse for integrating biodiversity and climate goals in sustainable shipping.

Funding Amount

DKK 3 million minimum to DKK 10 million maximum per project (approx. EUR 400,000–1,340,000). Total call budget: DKK 29 million (approx. EUR 3.9 million). (400.000 € – 1.340.000 €)

Deadline

2026-09-15 (Fixed)

How to Apply

Full proposals submitted through the VELUX FONDEN online application portal (https://veluxfonden.dk/en/application-create/11827). Open for submissions from 1 May 2026. Deadline: 15 September 2026 at 14:00 CET. Initial administrative review by Secretariat followed by external expert panel assessment. Notifications to all applicants in December 2026.

Target Region

North Sea region, Western Baltic Sea, Danish EEZ

Contact

VELUX FONDEN, Tobaksvejen 10, 2860 Soeborg, Denmark. info@veluxfonden.dk, +45 39 57 09 57.

Last Checked

2026-05-06 23:58

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Lead applicant must be a university, academic institution, or equivalent knowledge organisation
• Projects must include partners from university or academic institutions if lead is non-academic

Project Scope

• Geographic focus: North Sea region and Western Baltic, including Danish EEZ
• Proposals must address at least some of the five overarching key themes on shipping impacts and governance

Required Documents

• Submit via VELUX FONDEN application portal by 15 September 2026, 14:00 CET
• Steering and/or advisory boards with relevant stakeholders are required

Constraints

• Project duration: 3–5 years; grant range DKK 3–10 million per project
• Larger budgets must cover more themes and justify cross-border collaboration

Summary

VELUX FONDEN's 'Call for Proposals: The North Sea Region as a Lighthouse for Sustainable Shipping' is an open competitive research grant call under the foundation's 'An Ocean in Balance' strategic area. The total call budget is DKK 29 million (approx. EUR 3.9 million), with individual grants ranging from DKK 3 million to DKK 10 million. The call opened 1 May 2026 with a submission deadline of 15 September 2026. Programme objectives are to expand knowledge on how shipping contributes to cumulative ecological pressure in the North Sea, and to develop management, mitigation, and governance tools that allow shipping's green transition to proceed without worsening biodiversity loss or marine pollution. The call explicitly bridges the climate decarbonisation and biodiversity agendas — a gap identified in current shipping governance frameworks. Thematic scope includes: (1) understanding shipping impacts and their cumulative contribution to ecosystem pressure now and in the future; (2) management and mitigation measures such as route changes, vessel speed reduction, alternative fuels, and port development; (3) governance and decision-support tools for marine spatial planning; (4) trade-offs and mitigation incentives for cumulative impacts. Research on offshore wind, carbon capture and storage (CCS) infrastructure, non-indigenous species, underwater noise, harmful discharges, and habitat disturbance are all in scope. Geographic scope is the North Sea region and Western Baltic, including the full Danish EEZ. Proposals crossing administrative and national boundaries are encouraged. The North Sea is characterised as one of Europe's most ecologically important and heavily trafficked maritime areas. Eligible applicants are universities, academic institutions, and equivalent knowledge organisations as lead applicant. Partners may include public authorities, industry actors, research institutions, and NGOs. In-kind contributions from relevant actors are welcomed. Collaboration across sectors and countries is strongly encouraged, and steering/advisory boards are required for stakeholder engagement. Project duration must be 3–5 years. Larger budgets must address more themes and demonstrate cross-border collaboration. An external panel of scientific and science-to-policy experts evaluates proposals against criteria including alignment, innovation, sustainable impact, stakeholder involvement, and collaborative capacity.

Historical Context

Part of VELUX FONDEN's 'An Ocean in Balance' grant area and its 'Combating Marine Pollution' programme. Call was informed by a VELUX FONDEN-commissioned Ramboll report on shipping's fit into NDCs and an international workshop 'The Future of Shipping at the Biodiversity-Climate Nexus' (World Maritime University, May 2024). The foundation has an active marine pollution grant portfolio since at least 2018.

Why it was added

discovered from funder #676: VELUX FONDEN Marine Litter — current open call found on current-calls page

Sources

• https://veluxfonden.dk/en/group/channel/call-proposals-north-sea-region-lighthouse-sustainable-shipping

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