European Science Foundation — Blue Action (Atlantic-Arctic Ocean Research)

Enriched Impact Investor · Found: 2026-03-10 14:33

European Science Foundation Blue Action initiative funds research on Atlantic-Arctic ocean interactions and climate impacts. Supports scientific understanding needed for evidence-based ocean conservation investment.

Source: https://esf.org/blueactionaa

Funding Details

Funder

European Science Foundation

Funding Goal

Mobilise and engage communities in the Atlantic and Arctic regions to restore and protect marine and freshwater ecosystems. Supports community-led pilot actions implementing innovative solutions aligned with the EU Mission 'Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030', including preventing and eliminating pollution, restoring marine and freshwater biodiversity, and making the sustainable blue economy carbon-neutral and circular. Also supports transition agenda development with strategic roadmaps, policy recommendations, and innovative regulatory frameworks.

Funding Amount

Cascading grants; total project budget EUR 12,499,786. Individual grant amounts not specified.

Deadline

Rolling / multiple calls; project period September 2025 - August 2029 (Rolling)

How to Apply

Applications via the ESF BlueActionAA cascade funding platform (https://esf.org/blueactionaa). Multiple open calls: Community-Led Pilot Action Call and Transition Agenda Calls.

Target Region

Atlantic and Arctic basins (EU Mission Ocean and Waters geographic scope)

Contact

Mariette Vandermersch, Mission Coordinator, European Science Foundation

Last Checked

2026-05-07 07:15

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Community-led or consortium approach required

Project Scope

• Must target the Atlantic or Arctic basin region
• Project must address at least one EU Mission 'Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030' objective
• Eligible activities: piloting/implementing innovative restoration solutions or developing transition agendas

Required Documents

• Apply via the ESF BlueActionAA dedicated cascade funding platform

Constraints

• Technical assistance and capacity-building support available alongside cascade grant
• Project runs September 2025 to August 2029; multiple rolling calls

Summary

BlueActionAA is a Horizon Europe-funded initiative (2025-2029) coordinated by the Marine Institute with the European Science Foundation (ESF) managing cascade funding. It aims to mobilise communities across the Atlantic and Arctic regions to restore and protect marine and freshwater ecosystems, in support of the EU Mission 'Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030'. The thematic scope covers three interconnected EU Mission objectives: (1) protecting and restoring marine and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity in line with the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030; (2) preventing and eliminating pollution of the ocean, seas and waters in line with the EU Zero Pollution Action Plan; and (3) making the sustainable blue economy carbon-neutral and circular in line with the Sustainable Blue Economy Strategy. Priority areas include community-led ecosystem restoration, innovative solutions for marine and freshwater systems, and strategic transition agenda development. Eligible activities under the Community-Led Pilot Action Call include piloting or implementing innovative solutions targeting one or more Mission objectives in Atlantic and Arctic basins. Grantees receive both financial support (cascading grants) and technical assistance and capacity-building resources. The Transition Agenda Calls support development of strategic roadmaps, evidence-based policy recommendations, and innovative regulatory frameworks for sustainable blue economy development. Geographic scope is the Atlantic and Arctic basins, consistent with the EU Mission's focus on European ocean regions. Eligible applicants include organisations and consortia with community-focused approaches to marine and freshwater restoration. Project partners include Marine Institute (coordinator), ESF, SINTEF Ocean, Syddansk Universitet, NIVA, University of Aveiro, Atlantic International Research Centre, and PLOCAN. Total project budget is EUR 12,499,786.

Historical Context

BlueActionAA is a Horizon Europe-funded project (Grant ID 101215504) under topic HORIZON-MISS-2024-OCEAN-02-01. Project runs September 2025 to August 2029.

Why it was added

European foundation funding ocean research programs relevant to conservation evidence base

Sources

• https://esf.org/blueactionaa

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