Horizon Europe: Deep Sea Ecosystems Conservation (CL6-2026-BIODIV-03)

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Enriched EU · Found: 2026-03-10 20:40

Pushing frontier of knowledge and conservation action for deep sea ecosystems. RIA, EUR 18M budget, ~EUR 9M per project. Opens 17 Apr 2026, deadline 17 Sep 2026.

Source: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/horizon-cl6-2026-01-biodiv-03

Funding Details

Funder: European Commission - Horizon Europe Cluster 6
Funding Goal: Push the frontier of knowledge and conservation action for deep sea ecosystems, including habitat mapping, biodiversity inventory, ecosystem functioning assessment, and management tools. Fill knowledge gaps in deep sea biodiversity, develop advanced monitoring technologies, establish baselines, assess anthropogenic impacts, and propose conservation scenarios for deep sea areas.
Funding Amount: Approximately EUR 9M per project, total budget EUR 18M (approx. 2 projects expected) (9.000.000 € – 9.000.000 €)
Deadline: 2026-09-17 (Fixed)
How to Apply: Submit via EU Funding and Tenders Portal (ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders). Call opens 17 April 2026, deadline 17 September 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time. Single-stage submission. Register on the portal, complete application form, submit Part B technical description.
Target Region: Global scope with emphasis on EU/European sea basins and BBNJ areas beyond national jurisdiction
Contact: EU Research Enquiry Service via ec.europa.eu/research/enquiries
Last Checked: 2026-03-15 14:09

Application Checklist

Eligibility

Consortium of minimum 3 independent legal entities from 3 different EU/Associated Countries required
Research institutions, universities, NGOs, SMEs, and public bodies are eligible
Legal entities from China are excluded from participation

Project Scope

Project must address deep sea ecosystem knowledge gaps and conservation
Must include monitoring/observation component and multidisciplinary approach
Foresee cooperation with EC Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity (KCBD)

Required Documents

Standard Horizon Europe application forms via EU Funding & Tenders Portal
Technical proposal Part B, data management plan, ethics self-assessment required

Constraints

Call opens April 17, 2026 - submission possible from that date
Target TRL not defined for RIA - fundamental research expected

Summary

The Horizon Europe topic HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-BIODIV-03 funds Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) to push the frontier of knowledge and conservation action for deep sea ecosystems. The total budget is approximately EUR 18M, expecting around 2 funded projects at approximately EUR 9M each. The call is forthcoming, opening on 17 April 2026 with a deadline of 17 September 2026. Thematically, the topic addresses the deep sea as the least explored biome on Earth, representing 90% of ocean volume. Priority research areas include filling geographical gaps in habitat mapping, species inventory, genetic diversity, ecological functioning and food webs in the bathypelagic and abyssopelagic zones. Research should develop imaging, acoustic, multi-omics, genomics, and taxonomic technologies for deep sea species identification, establish biodiversity baselines, assess cumulative impacts from climate change and anthropogenic stressors including underwater noise, and propose adaptive management approaches for prioritised deep sea areas. Eligible activities include fundamental and applied marine science, technology development for deep sea monitoring, field expeditions, biodiversity data collection and analysis, ecosystem modelling, stakeholder engagement for management recommendations, and contribution to global biodiversity frameworks including the BBNJ Agreement and Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The geographic scope is primarily European sea basins but international cooperation is encouraged, particularly for deep sea areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ). Eligible applicants are legal entities in EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries, forming consortia of at least 3 independent entities from 3 different countries. Research institutions, universities, NGOs, SMEs, and public bodies are eligible. Legal entities established in China are excluded. Consortium must include marine science experts. Proposals must foresee cooperation with the EC Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity (KCBD) and contribute data to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).

Historical Context

Part of Horizon Europe 2026-2027 Work Programme, Cluster 6 Call 01. This is a forthcoming call in the same series as CL6-2025-01 calls.

Why it was added

EU Round 8 EU2: Horizon deep sea conservation 2026

Sources

https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/horizon-cl6-2026-01-biodiv-03

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