Horizon Europe Mission Ocean: Blue Forest Ecosystems Protection (2027)

Enriched EU · Found: 2026-03-10 20:40

Large-scale demonstration of protection, restoration and management of blue forest ecosystems in European sea basins. IA, EUR 15.9M budget, EUR 3.5-4M per project. Opens Feb 2027.

Source: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/horizon-miss-2027-03-ocean-05

Funding Details

Funder

European Commission - Horizon Europe

Funding Goal

To advance large-scale demonstration of protection, restoration and management of blue forest ecosystems (seagrass meadows, kelp forests, saltmarshes, mangroves, and other marine vegetated habitats). Projects should increase the area and improve the condition of marine and coastal vegetated habitats within EU waters, maintain and enhance the capacity of blue carbon ecosystems to store carbon, enhance their support of biodiversity and fisheries, establish novel financing and incentive mechanisms for blue carbon conservation, and raise public awareness.

Funding Amount

EUR 3,500,000 to EUR 3,975,000 per project; total call budget EUR 15,900,000 for 4 grants (3.500.000 € – 3.975.000 €)

Deadline

2027-09-21 (Fixed)

How to Apply

Single-stage submission via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal. Planned opening date: 9 February 2027. Deadline: 21 September 2027 at 17:00 Brussels time. Applications via https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/. Standard Horizon Europe Innovation Action application forms. Projects must cooperate with the relevant Mission Lighthouse Coordination and Support Actions (CSAs) and the Mission Implementation Platform.

Target Region

EU Member States and Associated Countries. Each proposal must focus on one of four Mission basins: (1) Atlantic and Arctic Sea, (2) Mediterranean Sea, (3) Baltic and North Sea, (4) Danube River basin including the Black Sea. Baltic/North Sea and Mediterranean basins are both included.

Contact

EU Funding and Tenders Portal Helpdesk: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/support/helpdesks

Last Checked

2026-05-07 06:18

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Consortium required; direct involvement of national/regional authorities and stakeholders strongly encouraged

Project Scope

• Proposal must address exactly one Mission basin (Atlantic/Arctic, Mediterranean, Baltic/North Sea, or Danube/Black Sea)
• Must address all four thematic pillars: protection/restoration, conservation/MPAs, innovative financing, and research/monitoring
• Continuity of ecological monitoring beyond project duration must be ensured

Required Documents

• Action plans and roadmaps for replication and upscaling must be developed by end of project
• Full application form (Part B) submitted via EU Funding and Tenders Portal

Constraints

• Projects must cooperate with the relevant Mission Lighthouse CSA and Mission Implementation Platform
• In-situ marine observation data must be made openly available through EMODnet
• If satellite data used, must use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS

Summary

The HORIZON-MISS-2027-03-OCEAN-05 topic is part of the Horizon Europe Mission 'Restore our Ocean and Waters' (2027 call) and funds Innovation Actions for large-scale demonstration of protection, restoration, and sustainable management of blue forest ecosystems — including seagrass meadows, kelp forests, saltmarshes, mangroves, and other marine vegetated coastal habitats — across European sea basins. Thematically, the call covers four interconnected pillars: (1) Protection and restoration activities targeting ecologically relevant, degraded marine and coastal habitats through active restoration (replanting, re-establishment, Invasive Alien Species prevention) and passive restoration (removal of environmental pressures); (2) Conservation efforts that support authorities in establishing and effectively managing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and EU Blue Parks; (3) Innovative financing mechanisms combining public and private funding, including scientifically assessed nature credits, carbon removal certification, and other blue carbon business models; (4) Research, monitoring, and community engagement using multi-sensor platforms for long-term monitoring of habitat conditions, restoration success, and ecosystem health. Eligible activities span the full restoration cycle: active replanting and habitat re-establishment, MPA management support, blue carbon financing mechanism design, ecological monitoring, stakeholder engagement, community education programmes, and policy recommendation development. Projects must embed monitoring into long-term observation networks such as EMODnet. Geographically, each proposal must address exactly one Mission basin: (1) Atlantic and Arctic Sea, (2) Mediterranean Sea, (3) Baltic and North Sea, or (4) Danube River basin including the Black Sea. Activities must be tailored to regional sea basin specificities. Eligible applicants are legal entities from EU Member States and Associated Countries. Consortia are required, with strong encouragement for national/regional authorities to participate as partners. Projects must collaborate with EU agencies, policymakers, researchers and NGOs. NGO involvement in the consortium is explicitly encouraged. The budget per project is EUR 3,500,000 to EUR 3,975,000, with 4 grants planned from a total call budget of EUR 15,900,000. The call opens 9 February 2027 with a deadline of 21 September 2027.

Historical Context

Part of the 2027 Horizon Europe Mission 'Restore our Ocean and Waters' call (HORIZON-MISS-2027-03), one of five topics within this call. Aligns with the EU Nature Restoration Regulation, EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030, EU Green Deal, Marine Strategy Framework Directive, and Common Fisheries Policy. The topic builds on previous EU-funded research projects under FP7 and Horizon 2020.

Why it was added

EU Round 8 EU2: Mission Ocean blue forest ecosystems

Sources

• https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/horizon-miss-2027-03-ocean-05

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