The BlueActionBANOS project is officially setting sail to empower communities across the Baltic and North Sea (BANOS) region to restore their local marine and aquatic environments.
This four-year initiative is a core part of the EU’s Mission "Restore Our Ocean and Waters by 2030". Our goal is to put local stakeholders at the heart of the solution by providing the necessary funding, technical support, and expert guidance to combat pollution, restore ecosystems, and accelerate a transition toward a carbon-neutral, circular blue economy.
Are you a local public or private actor, NGO, company, or research organisation in the blue economy sector looking to drive concrete actions for pollution reduction, ecosystem restoration, or blue economy practices? Learn about the BlueActionBANOS (BAB) project team and its Open Calls for Community-Led Actions and first Transition Agendas.
The Open Calls launch on 28 November 2025, and close on 29 May 2026. Deadline for submitting project idea forms: 16 March 2025
Join the upcoming webinars to learn more about the calls:
- Technical Webinar 2: 15 January 2026 at 14:00 CET
- Technical Webinar 3: 5 February 2026 at 14:00 CET
- Inspirational webinar 2: 18 February 2026, at 14:00 CET
What kind of support is offered?
Community-Led Actions Open Call
This call is designed for ambitious, multi-partner projects that will scale up and deploy established solutions piloted in the early stages of the Mission Ocean within the BANOS Lighthouse Area.
- Funding Available: Grants ranging from €200,000 to €2 million per project.
- Target: We plan to support between 5 and 15 Community-Led Actions in total.
- Eligibility: Consortia of 2–12 entities (e.g., NGOs, local authorities, professional associations, educational institutions, research organisations, companies).
- Focus: Projects must tackle pollution, restore marine or freshwater ecosystems, or advance sustainable blue economy solutions.
- Application Process: A two-step submission beginning with a Project Idea Form and followed by Full Proposal development.
- Duration: Projects will be supported for 24 months.
Learn more about community-led actions
1st Transition Agendas Open Call
This call is for foundational planning and strategic development at the local level.
- Funding Available: Grants of up to €100,000 per project.
- Target: In this Open Call, we aim to support around 10 projects to develop strategic Transition Agendas.
- Eligibility: Individual entities or consortia of up to 3 entities (e.g., NGOs, local authorities, professional associations, educational institutions, research organisations, companies).
- Focus: Designing detailed Transition Agendas - action plans guiding local sustainability, marine or freshwater ecosystem restoration, decarbonisation and and climate adaptation pathways aligned with EU’s Mission Ocean goals.
- Duration: Projects will be supported for 18 months.
Learn more about transition agendas
Beyond financial grants, BlueActionBANOS provides:
- Technical Assistance: Tailored guidance leveraging the expertise of our 19-partner consortium.
- Knowledge-Sharing: Access to best practices and advanced tools from the wider Mission Ocean ecosystem.
- Strategic Engagement: Resources to equip blue economy stakeholders to address complex environmental challenges at local, regional, and national levels.
Are you ready to apply?
We are seeking proposals from: Regional and local authorities, NGOs, foundations, professional associations, educational establishments, locally-based companies, and research performing organisations.
Eligible applicants must be based in EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries at the time of application. Eligible countries include: Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Sweden. Applicants from other EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Countries outside the BANOS area may be eligible in special cases, where justified.
We are waiting for your application, check the details! Deadline: 29 May 2026, 14:00!
