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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

Core Objective: Develop and demonstrate a 'toolbox' for public authorities to effectively address marine plastic and litter pollution using a river-to-ocean approach, aiming for significant reduction of plastic in European waters.
Target Recipient Type: Primarily public authorities, public service providers, and local/regional authorities, who are expected to use and replicate the developed solutions.
Grant is SECTOR-SPECIFIC: Focuses on environmental protection, marine and freshwater ecosystems, and pollution control.
Geographic Scope: Projects must focus on one of four specific European sea/river basins: 1) Atlantic and Arctic, 2) Mediterranean, 3) Baltic and North Sea, or 4) Danube River basin (including Black Sea).
Key Filtering Criteria: Proposals must address marine plastic and litter pollution, demonstrate practical solutions from land-to-river-to-sea, involve public authorities, and operate within one of the specified European basins.
Grant Program Context: This is a 2025 call under the Horizon Europe 'Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030' Mission, falling within its 'development and piloting' phase (2022-2025), with a view towards 'deployment and upscaling' (2026-2030).

Financial Structure

Total Budget for Topic (HORIZON-MISS-2025-03-OCEAN-02): €22,000,000 for the year 2025.
Expected Number of Grants: 4.
Individual Grant Range: Minimum €4,500,000, maximum €5,500,000 per grant.
Financial Support to Third Parties: Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties. This support can only be in the form of grants.
Eligible Third Parties for Financial Support: Only local and/or regional authorities/public bodies located in EU Member States or Associated Countries.
Maximum Amount per Third Party: €100,000 per third party, provided only once for the entire duration of the project.
Purpose of Third-Party Funding: To showcase the effectiveness of the toolbox and develop a replication plan for its uptake in an 'associated region'.
Eligible Costs: Costs related to marine litter monitoring and data collection (following MSFD guidelines), development of suitable and cost-effective innovative solutions for plastic litter removal, and measures for societal engagement and prevention.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Type and Location

Eligible Organization Types: Local and/or regional authorities/public bodies established by national law and governed by public law are explicitly mentioned as eligible for financial support to third parties, indicating their central role. Broader participation by other entities in a consortium is implied, as long as they are located in EU Member States or Associated Countries.
Geographic Requirements: Applicant organizations must be located in EU Member States or Associated Countries. Projects must demonstrate use-cases in at least three different countries per chosen basin.

Project Specifics

Focus Area: Proposals must explicitly identify and address only one of the following European basins: Atlantic and Arctic, Mediterranean, Baltic and North Sea, or Danube River basin (including Black Sea).
Data Compliance: If projects collect in-situ data and marine observations, beneficiaries must make this data openly available through the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) based on FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles.
Satellite Data Use: If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation, and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS.

Application Process

Application Deadline: 2025-09-24 00:00:00+00.
Submission Procedure: Single-stage submission process.
Submission Platform: Applications must be submitted via the Funding & Tenders Portal's Electronic Submission Service.
Required Documentation: Applicants should use the Standard Application Form (HE RIA, IA).
Pre-application Requirements: Authentication is required for the submission service (e.g., EU Login account).

Project Timeline and Reporting

Grant Duration Parameters: Projects are expected to show how their activities will achieve Mission objectives by 2025 (development and piloting phase) and 2030 (deployment and upscaling phase).
Progress Tracking: Continuous sharing of outcomes and knowledge with 'associated regions' and provision of technical assistance to build capacity and implement the developed approach.

Application Assistance and Support

Available Support: A range of support services are available including the Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, CEN-CENELEC and ETSI Research Helpdesks, and Partner Search tools.

Evaluation Criteria

Award Criteria

Balanced Portfolio: Grants will be awarded not only in order of ranking, but at least one proposal that is the highest ranked within each of the four sea basins (Atlantic and Arctic, Mediterranean, Baltic and North Sea, Danube River basin including Black Sea) will be selected, provided all thresholds are met.

Expected Outcomes and Impact

Public Authority Empowerment: Contribution to public authorities and stakeholders having access to a comprehensive toolbox to address marine plastic litter.
Pollution Reduction: Measurable contributions to reducing plastic litter pollution in European rivers and seas, aligning with the Mission's 50% plastic reduction target and EU Zero Pollution targets.
Innovative Solutions: Accelerated uptake of innovative solutions for preventing and removing litter.
Enhanced Knowledge: Contribution to enhanced knowledge on marine litter, in line with MSFD Technical Group guidelines.
Digital Twin Ocean Contribution: Contribution to the Mission's Digital Ocean and Water Knowledge system through marine observations and open data sharing. If digital tools are developed, they must ensure interoperability with the EU Digital Twin of the Ocean and storage in its digital platform.

Project Quality and Implementation

Comprehensive Toolbox: The main deliverable should be a toolbox providing evidence-based data, information on sources, pathways, and impacts, and a set of demonstrated, sustainable, and environmentally sound removal solutions and prevention measures.
Use-Case Demonstration: Effectiveness and efficiency of the toolbox must be demonstrated through at least 3 use-cases in three different countries per chosen basin, involving different users (e.g., regional authorities, municipalities, waterbody managers).
Societal Engagement: Inclusion of measures to engage society and relevant industrial sectors (e.g., fishing industry) to prevent plastic litter from reaching the sea, including good practices, awareness campaigns, and waste management.
Cross-Border Cooperation: Activities are expected to enhance cross-border cooperation and coordination at national, regional, and local levels.
Replication Potential: Projects must work with and engage at least 3 'associated regions' (local/regional authorities/public bodies) to showcase the effectiveness of the toolbox and develop a replication plan for its uptake. The selection process for these third parties must be outlined.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory and Ethical Compliance

Policy Alignment: Projects must align with EU policies such as the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030, Nature Restoration Law, EU Action Plan Towards Zero Pollution for Air, Water and Soil, European Climate Law, and the Communication on a new approach for a Sustainable Blue Economy.
Data Protection and Open Science: If collecting in-situ data and marine observations, beneficiaries must make them openly available through EMODnet based on FAIR principles.
Technical Standards: Use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS is mandatory for projects using satellite-based Earth observation, positioning, navigation, or timing data.

Specific Project Requirements

Interoperability: If digital tools are developed, they must be interoperable with the EU Digital Twin of the Ocean and stored on its digital platform.
Cooperation Expectations: Projects are expected to cooperate and exchange with other relevant projects funded under the Mission Ocean and Waters (e.g., HORIZON-MISS-2022-OCEAN-01-04), the Plastic Pirates project, WATER4ALL partnership, relevant Interreg projects, and specific Horizon-CL6 and HORIZON-CL4 projects mentioned.
Associated Regions Scheme: The involvement of 'associated regions' (local/regional authorities/public bodies) through Financial Support to Third Parties is a key element. These regions should not already be involved in the project's direct use cases, and projects must proactively engage them, share outcomes, and provide technical assistance.
Regional Specificities: Activities should be tailored to address the specificities of the chosen European sea/river basin.
Outermost Regions: Cooperation with the EU Outermost Regions is encouraged, leveraging their natural assets and unique contexts.

Grant Details