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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

The core objective of this grant is to develop specific, user-driven digital twin ocean applications that rely on and contribute to the EU Digital Twin Ocean (DTO) core infrastructure (EDITO). These applications should support sustainable ocean management. - Target recipients: Organizations involved in research, innovation, technology development, and marine/maritime sectors, including businesses, public authorities, and scientific bodies. - SECTOR-SPECIFIC: Focuses on marine and maritime applications. - Geographic scope: European Union and Associated Countries, with applications needing to be demonstrated in at least 3 different sea basins and covering at least one use-case in each of the four EU sea basins (Atlantic/Arctic, Baltic/North Sea, Mediterranean, Danube/Black Sea). - Key filtering criteria: Focus on Digital Twin Ocean applications, relevance to sustainable ocean management, specific geographic demonstration requirements, and contribution to the EDITO core infrastructure. - Grant frequency: This is part of the 2025 work programme under Horizon Europe's Mission 'Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030', indicating a recurring program context.

Financial Structure

Total Budget for Topic HORIZON-MISS-2025-03-OCEAN-08: 12,000,000 EUR.
Minimum Grant Amount per project: 6,000,000 EUR.
Maximum Grant Amount per project: 6,000,000 EUR.
Number of Expected Grants: 2.
Currency: EUR.
Funding Rate: Not specified in the provided documents (typically high for Horizon Europe Innovation Actions, but applicants should check the full Work Programme General Annexes).
Co-financing/Matching Fund Requirements: Not explicitly detailed, but co-financing is standard for Innovation Actions in Horizon Europe. Applicants should consult the general Horizon Europe Work Programme Annexes for specific percentages.
Eligible and Ineligible Costs: Not detailed in the provided information. Refer to the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Model Grant Agreements.
Payment Schedule and Mechanisms: Not detailed. Refer to the Model Grant Agreements (HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based).
Financial Reporting Requirements: Not detailed. Refer to the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Model Grant Agreements.
Indirect Cost Policies: Not detailed. Refer to the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, which typically specify a flat rate for indirect costs.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Eligibility

Eligible Organization Types: While not exhaustively defined, 'Innovation Actions' under Horizon Europe are typically open to:
Private companies (e.g., SMEs, large enterprises)
Public bodies
Research organizations (e.g., universities, research institutes)
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
Other legal entities contributing to research and innovation.
Geographic Location Requirements: Eligible countries are defined in Annex B of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. This generally includes:
All EU Member States (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden)
Associated Countries (as listed in relevant Annexes, not provided in this document).
Consortium Requirements: A 'multi-actor approach' and demonstration across multiple sea basins strongly imply that proposals are expected to be submitted by consortia.
Technical Expertise Requirements: Proposals must demonstrate capacity in:
Digital twin development
Numerical modeling
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
High-performance computing (HPC)
Data management (especially FAIR principles)
Infrastructure Requirements: Projects must develop applications directly into the EU Digital Twin Ocean core infrastructure (EDITO) and leverage data and services from EMODnet, European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), Copernicus Marine, and associated Member State Coastal Systems (MSCS). If satellite-based earth observation is used, Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS must be utilized. If in-situ data/marine observations are collected, they must be made openly available through EMODnet based on FAIR principles.
Exclusion Criteria: Standard Horizon Europe exclusion criteria apply (financial and operational capacity, ethical compliance).

Application Process

Application Deadlines and Submission

Application Deadline: 2025-09-24 00:00:00+00.
Submission System Availability: The submission session is available since 2025-05-07.
Submission Procedure: Single-stage evaluation process.
Submission Format: Proposals must be submitted via the online Submission System, using the standard application form for 'HE RIA, IA' actions.

Required Documentation and Materials

Proposal Page Limit and Layout: Described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, and Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.
Application Form Templates: Standard application form (HE RIA, IA) specific to this call is available.
Supporting Materials: Applicants may need to consult:
HE Main Work Programme 2023–2025 – General Introduction, Missions, General Annexes
HE Programme Guide
HE Framework Programme 2021/695
HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment, and Financial Capacity Assessment.

Evaluation and Selection

Evaluation Criteria: Described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Scoring and Thresholds: Described in Annex D.
Submission and Evaluation Processes: Described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
Indicative Timeline for Evaluation and Grant Agreement: Described in Annex F.

Application Assistance and Support

Online Manual: Guide on procedures from proposal submission to grant management.
Horizon Europe Programme Guide: Detailed guidance on structure, budget, and political priorities.
Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ: Answers to frequently asked questions.
Research Enquiry Service: For general questions about European research.
National Contact Points (NCPs): Guidance, practical information, and assistance on participation.
Enterprise Europe Network (EEN): Advice for businesses, especially SMEs.
IT Helpdesk: For technical issues with the Funding & Tenders Portal.
European IPR Helpdesk: Assistance on intellectual property issues.
CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk: Advice on standardisation in project proposals.
Partner Search: Available to help find partner organizations.

Post-Award Requirements and Compliance

Grant Duration Parameters: Project activities and results are expected to achieve Mission objectives by 2025 for the 'development and piloting' phase and by 2030 for the 'deployment and upscaling' phase.
Reporting Schedule and Frequency: Not explicitly detailed, but common for EU grants. Projects must share and disseminate results according to FAIR principles.

Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation and award criteria are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. While the detailed criteria are not provided, typical factors for 'Innovation Actions' and the specific topic scope suggest: Scientific and Technical Excellence

Quality and credibility of the proposed DTO applications and their underlying scientific methodology.
Extent to which the proposed activities build on and contribute to the EDITO core infrastructure, including enriching data, models, and services (e.g., biogeochemical, ecosystem marine, integrated coastal models).
Ambition and innovation in transforming available knowledge into actionable information.
Integration of advanced technologies like AI, gaming interfaces, and virtual reality for interactive visualization tools.
Robustness of data assimilation processes and interconnections between models (including land use, hydrological, and marine models in a source-to-sea perspective).
Adequacy of model resolution to application requirements and quantification of data impact on application quality.

Impact and Sustainability

Expected contribution to the Mission 'Restore our ocean and waters by 2030' objectives (protecting/restoring ecosystems, preventing pollution, circular blue economy).
Potential to support decision-making for sustainability, efficiency, effectiveness, and durability under various future scenarios (climate change, anthropogenic pressures).
Demonstrated usability at different geographical scales and for diverse users (policy, industry, civil society).
Effectiveness of stakeholder engagement and co-creation along the marine knowledge value chain, ensuring ownership and relevance.
Commitment to open data, open source, and public-use models and algorithms with open-source licensing.
Contribution to FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) dataflows and best practices.
Alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goals, specifically SDG 14 (Life below water), SDG 6 (Clean water and sanitation), and SDG 13 (Climate action).

Quality and Efficiency of Implementation

Soundness of the project plan, including feasibility and clear timelines for key milestones and deliverables.
Quality assurance processes and appropriate quality labelling for all development steps, including characterisation and communication of uncertainties.
Adequacy of resources and clear definition of roles and responsibilities within the multi-actor consortium.
Complementarity and synergies with other relevant EU, national, or regional programmes (e.g., EMFF/EMFAF, LIFE, ERDF) and private funds.
Effective management of intellectual property policies aligned with open science principles.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance Requirements

EU Legislation Alignment: Applications must address policy or regulatory implementation, including:
Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) at regional and national levels (multi-descriptor approach, effective measures for Good Environmental Status (GES)).
Maritime Spatial Planning Directive (MSPD) (environmental, social, economic, policy considerations, climate change impacts).
Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) (assessment of Essential Fish Habitats, Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems, sustainability of fisheries sector).
EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030 and Nature Restoration Law.

Data and Digital Requirements

FAIR Principles: All actions are expected to share and disseminate their results according to FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles.
Open Data/Source Mandate: Proposals must favor open data, open source, and public-use models and algorithms with open-source licensing.
Direct Integration with EDITO: Applications must be developed directly into the EU Digital Twin Ocean core infrastructure (EDITO).
Leveraging Existing Data Services: Proposals should leverage data and services from EMODnet, European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), Copernicus Marine, and associated Member State Coastal Systems (MSCS).
Satellite Data Usage: If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation, or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS.
In-situ Data Availability: If projects collect in-situ data and marine observations, beneficiaries must make them openly available through EMODnet, based on FAIR principles.

Ethical and Quality Standards

Quality Assurance: Appropriate quality assurance processes and quality labelling should accompany all steps of development, providing guarantees to end-users.
Uncertainty Communication: Characterisation and communication of uncertainties, particularly in the context of decision-making support.

Special Considerations

Co-creation: Proposals must involve end-users and implementing authorities in co-creation throughout the digital twin development process.
Multi-Sea Basin Demonstration: Projects must demonstrate usability in at least 3 different sea basins, covering at least one use-case in each of the 4 EU sea basins (Atlantic and Arctic, Baltic and North Sea, Mediterranean, Danube River and Black Sea).
Contribution to EDITO Development: Projects are expected to enrich the array of open data, models, and services provided by the EU DTO core infrastructure.
Collaboration Encouraged: Cooperation with actors like the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) on model scenarios is encouraged.
Building on Previous Outcomes: Proposals are expected to build on outcomes of EDITO-Infra and EDITO-Model Lab.

Grant Details