Restoring Ocean and Waters in Regions
Horizon Europe Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030 – Place-based and people-centred restoration of coastal and riparian areas
Funding Amount
€15.0M - €15.0M
Deadline
24/09/2025
Eligible Organization Types
Non-profit, Public Institution
Trusted by
What is the Restoring Ocean and Waters in Regions Call?
Grant Description
This call supports innovation actions that engage and support regional authorities in demonstrating and accelerating systemic, place-based and people-centered restoration solutions for coastal and riparian areas. Projects will test and demonstrate nature-based, land-sea continuum and transboundary solutions to protect and restore marine and freshwater ecosystems, eliminate pollution, and make the blue economy carbon-neutral and circular. They must involve regional and competent authorities, take...
Required Results for Successful Funding
Expected Outcomes
- Direct engagement and empowerment of regional authorities in driving and accelerating coastal and riparian restoration transitions
• Measurable, quantifiable and verifiable progress towards one or more interlinked 2030 Mission targets through well-managed place-based and people-centred actions
• Increased readiness of regional and competent authorities to test, deploy and upscale systemic innovative restoration solutions, leveraging their own programmes and resources
• Growth in the number of authorities enacting concrete measures to restore ecosystems, eliminate pollution and advance carbon-neutral, circular blue-economy practices in line with EU legislation
• Enhanced resilience of coastal and riparian communities to extreme climate events and sea-level rise
• Leveraged public and private investments at regional level for ecosystem restoration, pollution prevention and a carbon-neutral, circular blue economy
• Measurable, quantifiable and verifiable progress towards one or more interlinked 2030 Mission targets through well-managed place-based and people-centred actions
• Increased readiness of regional and competent authorities to test, deploy and upscale systemic innovative restoration solutions, leveraging their own programmes and resources
• Growth in the number of authorities enacting concrete measures to restore ecosystems, eliminate pollution and advance carbon-neutral, circular blue-economy practices in line with EU legislation
• Enhanced resilience of coastal and riparian communities to extreme climate events and sea-level rise
• Leveraged public and private investments at regional level for ecosystem restoration, pollution prevention and a carbon-neutral, circular blue economy
Funded areas
Scope Requirements
- Demonstration activities in at least 8 distinct regions, with a minimum of 2 regions in each of the four sea and river basins: Atlantic and Arctic, Mediterranean, Baltic and North Sea, and Danube (including Black Sea)
• Solutions must target one or more of: (a) marine/freshwater ecosystem and biodiversity restoration (EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030, Nature Restoration Regulation); (b) pollution prevention and elimination (Zero Pollution Action Plan); (c) sustainable blue economy carbon neutrality and circularity (European Climate Law, Sustainable Blue Economy Strategy)
• Place-based, people-centred systemic transitions covering all Mission objectives and enablers, across all lighthouses
• Emphasis on nature-based solutions, land–sea interaction and transboundary actions
• Address resilience of coastal and riparian communities to climate extremes, sea-level rise and water resilience challenges
• Projects must assess impacts and acceptance; identify, test and adapt innovative solutions; actively involve citizens; develop new funding approaches; monitor with measurable metrics; and facilitate synergies with R&I programmes
• Support for relevant EU legislation implementation (WFD, MSFD, Nature Restoration Regulation) and existing local/regional mechanisms (contracts, ICZM)
• Proposals must identify additional regions for replication and analyse barriers to scale-up and transferability
• Encourage formal pooling of regional/competent authority resources and synergies with other funding instruments via Cooperation Working Arrangements
• Build on preceding EU/national projects and establish links with specific Mission calls and research infrastructures
• Include mechanisms and resources to liaise with Lighthouse CSAs and the Mission Implementation Platform
• Solutions must target one or more of: (a) marine/freshwater ecosystem and biodiversity restoration (EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030, Nature Restoration Regulation); (b) pollution prevention and elimination (Zero Pollution Action Plan); (c) sustainable blue economy carbon neutrality and circularity (European Climate Law, Sustainable Blue Economy Strategy)
• Place-based, people-centred systemic transitions covering all Mission objectives and enablers, across all lighthouses
• Emphasis on nature-based solutions, land–sea interaction and transboundary actions
• Address resilience of coastal and riparian communities to climate extremes, sea-level rise and water resilience challenges
• Projects must assess impacts and acceptance; identify, test and adapt innovative solutions; actively involve citizens; develop new funding approaches; monitor with measurable metrics; and facilitate synergies with R&I programmes
• Support for relevant EU legislation implementation (WFD, MSFD, Nature Restoration Regulation) and existing local/regional mechanisms (contracts, ICZM)
• Proposals must identify additional regions for replication and analyse barriers to scale-up and transferability
• Encourage formal pooling of regional/competent authority resources and synergies with other funding instruments via Cooperation Working Arrangements
• Build on preceding EU/national projects and establish links with specific Mission calls and research infrastructures
• Include mechanisms and resources to liaise with Lighthouse CSAs and the Mission Implementation Platform
Additional Conditions for Applicants
Special Conditions
- Strong encouragement for full partnership of regional authorities (NUTS 2/3 legal entities responsible for sub-national management)
• Demonstration activities must cover specified sea/river basins and minimum regional counts
• Use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS data/services mandatory for satellite-based earth observation
• Compliance with Horizon Europe admissibility, eligibility, financial and operational capacity, and evaluation conditions (General Annexes A–G)
• Proposals must adhere to FAIR data principles and EU open-data initiatives (EMODnet, EOSC, Digital Twin Ocean)
• Mandatory alignment with relevant EU frameworks: WFD, MSFD, Nature Restoration Regulation, Zero Pollution Action Plan, Climate Law
• Inclusion of formal Cooperation Working Arrangements to pool EU structural/cohesion or LIFE funds
• Requirement to leverage public and private investments at regional level
• Obligation to establish operational links with Lighthouse Coordination and Support Actions and the Mission Implementation Platform
• Mandatory referencing of previous relevant projects (Horizon 2020/Europe, EMFAF, INTERREG, LIFE) and related Mission calls
• Proposals to include mapping/assessment of habitat condition if lacking sufficient prior knowledge
• Demonstration activities must cover specified sea/river basins and minimum regional counts
• Use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS data/services mandatory for satellite-based earth observation
• Compliance with Horizon Europe admissibility, eligibility, financial and operational capacity, and evaluation conditions (General Annexes A–G)
• Proposals must adhere to FAIR data principles and EU open-data initiatives (EMODnet, EOSC, Digital Twin Ocean)
• Mandatory alignment with relevant EU frameworks: WFD, MSFD, Nature Restoration Regulation, Zero Pollution Action Plan, Climate Law
• Inclusion of formal Cooperation Working Arrangements to pool EU structural/cohesion or LIFE funds
• Requirement to leverage public and private investments at regional level
• Obligation to establish operational links with Lighthouse Coordination and Support Actions and the Mission Implementation Platform
• Mandatory referencing of previous relevant projects (Horizon 2020/Europe, EMFAF, INTERREG, LIFE) and related Mission calls
• Proposals to include mapping/assessment of habitat condition if lacking sufficient prior knowledge
Important dates
Open from: 07/05/2025
Deadline:24/09/2025
Application period has ended
Win your grant with Cogrant
How cogrant works
Smart Funding Fit Check
Instantly know if your project fits call criteria. Our system highlights strengths, gaps, and risks, so you only apply when your chances are real.
Intelligent Research Engine
Our research engine digs deeper than any founder could alone. It pulls data about your company, your market, and even your competitors - giving your proposal an edge backed by facts, not fluff.
Full Proposal Development
Our system builds your entire proposal from start to finish, ensuring every section is complete, coherent, and crafted to the highest quality. You focus on your vision — we deliver the winning document.
Expert Review
Our experts run a complete review before delivery, ensuring your draft proposal is accurate, well-structured, and polished. You’ll receive a high-quality draft that’s ready for your final touches before submission.
Our Numbers
Results that speak for themselves
70+
proposals prepared
€36.7M
total funding secured for clients
65%
win rate in highly competitive calls