HORIZON-MISS-2026-03-OCEAN-02: Addressing aquatic pollution and biodiversity loss through nature positive solutions from source to sea

HORIZON-MISS-2026-03-OCEAN-02: Addressing aquatic pollution and biodiversity loss through nature positive solutions from source to sea is sponsored by European Commission. Funds projects focusing on aquatic pollution and biodiversity loss, potentially relevant to harmful algal blooms.

Addressing aquatic pollution and biodiversity loss through nature positive solutions from source to sea Find EU-funding for your projects now! Search for Funding Search for programs Reset all filters Select the type of organisation that you are interested in to implement projects. The role of an organisation involved could by lead partner, regular project partner, associate partner, and observers.

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Selection of eligible entities Reset all EU Body An institution, body, office or agency established by or based on the Treaty on European Union and the Treaties establishing the European Communities. Education and training institution All education and training facilities for people of different age groups.

International organization An intergovernmental organization having legal personality under public international law or a specialized agency established by such an international organization. An international organization, the majority of whose members are Member States or Associated Countries and whose main objective is to promote scientific and technological cooperation in Europe, is an International Organization of European Interest.

Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) / Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) An NPO is an institution or organization which, by virtue of its legal form, is not profit-oriented or which is required by law not to distribute profits to its shareholders or individual members. An NGO is a non-governmental, non-profit organization that does not represent business interests. Pursues a common purpose for the benefit of society.

Other Private institution, incl. private company (private for profit) A partnership, corporation, person, or agency that is for-profit and not operated by the government. Public Body (national, regional and local; incl.

EGTCs) Any government or other public administration, including public advisory bodies, at the national, regional or local level. Research Institution incl. University A research institution is a legal entity established as a non-profit organization whose main objective is to conduct research or technological development.

A college/university is a legal entity recognized by its national education system as a university or college or secondary school. It may be a public or private institution. Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) A microenterprise, a small or medium-sized enterprise (business) as defined in EU Recommendation 2003/361 .

To qualify as an SME for EU funding, an enterprise must meet certain conditions, including (a) fewer than 250 employees and (b) an annual turnover not exceeding EUR 50 million and/or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding EUR 43 million. These ceilings apply only to the figures for individual companies.

Selection of eligible countries Reset all Belgium (Belgique/België) Bonaire, Saba, Sint Eustatius Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosna i Hercegovina / Босна и Херцеговина) Faeroes (Føroyar / Færøerne) French Polynesia (Polynésie française/Pōrīnetia Farāni) French Southern and Antarctic Lands (Terres australes et antarctiques françaises) Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat/Grønland) Israel (ישראל / إِسْرَائِيل) Kosovo (Kosova/Kosovë / Косово) New Caledonia (Nouvelle-Calédonie) North Macedonia (Северна Македонија) Saint Barthélemy (Saint-Barthélemy) Saint Pierre and Miquelon (Saint-Pierre et Miquelon) Switzerland (Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera) Wallis and Futuna (Wallis-et-Futuna) Selection of topics Reset all Administration & Governance, Institutional Capacity & Cooperation Administration & Governance, Institutional Capacity & Cooperation This topic focuses on strengthening governance, fostering institutional capacity, and enhancing cross-border cooperation.

It includes promoting multilevel, transnational, and cross-border governance by designing and testing effective structures and mechanisms, as well as encouraging collaboration between public institutions on various themes. Innovation capacity and awareness are also key, with actions aimed at increasing the ability of individuals and organizations to adopt and apply innovative practices.

This involves empowering innovation networks and stimulating innovation across different sectors. Institutional cooperation and network-building play a crucial role, supporting long-term partnerships to improve administrative processes, share regional knowledge, and promote intercultural understanding.

This also includes cooperation between universities, healthcare facilities, schools, sports organizations, and efforts in management and capacity building. Agriculture & Forestry, Fishery, Food, Soil quality This topic focuses on strengthening the agricultural, forestry, and fisheries sectors while ensuring sustainable development and environmental protection.

It covers agricultural products (e.g., fruits, meat, olives), organic farming, horticulture, and innovative approaches to sustainable agriculture. It also addresses forest management, wood products, and the promotion of biodiversity and climate resilience in forestry practices.

In the food sector, the focus lies on developing sustainable and resilient food chains, promoting organic food production, enhancing seafood products, and ensuring food security and safety. Projects also target the development of the agro-food industry, including innovative methods for production, processing, and distribution.

Fisheries and animal management are essential aspects, with an emphasis on sustainable fishery practices, aquaculture, and animal health and welfare. This also includes efforts to promote responsible fishing, marine conservation, and the development of efficient resource management systems. Soil and air quality initiatives play a crucial role in environmental protection and public health.

This includes projects aimed at combating soil and air pollution, implementing pollution management systems, and preventing soil erosion. Additionally, innovative approaches to improving air quality—both outdoors and indoors—are supported, alongside advancing knowledge and best practices in soil and air management.

Air Quality, Biodiversity & Environment, Climate & Climate Change, Water quality & management This topic focuses on protecting the environment, promoting biodiversity, and addressing the challenges of climate change and resource management. It includes efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change, develop low-carbon technologies, and reduce GHG emissions. Biodiversity promotion and natural protection are key aspects.

It also covers improving soil and air quality by reducing pollution, managing contamination, preventing soil erosion, and enhancing air quality both outdoors and indoors. Water management plays an essential role, including sustainable water distribution, monitoring systems, innovative wastewater treatment technologies, and water reuse policies.

Additionally, it addresses the protection and development of waterways, lakes, and rivers, as well as sustainable wetland management. Arts & Culture, Cultural Heritage, Tourism This topic focuses on preserving, promoting, and enhancing cultural and natural heritage in a sustainable way.

It includes efforts to increase the attractiveness of cultural and natural sites through preservation, valorisation, and the development of heritage objects, services, and products. Cultural heritage management, arts, and culture play a key role, including maritime heritage routes, access to cultural sites, and cultural services like festivals, concerts, and art workshops.

Tourism development is also central, with actions aimed at promoting natural assets, protecting and developing natural heritage, and increasing touristic appeal through the better use of cultural, natural, and historical heritage. It also covers the improvement of tourist services and products, the creation of ecotourism models, and the development of sustainable tourism strategies.

Circular Economy, Natural Resources This topic focuses on the sustainable management, protection, and valorisation of natural resources and areas, such as habitats, geo parks, and protected zones. It also includes preserving and enhancing cultural and natural heritage, landscapes, and protecting marine environments.

Circular economy initiatives play a key role, with actions aimed at innovative waste management, ecological treatment techniques, and advanced recycling systems. Projects may focus on improving recycling technologies, organic waste recovery, and establishing repair and re-use networks. Additionally, pollution prevention and control efforts address ecological economy practices, marine litter reduction, and sustainable resource use.

Competitiveness of Enterprises, Employment/Labour Market, SME & entrepreneurship This topic covers labour market development and employment, focusing on creating job opportunities, optimizing existing jobs, and addressing academic (un)employment and job mobility. It also includes attracting a skilled workforce and improving working conditions for various groups.

Strengthening small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and boosting entrepreneurship are key priorities. This includes enhancing SME capacities, supporting social entrepreneurship, and promoting innovative business models.

Activities may focus on creating advisory systems for start-ups, spin-offs, and incubators, fostering business networks, and improving the competitiveness of SMEs through knowledge and technology transfer, digital transformation, and sustainable business practices.

Demographic Change, European Citizenship, Migration This topic focuses on fostering community integration and strengthening a common identity by promoting social cohesion, positive relations, and the development of shared spaces and services. It supports initiatives that enhance intercultural understanding and cooperation between different societal groups.

Digitalisation, Digital Society, ICT All projects where ICT has a significant role, including tailor-made ICT solutions in different fields, as well as digital innovation hubs, open data, Internet of Things; ICT access and connecting (remote) areas with digital infrastructure and services; services and applications for citizens (e-health, e-government, e-learning, e-inclusion, etc.); services and applications for companies (e-commerce, networking, digital transformation, etc.).

Disaster Prevention, Resilience, Risk Management This is about the mitigation and management of risks and disasters, and the anticipation and response capacity towards the actors regarding specific risks and management of natural disasters, for example, prevention of flood and drought hazards, forest fire, strong weather conditions, etc.. It is also about risk assessment and safety.

Education & Training, Children & Youth, Media This topic focuses on enhancing education, training, and opportunities for children, youth, and adults. It covers the expansion of educational access, reduction of barriers to education, and improvement of higher education and lifelong learning. It also includes vocational education, common learning programs, and initiatives supporting labour mobility and educational networks.

Additionally, it addresses the promotion of media literacy, digital learning tools, and the development of innovative educational approaches to strengthen knowledge, skills, and societal participation. This topic emphasizes the role of culture and media in education and social development. It supports initiatives that foster creativity, cultural awareness, and artistic expression among children and youth.

Activities include promoting cross-border cooperation in the audiovisual sector, enhancing digital content creation skills, and boosting the distribution of educational and cultural media products. Furthermore, it encourages the development of media literacy initiatives, helping young audiences critically engage with digital and media content.

By connecting education, creativity, and media, this topic strengthens cultural identity and supports inclusive, knowledge-based societies. Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy This topic covers actions aimed at improving energy efficiency and promoting the use of renewable energy sources. It includes energy management, energy-saving methods, and evaluating energy efficiency measures.

Projects may focus on the energy rehabilitation and efficiency of buildings and public infrastructure, as well as promoting energy efficiency through cooperation among experienced firms, institutions, and local administrations. In the field of renewable energy, this encompasses the development and expansion of wind, solar, biomass, hydroelectric, geothermal, and other sustainable energy sources.

Activities include increasing renewable energy production, enhancing research capacities, and developing innovative technologies for energy storage and management. Projects may also address sustainable regional bioenergy policies, financial instruments for renewable energy investments, and the establishment of cooperative frameworks for advancing renewable energy initiatives.

Equal Rights, Human Rights, People with Disabilities, Social Inclusion This topic focuses on promoting equal rights and strengthening social inclusion, particularly for marginalized and vulnerable groups. It covers activities enhancing the capacity and participation of children, young people, women, elderly people, and socially excluded groups.

Activities can address the creation of inclusive infrastructure, improving access and opportunities for people with disabilities, and fostering social cohesion through innovative care services. It also includes initiatives supporting victims of gender-based violence, promoting human rights, and developing policies and tools for social integration and equal participation in society.

Health, Social Services, Sports This area focuses on improving health and social services, enhancing accessibility and efficiency for diverse groups such as the elderly, children, and people with disabilities. It includes the development of new healthcare models, innovative medical diagnostics and treatments (e.g., dementia, cancer, diabetes), and the management of hospitals and care facilities.

Additionally, activities addressing rare diseases, promoting overall wellbeing, and fostering preventive health measures fall under this theme. It also covers sports promotion, encouraging physical activity as a means to improve public health and social inclusion. Justice, Safety & Security This area focuses on strengthening justice, safety, and security through cross-border cooperation and institutional capacity-building.

It includes initiatives aimed at improving the efficiency and effectiveness of police, fire, and rescue services, enhancing civil protection systems, and rapid response capabilities for emergencies like chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear incidents. Activities also target the prevention and combatting of organized crime, drug-related crimes, and human trafficking, as well as ensuring secure and efficient border management.

Furthermore, it covers initiatives promoting the protection of citizens, community safety, and the development of innovative security services and technologies. Mobility & Transport This area focuses on the development and improvement of transport and mobility systems, covering all modes of transport, including urban mobility and public transportation.

Actions aiming at improving transport connections through traffic and transport planning, rehabilitation and modernisation of infrastructure, better connectivity, and enhanced accessibility. Projects promoting multimodal transport and logistics, optimising intermodal transport chains, offering sustainable and efficient logistics solutions, and developing multimodal mobility strategies.

Also, initiatives establishing cooperation among logistic centres and providing access to clean, efficient, and multimodal transport corridors and hubs. Please leave this field blank Addressing aquatic pollution and biodiversity loss through nature positive solutions from source to sea HORIZON-MISS-2026-03-OCEAN-02 Estimated EU contribution per project between € 7,000,000. 00 and € 7,750,000.

00 Funding Program Horizon Europe: Missions Call number HORIZON-MISS-2026-03-OCEAN-02 deadlines Opening 23. 09. 2026 17:00 Funding rate 70% (NPO: 100%) Call budget € 31,000,000.

00 Estimated EU contribution per project between € 7,000,000. 00 and € 7,750,000. 00 Link to the call ec.

europa. eu Link to the submission ec. europa.

eu This topic aims at directly engaging and supporting public authorities and other relevant socio-economic actors (e.g. farmers, landowners, aquaculture producers, tourist operators, fishers, businesses, water management authorities) in addressing aquatic pollution and biodiversity loss, thereby demonstrating and accelerating the transitions needed for achieving one or several objectives of the Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters”.

The direct involvement of relevant authorities and stakeholders in the consortium is strongly encouraged. Pollution of freshwater and marine environments from nutrients, chemicals and plastics including microplastics poses proven risks to human and environmental health.

As the latest assessments of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and Water Framework Directive have shown, large parts of Europe’s groundwater bodies, rivers, lakes, coastal, transitional and marine waters have not reached good ecological or good environmental status and often exceed regulatory threshold levels set to avoid potential risk to human health and the environment.

In addition, land and sea uses changes as well as increasing climate change impacts are cumulative drivers of biodiversity erosion and of ecosystems services in the continuum from watershed to coastal and marine ecosystems.

Nature-positive approaches and solutions are particularly promising to address both aquatic pollution and biodiversity loss, such as Nature-based Solutions (NbS), including protection and restoration measures, hybrid NbS, bioremediation (with plants or other organisms), regenerative practices and methods (e.g. via the farming of bivalve molluscs and algae), agro-ecological measures, management measures across biomes including for mobile and migratory species, technologies or other relevant innovation.

Proposals should address all the following issues: Based on a sound understanding of the main pollution sources and the connectivity between watersheds, coastal and marine ecosystems, identify, assess and make available to stakeholders the most regionally relevant and effective nature-positive solutions and combinations thereof to address pollution and biodiversity loss, considering their relevance under future climate and biodiversity scenarios; Test and upscale systemic and innovative combinations of nature-positive approaches, solutions and new technologies to reduce nutrient, chemical, plastic including microplastic pollution, considering together functionally connected freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems; Conduct demonstration activities in at least 4 sites from source to sea covering the most relevant socio-ecological systems in one of the Mission basin-scale lighthouses, with direct and strong involvement of public bodies and other relevant socio-economic stakeholders to ensure their support for implementing, maintaining and financing nature-positive solutions in their territories.

The scale and range of the site(s) for demonstration activities should be ecologically relevant and impactful for achieving the Mission 2030 objectives; Monitor pollution levels in each demonstration site to assess the impact and contribution of the activities towards the Mission objectives and targets, including removal rates, retention capacities, ecosystem responses and modelling techniques, to ensure monitoring of the activities and inform adaptive management.

Projects should design monitoring strategies that extend beyond the project duration, contributing to long-term datasets crucial for assessing cumulative impacts, ecosystem recovery trajectories and informing future interventions.

The monitoring should make use of, adapt or exploit relevant sensing and modelling tools, EU digital infrastructures, such as the EU Digital Twin Ocean, Copernicus and EMODnet; Quantify and forecast the ecosystem services provided by implementing nature-positive solutions (e.g. pollution reduction, ecosystems services restored) and the resulting societal goods and benefits; Assess the economic viability, potential for scale-up, and societal acceptance of integrated approaches for the management of connected ecosystems from source to sea and promote the development of new business models to implement these approaches.

Each proposal should address only one basin / Mission “lighthouse”, which should be explicitly stated in the proposal, i.e.: 1. Atlantic and Arctic Sea basin or 2. Mediterranean Sea basin or 3.

Baltic and North Sea basin or 4. Danube River basin including the Black Sea. Activities should be tailored to address regional/sea basin specificities.

The basins / Mission “lighthouses” include the river basins flowing into the respective sea basins. Projects should build on the best available actionable knowledge, methods and innovations notably from the results of previous national and EU projects.

Competent authorities and other stakeholders participating in the project are encouraged to pool and enhance synergies with other sources of funding (e.g. structural, cohesion funds such as ERDF, or LIFE) for implementing and deploying innovative solutions.

Projects are expected to show a significant replication potential by directly involving relevant authorities and stakeholders, by promoting collaborations between relevant authorities and other stakeholders facing similar challenges, and by identifying further stakeholders that could replicate the proposed solutions and approaches.

Actions plans and roadmaps needed for the replication and up-scale of the solutions should be drawn up by the end of the projects. Projects are expected to work with and engage at least 4 ‘associated regions’ (represented by local/regional authorities/public bodies) to show the effectiveness of solutions to increase resilience and develop a replication plan for its uptake in an ‘associated region’ and build capacity at local level.

Beneficiaries may therefore provide Financial Support to Third Parties (see the Specific Conditions table for this topic).

Projects should (1) proactively reach out to the 'associated regions' to enable them to follow closely the project’s activities, (2) continuously share their outcomes and knowledge with those ‘associated regions’ and (3) provide them with technical assistance to build capacity and to implement in their territory the approach they developed.

Proposals should establish operational links and cooperate with the relevant Lighthouse CSAs and the Mission Implementation Platform, notably to contribute to tracking progress towards the objectives of the Mission and coordination of all relevant implementation activities in the lighthouse basin. This action supports the follow-up to the July 2023 Communication on EU Missions assessment.

Project results are expected to contribute to all the following expected outcomes: Member States and Associated Countries are provided with cost-effective solutions to reach the targets of the Water Framework and the Marine Strategy Framework directives, the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive, and the EU strategy for sustainable chemicals and are enabled to take action to implement the targets of the EU biodiversity, climate adaptation and water resilience strategies for 2030 and the EU zero pollution action plan; National, regional and local authorities and other relevant stakeholders have access to and are supported in deploying cost-effective, adaptative and nature-positive solutions to remediate and reduce pollution from nutrients, chemicals, plastics and microplastics from source to sea, while protecting and restoring the capacity of ecosystems to provide services and adapt to climate change impacts; Measurable, quantifiable, verifiable and ambitious progress towards reaching one or several interlinked objectives and targets of the Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030”, as set out in the Mission Implementation Plan through implementing effective and well-managed place-based and people-centred actions; Public and private investment is encouraged and mobilised to implement nature-positive solutions for addressing pollution in the ocean and waters.

short description This topic aims at directly engaging and supporting public authorities and other relevant socio-economic actors (e.g. farmers, landowners, aquaculture producers, tourist operators, fishers, businesses, water management authorities) in addressing aquatic pollution and biodiversity loss, thereby demonstrating and accelerating the transitions needed for achieving one or several objectives of the Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters”.

The direct involvement of relevant authorities and stakeholders in the consortium is strongly encouraged. Call objectives Pollution of freshwater and marine environments from nutrients, chemicals and plastics including microplastics poses proven risks to human and environmental health.

As the latest assessments of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and Water Framework Directive have shown, large parts of Europe’s groundwater bodies, rivers, lakes, coastal, transitional and marine waters have not reached good ecological or good environmental status and often exceed regulatory threshold levels set to avoid potential risk to human health and the environment.

In addition, land and sea uses changes as well as increasing climate change impacts are cumulative drivers of biodiversity erosion and of ecosystems services in the continuum from watershed to coastal and marine ecosystems.

Nature-positive approaches and solutions are particularly promising to address both aquatic pollution and biodiversity loss, such as Nature-based Solutions (NbS), including protection and restoration measures, hybrid NbS, bioremediation (with plants or other organisms), regenerative practices and methods (e.g. via the farming of bivalve molluscs and algae), agro-ecological measures, management measures across biomes including for mobile and migratory species, technologies or other relevant innovation.

Proposals should address all the following issues: Based on a sound understanding of the main pollution sources and the connectivity between watersheds, coastal and marine ecosystems, identify, assess and make available to stakeholders the most regionally relevant and effective nature-positive solutions and combinations thereof to address pollution and biodiversity loss, considering their relevance under future climate and biodiversity scenarios; Test and upscale systemic and innovative combinations of nature-positive approaches, solutions and new technologies to reduce nutrient, chemical, plastic including microplastic pollution, considering together functionally connected freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems; Conduct demonstration activities in at least 4 sites from source to sea covering the most relevant socio-ecological systems in one of the Mission basin-scale lighthouses, with direct and strong involvement of public bodies and other relevant socio-economic stakeholders to ensure their support for implementing, maintaining and financing nature-positive solutions in their territories.

The scale and range of the site(s) for demonstration activities should be ecologically relevant and impactful for achieving the Mission 2030 objectives; Monitor pollution levels in each demonstration site to assess the impact and contribution of the activities towards the Mission objectives and targets, including removal rates, retention capacities, ecosystem responses and modelling techniques, to ensure monitoring of the activities and inform adaptive management.

Projects should design monitoring strategies that extend beyond the project duration, contributing to long-term datasets crucial for assessing cumulative impacts, ecosystem recovery trajectories and informing future interventions.

The monitoring should make use of, adapt or exploit relevant sensing and modelling tools, EU digital infrastructures, such as the EU Digital Twin Ocean, Copernicus and EMODnet; Quantify and forecast the ecosystem services provided by implementing nature-positive solutions (e.g. pollution reduction, ecosystems services restored) and the resulting societal goods and benefits; Assess the economic viability, potential for scale-up, and societal acceptance of integrated approaches for the management of connected ecosystems from source to sea and promote the development of new business models to implement these approaches.

Each proposal should address only one basin / Mission “lighthouse”, which should be explicitly stated in the proposal, i.e.: 1. Atlantic and Arctic Sea basin or 2. Mediterranean Sea basin or 3.

Baltic and North Sea basin or 4. Danube River basin including the Black Sea. Activities should be tailored to address regional/sea basin specificities.

The basins / Mission “lighthouses” include the river basins flowing into the respective sea basins. Projects should build on the best available actionable knowledge, methods and innovations notably from the results of previous national and EU projects.

Competent authorities and other stakeholders participating in the project are encouraged to pool and enhance synergies with other sources of funding (e.g. structural, cohesion funds such as ERDF, or LIFE) for implementing and deploying innovative solutions.

Projects are expected to show a significant replication potential by directly involving relevant authorities and stakeholders, by promoting collaborations between relevant authorities and other stakeholders facing similar challenges, and by identifying further stakeholders that could replicate the proposed solutions and approaches.

Actions plans and roadmaps needed for the replication and up-scale of the solutions should be drawn up by the end of the projects. Projects are expected to work with and engage at least 4 ‘associated regions’ (represented by local/regional authorities/public bodies) to show the effectiveness of solutions to increase resilience and develop a replication plan for its uptake in an ‘associated region’ and build capacity at local level.

Beneficiaries may therefore provide Financial Support to Third Parties (see the Specific Conditions table for this topic).

Projects should (1) proactively reach out to the 'associated regions' to enable them to follow closely the project’s activities, (2) continuously share their outcomes and knowledge with those ‘associated regions’ and (3) provide them with technical assistance to build capacity and to implement in their territory the approach they developed.

Proposals should establish operational links and cooperate with the relevant Lighthouse CSAs and the Mission Implementation Platform, notably to contribute to tracking progress towards the objectives of the Mission and coordination of all relevant implementation activities in the lighthouse basin. This action supports the follow-up to the July 2023 Communication on EU Missions assessment.

Expected results Project results are expected to contribute to all the following expected outcomes: Member States and Associated Countries are provided with cost-effective solutions to reach the targets of the Water Framework and the Marine Strategy Framework directives, the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive, and the EU strategy for sustainable chemicals and are enabled to take action to implement the targets of the EU biodiversity, climate adaptation and water resilience strategies for 2030 and the EU zero pollution action plan; National, regional and local authorities and other relevant stakeholders have access to and are supported in deploying cost-effective, adaptative and nature-positive solutions to remediate and reduce pollution from nutrients, chemicals, plastics and microplastics from source to sea, while protecting and restoring the capacity of ecosystems to provide services and adapt to climate change impacts; Measurable, quantifiable, verifiable and ambitious progress towards reaching one or several interlinked objectives and targets of the Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030”, as set out in the Mission Implementation Plan through implementing effective and well-managed place-based and people-centred actions; Public and private investment is encouraged and mobilised to implement nature-positive solutions for addressing pollution in the ocean and waters.

Regions / countries for funding Candidate Countries, EU Member States, Eastern Partnership, Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) Faeroes (Føroyar / Færøerne), Iceland (Ísland), Israel (ישראל / إِسْرَائِيل), Kosovo (Kosova/Kosovë / Косово), Liechtenstein, Morocco (المغرب), Norway (Norge), Switzerland (Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera), Tunisia (تونس /Tūnis), United Kingdom EU Body, Education and training institution, Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) / Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Other, Private institution, incl.

private company (private for profit), Public Body (national, regional and local; incl. EGTCs), Research Institution incl.

University, Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the following countries: the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions: 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.

the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States: Aruba (NL), Bonaire (NL), Curação (NL), French Polynesia (FR), French Southern and Antarctic Territories (FR), Greenland (DK), New Caledonia (FR), Saba (NL), Saint Barthélemy (FR), Sint Eustatius (NL), Sint Maarten (NL), St. Pierre and Miquelon (FR), Wallis and Futuna Islands (FR).

countries associated to Horizon Europe ; Albania, Arab Republic of Egypt, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Iceland, Israel, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Republic of Korea, Serbia, Switzerland, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Kingdom. Other third countries may become associated to Horizon Europe during the programme.

For the purposes of the eligibility conditions, applicants established in other third countries negotiating association to Horizon Europe will be treated as entities established in an Associated Country, if the Horizon Europe association agreement with the third country concerned applies at the time of signature of the grant agreement.

the following low- and middle-income countries : Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Comoros, Congo (Democratic Republic), Congo (Republic), Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt (Arab Republic), El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic), Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Korea (Democratic People's Republic),