Mission ocean in Slovenian seas — Call for proposals for the provision of financial support to third parties for the implementation of small-scale projects under the RISTANC project

Identifier: HORIZON-MISS-2024-CROSS-02-01 Status: Open Submission procedure: single-stage Opening date: 2026-09-28 Deadline: 2026-11-28 Budget: €60,000 1. Purpose of the call The call is published as part of the implementation of the European RISTANC project, which is financed by the Horizon Europe programme. The project contributes to the implementation of the EU Mission “Restore Our Ocean and Waters by 2030”, with a focus on the Slovenian marine area, which is prt of the cross-border North Adriatic region. 2. Key challenges The call encourages projects that contribute to addressing the following thematic areas: • The establishment and management of moorings in the Slovenian sea for recreational and tourist vessels that prevent damage to marine seabed habitats, • The planning and implementation of interventions in the coastal zone of the Slovenian sea that harmonise the various needs and interests of people and the environment, • Other measures in the Slovenian sea area (and potentially beyond) that contribute to the objectives of the EU Mission “Restore Our Ocean & Waters”, such as reducing pollution in the marine environment (including plastic and other waste), the conservation and restoration of marine ecosystems, and the development of a sustainable blue economy. 3. Eligible activities Activities eligible under the call are those that contribute to the objectives of the RISTANC project and the EU Mission “Restore Our Ocean & Waters”, and address one or more of the challenges listed inthe call. The following types of activities, in particular, are eligible: • Experimental activities (projects implementing innovative approaches in support of the Mission “Restore Our Ocean & Waters”, i.e. for the cleaning, protection, or restoration of the marine environment, or for the establishment of a zero-emission, circular, and sustainable blue economy). • Prototype development (activities focused on developing prototypes to solve specific challenges related to marine ecosystems). • Feasibility studies and scoping (assessing the feasibility of larger-scale measures). • Research and innovation (initiatives to research new methods or technologies that contribute to reducing pollution and to the protection or restoration of biodiversity, including improvements to regulatory frameworks and governance structures). • Artistic, cultural and community activities (initiatives and programmes that use art and culture to engage local communities in pollution prevention, nature protection and restoration, and awareness campaigns on ocean health and related human well-being). • Educational activities and capacity-building initiatives (education, training and workshops for stakeholders, children, young people and adults, including professionals, to strengthen knowledge, competencies and skills in sustainable practices related to reducing pollution, the conservation or restoration of biodiversity, and the sustainable blue economy). • Monitoring and citizen science activities (activities to assess the effectiveness and impacts of implemented solutions on marine ecosystems, citizen science activities). • Knowledge brokering and transfer (activities that translate existing research results into actionable evidence for policy-making or practice, such as synthesis reports, policy recommendations, stakeholder dialogues, living labs, etc.; also includes institutions as focal points for transdisciplinary research and innovation activities with European reach). • A combination of the above activities. Proposed projects must contribute to the development of sustainable and inclusive solutions for challenges facing the marine environment in the North Adriatic area. 4. Duration The project shall commence on the date the funding agreement is signed (no earlier than 1.1.2027) and may last for a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 12 months. Regardless of the project duration, it must be completed by 28 February 2028 at the latest. 1. Call organiser and responsibility The call is organised by the Science and Research Centre Koper (ZRS Koper), coordinator of the RISTANC project, on behalf of the RISTANC consortium. The consortium remains fully responsible towards the European Commission for the proper implementation of this financial support scheme and for compliance with Grant Agreement No. 101217089. Recipients of financial support under this call are third parties: they are not beneficiaries of the EU Grant Agreement and have no contractual relationship with the European Commission. Their rights and obligations are set out exclusively in the funding agreement concluded with ZRS Koper. 2. Amount of financial support A total of EUR 60,000.00 is available for the implementation of this call.An individual project may receive financial support in the amount of EUR 7,500.00 to EUR 12,000.00. This maximum is below the EUR 60,000 threshold for financial support to third parties and, for projects implemented in partnership, applies to the project as a whole. Funding is awarded at up to 100% of the project’s total costs, but must not exceed the maximum amount allowed per individual project as specified in this call. It is anticipated that approximately 5 to 8 projects will be funded, depending on the amount of funding approved for individual projects. Funding of projects within this call is implemented as lump sum funding – a lump sum is a flat-rate contribution towards the implementation of the project,paid out on the basis of results achieved or activities carried out, and not on the basis of proof of actual costs incurred. 3. Method for determining the amount The amount of financial support is determined based on the estimated project budget submitted by the applicant in the application form, within the limits of available funds and the maximum allowed amount of financial support per individual project. If the applicant meets all the conditions of the call and the project is eligible for funding bas...