€38 million available for impact-driven contributions to the transformation into a blue economy for a more resilient future.

The Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership (SBEP) is a Horizon Europe co-funded European Partnership that aims to boost the transformation towards a climate-neutral, sustainable, productive and competitive blue economy by 2030, while creating and supporting the conditions for a healthy ocean for all by 2050.

SBEP is now inviting applications for its Fourth Joint Transnational Call. The call aims to support transnational research and innovation projects (for a period of 36 months) addressing one of the following four priority areas:

1. Transitioning the blue economy sectors for sustainability and strategic autonomy
2. Managing sea-uses by advancing digital and ecosystem-based approaches
3. Promoting sustainable blue bioresources through innovation in marine production and harvesting
4. Building resilience in coastal communities with infrastructures and businesses

Projects must be impact-driven contributions to the transformation into a blue economy for a more resilient future and towards carbon neutrality targets, following an impact pathway approach.

Proposals are strongly recommended to consider a minimum of two EU sea basins, namely: the Atlantic Ocean, Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and North Sea, and to assess the project proposal’s impact and potential replication/scalability on various sea basins. Proposals can target European regional seas such as Adriatic Sea, Aegean Sea, the Arctic, Barents Sea, Celtic Sea, etc but they must be from a minimum of two different EU Sea basins.

The call pools national and regional financial resources through the participation of 33 participating funding organisations from 28 countries combined with the contribution from the EU. The following countries are participating: Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Tunisia, Türkiye and Ukraine. The total estimated budget is €37,723,260.

To be eligible, research consortia must include partners from a minimum of three independent legal entities from three different countries participating in a call. The projects must involve at least two independent legal entities from two different EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries.