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Strategic Analysis
This Horizon Europe Innovation Action under the Mission Ocean seeks to develop and demonstrate innovative, community-driven sustainable tourism business models in European coastal and freshwater areas. A winning proposal must showcase replicable and financially viable models that actively engage local communities and tourists in environmental protection and regeneration, while fostering local entrepreneurship and job creation. Emphasize multi-basin demonstration, robust governance, and clear pathways to long-term sustainability and upscale.
TRL 4 → 8
Based on programme defaults
Demonstration of community-driven tourism business models in at least 3 European coastal and freshwater areas in different Member States/Associated Countries, implementing diverse initiatives to engage and involve tourists and/or users of the sea (e.g.: citizen science initiatives; clean up initiatives; regenerative practices, co-management of protected areas, etc.);
Promotion of sustainable practices to minimise negative pressures of tourism on marine and freshwater environments (e.g.: pollution, eco-friendly products, waste reduction) and to protect habitats and biodiversity;
Inclusive and accessible capacity building, training and skill development actions addressing both local communities to enhance their entrepreneurship , and tourists, to promote behavioural changes;
Governance structure to ensure the effective involvement of all relevant stakeholders and the long-term financial sustainability of the initiatives;
Exploration of possible financial instruments for the upscale of the initiatives, including reinvestments of profits, crowdfunding, or philanthropic sources.
Innovative business models for the development of entrepreneurship and successful local community-driven marine, coastal and freshwater sustainable tourism initiatives;
Scalable and economically viable initiatives with the potential to be replicated across multiple sea basins;
Enhanced capacity-building and increased engagement of the coastal/river/lake communities and the private sector;
Job creation and skills development;
Improved marine, coastal and freshwater habitats, biodiversity and enhanced conservation capacity;
No expected impacts identified for this destination.
New European Bauhaus Initiative
highThe New European Bauhaus (NEB) is a creative and interdisciplinary initiative that connects the European Green Deal to our living spaces and experiences. It calls for beautiful, sustainable, and inclusive places, products, and ways of living. It aims to accelerate the green transition by bringing together design, sustainability, accessibility, affordability, and investment to help deliver the European Green Deal.
Proposals should demonstrate how their solutions for sustainable tourism in coastal and freshwaters embody the core principles of the NEB: sustainability (e.g., circularity, biodiversity, resource efficiency), aesthetics (e.g., quality of experience, design, cultural relevance), and inclusion (e.g., accessibility, affordability, community engagement, co-creation). Evaluators will look for innovative approaches that integrate these values into the proposed business models and tourism experiences.
Communication on EU Missions assessment (July 2023)
highThis Communication provides an assessment of the progress and impact of the EU Missions launched under Horizon Europe. It reviews their implementation, identifies successes and challenges, and offers strategic guidance for their future direction. It serves as an important update on the EU's commitment to tackling major societal challenges through ambitious, time-bound research and innovation initiatives.
Proposals should demonstrate a clear understanding of the current status and strategic direction of relevant EU Missions, particularly the 'Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030' Mission, as informed by the July 2023 assessment. Evaluators will look for how the project contributes directly to achieving the objectives and targets of these Missions, aligning with their identified priorities, indicators, and recommendations for impact in coastal and freshwater environments.
HE Framework Programme and Rules for Participation Regulation 2021/695
mediumRegulation (EU) 2021/695 establishes the Horizon Europe Framework Programme, setting out its overall objectives, structure (pillars, clusters), budget, and general rules for participation. It defines the types of actions, eligibility criteria, evaluation procedures, funding rates, and principles governing the entire programme, ensuring a consistent legal and operational framework for EU research and innovation funding.
Proposals must demonstrate full compliance with the general rules for participation, eligibility criteria, and funding provisions outlined in this foundational regulation. Evaluators will assess adherence to the principles of excellence, impact, and quality of implementation, as well as cross-cutting issues such as gender equality, open science, and ethics, which are integral to the Horizon Europe framework.
HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764
mediumCouncil Decision (EU) 2021/764 establishes the Specific Programme implementing Horizon Europe, detailing the specific objectives, budget breakdown, and broad lines of activities for each pillar and cluster, including the 'Digital, Industry and Space' cluster. It provides more granular guidance on the types of research and innovation activities to be supported within the broader Horizon Europe framework.
Proposals should clearly align with the specific objectives and expected impacts outlined in the Specific Programme Decision for the relevant cluster (e.g., Cluster 4 'Digital, Industry and Space'). Evaluators will look for how the project contributes to the detailed work programme priorities and expected outcomes, demonstrating a clear understanding of the strategic direction for space research and innovation within Horizon Europe.
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
mediumThe European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment
mediumProvides a framework for the recruitment, working conditions, and career development of researchers in Europe. It emphasizes transparency, merit-based recruitment, and equal opportunities.
Evaluators will prioritize proposals that demonstrate alignment with the Charter and Code, particularly in recruitment processes, career development plans, and supervision quality. Compliance is critical for scoring highly in the excellence and impact criteria.
1. Admissibility conditions — Proposal page limit and layout described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.
2. Eligible Countries — described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide .
3. Other Eligibility Conditions — described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion — described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds — To ensure a balanced portfolio covering the 4 different Mission basins[[For the purposes of Mission Ocean and waters, Member States/Associated Countries, are considered to be part of a given sea/river basin if they have a coast/riverbank on the relevant sea/river or contain river basins flowing into the relevant sea]] (1. Atlantic and Arctic sea basin, 2. Mediterranean Sea basin, 3. Baltic and North Sea basin, 4. Danube River basin, including Black Sea), grants will be awarded to applications not only in order of ranking but at least also to one proposal that is the highest ranked within each sea basin, provided that the applications attain all thresholds. are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes — are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual .
5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement — described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants — Beneficiaries will be subject to the following additional obligations regarding open science practices: if projects collect in-situ data and marine observations, beneficiaries must make them openly available through the European Marine Observation and Data network (EMODnet), based on the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles. described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
described in the [specific topic of the Work Programme]
Application form templates Please use the application form that you will find in the Submission System. You can find examples of standard application forms in the Reference Documents page . Evaluation form templates — will be used with the necessary adaptations Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA) Guidance HE Programme Guide Model Grant Agreements (MGA) HE MGA Call-specific instructions
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 12. Missions HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes HE Framework Programme and Rules for Participation Regulation 2021/695 HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764 EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509 Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement
Evaluators will prioritize proposals that clearly demonstrate:
Everything the call asks for, seen from the call's point of view. Each line shows what answers it, and which partner carries it.
This matrix lists everything the call asks for: outcomes, impacts, scope, the requirements buried in the call text, and policy alignment. Sign up free and GrantForge tracks each line against the concept you build.
| Requirement | Covered by | Carried | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope activities | |||
| SC1Demonstration of community-driven tourism business models in at least 3 European coastal and freshwater areas in different Member States/Associated Countries, implementing diverse initiatives to engage and involve tourists and/or users of the sea (e.g.: citizen science initiatives; clean up initiatives; regenerative practices, co-management of protected areas, etc.); | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC2Promotion of sustainable practices to minimise negative pressures of tourism on marine and freshwater environments (e.g.: pollution, eco-friendly products, waste reduction) and to protect habitats and biodiversity; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC3Inclusive and accessible capacity building, training and skill development actions addressing both local communities to enhance their entrepreneurship , and tourists, to promote behavioural changes; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC4Governance structure to ensure the effective involvement of all relevant stakeholders and the long-term financial sustainability of the initiatives; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC5Exploration of possible financial instruments for the upscale of the initiatives, including reinvestments of profits, crowdfunding, or philanthropic sources. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Expected outcomes | |||
| EO1Innovative business models for the development of entrepreneurship and successful local community-driven marine, coastal and freshwater sustainable tourism initiatives; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO2Scalable and economically viable initiatives with the potential to be replicated across multiple sea basins; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO3Enhanced capacity-building and increased engagement of the coastal/river/lake communities and the private sector; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO4Job creation and skills development; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO5Improved marine, coastal and freshwater habitats, biodiversity and enhanced conservation capacity; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Other requirements | |||
| No other requirements in this call. | |||
| Expected impacts | |||
| No expected impacts in this call. | |||
| Underlying policies | |||
| POL1new european bauhaus initiativeThe New European Bauhaus (NEB) is a creative and interdisciplinary initiative that connects the European Green Deal to our living spaces and experiences. It calls for beautiful, sustainable, and inclusive places, products, and ways of living. It aims to accelerate the green transition by bringing together design, sustainability, accessibility, affordability, and investment to help deliver the European Green Deal. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| POL2communication on eu missions assessment (july 2023)This Communication provides an assessment of the progress and impact of the EU Missions launched under Horizon Europe. It reviews their implementation, identifies successes and challenges, and offers strategic guidance for their future direction. It serves as an important update on the EU's commitment to tackling major societal challenges through ambitious, time-bound research and innovation initiatives. | · | · | Sign up to track |
The binding rules of this call. Items marked auto are verified by GrantForge from the call and the template. The others are yours to confirm.
LMIC entities auto-eligible
Low/middle-income country entities are automatically eligible for funding.
EU space data infrastructures
If the project uses satellite-based Earth observation, positioning, navigation or timing data/services, beneficiaries must use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS. Other sources may be added but not substitute EU infrastructures.
Civil applications only
Horizon Europe funds exclusively civil applications. Research with exclusive military or dual-use application is excluded.
Gender Equality Plan
Having a Gender Equality Plan (GEP) is an eligibility criterion for public bodies, research organisations, and higher education institutions from Member States and Associated Countries.
Open Science
Mandatory open access to peer-reviewed scientific publications and responsible management of research data (FAIR principles, DMP required).
Talk to the Grant Coach to build your concept. The steps below fill in as it takes shape, and your coverage tracks the progress. You can refine everything once your project workspace is created.
Step 1 of 2 · Build your concept
The problems this call frames, and who they affect. Your concept and plan address them.
Current tourism practices often lead to pollution, habitat degradation, and biodiversity loss in coastal and freshwater ecosystems, undermining their long-term health and the sustainability of the tourism sector itself. This directly affects @TG01, @TG02, @TG04.
Many local communities in coastal and freshwater areas lack the capacity, innovative business models, and financial instruments to develop and sustain tourism initiatives that are both economically viable and environmentally responsible. This impacts @TG01, @TG05.
There is often a disconnect between tourists/users and the environmental impacts of their activities, and local communities may lack opportunities or incentives to actively participate in the co-management and protection of natural assets. This affects @TG01, @TG02, @TG04.
Local communities and small businesses often lack the necessary skills, training, and entrepreneurial support to develop, manage, and scale up sustainable tourism ventures. This directly impacts @TG01, @TG05.
Sustainable tourism initiatives often struggle with fragmented governance, lack of stakeholder coordination, and insufficient long-term funding strategies, hindering their ability to scale and endure. This affects @TG01, @TG03, @TG05.
The primary beneficiaries, including residents, local businesses (SMEs, micro-enterprises), fishermen, farmers, and indigenous groups, who will be directly involved in developing and implementing sustainable tourism models and benefiting from new economic opportunities and skills.
Individuals and groups visiting coastal and freshwater areas, who will be engaged in citizen science, clean-up activities, and regenerative practices, and whose behaviour will be influenced towards more sustainable choices.
Public bodies responsible for environmental management, tourism policy, and regional development, who will be involved in governance structures and benefit from enhanced capacity to support sustainable tourism.
Organisations actively working on marine and freshwater conservation, who will partner in implementing regenerative practices and co-managing protected areas.
Existing and new tourism businesses (e.g., hotels, tour operators, activity providers) that will adopt and scale up sustainable practices and business models.
Researchers and academics in environmental science, tourism studies, social sciences, and economics, who will benefit from data, case studies, and best practices generated by the project, contributing to further knowledge development and policy recommendations.
European Commission, national ministries, and Mission Ocean bodies who will benefit from project results, policy recommendations, and successful models for replication and upscale across other sea basins and river systems.
Step 2 of 2 · Build your concept
The long-term impacts your project should drive — this shapes the objectives next.
The project will lead to the widespread adoption of new business models that empower local communities to lead and benefit from sustainable tourism, fostering local entrepreneurship and creating green jobs while respecting ecological limits.
Through the implementation of regenerative practices, pollution reduction, and citizen science initiatives, the project will directly contribute to improving the health and resilience of aquatic environments and their biodiversity.
The project will significantly boost the entrepreneurial capabilities of local communities and foster a culture of responsible tourism among visitors, leading to lasting behavioural changes and greater engagement in conservation efforts.
By establishing robust governance structures and exploring diverse financial instruments, the project will ensure that sustainable tourism models are economically self-sufficient and can be replicated and scaled across different European regions.