Community-Led Actions Open Call
This call targets large, impactful projects with the potential for tangible, local change.
In this Open Call, BlueActionBANOS will select between 5 and 15 Community-Led Actions led by area-based or interest-based stakeholder groups proposing impactful solutions that are innovative for their community, aimed at achieving one or several interlinked Mission Ocean and Waters objectives in the Baltic and North Sea basin.
The activities should foster a participatory approach that empowers local stakeholders, builds on their local know-how and application of sustainable practices, and encourages their long-term commitment to Mission Ocean and Waters objectives.
The Community-Led
Actions Open Call is
now open!
What BlueActionBANOS offers
Selected Community-Led Actions will receive:
Financial support ranging from €200,000 to €2 million per Action, based on the budget included in the full proposal form. The maximum amount granted to any single entity within a Community-Led Action consortium is € 500,000
Ongoing operational support provided by dedicated Project Key Accounts along with tailored technical assistance, defined during onboarding workshops, for a maximum duration of 24 months.
Call Details
We invite teams/consortia of 2 to 12 entities registered in the Baltic and North Sea basin (BANOS) countries to apply. Eligible applicants must be based in EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries at the time of application. Eligible countries include:
- Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Sweden.
- Applicants from other EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Countries outside the BANOS area may be eligible in special cases, where justified.
Proposed Community-Led Actions must focus on the BANOS lighthouse area.
Proposals may concern actions within one BANOS country, or span multiple countries, and must address at least one of the EU Mission Ocean and Waters objectives:
- protection and restoration of marine and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity
- prevention and elimination of pollution of our ocean, seas and waters
- making the sustainable blue economy carbon-neutral and circular
WHO CAN APPLY:
Types of entities in the communities listed below that can apply for the support:
- Regional and local authorities (including island and waterfront authorities)
- Non-governmental organisations, foundations, and professional associations engaged in local development, nature conservation, environmental protection, sustainable use of marine resources, or blue economy activities;
- Educational establishments, research performing organisations and/or similar;
- Locally based companies, SMEs and startups (provided this is not in conflict with the State Aid rules);
- Knowledge brokers, facilitating organizations;
- Enterprises, cooperatives, and other registered organisations fostering inclusion, skills development, or sustainable blue economy activities;
- Financial institutions or registered cooperatives supporting sustainable investments or local development initiatives;
- any other legal entities in the below-described communities.
Types of communities relevant to the Community-Led Actions Open Call:
- Ports (including inland ports);
- Islands authorities and communities;
- Fishing and aquaculture communities, producers, processors, retailers and manufacturers, and other representatives of blue economy;
- Operators of various vessels;
- River basin and inland water communities engaged in water management and pollution reduction;
- Citizen education, science and community innovation initiatives contributing to marine and freshwater monitoring or restoration;
- Indigenous and traditional knowledge communities involved in sustainable use and stewardship of marine and freshwater resources;
- Blue tech and digital innovation communities contributing to ocean observation, data sharing, or circular blue economy;
- Cultural heritage and maritime identity communities promoting ocean literacy and traditional connections to the sea;
- Local financial institutions, cooperatives, and impact investors supporting sustainable blue investments;
- Enterprises and organisations fostering inclusion, skills, and employment in the blue economy;
- Local Action Groups described by the Community-Led Local Development strategies;
Call timeline
Application Process
The application process consists of 2 steps:
Compulsory submission of the Project Idea Form and individual consultations
Submission
of the full proposal
How to Apply
Only projects that submit the Project Idea Form and go through the individual consultation will be invited to submit a full proposal.
The Project Idea Form must be submitted by 16 March 2026, 17:00 CET. We reserve the right to contact and consult only those applicants who submit complete and full information in the Project Idea form. While submitting the Project Idea Form and undergoing the consultation are mandatory steps, these are not subject to evaluation. We will evaluate only complete full proposals that were submitted via official tools within the indicated deadline.
Selection process
The selection process consists of the following 6 steps:
