Open call to support community-led actions in Danube River Basin and Black Sea regions – up to €1 million!

The SoS2LearnDBS CLed (Community-led Actions) open call is designed to support community-led actions that contribute to the objectives of the EU mission ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters’ in the Danube River Basin and Black Sea regions.

The call will fund innovative projects that empower local communities to take an active role in addressing environmental and societal challenges through the implementation of grassroots solutions by small consortia of regional partners. 

Funded projects are expected to build capacities, foster collaboration, and participate in joint activities such as cooperative learning and knowledge exchange, while supporting the protection of aquatic ecosystems and climate resilience.

Eligible applicants must be legal entities that operate within, or act on behalf of, local Mission Communities active in water and marine restoration, pollution reduction, sustainable blue economy, or climate adaptation. These legal entities can be regional and local authorities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), educational establishments, locally based companies and SMEs, research-performing organisations, or other formally constituted entities.

All applicants must be legally established and capable of implementing the proposed activities under Horizon Europe rules. The consortium leader may be located in Georgia, Moldova, or Ukraine. The consortium partners can be established in any EU Member State and Horizon Europe-associated country.

Two types of projects are available under this call. The initiative will fund at least five projects, one in each region (Upper Danube, Middle Danube, Lower Danube, Danube Delta and Black Sea), of type 1 (€200,000–€400,000) or type 2 (€500,000–€1,000,000).

The deadline for applications is 30 March.

SoS2LearnDBS is dedicated to restoring the ecosystems of the Danube River Basin and the Black Sea region through the active participation of local communities. The project aligns with the European Union’s ‘Restore our Oceans and Waters’ Mission, which focuses on revitalising aquatic ecosystems, including seas, oceans, and freshwater bodies, through research, innovation, and active citizen involvement.

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Press release