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

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 based on the evaluation, financial support shall be set at the amount of funds requested by the applicant in the application form, up to a maximum of EUR 12,000.00. The expert commission may reduce this amount where individual items of the financial plan are clearly excessive or not necessary for the planned activities; the final amount is fixed as a lump sum in the funding agreement.

The lump sum covers costs that are directly linked to the implementation of the approved project and are necessary to achieve its objectives. Costs categories include: personnel costs (staff) for persons directly involved in the implementation of project activities (for the project duration, up to a maximum of 12 months), costs of materials and equipment strictly necessary for the implementation of project activities, service costs required for the implementation of the project (e.g. external contractors, expert reports, analyses, development services), costs of implementing activities such as pilot actions, experimental activities, workshops, training, field activities and similar, dissemination and communication costs related to public information, stakeholder engagement and the promotion of project results, indirect costs at a flat rate of 25% of personnel and purchase costs (A + C), as set out in the financial plan of the application form.

Projects shall be funded in the order of their ranking on the priority list, established on the basis of the evaluation, until the available funds have been exhausted. In the event that the available funds are insufficient for the funding of the last eligible project in full, partial funding or an amount lower than that requested may be approved, even if this is lower than the minimum specified amount of financial support.

4. Payments and reporting

The funds are paid out in three instalments: 20 % as an advance payment upon signing the funding agreement; 30 % following the approval of interim results and/or achieved milestones, as specified in the agreement; 50 % following the approval of final results, including the final project report and all required supporting documentation.

Recipients are required to submit substantive reports on project implementation and other evidence specified in the agreement within the deadlines specified in the funding agreement.

As the funding is implemented as lump sum funding, Recipients do not report actual costs using accounting documents, but instead report on the activities carried out, results achieved and the fulfilment of contractual obligations. At the request of the call for applications issuer, they must be able to demonstrate the implementation of activities and the achievement of results.

Mandatory reports include:

• an interim report covering a description of the activities carried out and milestones achieved;

• a final report including a description of the overall project implementation, the results achieved and the impact of the project;

• evidence of the activities carried out, such as reports, materials, photographs, documentation of workshops, prototypes or other project results.

5. Obligations of recipients

Projects participate in a research process guided by the RISTANC project Ethical Protocol, approved by the Scientific Council of ZRS Koper. Applicants commit to:

• adhering to ethical principles when planning project activities,

• indirect participation in the research process, subject to prior and informed consent.

Both aspects are covered in the Ethical Aspects document. A breach of ethical principles or failure to participate in the research process may result in the termination of funding.

Recipients are required to appropriately acknowledge funding under the RISTANC project and the Horizon Europe programme in all communication and dissemination activities related to the project. All materials produced as part of the project must contain: The RISTANC project logo, The 'Funded by the European Union' logo, and Disclaimer.

6. About the RISTANC project and the Mission

The call is published as part of the implementation of the European RISTANC project, co-financed by the Horizon Europe programme. The project contributes to the EU Mission “Restore Our Ocean and Waters by 2030”, with a focus on the Slovenian marine area, part of the cross-border North Adriatic region. The Mission has three main objectives: 1) protect and restore marine and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity; 2) prevent and eliminate pollution of our ocean, seas and waters; 3) establish a carbon-neutral and circular blue economy in the EU. More information: https://missionoceanwaters.eu/

RISTANC strives to achieve the goals of the Mission in the Slovenian sea, with an emphasis on social innovation. It develops solutions to specific local challenges through broad cooperation between stakeholders and aims to demonstrate the value of transdisciplinary collaboration, including by showcasing successful small projects. More information: https://www.ristanc.eu/

The call is specifically intended to encourage the participation of individuals, organisations and communities that have not previously participated, or have participated less frequently, in European research and innovation projects. Particular attention is paid to less common forms of activity, new interdisciplinary partnerships, the involvement of local communities and innovative solutions.

7. Call documents and contact

Full call documentation is available on the RISTANC website (section “Documentation and application forms”): https://www.ristanc.eu/en/news/call-for-small-project-funding-ristanc

Contact: ristanc-funding@zrs-kp.si