The European Commission, in collaboration with the European Investment Bank and supported by BlueInvest, is launching a new pilot scheme: ‘EU Blue Champions’.
The EU Blue Champions scheme is looking for innovative projects that align with the EU Mission ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters’ objectives to (1) restore marine and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity, (2) eliminate pollution, and (3) decarbonise the blue economy.
To be eligible, projects will need a budget of over EUR 15 million, of which the EIB could finance up to 50%. Projects will also need to demonstrate that they have a sustainable business model and a clearly defined business plan. Other selection criteria will depend on the lending product (e.g. venture debt, corporate loan, project finance) that the project might be considered for. More details can be found here.
If you are working on a project that is pursuing any of the Mission goals and could be eligible under this scheme, the EIB advisory team would be happy to find out more. To submit details about your project, simply follow the steps below:
- Fill out an information template
- Submit the completed template to the EIB Advisory team via: corporatefinanceadvisory@eib.org before 31 January 2024
Please note, only projects eligible for support under the InvestEU Advisory Hub will be considered. This call for interest does not represent a commitment by the EIB to provide financing or advisory support to any of the projects submitted.