HORIZON-MISS-2025-03-OCEAN-03: Digital technologies and energy transition in fisheries and/or aquaculture

HORIZON-MISS-2025-03-OCEAN-03 focuses on advancing the use of digital technologies and energy-efficient solutions in fisheries and/or aquaculture. The call supports innovation to reduce environmental and carbon footprints, enhance resource efficiency, and strengthen resilience and competitiveness within the blue food sector. It contributes to delivering on the European Green Deal, the Farm to Fork Strategy, and the EU's energy transition objectives for a sustainable blue economy. 

Objectives: 

Projects are expected to contribute to: 

• Increased uptake of digital and low-impact energy technologies in fisheries and/or aquaculture. 
• Improved environmental, economic, and social performance of the blue food value chain. 
• Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts, while enhancing sectoral resilience. 
• Strengthening of the Mission Ocean and Waters’ lighthouse areas and progress toward Mission Objective 3: Make the blue economy carbon-neutral and circular. 

Applicants should: 

• Develop and demonstrate innovative digital and energy-efficient solutions tailored to specific fisheries and/or aquaculture segments. 
• Ensure solutions are tested in at least three countries within the same sea or river basin, with wide applicability and replication potential. 
• Foster collaboration with end-users, including fishers, aquaculture operators, and local communities, to co-develop technologies and business models. 
• Integrate cascade funding (Financial Support to Third Parties) to support small-scale demonstrations or replication efforts by additional stakeholders, such as SMEs or public authorities. 
• Integrate circular economy principles (e.g. valorisation of waste, closed-loop systems) into technological development and operations. 
• Align projects with national and regional plans for a sustainable blue economy and draw on funding synergies (e.g. EMFAF, LIFE, Interreg). 
• Share knowledge through the Mission Implementation Platform and engage with related projects, lighthouses, and regional hubs. 

Applicants should actively encourage the participation of EU Outermost Regions, recognising their unique challenges and opportunities in the digital and energy transition of fisheries and aquaculture. 

Eligible applicants: 

Eligible applicants include legal entities established in EU Member States or in countries associated with Horizon Europe. These may include research organisations, universities, public authorities, NGOs, private companies (including SMEs), and international organisations with legal personality. Proposals must involve at least three independent legal entities from three different eligible countries. There are no sector-specific exclusions, but applicants should demonstrate strong expertise in fisheries and aquaculture innovation, digital technologies, energy systems, circular economy approaches, and stakeholder engagement. Entities established in China are not eligible to participate in Innovation Actions under Horizon Europe in any capacity. 

All applicants must register their organisation and submit proposals via the Funding & Tenders Portal of the European Commission. Each participating organisation must have a valid Participant Identification Code (PIC), which requires creating an account in the EU Login system. The proposal coordinator is responsible for preparing and submitting the application electronically through the portal by the specified deadline. No paper submissions are accepted. 

Budget: 

The total indicative budget for this call is EUR 23.3 million. The expected EU contribution per project is between EUR 5 million and EUR 5.825 million. The Commission anticipates funding approximately four projects under this call. 

Duration: 

The project is expected to start in early 2026, following grant agreement preparation, and should typically run for a duration of 3 to 4 years, depending on the scope of the proposed work. 

Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025 : Missions 

Funding & Tenders Portal 

To get support : 

• Online Manual for the procedures from proposal submission to managing your grant. 
• Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025 for detailed guidance to the structure, budget and political priorities of the Horizon Europe 2025 Work programme. 
• Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ for answers to most frequently asked questions on submission of proposals, evaluation and grant management. 
• Research Enquiry Service for questions about any aspect of European research in general and the EU Research Framework Programmes in particular. 
• National Contact Points (NCPs) for guidance, practical information and assistance on participation in Horizon Europe. There are also NCPs in many non-EU and non-associated countries (‘third-countries’). 
• Enterprise Europe Network for contacting your EEN national contact for advice to businesses with special focus on SMEs. The support includes guidance on the EU research funding. 
• IT Helpdesk for questions such as forgotten passwords, access rights and roles, technical aspects of submission of proposals, etc. 
• European IP Helpdesk for intellectual property issues. 
• CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk for standardisation issues in your project proposal.   
• The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment for consulting the general principles and requirements specifying the roles, responsibilities and entitlements of researchers, employers and funders of researchers. 
• Partner Search Services for finding a partner organisation for your proposal. 

See related links above on getting support.