HORIZON-MISS-2027-03-OCEAN-01: Increasing riparian and coastal areas resilience to climate change, including in waterfront cities and islands

HORIZON-MISS-2027-03-OCEAN-01 Increasing riparian and coastal areas resilience to climate change, including in waterfront cities and islands. This topic aims at directly engaging with and supporting riparian and coastal areas, waterfront cities and islands and their communities in demonstrating and accelerating the transitions needed for achieving one or several objectives of the Mission Ocean and Waters.  

Objectives: 

Expected outcomes from projects are: 

• Riparian and coastal areas, including waterfront cities and islands, are supported with cost-effective and innovative solutions to increase resilience to climate change and water-related risks, contributing to the targets of the EU climate adaptation and water resilience strategies for 2030, while supporting the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030, the Water Framework Directive and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive; 
• Ecological functions of riparian and coastal areas are enhanced, including improvements in water quality, pollution remediation, erosion control, morphodynamics and sediment transport, biodiversity conservation and restoration; 
• Vulnerability to climate change-related risks is reduced, including flooding, sea level rise, extreme events and droughts, while delivering biodiversity co-benefits such as carbon sequestration and reduction of harmful algal blooms; 
• Socio-economic benefits are increased through the protection and restoration of riparian and coastal areas, including benefits for recreation, tourism and local communities; 
• Stakeholders and competent authorities are engaged and empowered to implement, replicate and upscale innovative solutions and strengthen synergies with existing programmes and investments. 

Successful applicants will be required to: 

• Test and demonstrate effective and innovative solutions in riparian and coastal areas, including waterfront cities and islands, with a strong emphasis on Nature-based Solutions, integrated source-to-sea approaches, and land–sea interactions; 
• Carry out at least six demonstration activities in different types of riparian and coastal areas within a single Mission basin, across at least three countries, proving operational feasibility, economic viability and biodiversity co-benefits in real conditions; 
• Monitor the impacts and effectiveness of demonstration activities at local scale, including societal acceptance, and align monitoring with long-term ecological and biodiversity observation programmes, while linking to the Digital Twin Ocean and the Ocean and Water Knowledge System; 
• Develop a replication and scale-up roadmap identifying areas and conditions for transferring demonstrated solutions, and work with at least five associated regions to build capacity and enable uptake; 
• Work closely with and empower public authorities and citizens, including through living labs, and provide policy recommendations and guidance to strengthen climate resilience, green infrastructure planning and cross-sectoral cooperation. 

Eligible applicants: The conditions are described in General Annex B. The following exceptions apply: If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS (other data and services may additionally be used). 

Regional and local authorities, including inland water management bodies, are encouraged to be partners in the consortium.  

Budget: The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 35.70 million, with four projects to be funded under this topic. The Commission estimates that an EU contribution of between EUR 8.00 and 8.925 million would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of a proposal requesting different amounts. 

Duration: 

The project is expected to start in 2028, 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-MISS-2027-03-OCEAN-01 Increasing riparian and coastal areas resilience to climate change, including in waterfront cities and islands. This topic aims at directly engaging with and supporting riparian and coastal areas, waterfront cities and islands and their communities in demonstrating and accelerating the transitions needed for achieving one or several objectives of the Mission Ocean and Waters. 

Objectives: 

Expected outcomes from projects are: 

• Riparian and coastal areas, including waterfront cities and islands, are supported with cost-effective and innovative solutions to increase resilience to climate change and water-related risks, contributing to the targets of the EU climate adaptation and water resilience strategies for 2030, while supporting the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030, the Water Framework Directive and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive; 
• Ecological functions of riparian and coastal areas are enhanced, including improvements in water quality, pollution remediation, erosion control, morphodynamics and sediment transport, biodiversity conservation and restoration; 
• Vulnerability to climate change-related risks is reduced, including flooding, sea level rise, extreme events and droughts, while delivering biodiversity co-benefits such as carbon sequestration and reduction of harmful algal blooms; 
• Socio-economic benefits are increased through the protection and restoration of riparian and coastal areas, including benefits for recreation, tourism and local communities; 
• Stakeholders and competent authorities are engaged and empowered to implement, replicate and upscale innovative solutions and strengthen synergies with existing programmes and investments. 

Successful applicants will be required to: 

• Test and demonstrate effective and innovative solutions in riparian and coastal areas, including waterfront cities and islands, with a strong emphasis on Nature-based Solutions, integrated source-to-sea approaches, and land–sea interactions; 
• Carry out at least six demonstration activities in different types of riparian and coastal areas within a single Mission basin, across at least three countries, proving operational feasibility, economic viability and biodiversity co-benefits in real conditions; 
• Monitor the impacts and effectiveness of demonstration activities at local scale, including societal acceptance, and align monitoring with long-term ecological and biodiversity observation programmes, while linking to the Digital Twin Ocean and the Ocean and Water Knowledge System; 
• Develop a replication and scale-up roadmap identifying areas and conditions for transferring demonstrated solutions, and work with at least five associated regions to build capacity and enable uptake; 
• Work closely with and empower public authorities and citizens, including through living labs, and provide policy recommendations and guidance to strengthen climate resilience, green infrastructure planning and cross-sectoral cooperation. 

Eligible applicants: The conditions are described in General Annex B. The following exceptions apply: If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS (other data and services may additionally be used).  

Regional and local authorities, including inland water management bodies, are encouraged to be partners in the consortium. 

Budget: The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 35.70 million, with four projects to be funded under this topic. The Commission estimates that an EU contribution of between EUR 8.00 and 8.925 million would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of a proposal requesting different amounts. 

Duration: 

The project is expected to start in 2028, following grant agreement preparation, and should typically run for a duration of 3 to 4 years, depending on the scope of the proposed work. 

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