Scope:
During the first phase of the implementation of the Mission ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030’, a number of waterfront cities, regions and islands started to become engaged[1] in the Mission with adhesions to the Mission Charter[2].
The proposal should coordinate, support and strengthen this growing movement to create a broad Coalition supporting the Mission Ocean and Waters, which will focus on waterfront cities with their ports (coastal and inland), as well as regions and islands committed to implementing this Mission. Importantly, it should aim to build a broad coalition, which also includes, in addition to the regions/cities/islands who already adhered to the Mission Charter, new and so far less active members with equal representation from all Mission lighthouse areas.
Proposals should:
-establish and strengthen a Coalition of coastal and inland waterfront cities (including their maritime or inland water ports), regions and islands across the EU and Associated countries;
-support the governance, implementation and reporting of the Coalition;
-co-ordinating, networking, twinning, and mentoring of the Coalition members, as well as sharing best practices and deploying solutions together with the projects resulting from the topic HORIZON-MISS-2024-OCEAN-02-01 and in collaboration with the Mission Ocean and Waters Implementation Platform;
-develop participatory processes for cities, regions and islands to be able to better plan and implement actions aiming to reach the Missions objectives; establish robust mechanisms for regional and local dialogues and facilitate coordination and collaboration between the Coalition and relevant national, regional and local authorities, communities, as well as relevant networks and initiatives in order to engage a large number of stakeholders, including private actors and citizens, in the protection and restoration of the ocean, seas and waters.
-enhance the visibility of the Coalition activities through targeted communication actions and educational campaigns engaging local communities, schools, and the general public;
-leverage funds to support the actions of the Coalition, in interaction with managing authorities and the private sector, where relevant.
The proposals should support the public authorities that become members of the Coalition by enabling them to engage with various other local stakeholders, including the private sector, NGOs, citizens, investors, other local and regional authorities, in co-design, co-development and co-implementation strategies and actions for the health of oceans, seas, and inland waters. The proposals should help to ensure that the Coalition has a balanced representation of diverse communities across Member States and Associated Countries, including participation of smaller cities and municipalities.
The proposals should help the Coalition to forge links and coordinate with other important EU initiatives and key players (while at the same time avoiding overlaps), such as the EU Cities Mission, the Horizon Europe Partnership for a Sustainable Blue Economy, the European Environment Agency and organisations in charge of protection of the marine and coastal environment in Europe; as well as relevant international activities. The proposals may also collaborate with and build on the experience of other relevant existing networks, partnerships and initiatives[3] as well as take into account relevant strategic research and innovation agendas and regional strategies.
The proposals should enable the Coalition to leverage funds for implementing the actions to achieve the Mission objectives, including through facilitated synergies and access to EU, national, regional and private funds and strategies, in interaction with managing authorities if applicable (e.g. ERDF, EMFAF, LIFE, Interreg, RRF, RIS3/RIS4 etc), the financial sector (e.g. EIB), investors and philanthropies.
The proposals should also support the Commission in developing, launching and implementing a Mission Ocean and Waters Label, under guidance of and in a close collaboration with the EC Mission Ocean and Waters Secretariat[4]. The Label should be awarded to entities that have already adhered to the Charter or are planning to do so, and whose activities or transition plans are being assessed as stand-out in terms of excellence and impact towards reaching Mission objectives. The Label will recognise the commitment to achieving the Mission objectives and facilitate access to possible funding and investment. In particular, the proposals should work with the EC Mission Ocean and Waters Secretariat to define detailed objectives and criteria for awarding the Label, taking into account and building on existing certification or label[5]; develop measurable certification standards in line with the Mission’s targets and a transparent verification process, as well as help conduct a pilot exercise awarding the Label to the first group of actors that qualify for it. In order to accelerate and facilitate broad adoption of the Label, the proposals should develop a strategy for the promotion of the Label, including defining the benefits for the entities that would undergo the labelling, and choosing the most appropriate tools and methods for raising awareness of the Label, including the design of a compelling brand identity for the Label in line with the visual identity of the Mission and establishing partnerships with key stakeholders. The proposals should also foresee provision of guidance and support to the communities of actors wishing to apply for the Label. The labelled entities will also be integrated in the existing Mission community networks, and receive support from the Mission Implementation Platform and other initiatives and projects linked to the Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters. The proposals should put in place a system to monitor and evaluate the labelled entities, as well as promote collaboration among them. The proposals should also establish necessary support structures to ensure longevity of the Label. The labelling process will be designed and implemented in close collaboration with the EC Mission Ocean and Waters Secretariat[4]
The proposals should work closely with other Horizon Europe projects, particularly Prep4Blue, the 4 Mission lighthouse CSA projects (EcoDaLLi[7], BlueMissionAA[8], BlueMissionMed[9], BlueMissionBANOS[10]), the projects selected under HORIZON-MISS-2024-OCEAN-02-01 and the Mission Ocean and Waters Implementation Platform [11] in order to ensure complementarities and avoid overlaps. The project resulting from this topic will be implemented in close collaboration with the relevant EC service(s) and Mission Ocean and Waters Secretariat[4] to ensure a coherent and timely implementation of the Mission.
Applicants should be flexible enough to accommodate for some adjustments that may be requested by the Commission before the grant agreement signature to ensure complementarity of activities between the projects CSA projects selected in past Mission calls (Prep4Blue, EcoDaLLi, BlueMissionAA, BlueMissionMed, BlueMissionBANOS), the Mission Ocean and Waters Implementation Platform, and the projects selected under topic HORIZON-MISS-2024-OCEAN-02-01.
