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Aim. Provide targeted financial support and technical assistance to associated regions to replicate, scale and localise UPSTREAM solutions for monitoring, prevention, removal and valorisation of plastic litter and microplastics in rivers and connected waters.
Objective. Support regional/local authorities to deploy collection & recovery schemes for riverine litter/plastics/MP and pilot valorisation pathways aligned with UPSTREAM.
Who can apply. Regional/local public authorities (or directly‑representing bodies) from associated regions (EU MS/AC) outside UPSTREAM beneficiary countries and regions receiving FSTP funding from the INSPIRE project. (INSPIRE project is funded under the same Horizon Europe programme topic call HORIZON-MISS-2022-OCEAN-01-04).
Primary geographies. Eligible associated regions in EU Member States/Associated Countries not covered by the UPSTREAM, with indicative priority to regions with high leakage to rivers/sea (e.g., selected Balkans/Mediterranean/ North African basins). See list of eligible and non-eligible countries using this link: (list-3rd-country-participation_horizon-euratom_en.pdf)
Funding. Lump‑sum grants up to €70,000 per project; 6 months implementation; expected [2–3] projects funded in this call (OC1 + OC2 programme total up to 5).
Activities sought. Field pilots for capture/recovery; valorisation trials; monitoring linked to collection efficacy; logistics/model design; citizen co‑creation for uptake.
Applications opening: January 15, 2026 (12:00 PM CET)
Applications deadline: March 16, 2026 (17:00 PM CET)
The Open Call 1 for associated regions to replicate, scale and localise UPSTREAM solutions for monitoring, prevention, removal and valorisation of plastic litter and microplastics in rivers and connected waters is open for submission from January 15, 2026 (12:00 PM CET).
How to apply. Submit Application Form + Declaration of Honour (in .pdf) to ue.tcejorp-maertspu@llaCnepO with the subject: name of the call. Language: English. One application per authority.
Projects must demonstrably support UPSTREAM objectives through:
Not eligible: Basic research; routine municipal operations; activities completed before grant start; double‑funded activities; purchases unrelated to project tasks; measures with significant negative environmental impacts.
Any subcontracting must be justified in the proposal application and awarded via the beneficiary’s compliant public procurement procedures.
Admissibility: Application complete; submitted via official portal before deadline; in English; all mandatory annexes provided.
Eligibility (all must hold): – Applicant is a regional/local public authority or body directly representing it; legal status proof attached; – Located in an eligible associated region (EU MS/AC) outside UPSTREAM beneficiary countries; – Proposal aligns with Call objectives and eligible activities list; – No double funding (self‑declaration); activities not started before grant; – EU restrictive measures do not apply to applicant or key subcontractors.
Geographical diversity rule: One award per region across the whole programme.
Resubmissions: Allowed across calls if not yet funded.
Evaluation. Two external experts score per criteria; internal consensus ranks; awards by the Call Owner. All eligible applicants receive an Evaluation Summary Report (ESR).
Process. (1) Admissibility & eligibility screening; (2) Remote evaluation by three internal consortium experts; (3) Internal consensus meeting for final ranking and funding cut‑off; (4) Ethics/risk checks; (5) Awards & grant prep.
Criteria & weights (100 pts total; minimum quality thresholds apply): 1. Concept & innovation – 25 pts: clarity, credibility, interoperability, novelty (tech/strategic/implementation/practice). 2. Team capacity & excellence – 25 pts: skills, roles, governance, delivery track‑record; access to required permits/sites. 3. Alignment & work plan – 25 pts: logic, milestones, deliverables, verification means; budget realism; subcontracting justification. 4. Impact & European dimension – 25 pts: fit with Mission Ocean goals; scalability/replicability; cross‑border relevance; KPIs.
Thresholds. Min 60/100 overall and ≥12/25 in each criterion. Ties broken by higher Impact score, then Concept score, then geographic balance.
Outputs to applicants. ESR with strengths/weaknesses & scores; ineligible applicants receive reasoned notice and appeal route.
Mandatory deliverables: – D1: Kick‑off package (work plan, risk & ethics checklist, data plan, comms plan) – M1; – D2: Mid‑term update (evidence of activities, preliminary results) – mid‑point; – D3: Final pack (technical report, datasets, photos/videos, replication & exploitation plan, communication assets) – final month.
Illustrative KPIs (select per project): capture efficiency; tonnes/items collected; MP concentration trends; citizens engaged; policy changes enacted; % bio‑based substitutions; valorisation outputs; open datasets published.
Visibility. Use MISSION OCEAN/EU/UPSTREAM logos and funding statement on all outputs; provide consented media assets; follow project visual ID.
Open data. Publish non‑sensitive results to UPSTREAM platforms/Portal as applicable.
Applicants may lodge an appeal within 7 calendar days of notification where they believe a procedural error occurred. Appeals are reviewed by an internal panel uninvolved in the original decision. Appeals cannot re‑evaluate scientific/technical merit unless a manifest error is evidenced. Applicants will receive an appeal response within 14 days of confirmed receipt of the appeal.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who can apply? Local or regional public authorities or bodies directly representing them, located in eligible associated regions.
Can an authority apply to both calls? Yes, but a region can only receive funding once during the programme.
Is subcontracting allowed? Yes, when justified. Subcontracting above 30% must be clearly justified.
What costs are eligible? Costs are covered through a lump‑sum grant linked to delivery of milestones and outputs.
When are payments made? Payments are made in tranches linked to project milestones and final acceptance.
What reporting is required? Kick‑off package, mid‑term update and final report with evidence of results.
Are permits required? Yes, applicants must ensure all necessary permits and approvals are in place.
How is data handled? In compliance with GDPR and UPSTREAM data management rules.
Contact ue.tcejorp-maertspu@llaCnepO for further clarifications.
Co-Funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement no 101112877. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. This work was also co-funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) under the UK government’s Horizon Europe funding guarantee grant numbers 10082527, 10066959, 10089056, 10087702, and 10066963.
