Applications open for Atlantic Project Awards 2024

These projects have taken place within the EU Atlantic Action Plan member states over the past years and showcase success stories, best practices and partnership models that could be scaled up at the regional, national, European or international level, while promoting the key priorities of the Atlantic Strategy.

The Awards are organised by the Atlantic Strategy Committee, supported by the Atlantic Assistance Mechanism.

The winners of the Atlantic Project Awards 2024 will be publicaly announced during the 11th Atlantic Stakeholders Platform Conference, an event that will be held in November in Bordeaux, France.

Objectives 

• The Atlantic Project Awards aim to:
  • Promote the key priorities and achievements of the Atlantic Action Plan 2.0 to the wider EU public;
  • Showcase initiatives, successful collaborations, best practices and partnerships that could inspire, be replicated or scaled up to implement the Atlantic Action Plan 2.0; and
  • Support best in category projects and initiatives with their growth objectives by enhancing their visibility and providing them with a platform to present their initiatives and be matched with potential growth partners.

Award Categories

• This year, 5 awards will be granted as recognition of projects’ outstanding performance, in the following award categories, in line with the Pillars of the Atlantic Action Plan 2.0:
  • Atlantic Ports: Projects, initiatives and actions that feature ports as gateways and hubs for the blue economy and/or catalysts for business in the Atlantic
  • Blue Skills and Ocean Literacy: Projects, initiatives and actions that boost blue skills and blue jobs, featuring quality education, training and lifelong learning, and that promote ocean literacy
  • Marine Renewable Energy: Projects, initiatives and actions that promote carbon neutrality through marine renewable energy
  • Healthy Oceans and Resilient Coasts: Projects, initiatives and actions for stronger coastal resilience and which reinforce the fight against marine pollution
  • International Cooperation: Projects, initiatives and actions that reflect an international dimension to the Atlantic Action Plan 2.0 as embodied in the Galway (2013) and Belém (2017) Statements and the All-Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance

What will the Award Winners receive?

• The award winners will:
  • Receive a trophy and certificate
  • Have the opportunity to present their awarded project during the ASPC 2024
  • Be promoted through the Atlantic Community’s web-based communication channels (Atlantic Strategy website, electronic publications and social media), by CINEA/DG MARE’s communication channels and by general media coverage
  • Receive an Atlantic Project Award Seal

Outcomes

• The expected outcomes of the Awards:
  • Promote Atlantic success stories and initiatives that can be further supported and scaled up;
  • Provide a database of projects, initiatives and best practices that would promote the EU Green Deal and accelerate the implementation of the Atlantic Action Plan 2.0;
  • Engage existing and new stakeholders into the Atlantic Community.

Eligibility Criteria

• Project applications may be submitted by any individual, organisation, business, group, network, consortium or institution that:
  • Is headquartered, domiciled or present in an EU Atlantic Member State – France, Ireland, Portugal and Spain
  • Has a funded project or initiative that is in progress or completed. A funded project is a group of tasks, actions, activities carried out by a consortium or a group within the framework of a larger and longer collaboration. Any type of funded project (at local, regional, national, or European level from public and/or private sources) that has been delivered or is being delivered inside the Atlantic Strategy geographical area is eligible to apply
  • The project applied for must be initiated within 36 months prior to the announcement of this Call (specifically for the 2024 call, as eligible projects are considered the ones with a start date later than 01/05/2021)

For more information, visit Atlantic Strategy Committee.