Call for Submissions: Baltic Sea Action Plan Fund

Priority Areas

• Measures enhancing the elimination of HELCOM Hotspots
• Measures to combat eutrophication
  • Measures to reduce land-based nutrient inputs
  • Measures to improve nutrient recycling
• Measures to address pollution by hazardous substances
• Measures to protect and restore biodiversity
• Measures towards sustainable recreational boating

Funding Information

• Commission Regulation (EU) No 2023/2831 ceiling of EUR 300,000
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 2023/2391 for fisheries and aquaculture sector ceiling of EUR 40,000
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 1408/2013 for agriculture sector ceiling of EUR 25,000

Eligible Activities

• Projects addressing key challenges facing the Baltic Sea – as identified in the updated BSAP. Projects should focus at concrete measures benefitting the ecological status of the Baltic Sea, delivering on the BSAP. The final outcomes of the projects should be tangible with measurable results.
• The main focus is on innovative projects showing additionality. The applicant should be able to show a clear and concrete link to the environmental effect which is the aimed benefit of the project.

Eligibility Criteria

• The Lead Partner (“Applicant”) should be a legal entity. It is possible to involve in the project one or more partners from the same-, or another country (“Partners”). However, as outlined by the Fund’s Steering Committee, Applicants, or projects where project partners are from Russia or Belarus are not eligible to apply for the grant.
• Applicants can be public or private. Eligible Applicants and Partners are both commercial or non-commercial and non-profit organizations such as private companies, NGO’s, regional and municipal authorities and entities, research and educational institutions etc. The Applicants should be legally incorporated entities and should have the necessary technical, financial and institutional capacity to carry out the projects.
• Funding opportunities will be open to projects aiming to improve and/or restore the ecological state of the Baltic Sea, in accordance with the objectives and scope of activities of the BSAP. The geographical area for the projects is the catchment area of the Baltic Sea, with the exclusion of Belarus and Russia.
• Grants received from the Fund fall under the EU de minimis regulations for state aid as applied in each donor country.
• Both new applicants, as well as applicants who previously have received a grant from the Fund are eligible to apply.

For more information, visit Nefco.