Open Call: Extended Demonstration of iMERMAID Solutions

iMERMAID stands for Innovative solutions for Mediterranean Ecosystem Remediation via Monitoring and decontamination from Chemical Pollution. The project will integrate, coordinate and synergise innovative solutions that prevent, monitor and remediate against chemical contaminants. It will construct a multidimensional framework, underpinning policymaking and altering societal perspectives. Cutting-edge sensors and remediation methods will be advanced, tackling contaminants at their source while curbing upstream pollution. By bringing together SMEs, researchers, regulators and innovation professionals, iMERMAID aims to strengthen regulations, boost economic prospects, enhance EU residents’ quality of life and, ultimately, create contaminant-free waters in the Mediterranean.

The primary ambition of iMERMAID is to create innovative, and replicable approaches to prevent, monitor, and remediate chemical pollution to support the EU’s mission to restore, protect, and preserve the health of the oceans, seas, and waters and to realise the goals of the Chemicals Strategy for Zero Chemical Pollution. Capitalising on the performance of its proposed technologies, iMERMAID’s overarching remediation infrastructure will streamline replication of low-cost and energy efficient demonstrators across different domains, use cases, and regions. Within the Mediterranean Sea basin, iMERMAID will deploy and demonstrate the developed solutions in various use cases at the source (agriculture waste, pharmaceutical contaminants, heavy metals, oil, PFAS, etc), intermediary (WWTP), and destination (Mediterranean Sea), providing the basis for future scale up of the developed solutions addressing chemical pollution from its source to its destination.

Objectives

• Pollution reduction via influencing public opinion and policy making. The goal is to deliver an integrated approach of societal actions to influence public opinion and policy making process to support the overall reduction of pollution. Innovative, reproducible technologies to monitor pollution from chemicals. iMERMAID will build and demonstrate next-generation monitoring technologies, including very sensitive target analysis using electrochemical sensors for chemicals with low predicted no-effect concentrations (PNEC).
• Innovative, reproducible technologies to reduce and remediate water from chemicals. iMERMAID will develop innovative low-cost, energy efficient, reproducible solutions for the remediation of chemical pollutants (heavy metals, POPs, pesticides, PFAS).
• Integrate a set of compatible techniques and technology and carry out demonstration activities in 3 different areas of the Mediterranean Sea basin. iMERMAID will establish 5 internal pilot use cases within the Mediterranean Sea basin and enable continual demonstration of the developed solutions to address chemical pollution from its source to the destination. The goal is to define solutions for pollution prevention, with elimination and remediation technologies not increasing the level of anthropogenic underwater noise and air emissions.
• Maximise project outreach by attracting and engaging with a critical mass of target stakeholders. iMERMAID will provide access to specialised technical knowledge and funding support for at least 5 ‘associated regions’ to showcase the feasibility, replicability and scale up of its solutions.

Topics

• Applicants can apply within any or a mix of the following topics:
  • Upstream Chemical Pollution Detection: Monitoring; Mapping and Hot Spot Identification.
  • Solutions against upstream water chemical pollution: Prevention, Reduction, and Remediation.

Funding Information

• The iMERMAID Open Call “Extended Demonstration of iMERMAID solutions in associated regions of the Mediterranean” has a total of €400 000 to fund up to four (4) projects and aims to:
  • Engage local and/or regional authorities to showcase the feasibility, replicability and scale up of the iMERMAID solutions.
  • Support the participating authorities by providing them with technical assistance to build capacity and to implement freshwater ecosystem restoration solutions in their territory that contribute to achieving the Mission objectives.

Eligibility Criteria

• All applicants will have to abide by the following eligibility criteria described in this section to be considered eligible for iMERMAID Open Call:
  • Proposals submitted by any other means will NOT be evaluated.
  • Applicants must be local/regional authorities from associated regions located in EU Member States/Associated countries other than those that are part of the project consortium.
  • An “associated region” shall benefit from the Financial Support to Third Party (FSTP) provided under the topic within the duration of the project only once.
  • Proposals must showcase the use of IMERMAID technology to be replicated in new regions.
  • The proposal should have a clear European dimension
  • The Application as well as the requested documents are provided ONLY in English language.
  • Not exceeding the maximum budget request per proposal.
  • Only complete applications will be accepted. The application should include the requested administrative data, and any obligatory supporting documents specified in the call.
  • EU restrictive measures are also applicable for financial support to third parties.

For more information, visit iMERMAID.