ProBleu Funding Initiative to support Primary and Secondary Schools

The ProBleu funding initiative supports primary and secondary schools as essential champions in educating children and youth about blue sustainability and the safeguarding of marine and freshwater ecosystems. Across a three-year span, ProBleu will unveil a series of calls on its website, offering financial backing to empower a minimum of 100 schools in crafting an array of educational and citizen science projects.

Which topics should school projects address?

• The calls will support school projects covering a wide variety of topics within the theme of Blue Sustainability. Each project must fall into one of the following lots:
  • Lot 1: Ocean/marine projects
  • Lot 2: Freshwater projects

Funding Information

• The grant takes the form of a lump sum grant in one of the following categories:
  • For small-scale projects: up to €2 500
  • For medium-scale projects: up to €5 000
  • For large-scale projects: up to €10 000
• The maximum duration of each project in this call is 11 (eleven) months and the minimum duration is 3 (three) months.

What types of projects can be supported?

The ProBleu funding scheme aims to support primary and secondary schools to mobilise and engage with children, youth, and the school community in the education for blue sustainability and the protection of marine and freshwater ecosystems. ProBleu invites schools to propose projects that contribute to:

• Develop and implement ideas that contribute to achieving the objectives of the Mission “Restore their ocean and waters by 2030”;
• Enlarge and strengthen the NEBS, contributing to the work of the EU4Ocean Coalition;
• Engage students, youth, teachers, school leaders and the wider school community in the pursuit of ocean and water literacy and sustainability.

Eligible Countries

• Albania, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Cyprus, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Serbia, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.

Who can apply? Who can be involved in the projects?

• This call is directed at primary and secondary-level schools (including vocational schools) of the EU-27 Member States and the third countries associated with Horizon Europe.
• ProBleu grants will be formally awarded to schools as legal entities (and not to teachers or students individually). However, it is expected that students, teachers, school leaders and eventually other stakeholders also actively participate in the preparation of the applications. The school projects should foster the engagement of different stakeholders in the Blue Sustainability topics. When preparing a project, applicant schools are encouraged to:
  • Include collaboration among various stakeholders inside and outside the school community: teachers, parents, ocean professionals (for example researchers, marine scientists), NGOs, visitor centres, maritime companies, authorities (including municipalities), the wider community (civil society);
  • Search for collaborative approaches with other schools, teachers and students (during and after the grant period). They encourage twinning among schools from different locations;
  • Ensure equal opportunities for participants with fewer opportunities.

For more information, visit ProBleu.