ProCleanLakes Call for Associated Regions

Associated regions are expected to have access to a natural lake with similar problems (e.g. pollution, decreasing biodiversity etc.) with the ProCleanLakes Demonstration sites to be able to adopt and replicate solutions developed in ProCleanLakes.

The overarching aim of the project ProCleanLakes is to facilitate the deployment of the EU Mission Restore the Ocean and Waters at regional and local levels in Europe through development of a pan-European Action Plan for remediation and protection of European natural lakes (ENL) with involvement of a wide range of stakeholders including public that integrates:

• Improved ecological and chemical status of ENL, including biodiversity by using new integrative nature-based solutions (NbS)
• Using new 4.0 Digital solutions for supporting ecosystem monitoring, restoration, protection, and knowledge transfer to other regions
• Enabling business activities based on circular economy concept, assuring the transition from Blue to Green Economy
• Raising awareness, empowering, building capacities and co-develop solution with citizens and stakeholders related to problems and disruptive challenges associated with restoration and protection of ENL.

Objectives

• ProCleanLakes is seeking to select local and regional authorities from Replication Sites (RS) for scaling up, replication and exploitation of the solutions and approaches developed at the project demonstration sites. The project will use the Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) mechanism for this aim.
• RSs are expected to team-up with the ProCleanLakes partners to adopt the project´s outcomes and knowledge and integrate them in a Roadmap for restoration and protection of ENL located in the replication sites, which will be integrated in a pan-European Action Plan for remediation and protection of ENL.

Goal

• The goal of the ProCleanLake´s call for associated regions is to showcase the feasibility, replicability and scalability of the solutions developed within the project, in other areas (the so called ‘replication sites’). ProCleanLakes will provide scientific and technical advisory support to 3-5 replication sites conducting training and field workshops for the direct transfer/exchange and experience between demonstration sites actors and replication sites.

Funding Information

• Total funding available: 300,000 EUR.
• The maximum granted amount per project is €100,000 and the minimum grant to be requested is €60,000.

Eligible Activities

• The successful proposers commit to carry out the following activities in their role as associated region to the ProCleanLakes project:
  • Actively participate in capacity building and knowledge transfer from ProCleanLakes to the stakeholders of the Associated Region (citizens, interested businesses, policy makers, authorities, experts in water quality and biodiversity), specifically through:
    • In 2026 – 2027, together with ProCleanLakes, co-organize and participate in:
      • On-site workshop for stakeholders to develop protection & restoration solutions in cooperation with other stakeholders
      • Round table with citizens and other stakeholders to develop protection & restoration solutions;
      • On-line workshop for stakeholders to develop protection & restoration solutions;
  • Participate in workshops on the solutions developed by ProCleanLakes at one of the Demonstration Lake
    • In 2028, participate in:
      • ProCleanLakes final conference
      • ProCleanLakes pan-European online training
  • Develop replicable and scalable guidelines for ecosystem services upscaling: a guideline that emphasizes the potential of each implemented solution to improve several ecosystem services in collaboration with ProCleanLakes
  • Develop a customized implementation roadmap by September 2027 of restoration actions for their region to support the replication of ProCleanLakes solutions and tools. The roadmap will be based on the solutions developed in ProCleanLakes and will be technically assisted by ProCleanLakes partners via capacity building, trainings and guidance on structure and content.

Eligibility Criteria

• Financial support to third parties can only be awarded to local and regional authorities from an associated region. ‘Associated regions’ are understood as areas with similar ecosystems problems that can benefit from the demonstration activities and/or less-developed regions, with the view to build capacity to implement the innovative solutions proposed for restoration and protection of ENL.
• Only legal entities, established in an EU Member State or in Horizon Europe’s Associated Countries other than those that are part of the project consortium can apply. Third parties from the following countries are therefore excluded: Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Greece, Germany, France, Italy, Norway, Romania and Spain.
• Third parties can apply as a single entity or build up a partnership of more partners. Other entities, such as academia, business etc., could be eventually a subcontractor under the leadership of a Lead partner.

For more information, visit European Commission.