Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
Horizon Europe is the European Union (EU) funding programme for the period 2021 – 2027, which targets the sectors of research and innovation. The programme’s budget is around € 95.5 billion, of which € 5.4 billion is from NextGenerationEU to stimulate recovery and strengthen the EU’s resilience in the future, and € 4.5 billion is additional aid.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
Aim. Provide targeted financial support and technical assistance to associated regions to replicate, scale and localise UPSTREAM solutions for monitoring, prevention, removal and valorisation of plastic litter and microplastics in rivers and connected waters.
Detailed Call Description
UPSTREAM is a Horizon Europe Innovation Action project that aims to improve the cleanliness and water quality of European rivers that flow through several major European capitals and into five sea basins. The objective of this call is to support regional/local authorities to deploy collection & recovery schemes for riverine litter/plastics/MP and pilot valorisation pathways aligned with UPSTREAM. The aim is to provide targeted financial support and technical assistance to associated regions to replicate, scale and localise UPSTREAM solutions for monitoring, prevention, removal and valorisation of plastic litter and microplastics in rivers and connected waters.
Projects must demonstrably support UPSTREAM objectives through:
- Monitoring & digitalisation of plastics/MP in rivers & tributaries;
- Prevention & zero‑waste measures (e.g., substitution with bio‑based/biodegradable alternatives, upstream interventions);
- Removal/collection & recovery of litter, plastics and microplastics in freshwater systems;
- Recycling/valorisation pilots for captured plastics (incl. pre‑treatments that enable recycling);
- Nature‑based solutions & restoration in riparian and urban water systems;
- Citizen science & co‑creation (living labs, behaviour‑change campaigns) that directly support the above;
- Open data & knowledge sharing with UPSTREAM’s platforms.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
This action follows a lump sum funding model and the maximum grant per project is € 70.000.
Thematic Categories
- Environment and Climate Change
Eligibility for Participation
- Legal Entities
- Local Authorities
- NGOs
- Other Beneficiaries
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
Eligibility For Participation Notes
In order to be eligible, the applicants must be regional/local public authorities (or directly‑representing bodies) from associated regions (EU MS/AC) outside UPSTREAM beneficiary countries and regions receiving FSTP funding from the INSPIRE project with indicative priority to regions with high leakage to rivers/sea (e.g., selected Balkans/Mediterranean/ North African basins).
Cyprus is an eligible country to participate, as it is outside UPSTREAM beneficiary countries and regions receiving FSTP funding from the INSPIRE project.
Non eligible countries: Spain, Belgium, Slovenia, Portugal, Serbia, Greece, Germany, The Netherlands, France, Italy, UK, as they are already UPSTREAM beneficiary countries.