New Project Empowers Communities to Restore our Ocean and Waters

A new EU-funded project called BlueActionBANOS is putting communities at the heart of ocean restoration. By providing funding, expert guidance, and hands-on support, the project will empower communities across the Baltic and North Sea (BANOS) region in implementing innovative solutions that address pollution, restore ecosystems, and accelerate the transition to a carbon-neutral and circular blue economy.

The project marks a new chapter in the EU’s Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030” by shifting from an initial phase of research and pilot projects to a second phase where focus is on upscaling solutions by supporting community-led initiatives and local transitions.

“With BlueActionBANOS, we are turning ambition into action. This project is about enabling communities to lead the way in restoring our ocean and waters. We will not only provide funding but aim to build lasting capacity by supporting also with expertise and facilitating collaboration,” says Angela Schultz-Zehden, managing director of the SUBMARINER Network and the coordinator of the BlueActionBANOS project.

To ensure that communities can take action, BlueActionBANOS offers three types of support:

  • Community-led Action Grants. Local or sectoral communities can apply for grants between €200,000 and €2 million to carry out action-oriented projects that tackle pollution, restore marine ecosystems, or promote sustainable blue economy practices. These projects should have a long-term impact and serve as inspiration for other communities. Each selected project will receive tailored support to help with planning, implementation, and access to expert knowledge.

  • Transition Agenda Grants. Up to 20 communities will receive up to €100,000 each to develop action plans to guide the transformation in a concrete sector and/or region, called “transition agendas.” 

These plans help communities set clear goals for sustainability and climate adaptation, and ensure their efforts align with EU policies and the Green Deal. The process involves expert input and national coordination to ensure the plans are both ambitious and achievable.

  • Technical Assistance. All participating communities will benefit from a wide range of support services such as personalised mentoring and expert advice, peer-to-peer learning, workshops and participation in expert forums across Europe.

The open calls will be launched at the end of November 2025. Interested communities and stakeholders are encouraged to follow the BlueActionBANOS LinkedIn page and check the project website, which will go live by the end of November, for updates and application details.

In addition to the support measures, the project places great emphasis on fostering collaboration, knowledge exchange, and long-term impact. Through the BlueBioMatch platform, communities will connect with peers, funders, and policymakers to share experiences and scale successful solutions.

The project was officially launched with a kick-off meeting in Nyborg, Denmark, from 25–26 September 2025, bringing together the consortium of 18 partners from all BANOS countries to align on strategy, implementation, and community engagement priorities.

For media enquiries and further information

Angela Schultz-Zehden,
Managing director of the SUBMARINER Network and coordinator of the BlueAtionBANOS project
E-mail: asz@submariner-network.eu
Phone: +4930832141740

Follow BlueActionBANOS on LinkedIn

Facts about BlueActionBANOS

BlueActionBANOS is a four-year project funded by the European Union. Running from 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2029, the initiative aims to mobilise and provide practical and easily accessible support to a diverse set of established or emerging communities of actors across the Baltic and North Sea (BANOS) region to implement innovative and impactful actions and measures to restore our ocean, seas and waters.

The project brings together 18 partners from:

Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, The Netherlands and Poland.

The project is coordinated by the SUBMARINER Network for Blue Growth EEIG.

Photo: The BlueActionBANOS project partners gathered in Nyborg, Denmark for the official kick-off of the project.
Photo credits: Laila Dam, Food & Bio Cluster Denmark