European natural lakes: demonstration of integrated approaches for protection and restoration of natural lake ecosystems and their biodiversity

Last updated: 21.7.2025
Grant

The European natural lakes program, identified as HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-01-04, is a Horizon Europe Innovation Action. It focuses on demonstrating integrated, replicable approaches for protecting and restoring natural lake ecosystems and their biodiversity across Europe. This initiative aims to significantly improve the ecological and chemical status of lakes, contributing to broader EU environmental strategies and fostering sustainable water management through collaborative efforts.

Who is Funded

This section details the eligibility criteria for applicants, the geographical scope of the program, and its overarching objectives, focusing on restoring European natural lakes and their biodiversity.

What is Funded

This section outlines the types of projects and activities eligible for funding, focusing on the restoration and protection of European natural lake ecosystems. It also clarifies the thematic areas and the developmental stages of supported projects, including a note on eligible costs.

Type and Scope of Funding

This section describes the financial nature of the program, including the type of financial instrument, the typical funding amounts available per project, and expected project durations, ensuring clarity on the financial parameters.

Conditions and Requirements

This section outlines the essential rules, regulations, and specific conditions that applicants and beneficiaries must adhere to throughout the application and project implementation phases, covering legal stipulations, collaboration rules, and ethical considerations.

Application Procedure

This section outlines the process for submitting applications, including the required forms and the selection mechanism, providing guidance on how proposals are managed from submission to the award decision.

This section identifies the core legal and regulatory framework that underpins the funding program, ensuring its mandate and operational guidelines are clearly understood.

Similar Programs

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Funding Overview

Funding Status

Funding Status:

Closed

Maximum Amount

Maximum Amount:

4,000,000 €

Allocated Budget

Allocated Budget:

12,000,000 €

Open Until

Open Until:

31.12.2027

Award Channel

Award Channel:

Framework Programme Call

Region

Region:

European Union Member States and Associated Countries, with demonstration activities required in at least three different countries. Associated regions (areas with benefiting ecosystems or less-developed regions within EU Member States and/or Associated countries, outside the consortium countries) are also a focus for replication and scaling.

Sectors

Sectors:

Environmental and Climate Protection, Water and Waste Management, Research and Development, Social Enterprises, Agriculture and Agribusiness

Beneficiaries

Beneficiaries:

Environmental protection, Biodiversity conservation, Water management

Application Type

Application Type:

Consortium Required

Funding Stages

Funding Stages:

Pilot Testing, Scaling, Implementation, Prototyping, Basic Research, Applied Research, Experimental Development

Funding Provider

Program Level:

European Union

Funding Body:

European Union (European Commission)

Additional Partners:

Other Mission activities and relevant activities within Mission lighthouses, European Blue Parks, Mission implementation monitoring system, lighthouse support facilities, Blue Parks technical support platform, MERCES project, EULAKES project, Espon project, Horizon Europe Nord-Balt-Ecosafe, H2020 MERLIN, ECOSTAT activities, EuropaBON activities, EU space programmes (e.g. Copernicus), projects funded under HORIZON-INFRA-2022-EOSC-01-03.

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