Funding Calls / Transition Agendas

Transition Agenda Call 1

Funding for community-driven strategic roadmaps to restore the Danube River Basin and Black Sea region.

Status: Open Application deadline: 11 December 2026, 17:00 CET, Brussels time Apply now

Info Sessions

Watch the info session recordings and access practical guidance to better understand the call and develop your Transition Agenda proposal.
Watch the 1st Session Watch the 2nd Session

Join the Danube & Black Sea Restoration Community on BlueActionMatch to connect, network and find potential partners.

Join the community!

Call at a glance

Up to

EUR 100k

per TAg

Duration

4-12

months

Consortium

2 to 4

organisations

Focus area

5 Regions

Danube & Black Sea

What is a Transition Agenda?

A Transition Agenda, or TAg, is a community-led, multi-year strategic roadmap that defines where a community wants to go, what needs to change and how that transformation can be achieved and financed.

It brings together relevant stakeholders around a shared vision and identifies priorities, actions, responsibilities, resources and investment pathways contributing to the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030”.
Transition Agendas are not stand-alone projects. They are participatory planning instruments designed to strengthen governance, stakeholder engagement and long-term investment in sustainable water management, ecosystem restoration, pollution prevention, climate resilience and a circular blue economy.

SoS2LearnDBS will support Transition Agendas targeting five regions: Upper Danube, Middle Danube, Lower Danube, Danube Delta and the Black Sea region.

Restore Ecosystems

Prevent Pollution

Circular Blue Economy

Who can apply?

Applications must be submitted by a consortium of 2 to 4 independent legal entities.

The consortium leader must be established in the Danube–Black Sea region and must have existed for at least two years. Consortium partners may be established in an EU Member State or a Horizon Europe Associated Country.

At least one consortium partner must demonstrate an established link with the local or regional community targeted by the proposed Transition Agenda.

  • Public authorities
    Local and regional authorities, municipalities, regional administrations and other public bodies.
  • Civil society organisations
    NGOs, foundations, associations, community groups and other organisations engaged in sustainability, environmental protection or local development.
  • Blue economy and local businesses
    Locally based SMEs, professional associations, industry bodies, cooperatives and organisations active in fields relevant to the call.
  • Knowledge organisations
    Educational institutions and research-performing organisations.

Natural persons are not eligible to apply. Applicants should consult the Call Conditions for the complete eligibility requirements, country coverage, conflict-of-interest provisions and funding restrictions.

What can a Transition Agenda cover?

Each proposal must contribute to at least one objective of the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030” and address at least one Danube–Black Sea regional priority pillar.

Sustainable water management

Ecosystem and biodiversity restoration

Pollution prevention and monitoring

Community engagement and water literacy

Governance and policy alignment

Circular blue economy

Scalability and replication

TAg 1 Call Timeline

Call launch:

9 October 2026

Info Sessions:

22 and 28 Oct

Application deadline:

11 December 2026
17:00 CET

Eligibility check

Evaluation and selection:

14 December 2026 to 30 March 2027

Results announcement:

31 March 2027

Contracting:

By 14 May 2027

Transition Agendas kick-off:

From 15 May 2027

How to Apply?

1. Read the Call Conditions and the Guidelines for Developing a Transition Agenda.
2. Build a consortium of 2 to 4 eligible organisations and define your Transition Agenda.
3. Register on the application platform and activate your account through the confirmation email. If you do not receive the email, please check your spam or junk mail folder.
4. Complete the Online Application Form.
5. Prepare and upload the Technical Annex and Budget Template.
6. Submit your application before the deadline.

Need support?

Info sessions: 22 and 28 Oct: Watch the recordings!
Matchmaking/networking opportunities: Join our community!

Contact us

FAQ

One of the core elements of SoS2LearnDBS is its integration with ongoing EU initiatives aimed at restoring oceans, seas, and freshwater ecosystems. The project will closely follow and contribute to key EU frameworks, including:

By linking community-led actions and transition agendas with these EU frameworks, the project ensures that local solutions are not only impactful on the ground but also contribute to larger EU-wide restoration and sustainability goals.

The support for developing Transition Agendas will proceed as follows:

  • Open Calls for Proposals:

Two open calls will be launched to invite proposals focused on developing Transition Agendas. These agendas should be strategic plans that guide communities and sectors towards sustainable practices in the long term, focusing on areas such as water management, biodiversity restoration, and circular economy in the Danube River Basin and the Black Sea region.

  • Selection and Financial Support:

The selected proposals for Transition Agendas will also receive financial support to develop and implement their strategies. The funding will help communities create actionable and realistic transition plans aligned with EU policies and local sustainability needs.

  • Technical Support and Expert Guidance:

Communities selected for this call will receive technical support from experts in water management and ecosystem restoration. This ensures that the Transition Agendas are feasible, aligned with EU environmental policies, and tailored to the specific needs of each community.

  • Development of Tools and Guidelines:

Tools and practical guides will be developed to support communities in creating their transition strategies. These will include transition templates, performance indicators, and strategies to overcome barriers, ensuring that the transition plans are effective and adaptable to local circumstances.

  • Impact Evaluation and Monitoring:

The impact of the Transition Agendas will be evaluated through specific indicators that measure environmental sustainability and the social and economic outcomes of the transitions. Ongoing monitoring will allow for adjustments, ensuring the long-term success and sustainability of the transition efforts.

We believe that successful projects are those that make a real, measurable difference. Throughout the project, we will monitor and evaluate the social and environmental impacts of all activities. This will include tracking:

  • The effectiveness of Community-Led Actions in achieving environmental and social goals
  • The success of Transition Agendas in guiding sustainable sector transformations
  • The long-term sustainability of the initiatives beyond the project’s lifetime

These evaluations will not only track progress against project-specific goals but also assess the alignment with EU restoration targets for marine and freshwater ecosystems, allowing for broader insights into how local actions contribute to EU environmental policies.

Applications must be submitted through the Online Application Form available on the official Open Calls platform. Applicants must upload the following supporting documents:

  • A completed Technical Annex, using the official template;
  • A completed Budget, using the official template;
  • Proof of Legal Registration for at least one consortium partner with an established link to the target region or community.

The Proof of Legal Registration must show the organisation’s date and place of establishment, legal status, and purpose, mission or objectives. Accepted documents may include a certificate of incorporation or registration, an extract from an official register, statutes, articles of association or an equivalent document issued by a competent authority. If the original document is not in English, an official English translation must also be provided.

All application documents must be prepared in English and uploaded through the Online Application Form. Incomplete applications or applications submitted through another channel will not be accepted.

Funding is provided as a lump sum covering 100% of eligible costs, and co-financing is not mandatory. Eligible cost categories include:

  • Personnel costs for staff working on the project;
  • Travel and accommodation directly related to project activities;
  • Equipment depreciation costs, where the equipment is necessary and directly linked to the development of the Transition Agenda;
  • Other goods, works and services, such as consumables, dissemination materials, printing, translation, supplies, monitoring equipment and educational materials;
  • Subcontracting costs for specific tasks that cannot be carried out by the consortium members;
  • Indirect costs, calculated as a flat rate of 25% of eligible direct costs in accordance with Horizon Europe rules.

Subcontracting may not exceed 30% of the total requested grant. General-purpose office equipment, infrastructure, vehicles and equipment intended to implement future restoration measures identified in the Transition Agenda are not eligible.

Projects must also reserve part of their travel and accommodation budget for participation in joint activities organised with the SoS2LearnDBS consortium:

  • At least 10% of the total project budget for Tier 1;
  • At least 5% for Tier 2;
  • At least 3% for Tier 3.

The no-profit and no-double-funding rules apply. The same activities cannot receive funding from more than one EU source.

Proposals will be evaluated through a four-step process:

  1. Eligibility verification, confirming that the application meets all submission, consortium, scope and funding requirements;
  2. Individual assessment by two reviewers, one from the SoS2LearnDBS consortium and one external expert;
  3. Ranking of eligible proposals according to their final weighted scores, target region and funding tier;
  4. Consensus meeting and final selection, resulting in a list of projects recommended for funding and a reserve list.

Eligible applications will be assessed against nine criteria:

  • Comprehensive planning;
  • Feasibility;
  • Commitment to implementation;
  • Advancement beyond the state of the art;
  • Dissemination, communication and exploitation;
  • Social innovation and societal impact;
  • Commitment to a Climate Pact Pledge;
  • Quality of the proposed outcomes;
  • Sustainability and scaling potential.

Each criterion is scored from 0 to 5. Proposals must obtain at least 3 points in every criterion. A proposal scoring below 3 in any criterion will be rejected.

The Comprehensive Planning criterion has a weighting of 1.5, while all other criteria have a weighting of 1.0. Proposals passing all thresholds will be ranked according to their final weighted score and the planned regional distribution of grants.

Applicants are expected to be informed of the evaluation results by 31 March 2027.

All applicants will receive an acceptance or rejection letter by email, together with an anonymised Evaluation Summary Report. The results will also be published through the SoS2LearnDBS website and project communication channels.

Selected projects will then enter the Sub-Grant Agreement preparation phase. Agreements are expected to be signed by 14 May 2027, with project implementation starting from 15 May 2027.

Questions about the Transition Agenda Call may be sent to sosdbs@inova.business.

Applicants are encouraged to submit their questions as early as possible and no later than 6 December 2026. Replies to questions received after this date cannot be guaranteed.

The SoS2LearnDBS consortium will also organise online and face-to-face information sessions to present the call and clarify questions from potential applicants. Relevant updates and answers to frequently asked questions will be published on the SoS2LearnDBS website.

For technical difficulties affecting an application before the deadline, applicants should contact the support team promptly and provide a clear explanation of the issue, together with screenshots or other supporting evidence whenever possible.

Ready to shape your community’s transition agenda?

Prepare your roadmap for restoring waters, strengthening local collaboration and contributing to the Mission Ocean objectives by 2030.

Apply Now!

Partners

Contact us


Follow SOS2LeandDBS on social media!

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. (Project No 101217667).

© 2025 SoS2LearnDBS