[European Commission](https://commission.europa.eu/index_en)

September 24, 2025 (single-stage)

~€6,000,000 per project | 2 grants expected | Total call budget: €12,000,000

Grant to develop stakeholder-driven Digital Twin Ocean applications for sustainable management, leveraging and enhancing the EU DTO core infrastructure with innovative data, models, and tools.

--- ## Description This funding opportunity supports the development of user-driven Digital Twin Ocean (DTO) applications that both leverage and contribute to the European Digital Twin of the Ocean (EDITO) core infrastructure. The aim is to create advanced digital tools and models that integrate real-time and historical marine data, numerical modeling, artificial intelligence, and high-performance computing to simulate, visualize, and assess complex oceanic and coastal systems. Applications must be co-designed with stakeholders and demonstrate use cases across multiple European sea basins, supporting sustainable ocean management, policy implementation, and marine business operations. Projects are expected to contribute open data and models, improve data harmonization and FAIR dataflows, enhance model availability and interconnections, and develop interactive visualization tools to support decision-making for policy, industry, and civil society—especially in the context of climate change, ecosystem adaptation, and sustainable marine business. --- ## Due Dates - Call opens: May 7, 2025 - Application deadline: September 24, 2025, 17:00 Brussels time --- ## Funding Amount - Approx. €6,000,000 per project - 2 projects expected to be funded - Total call budget: €12,000,000 - Funding instrument: Horizon Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA), budget-based grant --- ## Eligibility - Proposals must include at least two new DTO domain applications, each demonstrated in at least three different sea basins (total of six use cases), with all four EU sea basins covered by at least one use case. - Eligible applicants: Legal entities from EU Member States and associated countries. Some non-EU/non-associated countries may participate if they provide their own funding (see [Annex B](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/wp-call/2025/wp-14-general-annexes_horizon-2025_en.pdf)). - Proposals must be co-designed with relevant stakeholders (e.g., authorities, businesses, civil society). - Projects must develop applications directly into the EDITO infrastructure, favoring open data, open source, and public-use models. - If using satellite-based earth observation or navigation data, applicants must use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS services. --- ## Application Process - Single-stage submission via the [EU Funding & Tenders Portal](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-MISS-2025-03-OCEAN-08?isExactMatch=true&status=31094501,31094502&order=DESC&pageNumber=8&pageSize=50&sortBy=startDate). - Application templates and guidance documents are available on the portal: - [Standard application form (HE RIA, IA)](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/temp-form/af/af_he-ria-ia_en.pdf) - [Online Manual](https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/funding-tenders-opportunities/display/OM/Online+Manual) - Detailed conditions, evaluation criteria, and legal/financial requirements are described in the [General Annexes](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/wp-call/2025/wp-14-general-annexes_horizon-2025_en.pdf). - Beneficiaries must make in-situ data and marine observations openly available via EMODnet, following FAIR principles. --- ## Additional Information - Proposals should build on outcomes from EDITO-Infra and EDITO-Model Lab, and leverage data/services from EMODnet, the European Open Science Cloud, Copernicus Marine, and relevant Member State Coastal Systems. - Cooperation with the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) on model scenarios is encouraged. - Applications targeting regulatory or policy implementation (e.g., MSFD, MSPD, CFP) must address specific requirements (see call text for details). - Open science practices are mandatory, including open access to data and models. - For standardisation guidance, applicants can contact [CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk](mailto:research@cencenelec.eu) or [ETSI Research Helpdesk](https://www.etsi.org/research/helpdesk). --- ## External Links - [Call details and application portal](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-MISS-2025-03-OCEAN-08?isExactMatch=true&status=31094501,31094502&order=DESC&pageNumber=8&pageSize=50&sortBy=startDate) - [EDITO (European Digital Twin of the Ocean)](https://www.edito.eu/) - [Horizon Europe Programme Guide](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/programme-guide_horizon_en.pdf) - [EMODnet](https://www.emodnet.eu/) - [European Open Science Cloud](https://eosc-portal.eu/) - [ESFRI Research Infrastructures Portfolio](https://ri-portfolio.esfri.eu/) --- ## Contact Information | Purpose | Contact/Link | |----------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | General funder contact | [European Commission contact page](https://commission.europa.eu/about-european-commission/contact_en) | | Research programme enquiries | [Research Enquiry Service](https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/contact-us/research-enquiry-service_en) | | National Contact Points (NCPs) | [Find NCPs](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/support/ncp) | | IT Helpdesk | [Portal IT Helpdesk](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/support/helpdesks/contact-form) | | Standardisation support | [CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk](mailto:research@cencenelec.eu) / [ETSI Research Helpdesk](https://www.etsi.org/research/helpdesk) | ---

EU Digital Twin Ocean: Contribution to the EU DTO core infrastructure through applications for sustainable ocean management

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