We are seeking 5 regions to receive grants of up to 100.000 EUR each and technical support to implement and enhance Area-Based Management tools developed by the BioProtect project and tested in the demonstration sites.

Who Can Apply: 

• Local/regional authorities, local and/or regional organisations from EU Member States, and associated countries to the Horizon Europe Programme. 
• Local and/or regional authorities from associated regions from EU Member States, and associated countries to the Horizon Europe Programme, other than those that are part of the project consortium.
• Any other type of third parties according to the Horizon Europe conditions like private for-profit organisations, higher education organisations or NGOs are not eligible.
• In addition, it must be ensured that participating facilities are registered at the Funding & Tenders portal and have a 9-digit Participant Identification Code (PIC).
• Entities subjected to EU restrictive measures under Article 29 of the treaty on the European Union (TEU) and Article 215 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU) are not eligible to participate as recipients of FSTP.
• Application must include a local/regional authority. 

Note that applicants from the following countries where a project partner of BioProtect is located are ineligible for this call i.e., Greece, Portugal, Germany, Ireland, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Iceland, and Norway, and are excluded from the list of potential beneficiaries.

EU Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) are NOT eligible for FSTP funding. This excludes the ones:

• linked to Denmark: Greenland & Faroe Islands
• linked to Netherlands: Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius Sint Maarten
• linked to France: French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Territories, New Caledonia, Saint Barthélemy, St. Pierre et Miquelon, Wallis et Futuna Islands

However, EU Outermost regions (ORs) eligible for FSTP grants include:

• Five French overseas departments – Martinique, Mayotte, Guadeloupe, French Guiana and Réunion;
• One French overseas community – Saint-Martin;
• One Spanish autonomous community – the Canary Islands.

Objectives: 

Augment the impact and increase the robustness and adaptability of the solutions to protect and restore biodiversity.  

• Improve the tools to protect and restore biodiversity. 
• Gather feedback from regions to refine and strengthen these solutions.

Benefits

• Access to the BioProtect management tools area-based management decision support framework, including: 
  • BioProtect PPGIS Analyser
  • BioProtect CO2 Calculator
  • BioProtect Biodiversity Toolbox
  • BioProtect Marine Planner 
  • BioProtect Area-Based Management Decision Support Framework (ABM-DSF)
  • BioProtect Good Practice Recommendations on Improved Governance
• Technical assistance, training, and documentation and additional resources to fill knowledge and skills gaps. 
• Tools to help visualise impacts of human activities, identify conservation areas, and resolve conflicts in Marine Spatial Planning (MSP). 
• Support in engaging stakeholders and expanding Marine Protected Area (MPA) networks. 

Process:

• Each selected region will be paired with a demonstration site. 
• The technical assistance to the ’associated regions’ will include advice to prepare roadmaps, plans and projects to restore marine ecosystems and biodiversity in the associated regions, to address possible barriers and show the feasibility of implementing innovative solutions for socio-economic transition processes in an ecosystem based and circular economy perspective. 
• Comprehensive support package will be provided, including tutorials and user guides.

Commitment: 

• Associated regions to provide feedback to improve the BioProtect tools. 
• Associated regions to collaborate on enhancing solutions for broader application. 
• Associated regions to engage the relevant local stakeholders to co-evaluate the success of the solutions. 

How to Apply: 

Join us to gain expertise and tools to identify high-value conservation areas, balance conservation with economic activities, and support the Marine Spatial Planning process and work towards achieving the Nature Restoration Law targets.