Associated Regions
Call for Proposals
We are pleased to announce the launch of a call for Associated Regions to participate in the DANUBE4all project.
We are looking for 5 Associated Regions that we can provide with technical assistance to use the outcomes and knowledge of DANUBE4all to prepare roadmaps, plans, and projects to restore freshwater ecosystems in their region.
To achieve this, we will implement special formats, workshops, and exchange activities to continuously share DANUBE4all outcomes and knowledge. All developed tools and restoration measures, as well as the development and draft versions of the Danube Basin Restoration Action Plan, will be fully open, usable, and made applicable to the Associated Regions.
By joining us as an Associated Region, you will have the opportunity to access our expertise, knowledge, and tools to develop your own roadmap, plan, or project to restore freshwater ecosystems in your region. We believe that by working together, we can achieve our shared goal of restoring freshwater ecosystems and promoting sustainability across Europe.
DANUBE4all aims to enhance the free-flowing status of rivers and floodplains, reduce flood and drought risks, and improve sediment and biota continuity through a variety of integrated measures.
In addition to research activities at our three Demonstration Sites, the project will also provide GIS and Citizen Science tools for upscaling restoration actions via ten Synergy Sites and transfer outcomes to five Associated Regions by developing Replication Roadmaps for Restoration Action.
Background
Eligible beneficiaries for this call are:
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Local and/or regional authorities from Member States and associated countries to the Horizon Europe Programme.
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Applicants should have a good command of English
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Applicants must be eligible for participation in the EC Horizon Europe Framework Programme and must ensure the following obligations of the Grant Agreement, namely Articles 12 (conflict of interest), 13 (confidentiality and security), 14 (ethics), 17.2 (visibility), 18 (specific rules for carrying out action), 19 (information) and 20 (record-keeping)[1].
The selected beneficiaries commit to carry out the following activities in their role as associated region to the DANUBE4all project:
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Contribute to three workshops to be held in their region (in 2024-2026) to develop restoration solutions in cooperation with other stakeholders.
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Develop a roadmap by December 2027 of restoration actions for their region to support the replication of DANUBE4all solutions and tools. The development of this roadmap will be technically assisted by DANUBE4all partners via capacity building, trainings and guidance on structure and content.
Please note: Countries that are part of the DANUBE4all consortium cannot participate: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Ukraine, United Kingdom.
Who Can Apply?
Funding | Activities
The grant each associated region can apply for is up to €100,000.
List of type of activities that can receive financial support:
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Revitalisation of ecological systems
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Ecosystem monitoring and restoration
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Nature base solutions restoration measures
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Reconnection of floodplains
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River connectivity, river-sea reconnection
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River dynamics improvement
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Sediment management
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Litter clean up in rivers and connecting ecosystems
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Citizens involvement
Opening date: Friday, March 31, 2023
Deadline model: Single-stage
Deadline: Thursday, August 31, 2023*
*Deadline extended from 31 May 2023
Application process
Evaluation & Selection
September 2023
Granting Completed
30 September 2023
Timeline
Project Implementation
October 2023
Project End
31 December 2027
FAQs
Q: Do the Associated Regions applicants need to budget money for workhops?
A: Yes, partners from the Associated Regions have to organise workshops held with local stakeholders - so travel costs should stay at a reasonable amount. Please note that in any case you need to stay within the maximum of 100.000 Euros!
Q: Is my country eligible to participate in the call?
A: Local and/or regional authorities from Member States and associated countries to the Horizon Europe Programme are eligible. If in doubt, please get in touch with your local contact point.
Please note: Countries that are part of the DANUBE4all consortium can not participate: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Ukraine, United Kingdom.
Q: When describing the budget, which cost categories should be used?
A: The EU Horizon Europe Rules apply. For more information, please check the information given here: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/common/agr-contr/general-mga_horizon-euratom_en.pdf
Q: Should the budget include indirect costs?
A: The EU Horizon Europe Rules apply. For more information, please check the information given here: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/common/agr-contr/general-mga_horizon-euratom_en.pdf
Q: How will payments be received, should the application be successful?
A: The payments will be received through the lead partner of the project (University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna)
Q: Are NGOs eligible to apply?
A: NO, NGOs do not count as ‘local/regional authorities’
Q: Can an application include more than one beneficiary?
A: Yes, as far as the beneficiaries are ‘local/regional authorities’.
The assessment panel will rate all of the eligible proposals for good practices against a scorecard linked to the following criteria:
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Relevance: How much does the proposal relate to the DANUBE4all project?
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Fit with principles: How well does the proposal fit with the DANUBE4all project principles?
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Resources: What resources does the proposal have at its disposal to implement the proposed actions?
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Local Network: How strong is the local network of the organisation behind this proposal?
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Impact: What will be the estimated impact of the project to join the DANUBE4all project?
Furthermore, the representativeness of different river related challenges and the geographic coverage will also be considered.
Please note:
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Partners from the Associated Regions have to organise workshops held with local stakeholders
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In all cases, partners will need to stay within the €100,000 allocated
PRIVACY
Personal data that will be collected, processed and published in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679, also known as GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation).
CONTACT
Project Coordinator: Helmut Habersack
University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
Email: danube4all@boku.ac.at