Five active networking Regional Portfolios, composed of projects funded by the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership (SBEP) and/or by a range of national, regional or EU funding streams, will be established — one for each EU sea-basin. 

Two waves of calls will be launched, starting with two sea basins on 29 July 2026:

• Atlantic Ocean Regional Portfolio: ‘Addressing Atlantic Ocean Coastal Resilience in Practice’

• Black Sea Regional Portfolio: ‘Addressing Knowledge Gaps in the Black Sea: Information, Data Exchange and Good Practices in the Context of Climate Change’

   

The second wave, which addresses the three other Regional Portfolios (Mediterranean Sea, Baltic Sea and North Sea Regional Portfolios), will be launched on 9 September 2026.

With SBEP's support, the Regional Portfolios are expected to increase synergies and information sharing, reduce duplication, strengthen collaboration with key regional stakeholders, and respond to the challenges and opportunities identified at the regional level. By reaching a critical mass of projects focusing on similar themes, the Regional Portfolio Action will contribute to leveraging the projects’ impact at the regional and European levels by e.g. providing efficient scientific support for strategic and political decision-making, whilst also addressing regional research gaps and avoiding duplication. 

Some of the benefits of participating in the Regional Portfolios include:

• Increased visibility at the regional and international level
• Networking with regional and quadruple-helix stakeholders
• Career boost, especially for early-career scientists
• Identification of new cooperation opportunities
• Identification of potential beneficiaries of the project outputs
• Co-design of market-uptake plans
• Meetings with EU Commission experts
• Participation in Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership events

To participate:

• Projects must fall within the thematic scope of the chosen Regional Portfolio.
• Projects must be active for at least 6 months between early 2027 and early 2029, and be recipients of a regional/national/EU grant.
• Projects must address the geographical area of the Portfolio, or prove their relevance to it. Projects interested in more than one Portfolio will be asked to select one.

• Applicants must prove their commitment, availability and capacity to engage (as self-funded).

   

To apply:

• Please consult and download the relevant Call text at the bottom of this page.
• Please note that each Regional Portfolio has its own Call text and application form.
• The Project Representative (either the Principal Investigator or any other consortium member) is required to fill out a structured application form detailing the project’s interest in joining. This application form is an online questionnaire that must be completed entirely by the applicant. Alternates, if any, will also need to provide the required details in the online application form. 
  • Please use this link to access the application form.
• Applicants will have up to 28 October 2026 (15H00 CET) to declare their interest in participating in the Atlantic Ocean and/or Black Sea Regional Portfolios. 
• A single-step selection process will apply, and selected projects will be announced in December 2026.
   

Information webinar:

An informative webinar will be held on 7 October, from 13:00 to 14:30 CEST, via Webex, to present the Regional Portfolio Action and address questions from interested projects. Please register here to attend.

More information on the second wave of Calls for Expressions of Interest:

The second wave of calls for expressions of interest will address the three other Regional Portfolios and will be launched on 9 September 2026 (provisional date), addressing:
 

• Mediterranean Sea Regional Portfolio: ‘Fostering Inclusive Governance and Multi-Use Coastal and Maritime Infrastructure for Sustainable Development in the Mediterranean Sea’ 
• Baltic Sea Regional Portfolio: ‘Improving the Baltic Sea Resilience: Resilience to Large-Scale Events, Infrastructure Resilience, and Ecosystem Resilience’
• North Sea Regional Portfolio: ‘Exploring Nature-based Solutions to Address Cumulative Impacts on 
  Marine Ecosystems while Supporting Sustainable Fisheries and Offshore Sectors in the North Sea’

Information on these portfolios can be found in the preannouncement here.

For more information, we invite you to regularly visit our website and social media channels to stay updated on funding and networking opportunities. 

Contact: Regional Portfolio Secretariat (ANR, France), sbep-portfolio@anr.fr