Call: Cluster 6 Call 02 – single stage (HORIZON-CL6-2025-02)

Type of action: HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions

Deadline dates: 16 September 2025 17:00:00 Brussels time

Legal entities from Greece, Romania, Türkiye and Ukraine, among other countries, are eligible applicants.

The maximum Horizon Europe funding rate for Innovation action is 70% (except for non-profit legal entities, where a rate of up to 100% applies).

Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• consumers have access to a variety of edible aquatic species produced in the EU and in Horizon Europe Associated Countries;
• aquaculture industry has access to new and improved technologies to enhance the competitiveness and profitability of the sector;
• reduced environmental impact of the sector, becoming resilient and climate-adaptive and contributing to climate change mitigation;
• increased information available to consumers to enhance their literacy in relation to the nutritional and environmental benefits of food produced in aquatic ecosystems;
• economic growth and creation of jobs in coastal and rural areas.

The scope of this topic includes all possible edible aquatic organisms with preference for low-trophic species which, in the frame of this topic, are photosynthetic or herbivorous or un-fed species. There is also preference for fish farming that relies on feed ingredients low in fish meal and oil and/or produced in the region where the farm is situated or in neighbouring to the farm regions, as well as feed ingredients derived from circular practices, such as, the use of wastes or by-products.

Topic proposals under this destination should set out credible paths to “ensuring healthy food and nutrition security by making agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture and food systems sustainable, resilient, inclusive and within planetary boundaries”. More specifically, proposed topics should contribute to one or more of the following impacts:

• Agri-food systems contribute to the EU strategic autonomy by fostering food and nutrition security practices and safeguarding long-term sustainability with multi-disciplinary approaches including One Health.
• Farmers and relevant actors in agricultural primary sector are enabled to manage sustainable, efficient, profitable, circular, low greenhouse gas-emitting farming systems contributing to climate-neutrality and climate-resilience. This will be achieved by new knowledge, innovation and the upscaling and replication of existing and new sustainable farming approaches, including organic farming, while making farming a professionally attractive and remunerative life choice.
• Sustainable and resource efficient farming practices contribute to ecosystems´ health, and their related ecosystem services, while minimising pollution, including in surface and groundwaters and the marine environment, and restoring and protecting biodiversity.
• Sustainable fisheries and aquaculture (including organic aquaculture) contribute to fair, healthy, resilient and environment-friendly food systems, promote low-impact and diverse aquatic food production. Healthy aquatic ecosystems with thriving diversity of species and habitats provide ecosystem and climate services for safe and sustainable fisheries and aquaculture and use of coastal zones for leisure activities, thus triggering growth and jobs’ creation in coastal, and rural areas. Technological knowledge on the elimination of negative impacts of fishing and aquaculture is improved, in particular through the creation of innovative, more selective, energy and resource efficient and environmentally sustainable techniques.
• The just transition to overall sustainable, healthy and inclusive food systems is consistently developed. Analysis of existing barriers and enablers to change allows to design effective leverages to steer the sustainability transition. Co-benefits for climate change mitigation and adaptation, environmental sustainability and circularity, sustainable healthy diets, malnutrition and hunger reduction are delivered.
• Food environments are transformed so that citizens and communities are empowered to move towards healthy, affordable and sustainable diets; food businesses can flourish; food processing industries’ competitiveness is improved, while ensuring sustainability; food safety and food sovereignty as well as human health is preserved and food waste is reduced.

More information available at:

https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/horizon-cl6-2025-02-farm2fork-10?order=DESC&pageNumber=1&pageSize=50&sortBy=startDate&keywords=aquaculture&isExactMatch=false

Aqua Nor has served as a key international gathering for the aquaculture industry since 1979. Today, it stands as the world’s largest exhibition dedicated to aquaculture technology. The event showcases technologies, processes, and services related to the farming of salmon, marine species, mollusks, and more. Leading aquaculture nations participate in Aqua Nor, whether as exhibitors, visitors, or part of official delegations.

The conference will consists of three parts, each each of them focusing on engaging discussions and key topics: The global picture; Technology and innovation; Limiting factors for growth.

Registration and further details are available on the website of the event: Aqua Nor

The new deadline for submission is 10.08.2025, 12.00.

More information regarding the call is available in the article linked below:

Greece, Romania, Türkiye and Ukraine are among the countries featured in the paper, which is available at the following link: https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/6a8efe0e-9de0-4e45-b38b-c121c0ad1284/content

The International Marine Biotechnology Conference (IMBC) has served as the premier global forum for marine biotechnology ever since 1989, uniting experts and leaders from around the world. Its goal is to enable knowledge sharing and collaboration among students, researchers, technologists, policymakers and industry stakeholders. The 2025 edition will explore a wide range of topics, including marine pharmacology and bioenergy. Aquaculture will be a key area of focus, with dedicated sessions such as “Innovative Approaches to Sustainable Aquaculture,” “Disease and Immunology in Aquaculture,” and “Novel Foods from the Ocean.”

Find out more at: IUEM

This educational toolkit, consisting of three units for teachers, students ages 5–12 and students ages 13–18, emphasizes the environmental, social and economic benefits of farmed aquatic food systems through enjoyable, collaborative, and critical thinking-focused activities. By completing the activities in the toolkit, students will participate in aquaculture’s Blue Transformation and learn how they may suppor stustainable and resilient farmed aquatic food systems.

The General Department for Fisheries – Managing Authority for the Operational Programme for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs (Romania) has launched a new session for submitting applications under the Aquaculture and Fisheries Programme 2021-2027, Priority 2: Fostering sustainable aquaculture activities and processing and marketing of fishery and aquaculture products, thus contributing to food security in the Union, Specific objective 2.2. – Promoting marketing, quality and added value of fishery and aquaculture products, as well as processing of those products, Action 2.2.1 – Processing of Fishery and Aquaculture Products.

Deadline for submission: 11.07.2025, 12:00.

Total financial allocation for this call: 19.890.720,34 lei , equivalent to 3.930.351 euros.

Maximum eligible value for one project is 7.591.200,00 lei (equivalent to 1.500.000,00 euros.

Applications will be submitted in the electronic application MySMIS2021. Call code: PAP/635/PAP_P2/OP2/OS2.2/PAP_A13

The applicant has to comply to the eligibility and conformity requirements mentioned in the Applicants Guide for this action. The Applicants Guide can be found on the General Department for Fisheries – Managing Authority for the Operational Programme for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs (Romania) site, at http://www.ampeste.ro/pap-2021-2027/ghidul-solicitantului-popam/ghidul-solicitantului-aprobat.html.

Deadline for submission: 11.07.2025, 12:00.

Total financial allocation for this call: 248.836.565,31 lei, equivalent to 49.169.413 euros.

Maximum eligible value for one project is 30.364.800,00 lei (equivalent to 6,000,000.00 euros.

Applications will be submitted in the electronic application MySMIS2021. Call code: PAP/636/PAP_P2/OP2

The applicant has to comply to the eligibility and conformity requirements mentioned in the Applicants Guide for this action. The Applicants Guide can be found on the General Department for Fisheries – Managing Authority for the Operational Programme for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs (Romania) site, at http://www.ampeste.ro/pap-2021-2027/ghidul-solicitantului-popam/ghidul-solicitantului-aprobat.html

The research contributes to a better understanding of the interactions between H2S and Atlantic salmon,particularly at mucosal surfaces. The results of the study can be applied to risk assessment strategies for land-based Atlantic salmon farming.

The study is available at the following link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651324006936?via%3Dihub

The objective of event is to explore the use of invasive and predator species for commercial purposes and to highlight the risks that certain species represent to the ecosystem and the fisheries and aquaculture sector. Cormorants, seals, blue crabs, signal crayfish, round goby, Chinese carp, king crab, jellyfish, and the Black Sea snail Rapana venosa will be covered in the presentations.

In order to attend the conference, you can register for free at the link below:

https://eurofish.dk/2025-eurofish-conference/