Filenews 13 December 2025 - by Evagora Prokopiou
Cyprus is also concerned by the new open call for funding of the TASC-RestoreMed program, totalling €7 million, which is addressed to businesses, organizations and operators in the Cypriot market, as well as in the countries of the Mediterranean Basin, for innovative projects for the protection and restoration of biodiversity in marine, coastal and inland aquatic ecosystems.
The initiative is implemented with the support of the European Mission "Restoring the Oceans and Waters by 2030" and aims to reduce pollution and accelerate the transition to a sustainable, circular and climate-neutral blue economy.
Main funding opportunities
- €7 million for projects focusing on Community-Led Actions, with funding of €200,000 to €1.4 million per project and duration of up to 24 months.
- €1 million for organizations developing long-term strategies and policies (Transition Agendas), with €100,000 per project and a duration of 12 months.
- Additional call of €1 million. expected at a later stage for the same axis.
Who can participate
Local and regional authorities, NGOs, citizens' groups and associations, universities and research institutes, as well as businesses (including SMEs) active in environmental protection or the blue economy and based in Mediterranean countries are eligible to participate.
Project activities must be implemented in the Mediterranean, with the participation of at least one partner from a country in the region.
Technical and social criteria
Projects "for and by the community" should be located in at least:
- TRL5 (Technological Readiness): the solution has been tested in a controlled environment and can proceed in real conditions.
- BRL5 (Business Readiness): clear and partially validated business model.
- SRL5 (Social Acceptance): testing with real users/communities and indication of social acceptance, with citizen participation in monitoring and evaluation.
For the Transition Agendas, €1 million is available for workshops, participatory governance models and the integration of long-term strategies for the blue economy. A new call of €1 million is expected in the same direction.
Support and Networking
The selected projects will receive technical support, expert consultancy, networking with the EU Mission Ocean & Waters community, as well as guidance in business planning and impact assessment, with the aim of scaling up and measurable impact.
Timeline & Information
- Submissions Open: November 27, 2025
- Closing date: 27 May 2026
- Information and actions to support applications (webinars, help desk, virtual town halls): tascrestoremed.eu
- Submission of applications: tascrestoremed.eu/open-call/
- Email: opencall@tascrestoremed.eu
About TASC-RestoreMed
TASC-RestoreMed is a flagship initiative of the EU Mission Ocean & Waters, starting in September 2025 and running for four years, that promotes the sustainable blue economy in the Mediterranean, enhancing long-term environmental and economic resilience.
Ten partners from eight countries are participating, including HCMR (Coordinator), NTUA, CIIMAR, Impact Hub Athens, CTN, Frederick University, Maribor University, VLIZ, F6S and Infordata.
