SUNDANSE Call for Associated Regions:
OPENING SOON

Apply for up to €100,000 in funding to enhance
the river sedimentation in your country

The SUNDANSE initiative is launching an Open Call designed to establish productive and long-term partnerships with
carefully selected Local and/or Regional authorities within at least 3 Associated Regions*.

The ultimate Open Call goal is to offer selected Associated Regions an ongoing scientific and technical assistance in adopting
SUNDANSE’s established sedimentation methodologies within their own distinct geographical and operational contexts.

Benefits

Get grants up to € 100.000**
per Associated Region

Get guidance of the SUNDANSE team of experts

Get access to SUNDANSE sustainable sediment solutions

OPEN CALL 1

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* Associated regions are understood as “areas with similar ecosystems (e.g., neighbouring regions and/or regions in a different river basin and/or less-developed regions, to build capacity to implement the innovative solutions) and abiotic, biotic and socio-economic conditions to at least one demonstrator site of SUNDANSE.”

** Only actual costs incurred by the recipients when implementing the supported activities will be reimbursed. This includes Personnel Costs, Purchase Costs (Travel and Substistence, Equipment, Other goods, works and services) as well as Indirect Costs.

Topic

We aim to fund innovative projects that expand the deployment, testing, and engagement of developed SUNDANSE solutions across new regions. To be eligible for funding, your project must specifically address at least one of the following four core thematic areas related to sediment dynamics and river health.

Flow monitoring

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Sediment quantity monitoring

Sediment quality assessment

Actions to improve awareness raising on sediment flow alterations

Timeline

Eligibility
Criteria

This open call targets eligible beneficiaries, specifically Local and/or Regional authorities residing within EU Member States1 and countries associated with the Horizon Europe Programme2.

Additionally:

Applicants should have a good command of English;
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)3.

Apply through the F6S Platform

SUNDANSE Open Call Project Implementation

The SUNDANSE Open Call Project Implementation for selected associated regions has a total duration of 9 months.
The programme of a project is organised into three distinct stages, with lump sum payments made upon the successful completion of each stage’s deliverables.

Stage 1 – Project Definition (2 months)

Stage 2 – Project Implementation (4 months)

Stage 3 – Project Evaluation (3 months)

Assessment Process

The assessment panel will rate all of the eligible proposals for good practices against a scorecard linked to the following criteria:

Excellence

Ambition and Contribution: Applicants must demonstrate how their proposed project will contribute to the uptake of SUNDANSE innovative solutions and reuse or replicate SUNDANSE outcomes.
Soundness and Credibility: This assesses the problem description, motivation, and the credibility of the proposed methodology.

Impact

Environmental and Social Impact: Applicants must demonstrate the project’s contribution toward environmental and socio-economic impacts to support sustainable development, the Green Deal, and other European policies.

Implementation

Approach and Capacity: Applicants must demonstrate a planned approach and strategy to implement the project, as well as their capacity to achieve the stated aims.
Resources: This assesses the quality and effectiveness of the resources assigned to achieve the proposed objectives and deliverables.

The selection of associated regions will be made by an External Evaluation Board and will be validated by SUNDANSE Open Call Committee. The outcome of the evaluation will be a ranked list of all proposals, based on the scores obtained by each proposal. In case multiple proposals are ranked with the same score, a consensus meeting will be convened in order to select the ones for funding. After the evaluation of the proposals, proposals proposed for funding will be contacted.

Please note:

Partners from the Associated Regions have to organise workshops held with local stakeholders
In all cases, partners will need to stay within the €100,000 allocated

FAQs

1. Where do I find more information about the Application for the Open Call?

You can find all relevant documents, including the Guide of Applicants (Annex 1) and the Replication Activities Catalogue (Annex 2), on this project website Open Call #1 page. The online Application form is hosted on the F6S platform. Proposals submitted by any other means will NOT be evaluated.

2. What is the deadline for application submission?

Applications will be accepted from 17 December 2025 until 18 February 2026 (17h00 CET). It is highly recommended to apply well before the deadline to avoid technical issues.

3. What is the total funding available and how many projects will be selected for Open Call #1?

This Open Call has a budget to fund 3 projects.
The maximum financial support for each selected associated region is up to €100,000 for the entire duration of the action.

4. Must all applications and programme communication be in English?

Yes. All applications and all programme communication, across all phases, must be conducted in English.

5. Who is eligible to apply for this Open Call?

This Open Call is exclusively open to local and regional authorities from associated regions. These entities must be established in EU Member States/Associated countries in areas of the Danube other than those that are part of the SUNDANSE project consortium.

6. Which countries contain eligible regions?

Eligible regions are within the following five countries: Germany, Slovakia, Moldova, Hungary, and Croatia. These are the countries around the Danube river that are NOT located in the countries where the SUNDANSE partners are based.

7. How long does the SUNDANSE Open Call Programme last, and when is it expected to start?

The SUNDANSE Programme, for the selected Associated Regions, has a total duration of 9 months. The programme is expected to start in XX 2026, following the selection announcement. This 9-month period is divided into three stages: Stage 1 – Project Definition (2 months), Stage 2 – Project Implementation (4 months), and Stage 3 – Project Evaluation (3 months).

8. Is it possible for a local authority to apply as a consortium together with NGOs or research institutes?

No, the application must be submitted by local/regional authorities. If applying as a consortium, all consortium members must be local or regional authorities. However, the authority/consortium can subcontract work (e.g., to universities or NGOs) that they cannot execute themselves.

9. Can a SUNDANSE partner or their affiliates be involved in the third-party projects?

No, SUNDANSE partners can NOT be involved in the third-party projects, neither their affiliates nor employees.

10. Is there any restriction regarding the size of authorities?

No, the call is open to local and regional authorities.

11. Can an applicant submit more than one proposal?

No, the SUNDANSE Open Call will accept a maximum of 1 application per applicant.

12. What kind of projects is SUNDANSE looking to fund?

Projects must aim to expand the deployment, testing, and engagement of developed SUNDANSE solutions across new regions. To be eligible, your project must specifically address at least one of these core thematic areas related to sediment dynamics and river health:

Flow monitoring
Sediment quantity monitoring
Sediment quality assessment (including the identification of pollution sources)
Actions to improve awareness raising on sediment flow alterations

13. Are there any mandatory activities for the project?

Yes, every funded project must implement the following three core activities:

Stakeholder engagement and environmental awareness campaigns (must organize at least one workshop or multi-actor meeting).

Strategic action plan and implementation roadmap (prepare a regional plan for replication and scaling of sediment solutions).

Replication activities (must replicate at least one activity from the list in Table 1/Annex 2).

14. What is the payment structure for the €100,000 grant?

Funding is disbursed in lump sums at the end of the 3 Stages, pending the successful review of deliverables/reports.

Stage 1: Project Definition (2 months): Up to €17,000 (17%) after approval of Report #1.
Stage 2: Project Implementation (4 months): Up to €58,000 (58%) after approval of Report #2.
Stage 3: Project Evaluation (3 months): Up to €25,000 (25%) after approval of Report #3.

15. Can subcontracting work be executed by other institutions, and how are costs calculated?

Yes, subcontracting is eligible in this call.

The costs need to be justified with the work plan.
Subcontracting Costs must be calculated within the Purchase costs – Services category.

16. Is there any restriction on the amount of subcontracting costs?

There are no specific rules that dictate how the fund must be split up among cost categories. However, the total amount requested must represent 100% of the project costs (including indirect costs).

If you think you need further help, why don’t you get in touch? If we haven’t answered all your questions so far, or you think you need to address some specific topic, please contact us via email: info@sundanseproject.eu

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SUNDANSE Call for Associated Regions: OPENING SOON