SUNDANSE Open Call 2:
FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS

LAUNCHING IN JULY 2026
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Apply for up to €100,000 to support freshwater restoration and sediment management in your municipality or region

SUNDANSE is launching Open Call 2 to support local and regional authorities that want to improve the way they understand, monitor, and manage sediment in rivers and connected water systems. The call is especially relevant for municipalities and regional authorities already working on river restoration, flood resilience, water quality, or basin action plans, but it remains open to all eligible authorities with a relevant local challenge and a clear implementation idea.

Selected applicants will receive funding, practical support, and access to SUNDANSE tools and expertise to test and adapt proven sediment-related solutions in their own local context. The broader SUNDANSE project is developing science-based sediment management solutions, including a Sediment Prediction Tool, harmonised monitoring approaches, portable analysis technologies, and a Sediment Management Handbook to support replication in other regions.

Benefits

Test practical solutions locally and connect them to your river restoration, flood-risk, environmental, or planning priorities

Receive up to €100,000 in funding for one project in your municipality or region

Access SUNDANSE tools and expertise, including monitoring and sampling guidance, modelling support, data harmonisation and QA/QC guidance, policy and governance support, and stakeholder engagement resources

Strengthen local action plans with better evidence, clearer sediment data, and a stronger basis for future investment and decision-making

Only actual eligible costs incurred by recipients when implementing the supported activities will be reimbursed, including personnel costs, purchase costs, and indirect costs, in line with the open call conditions.

Receive up to €100,000 in funding for one project in your municipality or region

Test practical solutions locally and connect them to your river restoration, flood-risk, environmental, or planning priorities

OPEN CALL 1

Find all the documents below

Who Should Apply

This call is for local and regional authorities and relevant public bodies representing them, such as regional or local agencies, planning bodies, or port authorities, where their role is clearly linked to the proposed river or sediment management challenge.

Open Call 2 is particularly relevant for authorities that are already:

delivering river restoration measures,
addressing flood-risk or erosion challenges,
improving water quality,
implementing basin or climate action plans,
or looking for better evidence to support sediment-related decisions.

Project Requirements

To be eligible, projects must address at least one of the four core thematic areas:

Flow monitoring

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Sediment quantity monitoring

Sediment quality assessment, including the identification of pollution sources in the river system

Actions to improve awareness raising on sediment flow alterations

Projects should focus on the deployment, testing, adaptation, or replication of SUNDANSE solutions in a new local or regional setting. Applicants are expected to select one or more replication activities from the SUNDANSE catalogue and explain how these activities respond to their local needs and expected outcomes.

What SUNDANSE Provides

Selected applicants may benefit from a range of SUNDANSE tools, services, and project outputs designed to help regions apply sediment solutions more effectively.

These include:

the Sediment Prediction Tool being developed and validated by the project to model sediment transport and assess intervention scenarios;
the future Sediment Management Handbook, designed to support transferability and application in other river basins;
harmonised monitoring, sampling, and analysis guidance for sediment quantity and quality work;
support for data harmonisation and quality assurance so that results are comparable and useful;
modelling guidance from consortium experts;
stakeholder engagement support, including workshop guidance and templates;
and policy and governance support for regional action plans and implementation roadmaps.

This means the call is not only a funding opportunity. It is also a way for municipalities and regions to connect their local work to a larger European innovation effort on river restoration, sediment management, and climate resilience.

Timeline

Please be aware that all dates are subject to potential change.

Open Call 2 will launch on 8 July 2026 and remain open until 30 September 2026.

After the evaluation and selection process is completed, successful applicants will be invited to enter the SUNDANSE programme and sign the sub-grant agreement before starting implementation.

Eligibility
Criteria

This open call targets eligible local and/or regional authorities and similar public bodies established in eligible countries under the Horizon Europe framework and the specific rules of the SUNDANSE open call.

Applicants should also note that:

only one application may be submitted per applicant;
applicants must have the legal and financial capacity to carry out the proposed work;
SUNDANSE partners, their affiliates, and their employees cannot participate as applicants in the funded third-party projects;
and applicants should be able to work in English for application and reporting purposes.

Open Call 2 outreach is especially relevant to authorities in countries and regions already identified in SUNDANSE materials and the supporting research. They are: Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Türkiye, and the United Kingdom.

View the official guide regarding Member States here: Programme Guide for Horizon Europe
Consult the list of eligible Associated Countries at this link: Third Country Participation List
For comprehensive technical information, please see: General Model Grant Agreement

Apply through the F6S Platform

Need more information? Join us via Informative Webinar #1!

Any doubts? We held two "Ask Us Anything" Informative Webinars for interested applicants. We advise you to watch the recording available below.

Project Implementation

Selected projects will run for a total of 9 months and will be organised in three stages:

Stage 1 – Project Definition (2 months)

Beneficiaries define the project plan, confirm activities and deliverables, and prepare the basis for implementation.

Stage 2 – Project Implementation (4 months)

Beneficiaries carry out the activities described in their proposal, with support from the SUNDANSE programme and

relevant technical guidance where applicable.

Stage 3 — Project Evaluation (3 months)

Beneficiaries complete reporting and mandatory outputs, including stakeholder engagement outputs and a Regional

Action Plan and Roadmap aligned with the SUNDANSE framework.

Every funded project must also include stakeholder engagement and awareness activities, prepare a strategic action plan and implementation roadmap, and define measurable outcomes for the replication activities chosen in the proposal.

Assessment Process

Eligible proposals will be evaluated against the core criteria already reflected in the SUNDANSE technical proposal structure: Excellence, Impact, and Implementation.

Excellence

Applicants should show the relevance, ambition, and credibility of the proposed project, including how it supports the uptake, reuse, demonstration, or replication of SUNDANSE solutions.

Impact

Applicants should explain the environmental, social, and economic value of the project, including its relevance to sustainable development and European policy goals.

Implementation

Applicants should present a realistic plan, adequate resources, and the operational capacity to deliver the work successfully.

The final selection will be made through an evaluation and ranking process, with proposals assessed by external evaluators and validated through the SUNDANSE open call governance process.

Final Considerations

Authorities applying to Open Call 2 should clearly explain the local challenge they want to address, how it connects to river restoration or water management priorities, which SUNDANSE thematic area and replication activities they are choosing, and what practical outcomes they expect to achieve.

For municipalities that already have river restoration, flood-risk, environmental, or climate plans in place, this call offers a practical way to strengthen those plans with funding, technical support, and tested European tools. For municipalities that are earlier in the process, the call still provides an accessible entry point to start building stronger sediment and river management capacity.

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 #2 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 08 July 2026 until 30 September 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 #2?

This Open Call has a budget to fund 2 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. Any applications submitted in another language will be automatically deemed ineligible.

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 other than those that are part of the SUNDANSE project consortium.

The eligible countries are: Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Türkiye, and the United Kingdom.

6. 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 January 2027, 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).

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

No, consortium applications are not eligible in this call. Only single applications from a local or regional authority from one of the eligible countries are eligible. However, collaborations with academic institutions or environmental consultancies (or similar) are encouraged.

8. 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. This includes: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Estonia, France, Ireland, Israel, Romania, Serbia, and Ukraine.

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

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

10. Can an applicant submit more than one proposal?

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

11. 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

12. 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).

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

Funding is discharged 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.

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

Yes, subcontracting is eligible in this call up to 4.5% of the total grant.

You may subcontract tasks like sample collection to a student, researcher, or intern. However, please note that according to the strict funding conditions, the total allocation for all external subcontracting cannot exceed 4.5% of the total grant (a maximum of €4,500).

15. Is it mandatory to include the SUNDANSE Toxicity Analyser validation in my proposal?

No. Incorporating this specific technology into your proposal is completely optional. The program has been structured to make it more practical for local authorities to apply by allowing projects to focus on traditional replication tracks if preferred. However, incorporating this technology validation option is highly encouraged if it fits your local monitoring needs.

16. How will my proposal be evaluated if I choose to include the optional Toxicity Analyser testing?

If you choose to utilize this tool, the technical collaboration should be detailed under your project methodology. Per the evaluation rules, demonstrating a concrete agreement to collaborate with our technical partners will be considered positively by the independent evaluators under the Excellence criterion (which also serves as the primary tie-breaker for funding selection).

17. If we opt to use the Toxicity Analyser, do we have to pay for the device or transport?

No. If your project is selected and includes the toxicity track, our academic partner, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU), will participate directly in your measurement campaigns. BGU will provide the necessary portable reader, engineered bacterial testing probes, and will conduct the testing themselves together with the Open Call grantee.

18. Do we need an on-site laboratory to perform sediment or water toxicity testing?

No. The Whole-Cell Fibre-Optic Biosensor (or cuvette) is completely field-ready and housed inside a portable, weatherproof casing. It can be deployed directly from a vehicle or small boat, and because it measures bioluminescent signals directly via optical fibers, it requires no complex chemical or acid pre-treatment of muddy sediment samples.

19. Are we required to form a consortium with universities or environmental consultancies to apply?

No, consortium applications are strictly ineligible under this call; you must apply as a single local or regional authority. However, you are strongly encouraged to collaborate with external academic or environmental consultancy services as technical subcontractors to strengthen the quality and credibility of your proposal’s methodology.

CONTACT POINT: 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

PRIVACY NOTE: Personal data that will be collected, processed and published in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679, also known as GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation).

SUNDANSE Open Call 2:FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS