General Information

ProCleanLakes Call for Associated Regions (submissions closed)

Opening date: 1st January 2025

Deadline date: 8th April 2025, 17:00 CET (Brussels time)

Deadline model: single-stage

Expected duration of participation: Projects are expected to start between the 1st October 2025 and the 31st January 2026, and last up to September 2027.

Total funding available: 300,000 EUR

Open Call

We strive for diversity across the globe

Submission & evaluation process

The open call aims to select three to five associated regions that will receive financial support up to €100,000 each in the form of a grant to develop roadmaps for the implementation of nature-based solutions for remediation and protection of natural lakes. Associated regions are expected to have access to a natural lake with similar problems (e.g. pollution, decreasing biodiversity etc.) with the ProCleanLakes Demonstration sites to be able to adopt and replicate solutions developed in ProCleanLakes.
Full call text and the Application and Budget forms can be downloaded from the ProCleanLakes website below

Proposals must be sent before the deadline per e-mail to rodiefros@aua.gr and anca.stoica@boku.ac.at

Apply

€60,000 – €100,000

each

€300,000

total funding

All applications must:

1. Be submitted in English
2. Be in pdf format
3. Use the provided Application and Budget forms

Proposals will be evaluated according to the following selection criteria:

  • Environmental suitability
  • Water quality indicators/ pollution level

  • Pollution sampling data

  • Pollution sources

  • Replication potential

  • Economic feasibility
  • Socal and stakeholder engagement
  • Environmental impact and urgency

  • Site readiness and capacity

Full description of the selection criteria can be found in the Call text.

Eligibility

Who can apply?

Local and regional authorities responsible for managing, refulation or overseeing water resources, including lakes and lake catchments from EU member states and Horizon Europe associated countries except Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Greece, Germany, France, Italy, Norway, Romania and Spain.

Local and regional authorities can apply as a single entity or build up a partnership of more partners. Other entities, such as academia, business etc., could be eventually a subcontractor under the leadership of a local or regional authority. Please note, that max. 60% of the grant can be subcontracted.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to carefully read the full Call document before preparing their application. On the 30th January 2025, an information webinar for interested applicants will be organized. Registration will be received by email. If you wish to participate, please send an email expressing your interest to anca.stoica@boku.ac.at,  until January 29th 12:00 CET, and you will receive all the necessary information.

Questions can be sent to rodiefros@aua.gr and anca.stoica@boku.ac.at up to 7 days before the submission deadline. These two e-mail addresses serve also as contact points.

 

Call description

The project ProCleanLakes aims to develop a pan-European Action Plan for remediation and protection of European Natural Lakes (ENL) with involvement of a wide range of stakeholders that integrates:

  • Improved ecological and chemical status of ENL, including biodiversity by using new integrative nature-based solutions (NbS)
  • Using new 4.0 Digital solutions for supporting ecosystem monitoring, restoration, protection, and knowledge transfer to other regions
  • Enabling business activities based on circular economy concept, assuring the transition from Blue to Green Economy
  • Raising awareness, empowering, building capacities and co-develop solution with citizens and stakeholders related to problems and disruptive challenges associated with restoration and protection of ENL

The goal of the ProCleanLake Call for Associated Regions is to showcase the feasibility, replicability and scalability of the solutions developed within the ProCleanLakes project, in other areas (Associated regions ProCleanLakes will provide scientific and technical advisory support to 3-5 Associated regions conducting training and field workshops for the direct transfer/ exchange and experience between ProCleanLakes demonstration sites and replication sites.

Associated regions are expected to team-up with the ProCleanLakes partners to adopt the project´s outcomes and knowledge and integrate them in a Roadmap for restoration and protection of ENL located in the replication sites, which will be integrated in the pan-European Action Plan for remediation and protection of ENL.

From the project´s perspective, it is expected that each Associated region will:

1. Enable showcasing of the feasibility, replicability, and scalability of the developed approaches, methods, tools, and solutions within ProCleanLakes
2. Develop replicable guidelines for ecosystem services upscaling
3. Develop a customized implementation roadmap of restoration actions for their region to support the replication of ProCleanLakes solutions and tools
4. Actively participate in capacity building and knowledge transfer from ProCleanLakes to the stakeholders of the Associated regions