The online submission platform provided by F6S is the entry point for all proposals. Submissions received by any other channel will be automatically discarded.

Apply at F6S: 

           – Strand A : https://www.f6s.com/i3-4-seaweed-strand-a  

           – Strand B : https://www.f6s.com/i3-4-seaweed-strand-b

The application and all requested documents must be  in English.

The I3-4-SEAWEED funded projects Implementation phase and Capacity Building Programme will last 12 months.

Selected SMEs are required to participate in a compulsory Capacity Building Programme. While the program itself is conducted online, it includes a mandatory in-person workshop. Applicants should plan their budget in their application to cover the costs associated with attending this in-person workshop.

Yes. A summary of the proposals and the participants’ information will be shared with the European Commission. Moreover, we will publish a list with the beneficiaries of our open call including their basic information data and funding received in our project website.

All the information that will be made public is clearly indicated in the Guidelines for applicants. Unless you agree on that, no technical insights will be published anywhere.

The call will fund projects developed by:

• Strand A – Macroalgal Production:  Applicants focusing on Macroalgal Production are eligible for funding in Strand A, encompassing a range of activities crucial to advancing macroalgae-based industries. This includes Algae cultivation, applications & process optimisation, Species selection, Molecular characterisation, Production system development, Post-harvest processing & quality control, Hatchery & seeding innovations, Sustainability & biodiversity, Digital monitoring tools, and Site selection tools.

• Strand B – Algal Biotechnology and Downstreams applications: Applicants specializing in Algal Biotechnology and Downstream Applications are eligible for funding in Strand B. This area encompasses a range of analytical and processing services designed to maximize the value of algal biomass. This includes Support to analyse the (bio)-chemical properties of algal biomasses and ingredients/fractions, Biorefinery platform services to fractionate algal biomass into different streams and processing of extracts for biomass valorization, Scaling up of seaweeds product production processes, Development of (food, feed, cosmetics, agricultural) products with seaweed as full biomass, and Application and improvement of procedures for the use of seaweeds in the industry.

All entities must be established in eligible countries as defined in article 3.1.3. Eligible countries.

Note: Unincorporated startups are not eligible. All entities participating in the Open Call must be registered with a verifiable VAT. 

SMEs established or operating in Europe, defined by the European Commission as:

Consortium Regions: List of the consortium Regions

“Nexus 3”: List of “less developed regions” 

Outermost Regions (defined in Art. 349 TFEU): List of eligible Outermost Regions.

Applicants can submit their applications as either an individual organisation/ entity or as a consortium comprising a maximum of two SMEs. 

Consortia submissions must include SMEs  with a demonstrable participation in the seaweed value chain who present specific needs and solutions, spanning from production to downstream applications.

Applicants may apply to both strands  in this Open Call. However, only the highest-ranked proposal, in which the entities participate, will be eligible for funding. Any other applications involving these entities, regardless of their scores, will be disqualified.

Each selected application can receive a maximum grant amount of €60,000, which will represent 100% of the project costs (including indirect costs). Funds will be disbursed as lump sums in installments after the achievement of agreed milestones and deliverables in two periods. Eligible costs include staff costs for project management, research and technical development, testing and piloting activities; communication, promotion, and exploitation activities; travel (as required); and project-specific equipment. Subcontracting is permitted up to 20% of the total project budget.