RISTANC Opens €60,000 Call for Community Ideas to Heal the Slovenian Sea
Under the European project RISTANC (Research and Innovation Cooperation for Sustainability and Reaching EU Missions Objectives), a call for small project funding for a healthier Slovenian Sea is now open — and it is deliberately aimed beyond the usual research circles. The organisers state plainly: “Why should solutions for the sea come only from researchers?” The call actively invites applications from fishers, divers, associations, schools, artists, local communities, and individuals.
Three Concrete Challenges
RISTANC is part of the EU’s Mission “Restore Our Ocean and Waters by 2030”, and brings it to the Slovenian sea through three challenges:
- Mooring: Anchors dropped in the wrong spot can destroy seagrass meadows and sensitive seabed in seconds. RISTANC seeks mooring solutions that let recreational and tourist boats anchor safely without harming seabed habitats.
- The coastal belt: Development, tourism and everyday life meet nature along the same narrow coast — and their interests often clash. Ideas are wanted on how to plan and manage this space so people’s needs and nature’s needs are better balanced.
- Everything else that makes the sea healthier: A deliberately broad area — from reducing plastic and other pollution, to restoring marine ecosystems, to building a sustainable “blue” economy (fishing, tourism and other activities that don’t burden the environment but benefit it). Awareness-raising counts as much as concrete action on the ground.
Who Can Apply
| Eligible applicants | NGOs and associations; institutes, social enterprises and other legal entities; research organisations; educational institutions (schools, kindergartens); local communities and informal initiatives (via a responsible individual); individuals |
|---|---|
| Location rule | Legal entities must be registered in an EU member state or a Horizon Europe-associated country; individuals must have permanent residence in the EU. Partners of the RISTANC consortium are not eligible. |
| Project location | All activities must take place in the area of the Slovenian sea and address one of the three challenges |
Funding and Eligible Activities
A total of €60,000 is available. Individual projects receive €7,500 to €12,000; RISTANC expects to support 5 to 8 projects lasting 6 to 12 months (all projects must be completed by 28 February 2028 at the latest).
Funded activities can include experimental activities and prototype development, feasibility studies, research and innovation, artistic and cultural community work, education and capacity-building, marine monitoring and citizen science, or knowledge transfer — or a combination of these.
Key Dates
| Questions to the call team | Until 31 October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Application deadline | 28 November 2026, 23:59 CET |
| Results announced | By 15 December 2026 |
| Earliest project start | 1 January 2027 |
How to Apply
Send the application together with all required documents (completed and signed application form plus annexes, per the Guidelines for Applicants) by email to ristanc-funding@zrs-kp.si in Slovenian or English. Use the revised call documents (version 2, 28 September 2026) — the only valid version.
The RISTANC project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101217089.
Official call page: ristanc.eu — Call for small project funding for healthier Slovenian Sea