Source of Funding: Water JPI

Thirty-Four Funding Agencies from all over Europe and abroad are pleased to announce a joint transnational call for research and innovation projects on:

“Management of water resources: resilience, adaptation and mitigation to hydroclimatic extreme events and management tools”.

The joint transnational call will be launched in the framework of the European partnership Water4All and will support research and innovation projects aimed at delivering knowledge, models, approaches, tools and methodologies to better understand hydrological processes at different scale, in order to respond more efficiently to emerging water issues related to extreme events.
In line with the strategic objectives of Water4All, the results of the projects will contribute to the implementation of evidence-based, global, EU and national water management policies and strategies, within the frameworks of the Green Deal, the Water Framework Directive, Just Transition and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Furthermore, governance playing a key role in water challenges, the 2022 Joint Transnational Call will seek for innovative governance models, and enhanced participation of stakeholders in water management issues related to extreme events.

Call Topics:

The call will focus on solutions for hydroclimatic extreme events, as described in the Water4All Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda Theme III “Water for the future: sustainable water management”, as well as address the cross-cutting Theme VII “Governance” and Theme V “Water Infrastructures”. Research & innovation proposals submitted under the Water4All 2022 Joint Transnational Call are required to address at least one of the following topics:

Topic 1. Resilience, adaptation and mitigation to hydroclimatic extreme events

• Addressing knowledge gaps in our understanding of the causes of water scarcity, drought events, seasonal variability in climate impacts to develop adaptation and mitigation measures, taking climate change into account.
• Developing and demonstrating innovative (or improved) societally acceptable adaptation and mitigation strategies to cope with hydro-climatic extreme events and their increase in length and duration. This includes floods and droughts, although is not limited to them, adopting a regional or a basin scale wide approach.
• Improving resilience and adaptation capacity of water infrastructure (e.g., industrial water facilities, urban networks, wastewater treatment facilities, stormwater management systems and rural systems) to hydroclimatic extreme events.

Topic 2. Tools for water management - in the context of hydroclimatic extreme events

• Developing tools (e.g., multi-risk approach, decision support tools, monetary/non- monetary costs valuation) to support the design and implementation of strategies for adaptation and mitigation to hydro-climatic extreme events, especially floods (including “flash-floods”), heat waves and droughts in a catchment to sea perspective.
• Generating new methodologies, tools and models for water resources assessment/modelling for water bodies in scarcely monitored /data scarce areas. A combination of physical and digital solutions is expected, and opportunities provided by citizen science should be seized.
• “Smartening the water system” and use of innovative digitalization, including improved/new sensors, models, communications and computing technologies.

Topic 3. Improved water governance in the context hydroclimatic extreme events and international contexts

• Undertaking an analysis and developing robust Governance models for the management of water resources in the context of extreme events, is critical increasing the decision-making capacity of institutions and involvement of citizens. This should include ways of improving coordination between water managers to increase our capacity to reduce vulnerability to extreme events, as well as effectively respond to them.
• Addressing and encouraging international cooperation in the field of water, including management of transboundary water resources and contribution to Water Diplomacy.

Visit the below link to read further.  Malta Contact Point's email water4all@gov.mt.

Information and logo source:

Source of Funding: CETPartnership

The Clean Energy Transition Partnership (CETPartnership) is a Horizon Europe Partnership on joint research, technological development and innovation (RTDI) programming to boost and accelerate the energy transition, building upon regional and national RTDI funding programmes.

The CETPartnership Joint Call 2022 is a 2-stage call structured around 11 Call modules. The Call modules describe specific topics and/or challenges that applicants shall address in their project proposal. Applicants must choose and apply to a specific call module when submitting their project proposal. Evaluation and ranking of the project proposals will be performed separately per Call module.

The Transition Initiatives and Call Modules are as follows:

TRI 1: Integrated Net-zero emissions Energy Systems
a. Call Module: PowerPlanningTools
b. Call Module: RESDemoPowerflex

TRI 2: Enhanced zero emission Power Technologies
a. Call Module: Advancing RE technologies for power production through cost reduction
b. Call Module: Breakthrough R&D to increase RE power technologies efficiency

TRI 3: Enabling Climate Neutrality with Storage Technologies, Renewable Fuels and CCU/CCS
a. Call Module: Enabling Climate Neutrality with Storage Technologies Renewable Fuels and CCU/CCS
b. Call Module: Enabling Climate Neutrality with hydrogen and renewable fuels

TRI 4: Efficient zero emission Heating & Cooling solutions
a. Call Module: Heating & Cooling

TRI 5: Integrated Regional Energy Systems
a. Call Module: Integrated Regional Energy Systems

TRI 6: Integrated Industrial Energy Systems
a. Call Module: Industrial Energy Systems

TRI 7: Integration in the Built Environment
a. Call Module: R&I in clean energy integration in the built environment
b. Call Module: Solutions to energy transition in the built environment

Entities in Malta are eligible for funding in all Call Modules, with the option of requesting up to €500,000 to participate in CETPartnership proposal consortium (N.B: If more than one National partner is present in one consortium, the total amount of funding for the participating National partners cannot exceed the €500,000 capping).

Pre-Proposal Submission Deadline: 23rd November 2022 at 14:00 CET.

Apart from the pre-proposal submission by the Project Coordinator on the Electronic Submission Tool that can be accessed via the CETPartnership website, each National applicant shall be required to submit a National Application Form to eusubmissions.mcst@gov.mt by 23rd November 2022 at 23:59 CET.

For further information please contact programme officer Ms. Martina Vella on martina.vella.5@gov.mt and (+356) 23602113 or on eusubmission.mcst@gov.mt.

To download call documentation please visit the below link.

Information and image source:

Source of Funding: Malta Council for Science and Technology

The Malta Council for Science and Technology (MCST) is receiving proposals under the Internationalisation Partnership Awards Scheme Plus (IPAS+). The Scheme is divided into two options. Applicants are to fill in the appropriate sections of the form; they may select either Option A or Option B, or both:

Option A: opportunities for collaborative initiatives between Maltese entities and at least one foreign entity of proven track record of excellence. Proposals should describe the nature of the joint activities that would be funded through the Award. Applicants are to demonstrate how the proposed activities contribute towards and align with achieving the goals of the National R&I Strategy, and to describe the potential of any activities to become self-sustaining or generate longer-term outcomes.

Option B: opportunities for Maltese entities intending to submit a Horizon Europe proposal as the coordinator of the consortium to engage a service provider (local or foreign) who will be supporting the applicant through proposal writing and submission.

The amount of the Award available to any one successful applicant is capped at €6000 per Option. Some exceptions regarding the financial capping for Option B can be found in the rules for participation. All projects are evaluated by a selection panel set up by MCST on the basis of evaluation criteria outlined in the Call text.

Interested Applicants are to submit their application form electronically to Mr. Mark Farrugia at mark.c.farrugia@gov.mt with “IPAS+ – Application 2022” as subject heading.

The deadline for submission is Friday 28th October 2022 at 11.30pm.

The application must be dated and signed by the applicant and the legal representative. All received applications shall be acknowledged by email. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

An online info session with more details on the IPAS+ call will be held on Monday 26th September 2022 at 10.00am. To register for this info session kindly press here.

Additional information can be found in the documents attached to this call. Alternatively, interested parties may contact Mr. Mark Farrugia on 23602178 or 23602000.

Please visit the below link to download the call documents.

Information and image source:

Source of Funding: The Energy & Water Agency, Malta

The main objective of this Scheme is to support voluntary organisations in reducing their overall energy and water consumption through an increase in energy efficiency, and/or reduction in water use, and/or augmentation of water supply. The assistance is intended to facilitate investment in solutions that contribute directly and tangibly towards these objectives.

Eligible Interventions are:

Beneficiaries shall co-fund the investment in the interventions by financing 10% of the eligible costs.The minimum eligible cost shall be Euro 750 incl. VAT and the maximum eligible cost as described in section 4 of these Rules shall be capped at Euro 30,000 incl. VAT. The grant amount shall cover 90% of the eligible cost up to Euro 27,000 (incl. VAT).

The disbursement of the Grant shall be divided into the following stages:

Follow the below link for further information.

Information and image source:

Source of Funding: City of Genoa (Italy)

Applications are officially open for the "Call For Innovation - Lo sport nella blue economy", the new initiative dedicated to start-ups and SMEs developing innovative solutions in the field of marine sustainability and water sports.

The call is promoted by the City of Genoa (Italy) and developed by Job Centre, with the support of Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo and in collaboration with I3P, in the framework of the project "Towards The Ocean Race. Innovation, Sustainability, Enterprise". The project aims to use the global reach of The Ocean Race as a lever of innovation to generate products, services, and new business activities, capable of measuring up to the sustainable use of the sea while promoting its liveability, accessibility, and usability for all.

The call for proposals, fully available on genovabluedistrict.com, has a total budget of €800,000 and was created in collaboration with the team of The Ocean Race Genova - The Grand Finale 2022-23, which has the task of organising the final stage of the most famous and toughest round-the-world crewed race, which will arrive in Genoa, for the first time in Italy, at the end of June 2023, after six months of sailing and some 32,000 miles covered.

The areas of interest

The call is aimed at companies proposing innovative solutions related to the Blue Economy, within the framework of the values of The Ocean Race and sea sports. The initiative is looking for proposals for processes, products or services that make available innovations that facilitate access to and optimal use of resources, the participation of sportsmen and women in safeguarding and restoring the environment, the use of renewable energies and the reduction of the impact of materials used through design, natural composites or secondary or easily recyclable materials.

Three specific areas are considered to be of particular interest:

• wellbeing, accessibility, usability, with the identification of systems that favour the widespread and balanced use and valorisation of the resources of the coast and the sea;
• materials, design, reuse, with a focus on innovative and sustainable materials that can be used in the nautical sector and the circular economy in the construction of nautical and sports vehicles and equipment;
• energy, with a focus on innovative and green propulsion systems, including in the field of sea sports.

Support for the winning projects

Applicant projects that successfully pass the selection phase will have the opportunity to access the support provided by the initiative, which consists of the following four types of awards:

• a grant of up to €200,000 for the implementation of the proposed project;
• an entrepreneurial development program by I3P;
• an accompanying service by Job Centre for the participation in the Innovation Village in Genoa;
• support for project communication within the Innovation Village.

Who can apply

The initiative is aimed at incorporated companies that fall into four categories: SMEs (registered in the business register of an Italian Chamber of Commerce), innovative SMEs, innovative start-ups and innovative start-ups with a social vocation. Those interested in participating must apply individually and by submitting a single application. To be eligible for the call, the projects must be in one of two possible stages of development: "Ready to market" or "Validated prototype". In the public notice of the call, available on the initiative's official webpage, you will find all the details on the eligibility requirements of applicants and the criteria for the evaluation and selection of candidate projects.

The call for proposals is already open and will close on September 4, 2022. Companies with an entrepreneurial project in line with the research to be applied for can visit the call's website (in Italian language), consult the notice, prepare the necessary documents and fill in the application form.

Information and image source:

Source of Funding: AIPlan4EU

Automated Planning and Scheduling is a central research area in AI, concerned with reasoning on a predictive model of a system to identify a course of actions that achieves a desired goal. It has been studied since the inception of the field and European research has been making strong contributions over decades.

Planning engines have now reached a maturity that makes them highly useful for real-world applications. Still, their application in practise is sometimes hindered by the fact that the planning world is quite heterogeneous, without a common programming interface that makes the technology easily accessible. Moreover, it can be very hard, even for experts, to reliably predict which technique will work well on a certain problem. Thus, it is important that a user needs not to commit to a certain technique at an early stage of adoption but can at any time easily try out and switch to other, better-suited planning technology.

AIPlan4EU aims at solving these problems: it will offer state-of-the-art planning technology through a unified API designed for practitioners and validated on practical use-cases.

Source of Funding: EIT Urban Mobility

Source of Funding: Horizon Europe

The ERA Talents action aims to boost interoperability of careers and employability of research and innovation talents across sectors, with a centre of gravity in widening countries. Projects are expected to contribute to several of the following outcomes:

• Strengthened human capital base in R&I of Widening countries, with more entrepreneurial and better-trained researchers, innovators and other R&I talents;
• A more balanced talent circulation, both geographical and cross-sectoral;
• Boosted R&I capacity and R&I support capacity, as well as contribution to increased excellence of the research-performing organisation in widening countries;
• A more structured and impactful collaboration between academia and businesses;
• Increased set of research, entrepreneurial and other transferable skills and competences;
• Improved employability and sustainable career prospects of diverse talents within academia, industry and beyond.

 Scope:

Cross-sectoral talent circulation and academia-business collaboration for knowledge transfer is requiring systematising and structuring efforts. Through ERA4You, as one of the ERA Policy Actions[1], the European Commission aims to support and incentivise such transformations, towards a more balanced circulation of talents, both trans-nationally and across sectors. Within this scope, ERA Talents aims to support training and mobility of researchers, innovators, and other research and innovation talents across sectors with a particular focus on widening countries. The grant covers expenses related to the ERA Talents participating organisations and individual talents hosted/seconded (administrative costs, training costs, travel and subsistence costs and salaries for seconded staff, and costs associated with dissemination & communication and transfer of knowledge).

Read further on the below link.

Information source:

Source of Funding: The European City Facility (EUCF)

The European City Facility (EUCF) aims to support municipalities and local authorities in developing Investment Concepts related to the implementation of actions identified in their climate and energy action plans. The ultimate objective of the EUCF is to build a substantial pipeline of sustainable energy investment projects across municipalities in Europe.

The EUCF finances the development of an Investment Concept with a fixed grant of 60 000 EUR.

The EUCF is open to all municipalities/local authorities, their groupings, and local public entities aggregating municipalities/local authorities from the EU Member States, EEA-EFTA States (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) and the United Kingdom. Applicants are required to have a politically approved climate and energy plan. This includes SEAPs (Sustainable Energy Action Plans)/SECAPs (Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans), developed within the Covenant of Mayors initiative, or plans of similar ambition with climate and energy targets at least for the year 2020.

Click here to read the call document.

Information and image source:

Source of Funding: LIFE

The LIFE programme – the EU’s funding instrument for the Environment and Climate Action has been launched on 21 May 2022. The LIFE programme 2021-2027 is currently divided into four sub-programmes as follows:

Nature and Biodiversity:

The Nature and Biodiversity sub-programme will aim at the protection and restoration of Europe’s nature and halting and reversing biodiversity loss. Thus, the LIFE Nature and Biodiversity sub-programme will continue to fund nature conservation projects, particularly in the areas of biodiversity, habitats and species. It will support projects that contribute to the implementation of the EU Birds and Habitats Directives, and in particular; the development and management of the Natura 2000 network and the IAS Regulation and will support achieving the objectives of the EU’s biodiversity strategy for 2030; part of the EU Green Deal.

Circular Economy and Quality of Life:

The Circular Economy and Quality of Life sub-programme aims at facilitating the transition toward a sustainable, circular, toxic-free, energy-efficient and climate-resilient economy and at protecting, restoring and improving the quality of the environment, either through direct interventions or by supporting the integration of those objectives in other policies.

Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation:

The Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation sub-programme will contribute to the shift towards a sustainable, energy-efficient, renewable energy-based, climate-neutral and resilient economy, thereby contributing to sustainable development.

• Climate Change Mitigation:

        Co-finances projects in the areas of farming, land use, peatland management, renewable energies and energy efficiency.

•  Climate Change Adaptation:

       Co-finances projects in the areas of urban adaptation and land-use planning, resilience of infrastructure, sustainable management of water in drought-prone areas, flood and coastal management, resilience of the agricultural, forestry and tourism sectors, and/or support to the EU's outermost regions: preparedness for extreme weather events, notably in coastal areas.

Clean Energy Transition:

The LIFE Clean Energy Transition sub-programme continues to support the delivery of EU policies in the field of sustainable energy, in particular; the EU Green Deal, the Energy Union (2030 energy and climate targets) and the European Union’s 2050 long-term decarbonisation strategy.

Deadlines to submit your proposal:

LIFE Calls for proposals 2022 submission deadlines:

•  Standard Action Projects (SAPs) for Circular Economy and Quality of Life, Nature and Biodiversity, Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation sub-programmes: 4th  October 2022
• LIFE Action Grants for Clean Energy Transition sub-programme: 16th  November 2022
• Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPs) and Strategic Nature Projects (SNAPs):
• Concept Notes: 8th September 2022
• Full Proposals: 30th March 2023
• Technical Assistance preparation for SIPs and SNAPs: 8th September 2022

 The National Contact Point for Malta, within the Ministry for Environment, Energy and Enterprise is inviting all interested parties to discuss any potential actions.  In this regard, you are solicited to contact the LIFE team on life.meee@gov.mt to set a meeting and discuss further any project proposals.

Information and presentation source: The Ministry for Environment, Energy and Enterprise