HORIZON Europe - EIT 2025 Call for a New Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) in the Water, Marine, and Maritime Sectors (EIT Water)

The Call for Proposals 2025 for a new EIT Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) on the Water, Marine and Maritime Sectors and Ecosystems ('Water') invites consortia to develop sustainable innovations in these sectors. The call, part of the Horizon Europe framework, emphasizes integrated partnerships among leading companies, educational institutions, and research organizations to address societal challenges through new solutions and to foster educational and societal impacts.

Programme name

EIT 2025 Call for a New Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) in the Water, Marine, and Maritime Sectors (EIT Water) (HORIZON-EIT-2025-KIC-WATER)

Objective(s) and scope

Objective: The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) is a key driver of sustainable European economic growth and competitiveness. During the 2021 to 2027 period, the EIT contributes to the general objectives of Horizon Europe – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation by integrating the entrepreneurship-driven ‘knowledge triangle’ of business, higher education and research to boost disruptive innovation across Europe.

To further enhance its impact and to incentivise the innovations needed to meet new societal challenges, the EIT will, as established in the EIT Regulation and EIT Strategic Innovation Agenda (SIA) 2021-2027 gradually expand its portfolio of Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs). With this Call for Proposals, the EIT launches the selection process for a new KIC in the thematic area of Water, Marine and Maritime Sectors and Ecosystems.

Scope: The Commission ex-ante analysis on the relevance of a new EIT KIC on Water, Marine and Maritime Sectors and Ecosystems reconfirmed relevance of the challenges faced by Water, Marine and Maritime Sectors and Ecosystems identified in the EIT Strategic Agenda 2021-27 and the relevance of the KIC innovation model in delivering solutions in response to these challenges. Furthermore, a KIC with an integrated approach to water, marine and maritime sectors and ecosystems holds significant potential in addressing fragmentation (incl. through EIT Regional Innovation Scheme), skills gaps and serves as a vital connecting node.

The new KIC shall add value and demonstrate excellence in each activity area (innovation, entrepreneurship and skills education and business creation / acceleration), widely cover the relevant fields of the water, marine and maritime sectors and ecosystems and have a strategy in place to build on and upscale innovative solutions developed under existing programmes and initiatives such as Horizon Europe, EU Missions – notably the Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters – and relevant Horizon Europe partnerships.

Type of finance provider

Public

Administering body

European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA)

Financing product

Grants

Financing value

For the period 2021-2027, the EIT is funded through a financial contribution from Horizon Europe set at EUR 2 965 000 000.

The indicative amount for the Start-up Grant of the new KIC in 2026 is EUR 5 million. The practice shows that following the start-up period, the EIT grant for the first Business Plan is between EUR 20 – 35 million per year.

Mid capital (EUR 5-50 million)

Eligible countries

All EU and EEA countries, Other non-EU associated countries.

Eligibility criteria (if available)

The applying consortium must contain at least three independent partner organisations established in at least three different Member States;
At least two thirds of the partner organisations forming the consortium are established in different Member States;
The applying consortium includes at least one higher education institution, one research institution and one private company;
The applying consortium shall not include the following entities that are part of a KIC under Partnership Agreement or a KIC under Memorandum of Cooperation:
- KIC legal entity;
- co-location centre;
- other entities part of a KIC’s legal/corporate structure;
The proposal must be submitted by a consortium containing a maximum of 50 partners.