Submission process:
Applications will be made in English, online via a dedicated platform that is accessible via the PartArt4OW website: https://partart4ow.eu/third-open-call
Applications will consist of a short proposal (maximum 5 pages) presenting the project idea, its objectives, the implementation plan, the resources needed, the team submitting the proposal, the communities engaged/beneficiaries of the initiative and the expected impact. The proposal should follow the template available in the PartArt4OW ‘guide for applicants’ available on the project website: https://partart4ow.eu/third-open-call and in the submission platform.
Administrative information will be required too.
A declaration of honour must be signed by the legal representative of the proposal lead and uploaded in the submission portal.
Proponents are also requested to upload in the submission portal:
- a Letter of Intent signed by the legal representative of an economic actor of the blue economy. This is needed also if the selected actor of the blue economy is part of the proposal consortium. This document is compulsory for all the applicants; failure to provide this document will make the proposal ineligible.
- a Letter of Intent signed by the legal representative from a hosting organisation or institution (museum, aquarium, cultural centre, municipality, etc.) that agrees to provide public space or venue for the final event of the project. This is needed also if the hosting organisation is part of the proposal consortium. This document is compulsory for all the applicants; failure to provide this document will make the proposal ineligible.
- a Letter of Intent signed by the legal representative from institutions or organisations (schools, museums, etc) that will act as channels for citizen engagement, when such actors fall outside the applicant consortium. This requirement applies only if the applicant foresees engagement activities that depend on external partners beyond the consortium’s existing capacities. Therefore, this document is not compulsory for all the applicants but if a proposal mention the involvement of an organisation acting as engagement channels and fail to provide the related letter of intent, the proposal will be considered ineligible.
The evaluation process can be divided into the following stages:
1.Eligibility check: Applicants must be individuals or organisations established or resident in EU Member States, Associated Countries or Third Countries. The call is open to Individuals, single legal entities, and consortia. For consortia, all applicants must be eligible. Project activities must take place in EU Member States or third countries associated with Horizon Europe. The application must be accompanied by the Declaration of Honor of the lead organisation and by the letter of intents mentioned above. Please check the other eligibility criteria in the Guide for Applicants (section 8)
2.Proposals review: Each proposal will be assessed by three reviewers against three main criteria: relevance, quality and impact. Reviewers will be asked to provide a score on a 0-5 point scale for each criterion (no half point allowed). Only projects that go above (Exceed) the threshold value on each of the criteria and the overall one (see the detailed description in the Guide for Applicants), will proceed to the next step of the evaluation.
3.Shortlisting: Proposals that score above the thresholds will be ranked. The overall threshold applying will be set at a level that ensures the total requested budget of proposals admitted to stage 3 is as close as possible to three times the available budget, and not less than two and a half times the available budget.
4.Interviews: Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an online interview with an expert panel. The interviews will consist of a short pitch of the project followed by questions. More details on the interview process are available in the Guide For applicants.
After the interviews are concluded, the PartArt4OW consortium will decide which applicants will be accepted into the program.
See PartArt4OW ‘Guide for applicants’ accessible via the project website for more detailed info on the evaluation process: https://partart4ow.eu/third-open-call
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The PartArt4OW Open Call is intended to support the implementation of participatory art initiatives (PAIs) addressing the PartArt4OW challenge: “Communities for a Sustainable and Equitable Blue Economy”.
PartArt4OW is looking for interdisciplinary and intersectoral projects mixing art, science and participatory practices in innovative ways. PartArt4OW believes that collaborations between the creative and cultural sectors, the scientific community and the civic society organisations can lead to stronger projects, but this call is also open to individuals.
The overall goal of the supported PAI will be to:
●increase citizens’ ocean literacy;
●increase awareness on the challenges and pressures faced by the ocean and inland waters and
●mobilise citizens and stakeholders for the protection and restoration of oceans and inland waters.
For this third open call, the specific challenge to be addressed is: “Communities for a Sustainable and Equitable Blue Economy”.
PartArt4OW is looking for projects that engage communities - coastal or inland - in rethinking and reshaping a sustainable, resilient, and equitable blue economy. In this context, blue economy refers to any economic activity relating to the ocean and seas, as well as rivers, lakes and other water systems. It covers a broad range of established and emerging sectors, including but not limited to fisheries, aquaculture and tourism to energy, transport, conservation, biotechnology and water-based food systems.
Proposals should combine scientific research, artistic experimentation, and active citizen participation to generate new understandings of how societies interact with oceans, rivers, and water-dependent economies.
PartArt4OW particularly welcome proposals that:
●adopt whole-system perspectives linking ecological, economic, social, and cultural dimensions of water-based sustainability;
●explore lesser-known or overlooked aspects of the blue economy, including its environmental trade-offs and societal impacts;
●investigate the invisible or intangible: carbon flows, social inequalities, labour conditions, ecosystem thresholds, or cultural shifts that are not immediately perceptible;
●co-create new narratives, methods, and sensory experiences that help communities working towards sustainable water futures;
●amplify local voices, especially those historically underrepresented in ocean governance.
Projects can focus on ocean or inland waters or on both at the same time.
Successful applicants will be expected to refine their proposal, implement, and present the findings of a participatory art project to be implemented over the course of six months. In these six months period they will be actively engaged in the PartArt4OW Accelerator, which provides mentoring, networking opportunities, and training sessions.
Selected projects are expected to be fully sustainable, including the use of sustainable materials, circular solutions and renewable energy. Proposals, if selected, must commit to a Climate Pact Pledge[1] leading to full decarbonisation or at least carbon neutrality of the project and of all the proposed activities.
For more information on the challenge, please visit the project website at: https://partart4ow.eu/third-open-call
