Associated Regions for the ULTFARMS Project

Description

The solutions developed and demonstrated within the EU project “ULTFARMS”, grant agreement number 101093888, involve the implementation of low trophic aquaculture farms within offshore wind developments to evaluate the environmental and economic suitability of such efforts. These solutions include industry standard as well as novel constructions, and take into consideration nature inclusive design parameters. To assure the commercially feasibility of the demonstrated solutions and continue research and innovation in the field of Low Trophic Aquaculture, regions and countries outside of those represented by main partners In the ULTFARMS project are sought to become Associated Regions (ARs) within the Project, affiliated entities with a budget of up to 100.000 Euros to carry out proposal plans. The ARs will attend trainings and participate in project wide discussions in terms of technical, operational, and planning requirements and developments undertake within the ULTFARMS project in order to co-design, and co-develop the activities within the AR projects, making use of the skills and knowledge present in the consortium. A more complete description of potential activities which are eligible for funding can be found on the ULTFARMS project website: https://ultfarms.eu/ under the Associated Regions Section and are suggested in the proposal template.

Beneficiary & submission

The ULTFARMS Project is seeking project proposals lead by Regional or Local Authorities (consisting either of only authorities or with others in a consortium lead by an authority) to submit proposals for funding in order to develop low trophic aquaculture in their regions. The activities which can be funded are broad and relate to developing aquaculture activities, scoping potential, engaging with local actors and beyond. Proposals and granted projects will make use of the knowledge in the ULTFARMS project and share developments and insights with 6 active site introducing mussel, algae, and oyster aquaculture into off-shore wind parks. Submission An extension to the original submission deadline has the call close on 31 May 2024 at 17:00 CET (Central European Time). All submissions must be completed using the template offered on the ULTFARMS website and be submitted by this time to ULTFARMS@Deltares.nl with "ULTFARMS AR Proposal" in the subject line. Proposals developed for this call must be led by a regional or local authority. Collaborations or a consortium can be developed for this call, but the primary contact point and project lead must be a regional or local authority. Frequently Asked Questions, a forum for questions which has arisen during the call, along with a template for proposals can be found on the ULTFARMS project website: https://ultfarms.eu/ under the Associated Regions Section. All proposals should be submitted to ULTFARMS@deltares.nl. Further instructions and guidance can be found via the project website. Evaluation Proposals will be assessed based on the award criteria: Impact (8 points), Excellence (6 points) and Implementation (6 points) and will record their individual opinion on each proposal using the evaluation form. An average is taken from the reviewers’ scores, with a minimum threshold of 14 points required to be eligible for funding through the call. Details for these sections are found in the template. Eligibility: Entities from the following countries do not qualify for this call as project partners are already based In these regions, and therefore exclude the potential for AR partners also from these regions as dictated by European Commission provisions on the call. The full list of Member States and Associated Regions can be found via the European Commission documentation[1] : Belgium, Denmark, Germany, The Republic of Ireland, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden EU restrictive measures also applicable for financial support to third parties In relation to this call EU Sanctions Map. The financial support to third parties may only be awarded to local and/or regional authorities from an ‘associated region’, there the applicant body must be a local and/or regional body [1] https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/common/guidance/list-3rd-country-participation_horizon-euratom_en.pdf

Further information

Key Dates Call Opening – January 22nd, 2024 Call Closing – May 31st, 2024 Contracting with Associate Regions – Beginning June 20st until July 20th 2024 Formalization of AR Contracting – July 20th, 2024 Please consult the the ULTFARMS project website: https://ultfarms.eu/ under the Associated Regions Section For proposal templates, submission instructions, and further details. If you have questions about the application process, please consult the Frequently Asked Questions section on the website. Should a response not be found there, direct your questions to ULTFARS@Deltares.nl with "ULTFARMS AR Proposal Question" in the subject line.