The Thematic Portfolios of projects will be connected and will define their own roadmap of activities. With the support of the Partnership, the portfolios are expected to increase transnational synergies at the EU scale, boost quadruple helix multi-stakeholders’ collaboration, and respond to the challenges and opportunities identified within each topic. By reaching a critical mass of projects focusing on similar thematics, this action will contribute to leveraging the projects’ impact at the European level by e.g. providing efficient scientific support for strategic and political decision making, whilst also addressing research gaps and avoiding duplication. 
 

Some of the benefits of participating in the Thematic Portfolios are:

• Increased visibility at the international level
• Networking with quadruple-helix stakeholders
• Career boost, especially for early career scientists
• Identification of new opportunities for cooperation
• Identification of potential beneficiaries of the project outputs
• Co-design market-uptake plans
• Meetings with EU Commission experts
• Participation in Partnership events (e.g. biennial symposium)
   
   

To participate:

• Projects must fall in the thematic scope of the portfolios.
• Projects must be active and ongoing during the Thematic Portfolio Activities timeframe and must be receiving a regional/national/EU grant.
• Projects must address at least one geographical area among: Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, Baltic Sea, North Sea, Atlantic Ocean. If applicable, projects may target regional areas (e.g. Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Celtic Sea, Adriatic Sea, Aegean Seas, etc.) or their scope must prove to be relevant for one or more of the above-mentioned geographical areas.
• Applicants must prove their commitment, availability and capacity to engage in the activities (as self-funded).

• Project Principal Investigators (and alternates, if any) must be employed by an organisation belonging to one of the countries¹ of the Partnership and must be a stakeholder from one of the four major sectors of the quadruple helix (industry, government, research institutes, and the public).

   

To apply:

• Please consult and download the Call documents (including the Call text and its Annex) at the bottom of this page.
• The Project Principal Investigator (and alternate, if any) is required to fill out a structured application form detailing the project’s interest to join. This application form is an Excel file which must be returned via email to the Portfolio Secretariat: sbep-portfolio@agencerecherche.fr accompanied by a declaration of commitment.
  • Please download the application form using this link and password: %HJo@z42&06WxDZ0P
• Applicants will have up to 30 October 2025 (15:00 CET) to submit their interest in one of the thematic portfolio.
• A single step selection process will apply and selected projects will be announced in December 2025.

Information webinar:

• An information webinar for potential applicants will be held on 18 September, 14:00 CEST to answer your questions regarding the call.
• Please register here to attend: Registration link.
   

For more information: We invite you to regularly consult our website and social media channels to be kept updated on funding and networking opportunities. 

Contact: Portfolio Secretariat (ANR, France): sbep@agencerecherche.fr 

 [1] Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Montenegro, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine.