Ocean and Blue Economy grants — page 7
322 listings tracked right now · page 7 of 7
Funding for ocean health, sustainable fisheries, aquaculture and the blue economy. Backed by the World Bank PROBLUE, EU EMFAF and Horizon, the Benioff and Packard foundations, and national marine programmes. Listed below are the open ocean and blue economy grant calls in that landscape, taken from each funder's own notice and re-checked on every refresh.
Water and ocean funding sits mostly with development finance and national infrastructure budgets rather than with innovation programmes. The recurring sources are the World Bank and the regional development banks, the Green Climate Fund, EU LIFE and Horizon, and national water and environment agencies. Awards tend to be tied to a specific catchment, coastline or utility, so geographic eligibility is usually the first thing to check rather than the last.
This page lists open ocean and blue economy grants currently tracked by Raise Lens — 322 of them right now, sorted with the soonest deadline first. Every listing has been classified against the sustainability taxonomy rather than matched on keywords, so what appears here is ocean and blue economy work rather than anything whose description happens to mention it.
The funders publishing ocean and blue economy grants here include Waitt Foundation, TUI Care Foundation, Honor Frost Foundation, among 2 others. Who is funding matters as much as what: eligibility, reporting burden and the realistic timeline to a decision vary far more between funders than between individual calls.
Geographic coverage on this page spans Fiji, Micronesia, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu. Eligibility is usually tied to where the work happens or where the applying organisation is registered, and the two are not always the same — worth checking before investing time in an application.
Rapid Ocean Conservation (ROC) Grants Program
••••• Foundation
The Rapid Ocean Conservation (ROC) Grants Program funds projects that advance ocean conservation and marine ecosystem protection. It targets nonprofits, research institutions, and community organizations working on ocean-focused sustainability initiatives globally.
A travel-and-tourism company foundation community-support fund
••••• Foundation
The Helping Hands Fund supports non-profit organisations and social enterprises implementing projects that create positive environmental and community impact in tourism destinations worldwide, with a focus on education, community empowerment, natural landscapes, and marine conservation. The fund leverages tourism as a vehicle for sustainable development, environmental protection, and species conservation in destination areas.
Small Grant Awards
••••• Foundation
The funder awards small grants up to £10,000 twice yearly to support maritime archaeology research and underwater cultural heritage development, primarily in the eastern Mediterranean region (Cyprus, Lebanon, Syria, Sicily, Malta). The foundation prioritizes projects with strong regional partnerships and local training opportunities, and also considers global applications for new technologies and methodologies aligned with its research interests.
OCPP Solomon Islands
••••• organisation
This grant supports Solomon Islands' capacity to manage human activities affecting the marine environment and sustainably benefit from marine resources. It funds institutional capability-building and environmental management systems for ocean stewardship.
OCPP Belize
••••• organisation
This grant supports Belize in developing capacity and governance frameworks to sustainably manage human activities affecting the marine environment, including fisheries and aquaculture. It funds environmental research and marine ecosystem protection to enable long-term sustainable use of ocean resources.
Access to research infrastructure services to enable R&I addressing EU priorities and emerging challenges
••••• organisation
This grant provides access to research infrastructure services to support R&I projects addressing EU priorities and emerging challenges, including ocean, digital, and AI research. It funds research institutions and consortia to conduct innovation work leveraging shared research facilities.
Aquaculture and Fisheries
••••• organisation
The funder offers promotional loans to support aquaculture and fisheries businesses operating in Germany. The programme finances business development and operational needs in these primary sectors.
TagusInnov: Open innovation program in partnership with a Portuguese port authority, focused on finding innovative solutions for…
••••• organisation
TagusInnov is an open innovation program partnering with the Port of Lisbon to fund innovative solutions for the leisure and tourism sector, with a focus on marina development and coastal-maritime activities in the Lisbon region. The program seeks startups, SMEs, and innovators to develop and pilot new business models and technologies that enhance tourism and marina operations.
Sector Groups: Monthly meet-ups for subsets of the member base focused on specific sectors including Energy, Oceans,…
••••• organisation
Monthly sector-focused networking and investment progress meetings for the funder members across Energy, Oceans, Food & Agriculture, and other sectors. This is a membership engagement and networking programme rather than a direct funding call.
Reef Ambassador Program
••••• Foundation
A conservation education programme that trains and deploys reef ambassadors to advance marine ecosystem protection and public engagement with coral reef conservation. The programme targets educators and community leaders working in marine conservation.
Ocean Connection Notice – Journalism Scholarships
••••• Foundation
This grant funds journalism reporting on climate adaptation in coastal cities and ocean-related environmental themes, offering R$10,000 (USD ~1,850) per award. It targets journalists and media professionals producing climate and ocean-focused content.
Pangaea X: An educational programme in Côte d'Ivoire and France
••••• Foundation
An educational programme operating in Côte d'Ivoire and France that empowers youth through ocean exploration and science in partnership with the Horn Foundation. The grant supports capacity-building and engagement in marine/ocean-related learning, likely aligned with ocean sustainability and blue-economy awareness.
Guardian Dolphins of the Islands
••••• Foundation
An educational programme in partnership with Marevivo that builds ocean conservation awareness among students and communities in Italy. The grant funds awareness-raising and educational activities focused on marine ecosystem protection and sustainable ocean stewardship.
Marine Biodiversity Education
••••• Foundation
This grant funds educational programmes that raise awareness among young people about marine conservation and environmental stewardship. It targets nonprofits, educational institutions, and community groups working on ocean literacy and marine biodiversity protection.
Aquaculture and Fisheries Funding
••••• organisation
The funder offers promotional financing for aquaculture and fisheries sector development, supporting businesses in these industries to grow and modernize operations. The grant targets operators and enterprises working in sustainable fish farming and fishing practices.
Make a marine licence application
••••• organisation
This is a procedural guide for applying for a marine licence from the UK's the funder, covering application requirements, documentation, costs, and timelines. It is relevant to organisations undertaking marine activities (renewable energy, aquaculture, dredging, etc.) that require regulatory approval.
Promotion of Processing and Marketing of Fishery Products
••••• organisation
This grant supports processing, marketing, and competitiveness improvements for fishery and aquaculture products in Schleswig-Holstein through investments in infrastructure, producer organisations, and promotional campaigns. Eligible applicants include producer organisations, fishing cooperatives, processing companies, and SMEs in the fisheries sector.
Aquaculture and Fish Farming – Operating Supplies
••••• organisation
This German federal grant supports operating resources and infrastructure for aquaculture and fish farming enterprises. It targets producers seeking to improve or maintain operational capacity in the aquaculture sector.
Aquaculture and Fish Industry – Sustainability
••••• organisation
This is a German federal funding programme supporting sustainability initiatives in aquaculture and the fish industry. The grant targets organisations seeking to improve environmental and economic sustainability practices in fish farming and related sectors.
Fisheries and Seafood Scheme
••••• organisation
The Fisheries and Seafood Scheme provides funding to support the fisheries and seafood sector, likely including sustainable fishing practices, fleet modernization, or supply-chain resilience. Eligible applicants appear to be businesses and organizations operating in UK fisheries and seafood production.
Accelerator Program
••••• organisation
A 12-week mentor-driven accelerator program providing up to $250,000 in direct investment, co-working space, and access to 400+ investors and 250+ mentors for early-stage companies. The program focuses on lean product development and global go-to-market strategies across software, travel-tourism, sustainability, gaming, AI, and ocean-tech sectors.
OceanX Education Fellowship
••••• Institute
A fellowship program that supports individuals pursuing ocean science careers while expanding ocean literacy and knowledge. The program invests in developing the next generation of ocean scientists and professionals to advance ocean sustainability.
Community-Governed Donation Pool
••••• Foundation
A community-governed donation pool that aggregates funds from individual contributors and SANUS PAY usage to support multiple projects globally across nature, ocean, animal welfare, and humanitarian causes. Registered members vote monthly on which projects receive financial support.
Reef Ambassador Program (RAP)
••••• Foundation
The Reef Ambassador Program is a conservation education initiative focused on building awareness and engagement around reef and marine ecosystems. It funds educational cohorts and programmes that train ambassadors to promote marine conservation and coral reef protection.
Reporting Desks
••••• organisation
The funder funds teams of editors, writers, and researchers organized around thematic desks (oceans, indigenous affairs, investigations, solutions journalism, wildlife, newswire) to produce environmental and sustainability journalism. This is a journalism/media fellowship or employment opportunity for editorial professionals focused on environmental reporting.
Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund
••••• organisation
The Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund supports UK fishing businesses and coastal communities through targeted financial assistance. The fund aims to strengthen the fishing sector and promote sustainable economic growth in coastal regions.
Apply for a scientific research dispensation
••••• organisation
This is a permit/dispensation application process for scientific research conducted from fishing vessels in English waters, allowing researchers to temporarily operate outside standard UK fisheries regulations. It is intended for scientific institutions and researchers conducting marine research that requires exemptions from fishing laws.
Leasing extra quota in England
••••• organisation
This grant allows English fishing operators to lease additional fish catch quota from producer organisations to supplement their existing catch limits or continue fishing stocks when national pool allocations are exhausted. It is designed for commercial fishing businesses operating under English fishing regulations.
SeafarerHelp: A free, confidential, multilingual helpline available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for seafarers and…
••••• organisation
SeafarerHelp is a 24/7 multilingual helpline providing free, confidential support to seafarers and their families facing challenges at sea or ashore. The grant funds the operation and expansion of this maritime welfare support service.
A major Japanese foundation idea submission
••••• Foundation
Sasakawa Peace Foundation solicits innovative project ideas addressing peacebuilding, ocean sustainability, de-radicalization, and Women, Peace, and Security priorities. Selected ideas may receive grant funding or be implemented directly by SPF.
Harwich Haven Authority Fund
••••• Foundation
This grant provides up to £5,000 for voluntary and community organisations in Harwich and Tendring to support water-based, maritime, educational, environmental and community initiatives. Eligible applicants are local nonprofits and community groups working on maritime, environmental or educational projects in the specified geographic area.
Conexão Oceano
••••• Foundation
This is an open call for journalism grants that support reporting and storytelling on ocean and coastal conservation themes. It funds media projects and journalists working to advance ocean-related environmental narratives.
Statutory guidance: Manage your fishing effort: Sole Recovery Zone 2026 to 2027
••••• organisation
This statutory guidance provides detailed scheme rules and application forms for fishing operations within the Sole Recovery Zone during 2026-2027, implementing regulated gear requirements to support fish stock recovery. The guidance establishes compliance requirements for commercial fisheries operating in designated recovery areas.
UK scientists unite for seabed survey off the south-west coast
••••• organisation
A four-week collaborative seabed mapping survey involving scientists from 11 organizations aims to enhance understanding of the marine environment off the UK's south-west coast. The project is funded by the funder and focuses on improving knowledge of seabed ecosystems.