This is an EU call for grants in the area of Maritime Spatial Planning under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund. This call for proposals is launched in accordance with the 2019 Work Programme for the implementation of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) (section 1.2.1.8 of the annex to the Work Programme). Specific Challenge: The objective of this call for proposals is to support the establishment and implementation of Maritime Spatial Plans in line with the objectives pursued in the framework of the MSP Directive. More specifically, this action intends to support Member States in setting up maritime spatial plans and ensuring plans are coherent and coordinated across marine regions concerned. Scope: In order to align the proposals to the objectives of this call and considering that actions co-funded under this call will be finalised at the time that maritime plans have to be adopted in line with the MSP Directive (31.03.2021), applicants are required to address the following priorities in their proposals: • Support the work of MSP competent authorities and/or inter-ministerial bodies in the establishment and adoption of maritime spatial plans; • Where relevant, support the development of cross-border cooperation on MSP with bordering Member States and third countries with a view to ensure that maritime spatial plans are coherent and coordinated across marine regions concerned; • Making use of the best available data and organise the sharing of information, necessary for maritime spatial plans, by using relevant mechanism and tools (e.g. INSPIRE, EMODNet). Expected Impact: The expected results to be achieved by the end of the project must be concrete, realistic and quantified as far as possible. Proposals must clearly describe the specific results of the project for each of the following elements: • Specific results delivered by the project to the elaboration and/or implementation of a maritime spatial plan/s for the area/s identified (in line with article 6 and 8 of MSP Directive); • Some examples of expected results (non-exhaustive list): definition of national MSP objectives, roadmap for the adoption of plans, a preliminary maritime spatial plan for the area identified. • Specific results delivered by the project that have enhanced the data use, and the information and knowledge sharing necessary for maritime spatial plans (in line with article 10 of MSP Directive on data use and sharing). • Some examples of expected results (non-exhaustive list): set-up of IT platforms/systems aimed to share data and information in the context of MSP implementation, use of existing tools to develop IT systems aimed to share MSP data and information across Member States, mechanism aimed to ensure compatibility of MSP data (in line with INSPIRE). • Specific results delivered by the project to ensure that maritime spatial plans are coherent and coordinated across the marine region (in line with article 11 and 12 of MSP Directive); • Some examples of expected results (non-exhaustive list): If relevant, agreement on common objectives with bordering Member States, or consultation process of maritime spatial plans with bordering Member States, or established mechanisms that have strengthen and fostered cross-border cooperation in the field of MSP. The list of expected results above is non-exhaustive and applicants may add other expected results if relevant. Eligible Applicants: The geographical area covered by the action is the Mediterranean. Proposals can focus on a part or sub-region of this sea basin (the Western Mediterranean Sea, the Ionian Sea and the Central Mediterranean Sea, the Aegean-Levantine Sea, the Adriatic Sea). For each area, at least two coastal EU Member States shall be involved. Activities should normally relate to the EU waters, but may extend into neighboring waters, if this is necessary for the implementation of the project (in view of its nature and its objectives). In order to be eligible for a grant, the applicants must be legal entities. Natural persons are not eligible as applicants for the purpose of the present call. The following types of entities are eligible to participate in the Call as applicants: a) Competent authorities [1] in charge of maritime spatial planning of those coastal EU Member States which are responsible for MSP in the selected area; b) International, regional or intergovernmental organisations, including relevant regional sea conventions (e.g. Union for the Mediterranean, UNEP MAP); c) Other entities shall be considered eligible applicants provided that: (1) they are endorsed by Competent Authorities referred as specified in point a) above. (2) for projects with activities extending to neighboring waters outside the territory of the EU[2]: be established in one of the following eligible non-EU countries: – Algeria, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Mauritania, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Palestine[3], Tunisia and Turkey; and (3) be necessary for the implementation of the project (in view of its nature and its objectives). Project Length: For each of the individual topics, depending on the scope of the project, EASME expects projects to run for a duration of 24 months. Further Financing Information: EASME considers that proposals requesting a contribution in the ranges between 750.000 and 1.250.00 would allow the specific objectives to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts. The EU reserves the right not to award all available funds or to redistribute them between the proposals, depending on the applications received and the evaluation results. For more Information: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/emff-msp-2019;freeTextSearchKeyword=Blue%20Economy;typeCodes=1;statusCodes=31094501,31094502;programCode=EMFF;programDivisionCode=null;focusAreaCode=null;crossCuttingPriorityCode=null;callCode=Default;sortQuery=openingDate;orderBy=asc;onlyTenders=false;topicListKey=topicSearchTablePageState https://www.msp-platform.eu/sites/default/files/call-fiche-emff-msp-2019_en.pdf