Upcoming dates for EU funding opportunities

The overview includes calls from Horizon Europe, EU LIFE, the Innovation Fund, Eurostars, the European Regional Development Fund, and the Just Transition Fund.

The Water Market Europe event in Brussels on 16 April will also be an opportunity to engage with stakeholders and explore new initiatives.

Further, the MIFIW study (Mapping International Finance Instruments for Water), conducted by NWP, is expected to be published in the coming weeks and will provide further information on funding options for water-related projects.

Horizon Europe

This programme is open, with many call deadlines falling on 14 April 2026. Clusters 5 and 6 are particularly relevant for the water sector.

Overview of calls per theme:

• Biodiversity and ecosystem services
• Fair, healthy, environmentally friendly food systems from primary production to consumption
• Circular economy and Bio-economy sectors
• Land, Oceans, and water for climate action
• Resilient, inclusive, healthy, and green rural, coastal and urban communities
• Innovative governance, environmental observations and digital solutions in support of the Green Deal

Please note that the links above provide general information on calls within each theme. For more specific details, it is advisable to consult the work programmes, available here (for cluster 5) and here (for cluster 6).

EU LIFE

This programme is expected to open on 21 April 2026. It focuses on supporting the Union’s climate and environmental objectives.

From 28 to 30 April, the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) will host online info days, with dedicated information sessions that will provide insights into the four LIFE sub-programmes, highlight the Calls' priority topics for 2026 and give advice on how to prepare a good proposal for your project. Register here to attend these sessions (live or on-line).

Innovation Fund

This programme supports solutions that drive decarbonisation, and is open to consortia involving the public and private sectors, SMEs, and research institutions. The deadlines for pilots, small-scale projects, and clean tech are all on 23 April 2026.

Eurostars

This programme supports international R&D collaboration with EU organisations and partners. For specific information on eligibility, please consult this website.

The programme opens twice a year. The second call is expected to open in July, with a deadline in September.

European Regional Development Fund

This fund aims to reduce regional disparities within the EU by supporting projects that make Europe greener and smarter, and therefore more competitive.

In the Netherlands, the programme is organised by region. For ERDF Noord, the following call deadlines are coming up:

• (verder) werken aan onderscheidend vermogen (deadline: 8 May 2026 at 12:00)
• Slimme energiesystemen en duurzame energie (deadline: 8 May 2026 at 12:00)
• Valorisatie Klein 2025 (deadline: 16 April 2026)
• Valorisatie Middelgroot 2025 (deadline: 16 April 2026)

The funds are allocated on a rolling basis, meaning that the dates above are final deadlines, but available funding may already be fully committed before then.

Just Transition Fund

This fund supports the broader objective of climate neutrality, including through innovation and infrastructure. The programme includes both grants and loans.

For loans, the first cut-off deadline is 16 April (click here for more information). These types of loans do generally require an EIB investment component. Future deadlines for loans are on 17 September (click here for more information) and early 2027.

Events

Water Market Europe event - Brussels - 16 April

Water Market Europe is an annual event hosted by Water Europe. This year’s theme is ‘Digital Twins, Data, and AI: Accelerating Market Deployment in the Water Sector’. The event provides an opportunity to showcase solutions in the field of Digital Twins, Data, and AI, and/or connect with potential partners. Registration will open soon on this website.

MIFIW Study

In addition, the MIFIW Study (Mapping International Finance Instruments for Water) is expected to be shared by NWP in the coming weeks.

The overview above is meant to help identify relevant opportunities and stay connected to developments in the European funding landscape for water. Should you have any questions, please reach out via email to Janett Tapia.