The UNIDO-WTCA Blue Economy Global Call 2026 is now open for applications (winners to receive USD $3,000 to attend the Euro Mediterranean Water Forum in Rome, Italy)

Ednah Carrick May 5, 2026

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Closing Date: 19 June 2026

The UNIDO-WTCA Blue Economy Global Call 2026 is now open for applications (winners to receive USD $3,000 to attend the Euro Mediterranean Water Forum in Rome, Italy)

The UNIDO-WTCA Blue Economy Global Call 2026

The UNIDO – WTCA Blue Economy Global Call 2026 aims to identify and promote readily deployable and scalable solutions and innovative technologies contributing to an inclusive, resilient, and sustainable development of the Blue Economy. Particular attention will be paid to high impact solutions for Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States.

The Global Call encompasses six strategic categories related to innovative solutions in Blue Economy.

Blue Renewable Energy
Sustainable Blue Food
Green Maritime Transport and Smart Ports
Coastal and Marine Tourism & Recreation
Sea, Lakes and River Health & Restoration
Blue Tech & Biotechnology

Scope

The UNIDO-WTCA Blue Economy Global Call 2026 (Global Call) scope is to promote the sustainable development of the Blue Economy by supporting and scaling up innovative ideas and companies. The Call will identify and award one ready deployable, innovative, and scalable solution for each of the six strategic categories (outlined above). The winning ideas will enter an acceleration program under the UNIDO-WTCA umbrella and benefit from the UNIDO and WTCA expertise, network, and high-level mentoring.

Supported by UNIDO’s technical cooperation, selected projects will receive potential pilot opportunities in partner countries, while through the WTCA’s business development platforms, companies will access business programs, new markets and expand worldwide. Both institutions will provide direct support for scaling up and matchmaking services to enhance winners’ impact and success.

Structure & Timeline

The UNIDO WTCA Blue Economy Global Call 2026 is divided in three key components: the Call for Innovators, the Evaluation & Selection Period, and the Award Ceremony & Showcase.

The Call for Innovators consists in a global call on innovative blue economy solutions, inviting on-line applications from micro, small, medium, large companies and startups, but also academia, NGOs as well as public-private projects and initiatives. The call will prioritize women- and youth-led initiatives and projects focusing on developing countries, as well as small island developing states.
The Evaluation & Selection Period represents a period of analysis of submitted applications where a Scientific Committee will evaluate applications, and a dedicated International Jury will elect the winners of the Global Call.
The Award Ceremony & Showcase will take place in Rome, Italy at the Euro Mediterranean Water Forum, where the six best-in class ideas identified as the winners of the UNIDO-WTCA Blue Economy Global Call will showcase their innovative ideas.

Target Group

The Global Call for proposals will target the following groups for participation in the competition:

Micro, small, medium (MSMEs) and large enterprises;
Start-up companies operating in sectors linked to the contest;
Academic institutions/centers;
Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiatives;
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs); public and private foundations linked to the business world and international development cooperation;

The organizers encourage the submission of proposals, from early-stage ideas to scaling up projects, but also innovative technologies under testing and evidence collection.

Eligibility criteria

By entering this contest, applicants accept and agree to be bound by these Terms of Reference. Proposals are required to meet a set of minimum eligibility criteria in order to be able to be considered for evaluation in the context of this call. Entries that do not meet the eligibility criteria are subject to disqualification and/or removal, at organizer’s sole discretion.

The eligibility criteria are as follows:

Individuals must be eighteen (18) years of age or older to enter.
Each individual submission should clearly state the focus area by selecting the most applicable category in the application form. Candidates may select up to two categories.
The description of the business project should not be written in a promotional tone, but use neutral, factual language.
The applications sent by admissible candidates will be submitted for an initial screening phase and will be considered only if complete in all the mandatory fields and coherent with the Global Call for proposal objectives and themes.
Only the admissible proposals, following a verification of their feasibility and credibility requirements, will enter the evaluation process.
To ensure that the proposed solutions are beyond the conceptual stage and have already reached a minimum level of technical maturity and reliability, business projects must present a Technology Readiness Level equal or superior to 4 (Annex).
Applications must be submitted in English.
All entries are final; no revisions or modifications after submission are accepted.
Entries must include only materials created by the entrant and must not infringe on the intellectual property rights of any other person or entity. Entrant must not copy material or include materials, images, graphics, music or trademarks belonging to any third parties or incorporate the names, likeness or personas of any party other than yourself in your entry. Except as stated herein, no entries may contain brand names, trademarks or company logos not owned by entrant.

How to participate

There is no fee required to enter this contest.

Applications must be submitted through the official form on the third-party component JotForm Inc. Applicants are required to fill all the mandatory fields in the registration form and accept related terms and conditions.

The Jury and the Scientific Committee

The Jury shall comprise around 10 members, selected for their outstanding leadership and distinguished contributions to the promotion of a sustainable development of the Blue Economy. Its composition has been composed by merging different backgrounds and expertise, with particular attention to ensuring both geographical balance and gender diversity.

Jury members will be in charge of the evaluation and rating of applications according to the evaluation criteria, and the ultimate selection of the winning innovative technologies and ideas in the context of the UNIDO-WTCA Blue Economy Global Call 2026.

The Scientific Committee serves as an independent technical body entrusted with ensuring the quality, coherence, and credibility of the evaluation process, focusing on the assessment of the applications received during the Call for Innovators. Composed of recognized experts across the various sectors of the blue economy, the Scientific Committee provides the specialized knowledge needed to analyze the highly technical, innovative, or sector specific aspects of applications.

Ultimately, the presence of the Scientific Committee reinforces the credibility of the initiative and enhances the value of the winning solutions. Its contribution ensures that the awarded innovations are not only aligned with the objectives of the Call but also represent technically robust, scalable, and meaningful contributions to the sustainable development of the Blue Economy.

Evaluation criteria

Applications with demonstrated compliance and alignment with call requirements will be evaluated by the Scientific Committee and the international jury through a fair, transparent process based on to the following criteria:

Innovative content of the proposal	25%
Technology Readiness Level of the innovation	10%
Environmental, social and economic impact and long-term sustainability	10%
Scalability and possibility of expansion to different geographical and socioeconomic contexts	15%
Expected occupational return	10%
Medium to long-term financial sustainability	10%
Team competitiveness	20%

Award Modalities and Prizes

Six innovative ideas – one for each of the Sector of Interest – will be awarded at the Euro Mediterranean Water Forum in Rome, Italy the 1st of October 2026, and enter a dedicated acceleration program under the UNIDO–WTCA umbrella, benefiting from:

UNIDO’s technical cooperation expertise and promotion in partner countries with potential opportunities to pilot or implement their innovative solutions.
WTCA’s global business development platforms, enabling market access, matchmaking with clients as well as business accelerators, and international visibility.
High-level mentoring, strategic guidance as well as direct support for scaling up winning solutions impact for the following one year from the awarding.
Up to ten shortlisted of best-in-class applicants for each of the categories will be promoted and supported in their capital-raising efforts through virtual or in-person demo days, and/or through inclusion in investment portfolio booklets. These will be presented to a selected group of public and private financial actors, ranging from philanthropic and development institutions to traditional investors, venture capital funds, other investment funds, and banks.
The winners will be eligible to receive reimbursement of up to Three Thousand Dollars (USD $3,000) from the WTCA for reasonable travel-related and lodging expenses incurred in connection with the presentation ceremony held at the Euro Mediterranean Forum in Rome, Italy. The winners are solely responsible for arranging and booking their own travel and lodging. All travel dates, visit timing, and related logistics must be coordinated with and approved in advance by Sponsor. Reimbursement is limited to actual, reasonable, and documented expenses for transportation and lodging directly related to the visit, up to a maximum of Three Thousand Dollars (USD $3,000) total. The winner must submit valid itemized receipts and other documentation reasonably requested by Sponsor within the timeframe specified by Sponsor. Failure to provide required documentation may result in denial of reimbursement. No reimbursement will be provided for expenses exceeding Three Thousand Dollars (USD $3,000). Any costs and expenses not expressly stated as reimbursable herein, including but not limited to meals, ground transportation, incidental expenses, travel insurance, taxes, fees, or personal expenses, are the sole responsibility of the winners.
The working language in which the follow-up activities will be held is English.