CALL FOR DECADE ACTIONS 11/2026

Welcome to the Call for Decade Actions No. 11/2026!

On this page you can find all the information you need to participate in the Call for Decade Actions No. 11/2026. Should you have additional questions, please contact oceandecade@unesco.org.

The vision of the Ocean Decade is ‘the science we need for the ocean we want’. The Ocean Decade provides a global framework for scientists and stakeholders from diverse sectors to co-design and co-deliver the scientific knowledge needed to inform decision making and deliver science-based solutions to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

To date, 62 endorsed Decade Programmes and 657 endorsed Decade Projects are being implemented around the world. Over 133 Contributions of in-kind and financial resources are supporting the vital work that is being carried out by partners to contribute to the Ocean Decade Challenges and the priorities identified in the Barcelona Statement, which synthesises the outcomes of the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference.

Types of Decade Actions solicited under the Call for Decade Actions No. 11/2026 

The current Call for Decade Actions focuses on addressing priority needs from the Barcelona Statement and galvanising new contributions and new projects to support and strengthen existing Decade Actions and coordination structures.

This Call for Decade Actions will have three different parts. Please refer to section II for more information on the specific requirements for each category.

• Part I – Expression of Interest for Decade Programmes. Deadline: 31 Mayo 2026, 23:59 UTC | Submission form: Expression of Interest for Decade Programmes
• Part II – Ocean Decade Projects. Deadline: 31 Agosto 2026, 23:59 UTC | Submission form: Application for Decade Projects
• Part III – Ocean Decade Contributions. Deadline: Decade Contributions applications are accepted on a rolling basis, but applicants are encouraged to fill out the form by 31 Agosto 2026, 23:59 UTC | Submission form: Application for Decade Contributions

Figure 1: Components of Call for Decade Actions No. 11/2026 and relevant deadlines

Decade Programmes are large-scale initiatives implemented at the global or regional scale. Programmes can contribute to any of the 10 Decade Challenges and will be long-term, multiyear, interdisciplinary and multi-national. Programmes will be made up of component projects, which may or may not be fully or partially defined at the time of endorsement.

All the following requirements will be used during the evaluation process as guidance to determine whether an initiative can be defined as a Decade Programme. Decade Programme Requirements:

1. Leadership: ability to host and support coordination of endorsed Decade Projects. Programmes must solicit Decade Projects through the Calls for Decade Actions
2. New addition to the Ocean Decade: addresses a thematic area or geographic region that has not yet been substantially covered by existing endorsed Decade Programmes.
3. Scope for growth: demonstrates an ability to grow and expand over time and incorporate new partners or geographies.
4. Scale: either global reach or major regional scale
5. Duration: at least 4 years
6. Disciplines: evidence of multi-disciplinary and transdisciplinary approach and team
7. Science to policy impact: evidence of clear pathways for scientific knowledge to inform decision making
8. Funding: at least 5% of the total programme budget must be secured at the time of submission. In addition, proponents must either have identified reliable funders committed to supporting the Programme or demonstrate that they are actively seeking funders who can secure the remaining budget partially or fully in the future.
9. Lead partner: international scope and experience that matches ambition of programme
10. Partners: international group of partners
11. Capacity development: includes relevant elements of capacity development

If all the criteria above are met, applicants are invited to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) for a potential Decade Programme proposal that demonstrates how it:

• contributes to one or more of the priorities identified in the Barcelona Statement
• creates synergies and demonstrates proactive collaboration with existing Decade programmes
• demonstrates tangible pathways for science and knowledge to inform decision making; and
• meaningfully involves partners from Africa or in Small Island Developing States, Least Developed Countries, including Land-Locked Developing Countries. There is no geographical limitation for Decade programmes submitted to the Call. However, all applicants will be required to demonstrate how they meaningfully involve partners from Africa or SIDS/LDCs

La Unidad de Coordinación del Decenio examinará las propuestas para comprobar si están completas y pedirá recomendaciones a la Junta Consultiva del Decenio sobre los proponentes a los que se debería invitar a presentar propuestas de programas completos.

Further information on the existing portfolio of Decade Programmes can be found on the Ocean Decade website and detailed inquiries can be directed to oceandecade@unesco.org.

To submit the EOI for a Decade Programme proposal, please fill out this form by 31 Mayo 2026, 23:59 UTC. Proponents will be notified of the outcome by 15 Junio, and successful applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal by 31 Agosto 2026, 23:59 UTC.

Decisions on full Programme applications will be made in the first semester of 2027.

A Decade Project is a discrete and focused undertaking. It may be regional, national or subnational and it will typically contribute to an existing Ocean Decade Programme. This Call is soliciting projects that will contribute to endorsed Decade Programmes that have chosen to be part of the Call.

Of the currently endorsed Programmes, 31 are soliciting Projects via the current Call for Decade Actions No. 11/2026 — see full list at the bottom of this page and on the Guidance Note for Applicants. Applicants interested in submitting a Project to an endorsed Decade Programme are requested to carefully read the descriptions of the Programmes contained in Annex I, as well as relevant information on any geographic or thematic priorities that the Programmes have identified for the Call.

Contact details for all Programmes are listed in Annex I and applicants should contact the relevant Programme directly for any questions on scientific or substantive issues related to the project solicitation. As part of the application form, proponents will be asked to indicate if they have been in contact with the relevant Decade Programme. It is recognised that Projects can contribute to more than one endorsed Decade Programme. In that case, applicants should apply to be associated with the Programme that they believe has the strongest link and describe other links and contributions in the narrative of the application.

To ensure adequate implementation and meaningful engagement with the Ocean Decade framework, proposed Decade Projects are expected to have a duration of at least two years. This timeframe is considered important to allow endorsed Decade Projects to effectively contribute to the objectives of the Ocean Decade, including completing at least one full annual cycle of the Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) process and establishing strong linkages with relevant Decade Programmes and the broader Decade structures.

To submit an application for a Decade Project, please fill out this form by 31 Agosto 2026, 23:59 UTC. Decisions on Project applications will be made in the first semester of 2027.

Decade Contributions are focused on providing in-kind or financial support to the Ocean Decade or to Decade Actions. The proposals presented need to have all the secured for their implementation.

This Call will accept:

1. Financial or in-kind contributions for travel support for the 2027 Ocean Decade Conference, to be hosted by Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (co-organized by IOC, Brazil’s MCTI, and the City of Rio de Janeiro);
2. Financial or in-kind contributions in any other areas, without thematic or regional restrictions, that support the coordination of the Ocean Decade and/or Decade Actions.

Decade Contributions applications are accepted on a rolling basis, but applicants are encouraged to fill out this form by 31 Agosto 2026, 23:59 UTC. Decisions on contribution applications will be made towards the first semester of 2027.

Two virtual Q&A sessions will be held to address questions from interested parties regarding Call for Decade Actions No. 11/2026.

• The first session will be held on 4 Mayo 2026, from 16:30 to 17:30 UTC. Register here.
• The second session will be held on 5 Mayo 2026, from 11:30 to 12:30 UTC. Register here.

Se recomienda encarecidamente a los proponentes que se pongan en contacto con cualquier estructura de coordinación descentralizada temática o regional pertinente del Decenio del Océano (es decir, Oficinas de Coordinación del Decenio - OCD o Centros de Colaboración del Decenio - CCD) y cualquier Comité Nacional del Decenio pertinente, así como que hagan referencia a cualquier plan de acción u hoja de ruta regional pertinente, en el desarrollo de sus propuestas. Como parte del formulario de solicitud, se pedirá a los proponentes que indiquen si han estado en contacto con estas estructuras.

Más información sobre las estructuras de coordinación descentralizadas aquíy más información sobre los Comités Nacionales del Decenio existentes aquí.

The 31 Ocean Decade Programmes receiving applications are: 

1. Global Ocean Corps y Conveyor
2. Decenio del Océano Programa de Investigación sobre el Entorno Acústico Marítimo (OD-MAE)
3. Programa para profesionales de los océanos que inician su carrera (ECOP)
4. Red de Observación Biomolecular de los Océanos (OBON)
5. Challenger 150 - Una década para estudiar la vida en las profundidades marinas
6. Cultural Heritage Framework Programme (CHFP)
7. Década Mundial del Oxígeno Oceánico (GOOD)
8. Sostenibilidad de los ecosistemas marinos mediante redes mundiales de conocimiento (SmartNET) 
9. The Observing Air-Sea Interactions Strategy (OASIS)
10. Sostenibilidad, previsibilidad y resiliencia de los ecosistemas marinos (SUPREME) 
11. Estrategia de Observación de los Océanos Profundos (DOOS) 
12. Gemelos Digitales del Océano (DITTO)
13. CoastPredict - Observación y predicción del océano costero mundial
14. Deltas asociados a grandes ríos: Buscando soluciones al problema de la sostenibilidad (Mega Deltas) 
15. Ecosistema Mundial para las Soluciones Oceánicas (GEOS)
16. Programa Mundial de Vigilancia de Estuarios (GEM)
17. Red Oceánica de Exploración Conjunta de la Zona Crepuscular (JETZON)  
18. Investigación de la acidificación oceánica para la sostenibilidad (OARS) 
19. Emisión oceánica mundial negativa de carbono (ONCE mundial) 
20. Global Decenio del Océano Programa para el Carbono Azul (GO-BC) 
21. Acuicultura marina sensible a la nutrición en África (AfriMAQUA)
22. Hábitats típicos de las profundidades marinas digitales (Digital DEPTH) 
23. El futuro de la pesca y los ecosistemas marinos (FishMIP)
24. Microbiomas y ecosistemas de las profundidades oceánicas (DOME) 
25. Ecosistema global del subsuelo y sostenibilidad (GSES) 
26. Mitigación de las Incidencias Naturales para una Mayor Resiliencia Oceánica (MoNITOR) 
27. Programa Global de Exploración de Hadal (GHEP)
28. Impactos climáticos globales de las filtraciones de metano (CliMetS)
29. Ocean Literacy for All (OLWA)
30. El programa Decenio del Océano Tsunami
31. SEAWARD

Además, se recomienda encarecidamente a todos los solicitantes que consulten los siguientes documentos antes de presentar su solicitud: