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Call for proposals on financial support for pilot projects on the blue economy - Preliminary consultation

08.08.2025
West Africa
Press and information team of the Delegation to Cabo Verde

The West Africa Sustainable Ocean Programme (WASOP), funded by the European Union (€59 million), aims to improve the sustainable and integrated use of ocean resources in West Africa by stimulating inclusive economic growth. This five-year program covers 13 West African countries: Cape Verde, Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria.

Expertise France is responsible for the direct implementation of Pillar 2, “Supporting an innovative and sustainable blue economy,” and for the overall coordination of the program. A budget of €28.5 million has been allocated to Pillar 2, which aims to provide the technical services and expertise necessary for the development and implementation of sustainable blue economy initiatives in West Africa.

Objectives of the preliminary consultation: As part of pillar II of the WASOP project, Expertise France will launch a call for proposals (CFP) in November 2025 to select and provide financial support for several pilot projects on the blue economy in the 13 West African countries concerned, which are innovative, sustainable, inclusive, and replicable.

The objectives of this preliminary consultation are therefore: 

-    to publicize the upcoming call for proposals;

-    to identify organizations that are likely to respond to this future call for proposals in order to create a database;

-    to better understand the types of projects likely to be submitted to the call for proposals.

Link to respond to the preliminary consultation (open until September 15, 2025): https://ee.kobotoolbox.org/x/dAtx8WOB  

 


 

wasop
© EU

 

 

The West Africa Sustainable Ocean Programme (WASOP), funded by the European Union (€59 million), aims to improve the sustainable and integrated use of ocean resources in West Africa by stimulating inclusive economic growth. This five-year program covers 13 West African countries: Cape Verde, Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria.

Expertise France is responsible for the direct implementation of Pillar 2, “Supporting an innovative and sustainable blue economy,” and for the overall coordination of the program. A budget of €28.5 million has been allocated to Pillar 2, which aims to provide the technical services and expertise necessary for the development and implementation of sustainable blue economy initiatives in West Africa.

Objectives of the preliminary consultation: As part of pillar II of the WASOP project, Expertise France will launch a call for proposals (CFP) in November 2025 to select and provide financial support for several pilot projects on the blue economy in the 13 West African countries concerned, which are innovative, sustainable, inclusive, and replicable.

The objectives of this preliminary consultation are therefore: 

-    to publicize the upcoming call for proposals;

-    to identify organizations that are likely to respond to this future call for proposals in order to create a database;

-    to better understand the types of projects likely to be submitted to the call for proposals.

Who is this preliminary consultation aimed at? 

Expertise France invites international and national (from the 13 target countries) non-profit organizations that have projects in these 13 target countries or are likely to develop them to submit the form below online before September 15, 2025.

They will thus be able to confirm their expertise, skills, and areas of action in one or more of the following technical and/or cross-cutting themes of the blue economy, which are climate-smart, inclusive, innovative, and sustainable, AND aimed at the private sector: 

  • Port infrastructure (blue and green ports)

  • Improvement of value chains

  • Integrated fishing and aquaculture (including algaculture)

  • Sustainable coastal tourism

  • Circular economy

  • Payments for ecosystem services (blue carbon)

  • Marine renewable energies

  • Resilience of coastal cities

  • Preservation of marine and coastal ecosystems

  • Valorization of marine resources (blue biotechnology)

    We warmly invite you to forward this email to any non-profit organizations that may be interested in responding to this preliminary consultation. 

    Link to respond to the preliminary consultation (open until September 15, 2025): https://ee.kobotoolbox.org/x/dAtx8WOB