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Ocean Funding Opportunities

Ocean Funding Opportunities

A running list of open grants, fellowships, awards and contests for ocean and coastal work, sorted by closing date. Every entry has been checked against the funder’s own page. Deadlines and amounts are as published by the funder; confirm both before you apply.

Running a call we should include? Send it to publisher@sevenseasmedia.org.

Closing in August 2026

2027 Blue Park Awards

Deadline: 14 August 2026
Amount: Recognition awards and cash prizes

Marine Conservation Institute is accepting nominations for the 2027 Blue Park Awards, recognising marine protected areas that meet science-based standards for conservation effectiveness. Blue Parks, endorsed by the UN Ocean Decade, awards cash prizes and recognition to marine protected areas that safeguard marine biological diversity and contribute to global ocean protection targets.

OceanX Education Impact Challenge

Deadline: 14 August 2026
Amount: Funding support for project development, mentorship, access to immersive labs and residencies, and potential OceanXplorer participation (amounts not specified)

OceanX is inviting global teams of two to five (age 18 and over) working in creative technology, design, storytelling, science communication, and education to develop immersive learning experiences that help audiences understand ocean science, exploration, and discovery. Participants choose from four challenge tracks (bioluminescence, microbial ecosystems, extreme ocean environments, and deep-sea exploration) and propose concepts that could become interactive exhibits, games, installations, virtual environments, or participatory experiences.

Seabed Mapping, Exploration, and Characterization in the Pacific (US Department of State)

Deadline: 14 August 2026
Amount: USD 7,000,000 total, two awards expected; individual awards USD 2,000,000 to USD 7,000,000; cooperative agreement, no cost-sharing

The US Department of State’s Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Office of Ocean and Polar Affairs, is running an open competition for a US institution, company, or organisation to conduct ocean mapping, seabed exploration, habitat and resource characterisation, and data management in Pacific Island Countries. Eligible applicants are US-based for-profit organisations, educational institutions, and not-for-profit organisations including think tanks and civil society groups, with or without 501(c)(3) status.

OceanX Science Impact Challenge 2026

Deadline: 15 August 2026
Amount: All-expenses-paid travel to OceanXplorer for the winning team; professional development and internship opportunities for finalists

OceanX is inviting graduate students, emerging professionals, and practitioners in data visualisation, design, AI, computational science, and marine science to compete in the 2026 Science Impact Challenge. Teams of two to three will work remotely from August through December 2026 to develop innovative 3D visualisation prototypes that address real-world challenges in interpreting and communicating complex oceanographic datasets. The winning team earns an all-expenses-paid mission aboard the OceanXplorer research vessel to test their solution at sea.

NFWF Sea Turtles Program 2027 Request for Proposals

Deadline: 19 August 2026 for pre-proposals (full proposals by invitation, due 27 October 2026)
Amount: Most awards USD 50,000 to 400,000

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, with NOAA and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, is funding work to improve recovery trajectories for four sea turtle populations in the Western Hemisphere: leatherbacks and loggerheads in the Northwest Atlantic, and leatherbacks and hawksbills in the Eastern Pacific. Priorities are stranding response and rehabilitation capacity, bycatch reduction through turtle-friendly fishing gear, nesting beach habitat restoration in Florida, the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, and regional conservation networks. Eligible applicants include non-profits, state, local and tribal governments, educational institutions, international organisations and for-profit organisations. Beach and bycatch projects require a one-to-one non-federal match. Awards are announced in March 2027.

Resilient California Summit Scholarship

Deadline: 21 August 2026 for full consideration (award notifications by 31 August 2026)
Amount: Up to USD 2,500 towards registration, lodging, and transportation

Scholarship assistance of up to USD 2,500 is available towards registration, lodging, and transportation for the inaugural Resilient California Summit, held from 20 to 22 October 2026 in Sacramento. It is open to nonprofit and community-based organisations, local government representatives, Tribal community members, academic institutions, youth, students, and other community leaders working on equity and climate justice in California. Awards are first-come, first-served, with consideration for need and eligibility.

Bow Seat True Blue Fellowship

Deadline: 30 August 2026 (23:59 ET)
Amount: Up to USD 2,500

Bow Seat’s True Blue Fellowship supports young people using creativity to drive environmental action, providing funding, peer support, and capacity-building to grow projects that protect the ocean, waterways, and climate. Eligible applicants are individuals, groups, or organisations led by people aged 16 to 24 worldwide, with new or emerging projects less than two years old. Projects must address ocean, waterway, and climate issues through a creative arts lens.

2026 National Estuaries Week Photo Contest (NOAA)

Deadline: 31 August 2026
Amount: Not applicable (recognition contest, no cash prize)

NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management is running a photo contest to mark National Estuaries Week, held from 19 to 27 September 2026, and is asking for images from the 30 National Estuarine Research Reserves showing the beauty of the reserves, the wildlife that lives there, and the people who work and play there. Entries are accepted in five categories: Learn, Play, Vistas, Smiles, and Work. A panel of judges selects winners, who are featured in the office’s social media campaign during National Estuaries Week. Photographers must be aged 13 or over, must own the images, and must submit a likeness and photo release form. Entrants are eligible if less than 20 per cent of their gross annual income comes from photography. Submissions of up to ten images, minimum 1200 pixels wide and without watermarks, go to OCM.NERRS.PhotoContest@noaa.gov with the photographer’s name and a caption for each image.

OceanLove Innovation Awards 2026

Deadline: 31 August 2026
Amount: Seed funding up to USD 10,000, plus a place at a global bootcamp for selected participants

Organised by OceanLove and endorsed by the UN Ocean Decade, the awards invite ideas for new products, tools, campaigns, or initiatives that measurably contribute to ocean conservation. There are three categories: the Wavemakers Award for education, youth, and awareness movements; the Living Sea Award for innovations protecting marine life and ecosystems; and the Blue Circle Award for circular economy and pollution solutions. Winners are announced on 11 October at a ceremony in Los Angeles.

ocean tribute Award 2027

Deadline: 31 August 2026
Amount: EUR 20,000 (single prize)

boot Düsseldorf and the German Ocean Foundation award the ocean tribute prize annually to one project making a significant contribution to ocean protection, open internationally to research projects, start-ups, and campaigning initiatives. An expert jury assesses submissions on impact, participation, and networking, then shortlists five nominees for a public online vote. The winner is presented with the award on 26 January 2027 at Düsseldorf Town Hall during the boot trade fair.

Closing in September 2026

Ocean Grants Foundation $10,000 Bonus Grant

Deadline: 1 September 2026
Amount: USD 10,000 (single award)

Ocean Grants Foundation, a US public charity established in 2018, is offering a single bonus grant of USD 10,000 to one ocean-focused organisation, selected through the foundation’s own research and advisory-board methodology rather than a scored competitive proposal. The award is open to organisations working on ocean conservation, innovation, and positive change for marine environments. The winner will be announced on 15 December 2026.

2026 Brilliant Blue Challenge

Deadline: 7 September 2026
Amount: Team prizes and recognition (amounts not specified)

Brilliant Labs is inviting student teams (ages 12 to 18) to compete in the global Brilliant Blue Challenge, an annual ocean innovation competition endorsed by the UN Ocean Decade. Teams of two to five students select from three categories (marine renewable energy, marine autonomous systems, or healthy marine life) and develop innovative solutions to real-world ocean challenges. Top teams receive prizes, mentorship from industry experts, and opportunities to present to panels of judges.

Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest 2026 (NOAA)

Deadline: 7 September 2026 (Labor Day)
Amount: Not applicable (recognition contest, no cash prize)

NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries is inviting photographers, divers, boaters, paddlers, beachgoers, students, and scientists to share images from the 18 national marine sanctuaries and other ocean and Great Lakes places. The 2026 contest runs across four categories: Life in Motion, Sanctuaries and You, The Water’s Edge, and Ripples From the Past. Entrants must be aged 13 or over, and winners will be announced in October 2026.

Horizon Europe: Pushing the Frontier of Knowledge and Conservation Action for Deep Sea Ecosystems

Deadline: 17 September 2026 (single stage)
Amount: EUR 18,000,000 total across two expected projects, roughly EUR 9,000,000 each
Call reference: HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-BIODIV-03

This Horizon Europe research and innovation action funds work to close biodiversity knowledge gaps in the deep sea, including habitat mapping of seamounts, hydrothermal vents, canyons, and abyssal plains, species inventories, genetic diversity, food webs, and connectivity. Proposals are expected to advance imaging, acoustic, genomic, and multi-omics methods for rapid species identification, assess climate and human pressures including underwater noise, and establish Essential Ocean Variables and Essential Biodiversity Variables for long-term monitoring. Results should support area-based management under the BBNJ Agreement and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Applicants must form a consortium of at least three independent legal entities from three different EU member states or associated countries; universities, research centres, SMEs, and NGOs are eligible.

California Ocean & Coastal Amateur Photography Contest

Deadline: 30 September 2026 (5:00pm)
Amount: Not applicable (free-entry recognition contest, no cash award)

The California Coastal Commission’s annual amateur photography contest pays tribute to the state’s coast and ocean, honours the diversity of wildlife they support, and celebrates coastal access for all. Entries may feature any of three subjects: the scenic California coast and Pacific Ocean, the people of the California coast, and California ocean and coastal wildlife. Entry is free and open to all amateur photographers, defined as those earning less than half their income from photography, and images must be taken in California and show native species in natural settings. Marine mammals must be photographed from 50 yards or more. Questions about entries go to Lauren.Dung@coastal.ca.gov.

Sea-Changers Main Grants, autumn round

Deadline: 30 September 2026
Amount: GBP 500 to 2,500

Sea-Changers is a UK marine conservation charity making one-off grants to UK-based charities, not-for-profit organisations, and schools for conservation and research projects. Projects must address the root causes of marine conservation threats in the UK, prevent or reduce negative impacts on UK coastal and marine environments or species, or add to the body of knowledge about UK marine conservation challenges. The charity states a particular interest in grassroots projects that galvanise community action. The Main Grants programme runs two rounds a year, closing 31 March and 30 September, and a separate Small Grants fund of up to GBP 500 is open continuously with rolling review.

Closing in October 2026

Ferris Olson Family Foundation for Ocean Stewardship (FOFFOS)

Deadline: 12 October 2026
Amount: Varies by project

The Ferris Olson Family Foundation for Ocean Stewardship is accepting applications for its 2026 grant cycle. Established in 2022 as a 501(c)(3) charitable giving foundation, FOFFOS awards annual grants to organisations working in ocean and coastal conservation. Applicants must hold 501(c)(3) status. Applications are reviewed and awarded by the FOFFOS board on merit.

Blue Action Fund: Mangroves, Blue Carbon Markets, and 30×30 in Asia

Deadline: 16 October 2026
Amount: EUR 2,000,000 to 4,000,000 per project; total funding envelope up to EUR 17,000,000

Blue Action Fund is inviting grant applications from NGOs and NGO consortia for projects in Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, or India that combine protected area or OECM establishment and improved management with mangrove protection, restoration and sustainable use, and a credible pathway towards high-integrity blue carbon crediting. Projects must cover a minimum of 1,000 hectares of mangrove conservation or restoration, run for five years or less, and build on documented pre-feasibility or feasibility assessments; purely conceptual proposals are not eligible. Applicants must provide match funding of at least 25 per cent of total project costs and secure endorsement from the relevant national authority. Applications are submitted by email to grants@blueactionfund.org.

Ocean Film Festival World Tour 2027

Deadline: 22 October 2026 regular deadline (earlybird 2 October, late 12 November, extended 4 December)
Amount: Not applicable (screening royalties paid per screening rather than a one-off cash prize)

The Ocean Film Festival World Tour is accepting ocean documentary films under 60 minutes for its 2027 programme, across categories covering ocean exploration, sport and adventure, the ocean environment, coastal culture, and marine wildlife and science. Films produced before 2024 are not eligible, and films in languages other than English require English subtitles. Selected films are announced in January 2027, with the tour running through March 2027 and screenings planned in Australia, the UK, Spain, New Zealand, and Italy. Filmmakers are paid a screening royalty calculated on minutes screened across the tour. Entry fees range from USD 7 to 20 depending on the submission deadline.

Closing in November 2026

Belize Fund for a Sustainable Future 5th Call for Proposals

Deadline: 13 November 2026 for concept papers (call opened 20 July 2026)
Amount: Community grants up to BZD 100,000; medium grants BZD 50,000 to 150,000; large grants BZD 150,000 to 500,000

The Belize Fund, the financing mechanism of Belize’s Blue Bonds, is inviting concept papers for its 2026 to 2027 funding cycle across three thematic areas: sustainable fisheries covering gear, traceability, catch data monitoring, and fisher capacity; climate resilience through nature-based solutions, restoration, and reduced nutrient and sediment loading; and blue business innovation including mariculture, reef-positive tourism, circular economy work, and value-added marine biodiversity products. Applicants with accepted concept papers are invited to develop full proposals, with technical working sessions provided for community grant applicants. Eligible entities must be registered with the Belize Companies and Corporate Affairs Registry and operational in Belize for at least one year, and community grant applicants must be located in a coastal community. Co-financing of 10 to 25 per cent is required depending on grant size.

Opening this autumn, closing in January 2027

PADI Foundation Grant Program, 2027 cycle

Deadline: 15 January 2027 (applications open 1 November 2026)
Amount: Typically USD 5,000 to 12,000

The PADI Foundation funds research and education projects that expand knowledge of aquatic environments, improve understanding of diving physiology and diver safety, and address challenges facing ocean and coastal ecosystems. Grants typically range from USD 5,000 to 12,000, with larger budgets considered for diving-physiology research related to diver safety. There are no nationality restrictions, and proposals may address both scuba and freediving.

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