PREP4BLUE (Preparing the Research & Innovation Core for Mission Ocean, Seas & Waters) was commissioned to support the successful implementation of the EU Mission Restore our Ocean & Waters. Central to PREP4BLUE, there is the development of co-creative approaches for the active participation of citizens in the co-design and co-implementation of the Mission. This Report is deliverable D3.3 of PREP4BLUE, A co-created portfolio of mission-relevant pilot activities to support evaluation of project tools and methods, which summarises most of the work done within Task 3.4 of PREP4BLUE. This work supported and engaged citizen organisations and networks with the Mission expected outcomes, in particular testing the methods for the engagement and mobilisation of citizens and facilitating the development of pilot actions where these methods and tools could be tested and applied.

We start revising the Mission objectives and enablers, and identify those 2025 and 2030 Mission expected outcomes to be considered. We further set the context to explain why the work here reported has focused on 21 initiatives belonging to three different types of networks: coastal and riparian communities, ocean literacy within and beyond the school system, and creative initiatives around ocean sciences and arts. These networks include 15 initiatives selected based on an extensive number of initial contacts – covering a variety of geographic and cultural settings mainly in Ireland, Spain and Italy – in several cases linked to the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030 (UN Ocean Decade). Additionally, six networks – from the Baltic region, Norway, Ireland, Spain, Germany and an UN Ocean Decade program – applied and obtained funding for a four-month pilot action, which included training sessions and mentoring.

The Methods section begins with an analysis of the Mission’s key requirements for citizen engagement, and follows up with a description of the diverse methods and tools used to identify, train, support, engage and build up networks and communities of practice. The section with the Results explores: first, the diversity of actions carried out with the 15 initiatives, aimed at their empowerment through the development of collaborative and innovative approaches for citizen engagement and mobilisation; second, the efforts dedicated to promote networking and democratic and inclusive co-creation during the 2024 UN Ocean Decade Conference; and third, the preparation of a call of pilot actions to test methods and tools, followed by a selection of the winning projects and the support and follow-up that they received.

We end up with a section on Learnings on citizen engagement and mobilisation, and on Recommendations, both practical ones addressed to the development of projects and networks, and strategic ones addressed to the European Commission. Our final recommendation is the convenience of implementing a new type of collaborative Mission framework, aimed at logistically and financially supporting committed grassroots organisations and networks, as the best possible strategy towards a healthy and resilient socio-economic system that respects the Earth’s planetary boundaries.