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Grant Details

Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant aims to integrate inland waterway transport into smart shipping and multimodal logistics chains through advanced digital and physical solutions. The grant targets consortia led by industry stakeholders like freight forwarders and intermodal operators, collaborating with shippers and public administrations. - SECTOR-SPECIFIC - Geographic scope: Projects must cover EU geographical areas, including cross-border applications and Trans-European Transport Network corridors. Applicants must be from eligible countries as per Annex B of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. - Key filtering criteria: Focus on inland waterway transport, smart shipping, multimodal logistics, TRL 7 demonstration, and consortium requirement. - Grant frequency and program context: This is a single-stage call within the Horizon Europe Cluster 5 Work Programme 2025, focused on Climate, Energy and Mobility.

Financial Structure

  • Each successful project is expected to receive 8,000,000 EUR in funding.
  • The total indicative budget for this specific topic (HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-10) is 16,000,000 EUR, intending to fund 2 projects.
  • The currency is EUR.
  • The funding rate for 'Innovation Actions' (IA) under Horizon Europe is typically 70% of the eligible costs for for-profit entities and 100% for non-profit entities.
  • Financial reporting and audit requirements are described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
  • Projects are expected to develop new business models to incentivise the use of Inland Waterway Transport.

Eligibility Requirements

Organization Type
  • Organizations must be able to form a consortium.
  • Consortia should be led by 'industry stakeholders' such as freight forwarders and intermodal operators.
  • Consortia must include cooperation with shippers and public administrations.
  • Eligible participants are generally all types of legal entities, including companies (SMEs, large enterprises), universities, research organisations, public bodies, and non-governmental organisations.
Geographic Location
  • Applicants must be established in one of the 'Eligible Countries' as described in Annex B of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. This typically includes all EU Member States (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden) and Associated Countries to Horizon Europe.
Project Maturity
  • Proposed solutions and pilots must be demonstrated in actual operational environments, at a minimum of Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 7.
Partnership Requirements
  • A consortium is required for application and project execution.
  • Pilots must involve user and governance perspectives, led by industry stakeholders in cooperation with shippers and public administrations.
Exclusions
  • Projects aiming to develop 'any type of new platforms or similar' are outside the scope; proposals are expected to leverage existing frameworks or platforms.

Application Process

Application Timeline
  • The submission system is planned to open on 2025-09-16.
  • The application deadline for this single-stage call is 2026-01-20T00:00:00+0000.
Submission Process
  • Applications must be submitted through the Funding & Tenders Portal's Submission System.
  • The submission procedure is 'single-stage'.
Required Documentation
  • Applicants must complete the 'Application form templates' specific to this call, including 'Part B of the Application Form'.
  • Evaluation will be based on 'Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA)' with necessary adaptations.
Support and Guidance
  • Extensive guidance is available via the 'Online Manual', 'Horizon Europe Programme Guide', 'Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ', and 'Research Enquiry Service'.
  • National Contact Points (NCPs) and the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) offer local support and advice, particularly for SMEs.
  • IT Helpdesk is available for technical issues related to the submission system.
  • Intellectual Property (IPR) assistance is offered by the 'European IPR Helpdesk'.
  • 'Partner Search' functionality is available on the Funding & Tenders Portal to help build consortia.
Project Implementation
  • Projects are expected to include at least four demonstration pilots in actual operational environments at TRL 7.
  • Key deliverables include the development and testing of solutions, analysis of impacts, proposals for regulatory frameworks, and extensive stakeholder engagement and communication activities.
  • Regular reporting and monitoring are required as per the grant agreement.

Evaluation Criteria

Standard Horizon Europe evaluation criteria apply, as described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. These typically include: Excellence
  • Clarity and pertinence of the project's objectives.
  • Soundness of the proposed methodology.
  • Extent to which the proposed work is ambitious, goes beyond the state-of-the-art, and demonstrates innovation potential.
  • Appropriateness of the proposed technical approach, including the exploration of innovative technologies like generative Artificial Intelligence.
Impact
  • Extent to which the project's expected outcomes will contribute to all of the following:
    • Enhanced solutions and tools for integrating inland waterway transport into overall logistics chains.
    • Measurable gains in operational efficiency, environmental benefits, and social impact.
    • Recommendations for an EU regulatory framework on harmonised smart shipping and input for standardisation.
    • Increased visibility and use of Inland Waterway Transport through stakeholder engagement and communication.
  • Credibility of the pathways to achieve expected impacts, including uptake and use of project results.
  • Magnitude and significance of the project's societal, economic, and environmental impacts (e.g., decarbonisation, new business models).
Quality and Efficiency of the Implementation
  • Coherence and effectiveness of the work plan, including appropriateness of the allocation of tasks and resources.
  • Appropriateness of the management structures and procedures, including risk management.
  • Quality and relevant expertise of the individual participants and the consortium as a whole (e.g., industry leadership, involvement of public administrations).
  • Capacity to deliver and manage the pilots effectively, particularly the at least four demonstration pilots at TRL 7.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory and Legal Compliance
  • Projects must adhere to the 'EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509' and the general legal framework of Horizon Europe.
  • Proposals should identify gaps in existing regional/national regulations and propose recommendations for an EU regulatory framework on harmonised smart shipping.
  • Compliance with the revised 'Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) Directive' and 'River Information Services (RIS) Directive' is expected.
Data and Technology
  • Proposals should define and develop key parts of a common framework for multi-modal data sharing for IWT-related aspects, ensuring compatibility with legacy systems.
  • Projects should leverage existing frameworks or platforms for data sharing, such as the 'Digital Transport and Logistics Forum (DTLF)' and the 'European mobility data space (EMDS)', rather than creating new platforms.
  • Consideration of high-value datasets and identification of available or developable datasets to enhance IWT integration is required.
  • Projects should contribute input for standardisation and harmonisation of smart shipping components to relevant standardisation bodies (e.g., CESNI, CEN, CENELEC).
  • Use of innovative technologies such as generative Artificial Intelligence is encouraged.
Risk Management and Ethics
  • Risk management is an implicit part of project implementation for Innovation Actions.
  • General EU ethical standards apply, though not explicitly detailed in the provided text.
Cross-Cutting Themes
  • Projects are expected to demonstrate significant environmental benefits (decarbonisation), economic benefits (operational efficiency, new business models), and social benefits (impact on stakeholders).
  • The use of digital solutions and AI is a key cross-cutting priority.

Grant Details

inland waterway transport iwt smart shipping multimodal logistics decarbonisation transportation logistics digitalisation artificial intelligence ai smart vessels infrastructure supply chains maritime transport freight ports synchromodal transport european transport network trl 7 innovation action horizon europe cluster 5 climate energy mobility naiades iii sustainable mobility regulatory framework standardisation stakeholder engagement business models cross-border
Integrating inland waterway transport in smart shipping and multimodal logistics chains
HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-10
Horizon Europe
SME ENTERPRISE PUBLIC UNIVERSITY NGO OTHER
AT BE BG HR CY CZ DK EE FI FR DE GR HU IE IT LV LT LU MT NL PL PT RO SK SI ES SE
TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY ENVIRONMENT
DEVELOPMENT EARLY_MARKET
OTHER
SDG9 SDG11 SDG13 SDG17 SDG8 SDG7
FUNDING RESEARCH_DEVELOPMENT PILOT_PROJECTS INNOVATION_COMMERCIALIZATION CAPACITY_BUILDING
True
16000000.00
8000000.00
8000000.00
EUR
70.00
Jan. 20, 2026, midnight
None