[European Commission](https://commission.europa.eu/index_en)

April 14, 2027

Total budget: €14,000,000 | Typical grant: around €7,000,000 | 2 grants expected

Funds innovative research to assess and mitigate the environmental impact of waterborne transport on aquatic ecosystems, with a focus on renewable fuel-related pollution and EU water resilience goals.

--- ## Description This grant supports research and innovation projects aimed at evaluating, forecasting, controlling, and mitigating the environmental impacts of waterborne transport—particularly from renewable low and zero-carbon fuels—on marine and other aquatic ecosystems. Projects should address pollution during normal operations and from accidental spills, develop and demonstrate innovative abatement and mitigation systems, and model pollution scenarios. Additional emphasis is placed on identifying training and skills needs for deploying these solutions, improving the resilience of European waters to climate change and pollution, and fostering stakeholder engagement. Outcomes are expected to contribute to the European Water Resilience Strategy and the European Ocean Pact, and projects should report results to the Zero Emission Waterborne Transport (ZEWT) Partnership. --- ## Due Dates - April 14, 2027: Full application submission deadline (17:00 Brussels time) --- ## Funding Amount - Total available budget for this topic: €14,000,000 - Indicative grant size: around €7,000,000 per project - Expected number of grants: 2 - Funding is provided as a lump sum under the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) scheme. --- ## Eligibility - Open to legal entities from EU Member States and countries associated with Horizon Europe (see [Annex B](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/wp-call/2026-2027/wp-15-general-annexes_horizon-2026-2027_en.pdf)). - Proposals must address all specified aspects, including environmental impact assessment, abatement technology demonstration, scenario modeling, training needs, and stakeholder engagement. - If using satellite-based earth observation or navigation data, applicants must utilize Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS services. - Financial and operational capacity must be demonstrated as per Horizon Europe rules ([Annex C](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/wp-call/2026-2027/wp-15-general-annexes_horizon-2026-2027_en.pdf)). - Additional eligibility details are outlined in the [General Annexes](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/wp-call/2026-2027/wp-15-general-annexes_horizon-2026-2027_en.pdf). --- ## Application Process - Single-stage application process. - Submission opens December 15, 2026. - Full proposals must be submitted via the [EU Funding & Tenders Portal](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-CL5-2027-03-D5-17?isExactMatch=true&status=31094501,31094502&order=DESC&pageNumber=4&pageSize=50&sortBy=startDate) by April 14, 2027 (17:00 Brussels time). - Proposals must follow the page limits and layout in Part B of the Application Form (see [template](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/temp-form/af/af_he-ria-ia_en.pdf)). - Evaluation criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in [Annex D](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/wp-call/2026-2027/wp-15-general-annexes_horizon-2026-2027_en.pdf). - Grant agreements will use the [Lump Sum Model Grant Agreement](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/common/agr-contr/ls-mga_en.pdf). --- ## Additional Information - Projects must report results to the ZEWT Partnership for monitoring key performance indicators. - The topic is part of the Horizon Europe "Mobility" call and implements the European Partnership on Zero Emission Waterborne Transport. - Guidance and detailed instructions are available in the [Horizon Europe Programme Guide](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/programme-guide_horizon_en.pdf) and the [Online Manual](https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/funding-tenders-opportunities/display/OM/Online+Manual). --- ## External Links - [Call details and submission portal](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-CL5-2027-03-D5-17?isExactMatch=true&status=31094501,31094502&order=DESC&pageNumber=4&pageSize=50&sortBy=startDate) - [Horizon Europe Programme Guide](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/programme-guide_horizon_en.pdf) - [General Annexes (eligibility, evaluation, etc.)](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/wp-call/2026-2027/wp-15-general-annexes_horizon-2026-2027_en.pdf) - [Application form template (HE RIA, IA)](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/temp-form/af/af_he-ria-ia_en.pdf) - [Lump Sum MGA](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/common/agr-contr/ls-mga_en.pdf) --- ## Contact Information | Type | Details | |--------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Funder General Contact | [Contact the European Commission](https://commission.europa.eu/about-european-commission/contact_en) | | Telephone | +32 2 299 11 11 | | Research Enquiry Service | [Research Enquiry Service](https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/contact-us/research-enquiry-service_en) | | National Contact Points | [Find your NCP](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/support/ncp) | ---

Innovative Solutions for mitigating the environmental impact of waterborne transport in marine and aquatic Ecosystems (ZEWT Partnership) - European Commission

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