European CCAM knowledge hub and tools for safe and scalable deployment (CCAM Partnership)

The forthcoming European grant titled "European CCAM knowledge hub and tools for safe and scalable deployment (CCAM Partnership)" is set to open on June 3, 2027, with a deadline for applications on October 7, 2027. The opportunity is part of Horizon Europe’s Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA) under reference HORIZON-CL5-2027-06-D6-05, and has a budget of €4,000,000. Only one grant is expected to be awarded.

Eligible applicants include research organizations, universities, public authorities, and industry entities with the capability to manage Horizon Europe projects, particularly those with coordination and management experience for multi-stakeholder initiatives. The funding will be provided as a lump sum, simplifying the financial management process for beneficiaries.

Though only one organization will be the lead applicant, it is expected to lead a consortium involving various stakeholders across Europe, including public authorities and industry partners. The grant aims to facilitate collaboration between EU Member States and Associated Countries while also allowing for interactions with third countries.

The primary focus is on the transport and mobility sector, specifically Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility (CCAM). The initiative seeks to address the fragmented regulatory landscape for CCAM technologies, which currently obstructs large-scale deployment of automated vehicles across the EU. Key deliverables include extending the existing knowledge base, facilitating stakeholder coordination, developing harmonized safety assessment frameworks, and maintaining databases for testing and validation.

Projects funded under this call are expected to support the creation of a comprehensive coordination hub to streamline the deployment of automated vehicles, ensuring regulatory alignment across Member States. The application process will be a single-stage, where full proposals will be submitted, with the evaluation criteria and stages clearly outlined in the associated documentation.

Additionally, no co-funding requirement is specified. Historical success rates for such grants generally range from 10 to 39%, with this specific opportunity likely exhibiting tighter competition given the single grant allocation.

Overall, the initiative is aligned with the EU's goals of fostering sustainable and smart mobility while enhancing European competitiveness in the field of autonomous vehicle technology.

This is a Horizon Europe call focused on European CCAM (Connected, Cooperative & Automated Mobility) knowledge hub and tools for safe and scalable deployment, specifically under the MOBILITY call (HORIZON-CL5-2027-06). The type of action is HORIZON-CSA (Coordination and Support Actions) with a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] Model Grant Agreement. It is a forthcoming, single-stage deadline model. The planned opening date is 03 June 2027, and the deadline is 07 October 2027, 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of the projects funded under this call are:
1.  An extended EU-wide Knowledge Base with tools supporting the safe and practical deployment of CCAM in Europe, identifying business needs and trends, including exploitation and maintenance plans to ensure the long-term availability and usage of the Knowledge Base.
2.  Enhanced exchanges and cooperation among CCAM stakeholders (in particular public authorities, citizens and user groups) in Europe and with countries beyond Europe on R&I and deployment topics of common interest.
3.  Strengthened exchanges between EU Member States and Associated Countries and coordination with a possible future Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) on CCAM as referred to in the Automotive Action Plan.
4.  Accelerated implementation of practical safety assessment approaches and procedures from current validation projects across Member States and Associated Countries, reusing Acceptable Means of Compliance (AMC) concepts and respecting the specific integration aspects and legal conditions per MS.
5.  A secure application exchange platform that enables applicants and Member States and Associated Countries to collaborate in obtaining open road-testing permits.
6.  EU-wide federated scenario database for the validation of CCAM systems linked to European in-depth accident databases.

The scope of the call is to address the fragmented regulatory landscape for CCAM in Europe, which continues to hinder large-scale deployment. Several coordination and stakeholder concertation tools have been established to support the alignment and international outreach of CCAM projects. The FAME project developed a European framework for CCAM testing, evaluation and data sharing and managed the EU-wide Knowledge Base that consolidates information related to CCAM R&I and testing based on results from European and national projects, aiding researchers, policymakers, and industry professionals. The platform will be extended in the project funded under the call HORIZON-CL5-2024-D6-01-05 to address public authorities and citizens. Regular events such as the European Conference on Connected and Automated Driving (EUCAD) and EUCAD symposia, international outreach activities and interactions with the Member States Advisory Group (SRG), extend the work of the CCAM Partnership and facilitate and support international dialogues to exchange knowledge and align activities across Europe and globally, at research and regulatory level. The Implementing Act for Automated Driving Systems 2022/1426, the amendment to the Delegated Regulation 2022/2236 on type-approval, as well as the UNECE WP.29 Working Party on Automated/Autonomous and Connected Vehicles (GRVA) have all proposed frameworks and methods to ensure the safety of CCAM systems on the road. The FAME and Hi-Drive projects are working on recommendations for a harmonized open road-testing framework. Projects like HEADSTART, SUNRISE, and SYNERGIES are operationalizing the UNECE New Assessment/Test Method for Automated Driving (NATM) scenario-based approach. The project funded by call HORIZON-CL5-2024-D6-01-02 will extend the safety assurance framework (SAF) with ‘In-Service Monitoring and Reporting’ post-deployment.

Proposed actions are expected to address the following aspects:
1.  Extend the EU Knowledge Base with practical tools that support safe deployment, not only supporting researchers, policymakers, and industry professionals, but also addressing public authorities and citizens, to establish and prepare the implementation of a long-term sustainability plan for structure.
2.  Accelerate the exchange and cooperation between relevant European and international stakeholders, including Member States and Associated Countries, with the purpose to accelerate deployment. This by means of co-organizing high-level events such as the EUCAD conference and to coordinate with a large-scale cooperation (such as an IPCEI).
3.  Develop and implement practical safety assessment procedures, as well as a framework for the secure exchange of applications for open road-testing permits across European Member States, with acknowledgement for specific MS regulations and context.
4.  Support the realization of EU-wide federated scenario databases, with European in-depth accident databases. The project funded under this topic is expected to continue the management and hosting of the CCAM Technology Observatory, including its database and content.

General conditions include:
1.  Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form.
2.  Eligible Countries described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
3.  Other Eligible Conditions: Use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS for projects using satellite-based data, subject to restrictions for the protection of European communication networks, and adherence to Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
4.  Financial and operational capacity and exclusion described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5.  Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds described in Annex D, and submission/evaluation processes described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in Annex F.
6.  Legal and financial set-up: Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021, described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Specific conditions: Not applicable.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA):
*  Application form templates are available in the Submission System (Standard application form HE CSA).
*  Evaluation form templates will be used with necessary adaptations (Standard evaluation form HE CSA).
*  Guidance: HE Programme Guide.
*  Model Grant Agreements (MGA): Lump Sum MGA.
*  Call-specific instructions and Detailed budget table (HE LS).
*  Guidance: "Lump sums - what do I need to know?"

Additional documents:
*  HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction, 8. Climate, Energy and Mobility, and 15. General Annexes.
*  HE Programme Guide.
*  HE Framework Programme 2021/695.
*  HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764.
*  EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509.
*  Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme.
*  Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment.
*  EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement.
*  Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Terms and Conditions, and Privacy Statement.

The budget overview for 2027 includes:
*  HORIZON-CL5-2027-06-D6-04 - HORIZON-RIA: EUR 5,500,000 (around 1 grant)
*  HORIZON-CL5-2027-06-D6-05 - HORIZON-CSA: EUR 4,000,000 (around 1 grant)
*  HORIZON-CL5-2027-06-D6-08 - HORIZON-IA: EUR 21,000,000 (around 3 grants, EUR 7,000,000 each)
*  HORIZON-CL5-2027-06-D6-11 - HORIZON-IA: EUR 5,000,000 (around 1 grant)
*  HORIZON-CL5-2027-06-D6-12 - HORIZON-CSA: EUR 1,600,000 (around 1 grant)

There is a partner search available, and the submission system will open on the date stated on the topic header.

Support is available through the Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, and CEN-CENELEC/ETSI Research Helpdesks.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to foster the safe and scalable deployment of CCAM technologies across Europe by extending the EU-wide Knowledge Base, enhancing stakeholder cooperation, implementing practical safety assessment procedures, and supporting the creation of EU-wide federated scenario databases. The call encourages projects that address public authorities and citizens, accelerate the exchange and cooperation between European and international stakeholders, and support the realization of EU-wide federated scenario databases. The call provides funding for Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) and Innovation Actions (IA) with a single-stage deadline model.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated but can be inferred to include a range of entities capable of conducting research, innovation, coordination, and support actions. This likely encompasses universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, public authorities, and other relevant stakeholders within the EU and associated countries. The mention of LEAR appointment and financial capacity assessment suggests that any legal entity with the capacity to manage EU funds could be eligible.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, as indicated by the type of Model Grant Agreement (MGA) being a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS]. The call also includes HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA), HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA), and HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA).

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, given the scope of the actions which include coordination, support, research, and innovation, it is highly probable that a consortium of multiple applicants is preferred, if not required, to ensure a comprehensive approach and diverse expertise. Partner search announcements are available, suggesting that consortia are common.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States and Associated Countries, as explicitly mentioned in the context of strengthened exchanges and cooperation. The text also indicates that a number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Target Sector: The program targets the Connected and Automated Mobility (CCAM) sector, focusing on the deployment of Automated Vehicles (AV) in Europe. This includes research and innovation in CCAM technologies, coordination and support actions to facilitate deployment, and addressing regulatory and safety aspects of automated driving.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity explicitly mentions EU Member States and Associated Countries. It also refers to countries beyond Europe in the context of enhanced exchanges and cooperation.

Project Stage: The project stage spans from research and innovation to validation and deployment. The call includes Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Innovation Actions (IA), indicating a focus on both developing new knowledge and bringing innovations to the market. The emphasis on safety assessment procedures and open road-testing permits suggests a focus on validation and demonstration activities.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the type of action:
HORIZON-RIA: around €5,500,000
HORIZON-CSA: around €1,600,000 to €4,000,000
HORIZON-IA: around €5,000,000 to €7,000,000 (with one topic at €21,000,000 total budget split across 3 grants)

Application Type: The application type is a single-stage call, as indicated by the "Deadline model: single-stage" in the general information section.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage, meaning applicants submit a full proposal by the deadline.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight. For example, a topic with a budget of €4,000,000 and an indicative number of 1 grant suggests a highly competitive environment.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement. However, Horizon Europe grants often require some level of co-funding, which can be verified in the detailed call documents.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, under the MOBILITY pillar, focuses on advancing Connected and Automated Mobility (CCAM) in Europe. It aims to extend the EU-wide Knowledge Base, enhance cooperation among stakeholders, strengthen exchanges between Member States, accelerate the implementation of safety assessment procedures, and support the realization of EU-wide federated scenario databases. The call encompasses various types of actions, including Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), and Innovation Actions (IA), with funding amounts ranging from €1,600,000 to €7,000,000 per project, depending on the action type. Eligible applicants include a wide range of entities from EU Member States and Associated Countries, with a preference for consortia to ensure a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach. The application process is a single-stage submission, and the funding is provided as a lump sum grant. The overall goal is to overcome barriers to the deployment of Automated Vehicles (AV) in Europe and to foster a harmonized regulatory landscape for CCAM.