Generative AI for smarter CCAM: enhancing perception, decision-making, and validation (CCAM Partnership)

The Horizon Europe grant opportunity titled "Generative AI for smarter CCAM: enhancing perception, decision-making, and validation" with the call identifier HORIZON-CL5-2026-10-D6-03 has a forthcoming status with a planned opening date on June 4, 2026, and a deadline on October 8, 2026. It will utilize a single-stage application process under the HORIZON RIA (Research and Innovation Actions) action type, offering a total budget of €13,000,000, with two expected grants of €6,500,000 each.

Eligible applicants for this opportunity include research organizations, universities, large enterprises, technology companies, and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) focused on autonomous vehicle technology and generative AI. A consortium-based approach is emphasized, encouraging collaborations among researchers, technology providers, and automotive manufacturers.

The funding type is a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, simplifying budget management by providing a set amount rather than reimbursement for expenses. Projects must focus on developing advanced perception and decision-making systems for connected and automated vehicles, addressing challenges associated with Level 3 and 4 autonomous driving, particularly in urban environments. The opportunity encourages integration with AI technologies such as large language models and aims to improve system validation, responsiveness, and safety for vulnerable road users.

Applications must adhere to a single submission process with no preliminary stages, utilizing the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for submissions. While specific success rates for this grant are not disclosed, typical rates for similar Horizon Europe initiatives can range from 10% to 25%, indicating a competitive environment.

Co-funding is not mandated, but consortium partners may contribute in-kind support. Projects are expected to engage with European initiatives related to connected mobility, and all funded initiatives must comply with the European Common Evaluation Methodology for CCAM.

Overall, this grant focuses on leveraging generative AI to enhance the functionality and safety of autonomous vehicles, supporting the European automotive industry's advancement in AI-driven mobility solutions.

This is a summary of several Horizon Europe funding opportunities related to batteries and mobility, specifically focusing on the integration of Generative AI (GenAI) in Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility (CCAM). The calls are part of the Horizon-CL5-2026-10 program and are managed by the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation.

The overall goal is to enhance perception, decision-making, and validation in CCAM systems using GenAI technologies. The funding aims to address challenges faced by Level 3 and 4 autonomous vehicles, particularly in complex urban environments, by improving responsiveness, situational awareness, security, and reliability. The projects are expected to contribute to the AI Continent Action Plan by fostering AI development and adoption in the automotive sector.

Key expected outcomes include:

Availability and integration of advanced, trustworthy, energy-efficient perception systems using GenAI.
Enhanced safety for Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs) through improved perception and behavior prediction.
Increased robustness of CCAM systems via GenAI-driven training, testing, and validation.
A deeper understanding of the benefits and limitations of GenAI in CCAM.
Development of tools and harmonized approaches for using GenAI in mobility technology.

The scope of the projects should cover:

Development of robust environment perception and decision-making tools, leveraging GenAI (including LLMs, VLMs, and VLAs) to enhance efficiency, security, and reliability, with path planning as a key use case.
Scenario generation for CCAM vehicle interactions with other road users, using GenAI to extend existing datasets and account for variations like cultural differences and infrastructure variability.
Integration of GenAI into existing development, training, and validation approaches, with guidelines for valid integration and consideration of biases and fairness.
Collaboration with the European Software-defined Vehicle (SDV) initiative.

Projects are expected to coordinate with the European Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Alliance (ECAVA) and the ADRA Partnership, and apply the European Common Evaluation Methodology (EU-CEM) for CCAM.

The calls are single-stage, with a planned opening date of June 4, 2026, and a deadline of October 8, 2026, at 17:00 Brussels time. Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum.

The specific funding opportunities are:

HORIZON-CL5-2026-10-D2-03: HORIZON Innovation Actions, with a budget of 100,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 3 grants.
HORIZON-CL5-2026-10-D6-01: HORIZON Innovation Actions, with a budget of 100,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 1 grant.
HORIZON-CL5-2026-10-D6-02: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, with a budget of 4,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 1 grant.
HORIZON-CL5-2026-10-D6-03: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, with a budget of 13,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 2 grants.
HORIZON-CL5-2026-10-D6-06: HORIZON Innovation Actions, with a budget of 20,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 3 grants.
HORIZON-CL5-2026-10-D6-07: HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions, with a budget of 4,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 1 grant.
HORIZON-CL5-2026-10-D6-09: HORIZON Innovation Actions, with a budget of 12,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 2 grants.
HORIZON-CL5-2026-10-D6-10: HORIZON Innovation Actions, with a budget of 10,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 2 grants.

The general conditions for participation include admissibility, eligibility of countries, financial and operational capacity, exclusion criteria, and the evaluation and award processes. Specific conditions are not applicable. The application process involves using templates available in the Submission System, and guidance is provided through the HE Programme Guide and other documents.

In summary, this funding opportunity aims to advance the development and integration of Generative AI in CCAM to create smarter, safer, and more efficient autonomous vehicle systems. It encourages collaboration, standardization, and the application of common evaluation methodologies to ensure the widespread adoption of these technologies in the European automotive sector.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but based on the nature of Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Innovation Actions (IA), eligible applicants typically include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other organizations capable of conducting research and innovation activities. Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) are also listed, which may include a broader range of entities.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS]. There are also HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, HORIZON Innovation Actions and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, given the scope and nature of the projects, a consortium is highly probable. Partner search announcements are available, suggesting that consortia are expected.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU member states and associated countries as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. 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 target sector is Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility (CCAM), focusing on the development and validation of Generative AI (GenAI) applications for enhanced perception, decision-making, and validation in automated vehicles. It also touches on AI, data and robotics.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the eligibility extends to EU member states and associated countries.

Project Stage: The project stage is primarily focused on development, validation, and demonstration, with an emphasis on integrating GenAI technologies into existing CCAM systems and validating their performance through scenario generation and testing. The call also supports research and innovation actions.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic. For the listed topics under the call, the budget ranges are: 4,000,000 EUR, 10,000,000 EUR, 12,000,000 EUR, 13,000,000 EUR, 20,000,000 EUR and 100,000,000 EUR.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a single-stage submission process.

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

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight into the potential success rate.

Co-funding Requirement: The need for co-funding is not explicitly mentioned.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call, under the Batteries and Mobility section, focuses on leveraging Generative AI (GenAI) to enhance Connected, Cooperative, and Automated Mobility (CCAM) systems. The primary goal is to improve the perception, decision-making, and validation processes in automated vehicles, particularly in complex urban environments. Projects should aim to develop tools and approaches for robust environment perception, enhance Vulnerable Road User (VRU) safety, and improve the overall robustness of CCAM systems through GenAI-driven scenario generation and testing.

The call encourages the use of advanced GenAI models like Large Language Models (LLMs), Vision Language Models (VLMs), and Vision Language Action (VLAs) to improve contextual reasoning and pattern recognition in automated vehicles. Projects should also focus on integrating GenAI technologies into existing CCAM development, training, and validation approaches, while understanding and addressing the limitations and biases of these technologies.

Collaboration with the European Software-defined Vehicle (SDV) initiative and the European Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Alliance (ECAVA) is encouraged. Projects are expected to report results to the European Partnership on CCAM and liaise with the ADRA Partnership to explore complementarities. The funding is provided as a lump sum grant, and the application process involves a single-stage submission. Eligible applicants include a range of organizations capable of conducting research and innovation activities, and consortia are likely expected. The call aims to contribute to the AI Continent Action Plan by fostering AI development and adoption in the automotive sector, ultimately leading to safer, more efficient, and more reliable automated mobility solutions.