Geopolitical competition and socioeconomic resilience in CCAM: an innovation and policy roadmap for EU leadership (CCAM Partnership)

This summary outlines a Horizon Europe grant opportunity focused on enhancing Europe's role in Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility (CCAM) amid global geopolitical shifts and socioeconomic challenges. The specific call is titled "Geopolitical competition and socioeconomic resilience in CCAM: an innovation and policy roadmap for EU leadership," identified by the code HORIZON-CL5-2026-10-D6-02. It falls under the category of Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and emphasizes the importance of policy development alongside technological advancements.

The application window opens on June 4, 2026, with submissions due by October 8, 2026, at 17:00 Brussels time. The funding available for this grant is €4,000,000, with a focus on a single grant anticipated to be awarded.

Eligible participants include a broad array of legal entities such as universities, research institutions, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and larger companies, particularly those with expertise in Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH). The grant encourages interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly emphasizing the involvement of SSH experts for contributions to policy analysis and socioeconomic assessments.

The grant employs a lump sum funding model, which simplifies financial management by offering a fixed amount to cover eligible costs rather than reimbursing actual expenses. Collaborative work is essential, requiring a consortium of multiple stakeholders to engage in participatory, stakeholder-driven approaches. The expectation is to involve at least three Living Labs across diverse European regions to validate developed scenarios.

The project aims to analyze Europe's competitive standing in the CCAM sector, identify vulnerabilities, dependencies, and opportunities, and develop strategic roadmaps for resilient governance models and inclusive growth. Specific expected outcomes include using AI-driven tools for analysis, creating future scenarios through advanced foresight methodologies, and generating comprehensive socioeconomic impact assessments.

The funding opportunity is designed to foster close coordination with the European Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Alliance (ECAVA) and the CCAM Technology Observatory, ensuring a comprehensive approach to CCAM's future positioning, governance, and socioeconomic implications.

Overall, this grant seeks to support robust, policy-informed strategies for Europe's continued leadership and competitiveness in the evolving landscape of mobility, focusing on the interplay between technological innovation, societal impacts, and global economic frameworks. The competitive nature of the grant, along with the interdisciplinary approach required, suggests that applicants should prepare thoroughly to meet the high standards expected of submissions.

This is a summary of a Horizon Europe grant opportunity focused on geopolitical competition and socioeconomic resilience in Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility (CCAM), specifically aiming for an innovation and policy roadmap for EU leadership within the CCAM Partnership. The call, HORIZON-CL5-2026-10-D6-02, falls under the BATTERIES and MOBILITY section of the Horizon Europe program. It is a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (RIA) with a single-stage deadline model. The planned opening date is June 4, 2026, and the deadline for submissions is October 8, 2026, at 17:00 Brussels time. The grant utilizes a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] agreement.

The expected outcomes of funded projects include:

Assessment of Europe's CCAM position in global competition, identifying strategic vulnerabilities, dependencies, and opportunities across various aspects like business models, supply chains, critical components, technological capabilities, infrastructure, and regulatory frameworks. This assessment should be supported by AI-driven analytics and innovation mapping tools.

Development of stakeholder-driven, participatory future scenarios and strategic pathways that define Europe's leading role in the evolving geopolitical, technological, and economic landscape of CCAM. These scenarios should be developed using advanced foresight methods and validated through a minimum of 3 dedicated Living Labs representing diverse European regions, urbanization levels, and governance capacities.

A data-driven understanding of the socioeconomic effects of different CCAM deployment pathways, based on a quantified assessment across Member States and Associated Countries, economic sectors, and demographic groups, at national and cross-national levels, using innovative, integrated economic-transport modelling. This includes analyzing employment, growth, equity, and transport poverty.

Development of robust governance models, policies, and business strategies (including for SMEs and micro-enterprises) that strengthen Europe's leadership, economic resilience, and market positioning in CCAM. These should be developed through interdisciplinary methods, identify viable business cases, recommend sectoral R&D priorities, and support innovation scaling.

Ensuring close coordination and synergies with the European Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Alliance (ECAVA).

The scope of the grant involves assessing the global geopolitical landscape of CCAM innovation, mapping future pathways, and developing evidence-based strategies for policymakers, businesses, and investors. The goal is to support robust, future-proof policies, business strategies, and investment frameworks, ensuring a resilient, inclusive, and competitive European CCAM ecosystem.

Proposed actions are expected to address the following aspects:

Conduct a comprehensive geopolitical and economic analysis of CCAM to map Europe's strategic position in global competition, identifying vulnerabilities, dependencies, and opportunities in various aspects, supported by AI-driven analytics and innovation mapping tools.

Develop novel, stakeholder-driven participatory future scenarios to explore plausible geopolitical, technological, and economic developments affecting CCAM, using advanced foresight methods and validation through Living Labs.

Assess the socioeconomic impacts of different CCAM deployment pathways, focusing on economic, employment, and social equity dimensions, using integrated economic-transport modelling approaches.

Develop robust policy recommendations, governance models, and business strategies informed by institutional diagnostics and tested under diverse future conditions through scenario-based stress testing.

The grant requires the effective contribution of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts and institutions. Projects are expected to collaborate with the CCAM Technology Observatory and apply the European Common Evaluation Methodology (EU-CEM) for CCAM. Projects must report results to the European Partnership ‘Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility’ (CCAM) in support of the monitoring of its KPIs.

General conditions for admissibility, eligible countries, financial and operational capacity, exclusion, evaluation, award, and legal/financial setup are detailed in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum.

Application forms, evaluation forms, model grant agreements, and additional guidance documents are available on the Submission System and Funding & Tenders Portal.

The budget overview indicates several topics under the same call, with varying budgets and indicative numbers of grants. HORIZON-CL5-2026-10-D6-02 specifically has a budget of 4,000,000 EUR and aims to award around 1 grant. Other topics include Innovation Actions (IA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) with different budget allocations and grant numbers.

Partner search announcements can be viewed and edited by LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

This Horizon Europe grant opportunity aims to bolster Europe's leadership in the rapidly evolving field of Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility (CCAM). It recognizes that CCAM is not just a technological challenge but is deeply intertwined with geopolitical and socioeconomic factors. The grant seeks to fund projects that can analyze Europe's current standing in the global CCAM landscape, identify potential weaknesses and strengths, and develop strategies to ensure Europe remains competitive and resilient. This involves not only technological innovation but also crafting effective policies, governance models, and business strategies that consider the broader societal impacts of CCAM deployment, including its effects on employment, equity, and economic growth. The emphasis on stakeholder involvement, Living Labs, and collaboration with the CCAM Technology Observatory highlights the importance of a holistic and collaborative approach to shaping the future of mobility in Europe. The lump sum funding model suggests a focus on well-defined projects with clear deliverables and outcomes.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, 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. The inclusion of SSH (Social Sciences and Humanities) disciplines suggests that SSH experts and institutions are also eligible.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant. The call includes both Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Innovation Actions (IA), as well as Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), each representing different types of grant funding.

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required. However, given the scope and objectives of the call, particularly the need for interdisciplinary approaches and collaboration with the CCAM Technology Observatory, a consortium is highly probable, if not explicitly required. 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. The text also mentions that a number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries have made specific provisions for funding their participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Target Sector: The primary target sector is Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility (CCAM). This includes the automotive sector, AI-powered vehicles, clean vehicles, connected vehicles, transport, and related technologies and services. The program also targets social sciences and humanities (SSH) disciplines, innovation, and policy development.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity mentions EU Member States and Associated Countries as being geographically eligible. It also refers to non-EU/non-Associated Countries that have made specific provisions for funding participants, without naming specific countries.

Project Stage: The project stage varies depending on the type of action. Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) focus on research and development, while Innovation Actions (IA) focus on demonstration and validation. The call also involves activities related to policy development and market deployment, suggesting projects could range from development to demonstration and validation stages.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary by topic, as detailed in the budget overview:
HORIZON-CL5-2026-10-D2-03: €100,000,000
HORIZON-CL5-2026-10-D6-01: €100,000,000
HORIZON-CL5-2026-10-D6-02: €4,000,000
HORIZON-CL5-2026-10-D6-03: €13,000,000
HORIZON-CL5-2026-10-D6-06: €20,000,000
HORIZON-CL5-2026-10-D6-07: €4,000,000
HORIZON-CL5-2026-10-D6-09: €12,000,000
HORIZON-CL5-2026-10-D6-10: €10,000,000

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 is a single-stage process.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly stated, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight. For example, HORIZON-CL5-2026-10-D6-01 aims for 1 grant with a budget of €100,000,000, while HORIZON-CL5-2026-10-D2-03 aims for around 3 grants with a budget of €100,000,000.

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 would be detailed in the specific call documents.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, under the BATTERIES and MOBILITY theme, focuses on "Geopolitical competition and socioeconomic resilience in CCAM: an innovation and policy roadmap for EU leadership (CCAM Partnership)". It aims to strengthen Europe's leadership in Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility (CCAM) by addressing vulnerabilities, dependencies, and opportunities in the evolving global landscape. The call seeks projects that will assess Europe’s CCAM position, develop future scenarios and strategic pathways, understand socioeconomic effects, and develop robust governance models and business strategies. The call is structured around Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Innovation Actions (IA), and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), with funding provided as lump sum grants. Eligible applicants include universities, research institutes, SMEs, and other organizations capable of conducting research and innovation activities. Projects are expected to collaborate with the CCAM Technology Observatory and report results to the European Partnership on CCAM. The call emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary approaches, including the contribution of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines. The submission deadline is October 8, 2026, and the call is a single-stage process. The overall goal is to ensure a resilient, inclusive, and competitive European CCAM ecosystem through evidence-based strategies for policymakers, businesses, and investors.