Innovative construction and maintenance, with the use of new materials and techniques, for resilient and sustainable transport infrastructure

This summary describes a Horizon Europe grant opportunity under the call HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-07, focusing on innovative construction and maintenance techniques for sustainable transport infrastructure. The call, part of the 2026 Work Programme, encourages proposals that demonstrate climate-resilient infrastructure solutions that contribute to the European Green Deal's aim for climate neutrality by 2050.

Eligible applicants include industry stakeholders like freight forwarders and intermodal operators, public administrations, and collaborators such as shippers, with participation from large enterprises, SMEs, public-private partnerships, and research institutes being encouraged. A consortium is required due to the need for cross-border large-scale demonstrations involving multiple stakeholders across at least two Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) corridors.

The funding type for this call is a grant, specifically categorized under Horizon Europe’s Innovation Actions. The expected funding amount is €11 million per project, with a total available budget of €22 million for two projects. The application process operates on a single-stage deadline model, with submissions opening on September 16, 2025, and closing on January 20, 2026.

Projects should use at least 50% recycled materials and aim to reduce pollutant emissions by at least 30% throughout the life cycle of the infrastructure. Key deliverables include developing green procurement frameworks, life cycle assessments, and policy recommendations aligned with EU standards. The geographic eligibility encompasses EU member states, EEA countries, and Horizon Europe-associated countries.

The call emphasizes the importance of large-scale demonstrations to validate proposed solutions. Success rates for Horizon Europe grants generally range between 10% and 39%. Co-funding is not required, as the grants can cover up to 100% of eligible costs for non-profit entities and 70% for profit-making ventures.

Overall, this grant opportunity encourages innovative projects that seek to mitigate environmental impacts, enhance climate resilience, and promote biodiversity in the development of transport infrastructure. Through focused research and demonstration efforts, the call aims to support the transition towards sustainable and resilient transport systems in alignment with broader European Union objectives.

This is a Horizon Europe call for proposals focusing on innovative construction and maintenance techniques, with new materials, to create resilient and sustainable transport infrastructure. The call, HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-07, falls under Cluster 5 of the Horizon Europe program, specifically the 2026 Work Programme (WP 2025) and is classified as a HORIZON Innovation Action (HORIZON-IA). It utilizes a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] Model Grant Agreement. The call employs a single-stage deadline model. The planned opening date for submissions is September 16, 2025, and the deadline for submissions is January 20, 2026, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of successful projects include demonstrating combined solutions for infrastructure construction that achieve specific targets. These targets include using at least 50% recycled or materials sourced from recycled content, reducing pollutant emissions by at least 30% across the infrastructure's life cycle, minimizing ecosystem degradation and habitat fragmentation to maintain biodiversity, and increasing climate resilience to ensure at least 80% network capacity during disruptions. Projects should also provide structured analysis and recommendations for EU standards in construction, inspection, maintenance, and deconstruction, contributing to decarbonization and increased resilience. Finally, a guiding document on adapting public procurement rules to include sustainability and resilience award criteria is expected.

The scope of the call is rooted in the European Green Deal, aiming for climate neutrality by 2050, which translates to a 90% reduction in transport-related greenhouse gas emissions. The EU Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy (SSMS) emphasizes adapting infrastructure to climate change and enhancing resilience. Research should address limiting emissions, increasing climate resilience, and considering environmental and biodiversity aspects throughout the infrastructure lifecycle.

Proposals should cover several key aspects. These include developing new construction, management, maintenance, and repair techniques to enhance climate resilience and lower emissions. Solutions should be assessed using circularity principles and a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach. A cost-benefit analysis (CBA) considering the entire infrastructure lifecycle, along with accompanying business plans, is required. The application of innovative materials like green asphalt, green cement, and carbon sinks to improve resilience and sustainability is encouraged. Validation of solutions should occur through at least two large-scale demonstrations covering different transport infrastructure types (road, rail, waterborne, airport) on different Trans European Transport Network (TEN-T) corridors, in diverse environments, and across various lifecycle phases. Analysis of EU national and international standards, design of green public procurement methods, and demonstration of nature-based solutions (NBS) are also essential.

Projects must develop clear indicators with baselines and quantified targets to monitor expected outcomes at each demonstration site. They should consider technological developments, policy implementation, multi-disciplinary adaptive capacity, and cascading impacts across sectors, referencing the European Climate Risk Assessment (EUCRA) and the Commission Communication on Managing Climate Risks.

Proposals should build upon results from previous calls on resilient and sustainable infrastructure, advanced materials, sensor technology, digitalization, asset management, decision support, and automation. If artificial intelligence (AI) is used, the proposal must demonstrate the robustness of the AI solution.

The general conditions for this call include admissibility conditions related to proposal page limits and layout as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form. Eligible countries are detailed in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries outlined in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. Other eligible conditions are also described in Annex B, while financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are in Annex C. Evaluation and award criteria, submission and evaluation processes, and the indicative timeline are detailed in Annexes D, F, and G, respectively.

Specific conditions include the application form templates available in the Submission System, including the Standard application form (HE RIA, IA) and evaluation form templates. Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide, and the Model Grant Agreements (MGA) are based on the HE MGA. Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2025 sections on General Introduction, Climate, Energy and Mobility, and General Annexes, along with references to the HE Framework Programme, Specific Programme Decision, EU Financial Regulation, rules for legal entity validation, and the EU Grants AGA.

The budget overview lists several topics with a planned opening date of September 16, 2025, and a deadline of January 20, 2026. These topics include HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D2-01 (Innovation Actions, 24,000,000 EUR, around 8,000,000 EUR per grant, 3 grants), HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D2-04 (Research and Innovation Actions, 30,000,000 EUR, around 10,000,000 EUR per grant, 3 grants), HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D2-05 (Innovation Actions, 15,000,000 EUR, around 7,500,000 EUR per grant, 2 grants), HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D2-09 (Coordination and Support Actions, 1,500,000 EUR, around 1,500,000 EUR per grant, 1 grant), HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D5-17 (Innovation Actions, 16,000,000 EUR, around 8,000,000 EUR per grant, 2 grants), HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-03 (Research and Innovation Actions, 8,000,000 EUR, around 4,000,000 EUR per grant, 2 grants), HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-04 (Research and Innovation Actions, 5,000,000 EUR, around 5,000,000 EUR per grant, 1 grant), HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-05 (Research and Innovation Actions, 4,000,000 EUR, around 4,000,000 EUR per grant, 1 grant), HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-06 (Innovation Actions, 4,000,000 EUR, around 4,000,000 EUR per grant, 1 grant), HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-07 (Innovation Actions, 22,000,000 EUR, around 11,000,000 EUR per grant, 2 grants), HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-08 (Innovation Actions, 15,000,000 EUR, 7,000,000 to 8,000,000 EUR per grant, 2 grants), HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-09 (Coordination and Support Actions, 3,500,000 EUR, around 3,500,000 EUR per grant, 1 grant), HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-10 (Innovation Actions, 16,000,000 EUR, around 8,000,000 EUR per grant, 2 grants), HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-13 (Research and Innovation Actions, 10,000,000 EUR, around 5,000,000 EUR per grant, 2 grants), HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-14 (Research and Innovation Actions, 10,000,000 EUR, around 5,000,000 EUR per grant, 2 grants), and HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-15 (Research and Innovation Actions, 4,000,000 EUR, around 4,000,000 EUR per grant, 1 grant).

A partner search function is available, allowing registered users to publish partner requests. The submission system is planned to open on the date stated in the topic header.

Applicants are encouraged to carefully read all provisions before preparing their application. The Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, and Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ are valuable resources. Support is available through the 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 seeks innovative projects that can demonstrate combined solutions for constructing and maintaining transport infrastructure in a way that significantly reduces environmental impact, enhances climate resilience, and promotes biodiversity. Projects should validate their solutions through large-scale demonstrations and contribute to the development of EU standards and sustainable public procurement practices. The call provides funding through various action types, including Innovation Actions, Research and Innovation Actions, and Coordination and Support Actions, each with specific budget allocations and expected outcomes. The overall goal is to support the European Green Deal by transforming transport infrastructure to be more sustainable and resilient.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated but can be inferred to include a variety of entities such as research organizations, universities, SMEs, large enterprises, and other stakeholders involved in transport infrastructure, construction, and related fields. The call is part of Horizon Europe, which typically supports a wide range of participants.

Funding Type: The primary funding mechanism is a grant, specifically through HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) and HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA).

Consortium Requirement: While not explicitly stated, the nature of the call, particularly the need for large-scale demonstrations across different transport infrastructure types and TEN-T corridors, suggests that a consortium of multiple applicants is highly encouraged, if not required. Partner search announcements are available.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The primary geographic eligibility is for EU member states and associated countries within the Horizon Europe framework. However, the text mentions that non-EU/non-Associated Countries may have specific provisions for funding their participants, contingent on specific provisions and as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Target Sector: The primary target sector is transport, with a focus on sustainable and resilient infrastructure. This includes: construction, maintenance, advanced materials, sensor technology, digitalisation, asset management, decision support, automation, artificial intelligence, climate, environment, energy, and biodiversity.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the call focuses on the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), implying a focus on EU member states and associated countries. The call also mentions non-EU/non-Associated Countries that may be eligible for funding under specific provisions.

Project Stage: The project stage ranges from development and validation to demonstration. The call emphasizes the validation of proposed solutions through large-scale demonstrations, indicating a need for projects that are beyond the initial research phase and ready for real-world application.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call, ranging from €1,500,000 for Coordination and Support Actions to €30,000,000 for Research and Innovation Actions. The indicative grant amounts for individual projects range from around €4,000,000 to €11,000,000, with some projects receiving up to €10,000,000 or more.

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 grants to support their research, development, and demonstration activities.

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 competitiveness.

Co-funding Requirement: The document does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This is a Horizon Europe Cluster 5 call focused on "Innovative construction and maintenance, with the use of new materials and techniques, for resilient and sustainable transport infrastructure." The call aims to support projects that can demonstrate combined solutions for infrastructure construction, targeting the use of recycled materials, reduced pollutant emissions, minimized environmental degradation, and increased climate resilience. The call encourages the development and validation of new methods, techniques, and materials for transport infrastructure, with a strong emphasis on large-scale demonstrations across different transport modes and TEN-T corridors.

The overarching goal is to contribute to the European Green Deal's objective of climate neutrality by 2050 and the EU Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy's vision for resilient and decarbonized transport infrastructure. Projects should address the entire life cycle of transport infrastructures, from sourcing materials to decommissioning, and consider circularity principles, cost-benefit analysis, and innovative public procurement methods. The call is structured around several specific topics, each with its own budget and indicative number of grants, covering a range of activities from research and innovation to coordination and support actions. The application process is a single-stage open call, with a planned opening date in September 2025 and a deadline in January 2026.