Integrating inland waterway transport in smart shipping and multimodal logistics chains

The European Union is offering a grant opportunity under the Horizon Europe program, specifically focusing on the integration of inland waterway transport (IWT) within multimodal logistics chains. This aligns with the objective of enhancing smart shipping and improving environmental impacts in the transport sector. The specific call is designated as HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-10, with a total budget of €16 million and the expectation of funding two grants, each amounting to €8 million.

Eligible applicants for this grant must form consortia composed of various stakeholders, including industry leaders such as freight forwarders, intermodal operators, shippers, technology developers, research institutions, and public administrations. The program aims to improve operational efficiency, environmental and social impacts, and develop recommendations for a cohesive EU regulatory framework related to smart shipping.

The geographic eligibility for applicants extends to EU member states and associated countries, with an emphasis on projects relevant to EU basins and corridors within the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). Proposals should aim to develop and test innovative technical and operational solutions, fostering collaboration among stakeholders and addressing existing regulatory frameworks.

The project stage is designated as demonstration, requiring pilots to achieve a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of at least 7. The call is a single-stage submission process, with a deadline for applications set for January 20, 2026.

Funding will be provided through grants covering 100% of eligible costs, and co-funding is not required. Although specific success rates are not detailed, Horizon Europe calls generally exhibit competitive rates ranging from 10% to 39%.

Proposals submitted should include various elements, such as the integration of smart vessels, data, and governance into logistical frameworks, rigorous testing in real operational environments, and thorough analyses of environmental, economic, and social benefits. The overall objective is to enhance IWT's role in multimodal logistics, advancing EU goals for digital and green transitions.

This opportunity encourages a collaborative approach among diverse sectors, aiming to create scalable and demonstrable solutions that contribute to the EU's transport policy developments and standardization efforts.

The EU Funding & Tenders Portal presents a call for proposals under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program, specifically within Cluster 5 and call 01-2026 (WP 2025) with the topic "Integrating inland waterway transport in smart shipping and multimodal logistics chains" HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-10. This call aims to enhance solutions and tools for better integrating inland waterway transport (IWT) into overall logistic chains and increasing its modal share. The expected outcomes include: enhanced solutions and tools for IWT integration, gains in operational efficiency and environmental/social impact, recommendations for an EU regulatory framework on harmonized smart shipping, and stakeholder engagement to increase IWT visibility.

The scope of the call focuses on integrating smart vessels, infrastructure, data, and governance in multimodal logistics chains. Proposals should address: developing and testing technical and operational solutions to connect IWT to multimodal logistics chains, defining key parts of a common framework for multi-modal data sharing, defining and testing applications and use cases for advanced cooperative Smart Shipping and Smart Logistics in at least four demonstration pilots (TRL 7 minimum), analyzing existing regulations and proposing recommendations for an EU regulatory framework, assessing the environmental, economic, and social benefits of smart shipping, and fostering collaboration among key stakeholders.

The call specifies several general conditions related to admissibility, eligible countries, financial and operational capacity, evaluation and award processes, and legal and financial setup, all detailed in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. Specific conditions include application and evaluation forms available in the Submission System, the HE Programme Guide, Model Grant Agreements (MGA), and additional documents like the HE Main Work Programme and EU Financial Regulation.

The budget overview lists several topics under the call, with varying budget allocations, action types (HORIZON-IA, HORIZON-RIA, HORIZON-CSA), and indicative numbers of grants. The opening date for submissions is planned for 16 September 2025, with a deadline of 20 January 2026, 17:00:00 Brussels time.

Available actions include:

HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D2-01 HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of 24,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 3 grants.

HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D2-04 HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of 30,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 3 grants.

HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D2-05 HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of 15,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 2 grants.

HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D2-09 HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions with a budget of 1,500,000 EUR and an indicative number of 1 grant.

HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D5-17 HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of 16,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 2 grants.

HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-03 HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of 8,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 2 grants.

HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-04 HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of 5,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 1 grant.

HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-05 HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of 4,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 1 grant.

HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-06 HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of 4,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 1 grant.

HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-07 HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of 22,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 2 grants.

HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-08 HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of 15,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 2 grants.

HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-09 HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions with a budget of 3,500,000 EUR and an indicative number of 1 grant.

HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-10 HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of 16,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 2 grants.

HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-13 HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of 10,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 2 grants.

HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-14 HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of 10,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 2 grants.

HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-15 HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of 4,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 1 grant.

The portal also provides resources for partner searches, proposal submission, topic Q&As, and general support, including links to 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, CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk, and Partner Search tools.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to boost the integration of inland waterway transport into multimodal logistics by funding projects that develop and demonstrate smart, digital, and sustainable solutions. It seeks to increase the modal share of IWT, improve its efficiency and environmental impact, and establish a harmonized regulatory framework for smart shipping in the EU. The call encourages collaboration among various stakeholders and offers resources to facilitate proposal preparation and partner search.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, given the nature of Horizon Europe and the focus on innovation and research actions, eligible applicants could include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other relevant stakeholders involved in the transport and logistics sectors. Public administrations are also mentioned as potential partners, suggesting their eligibility.

Funding Type: The primary financial 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). The type of Model Grant Agreement (MGA) is HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG].

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity appears to favor a consortium approach. The text mentions fostering collaboration among key stakeholders and the need for pilot cases to be led by industry stakeholders in cooperation with shippers and public administrations. This strongly suggests that a consortium of multiple applicants is required.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The primary geographic eligibility is for EU member states and associated countries. The text mentions 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. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Target Sector: The primary target sector is transport, specifically inland waterway transport (IWT) and its integration into multimodal logistics chains. This includes smart shipping, smart logistics, digitalization of transport, automation, and the development of sustainable and efficient transport solutions.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are explicitly mentioned. However, the focus on the Trans-European Transport Network corridors implies that projects should have relevance to countries within the EU that are part of this network.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project is at the validation and demonstration stage. The call requires demonstration pilots in actual operational environments with a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of at least 7. This suggests that the projects should have already passed the research and development phases and be ready for real-world testing and validation.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic. Based on the budget overview, the funding ranges from €1,500,000 for Coordination and Support Actions to €30,000,000 for Research and Innovation Actions. The indicative number of grants also varies, with some topics expected to fund one project and others up to three. For the specific topic HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-10, the budget is €16,000,000 with an indicative number of 2 grants, suggesting around €8,000,000 per grant.

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

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant to support their research, innovation, and demonstration activities.

Application Stages: The application process is a single-stage process.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned. However, the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight into the potential success rate. For example, a topic with a budget of €4,000,000 and an indicative number of 1 grant will likely have a lower success rate than a topic with a budget of €24,000,000 and an indicative number of 3 grants.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required. However, it is common for Horizon Europe projects to require some level of co-funding from the applicants or other sources. Applicants should refer to the specific call documents and the Horizon Europe Programme Guide for detailed information on co-funding requirements.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call focuses on integrating inland waterway transport (IWT) into smart shipping and multimodal logistics chains. The goal is to enhance the use of IWT by developing and demonstrating innovative solutions that improve its efficiency, sustainability, and connectivity with other transport modes. Projects should focus on integrating smart vessels, smart infrastructure, smart data, and smart governance in multimodal logistics chains. This involves building on existing projects, developing robust technical and operational tools, defining a common framework for multi-modal data sharing, and testing applications in real-world pilot environments. The call aims to identify gaps in existing regulations and propose recommendations for an EU regulatory framework on harmonized smart shipping. Ultimately, the projects should quantify the benefits of smart shipping and promote collaboration among stakeholders to increase the visibility and use of IWT in multimodal logistics chains. The funding is provided through Horizon Innovation Actions and Research and Innovation Actions, with varying budgets and a single-stage application process. Consortia of multiple applicants, including industry stakeholders, public administrations, and research institutions, are expected.