Non-exhaust emissions in road and railway transport

The Horizon Europe call titled "HORIZON-CL5-2026-06-Two-Stage-D5-19" focuses on research and innovation actions for addressing non-exhaust emissions in road and railway transport. It aims to fund initiatives that improve understanding and reduction strategies for particulate emissions resulting from sources like brake wear and tire wear. The program is open to a diverse group of eligible applicants, including universities, research institutes, large enterprises, SMEs, and other legal entities from EU member states and associated countries, with potential participation from non-EU countries under specific provisions.

The financial framework for this call is structured as a grant-based funding mechanism, with a total budget of €7.5 million, which is expected to support two grants ranging from €3.5 million to €4 million each. This initiative falls under the broader category of Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and follows a two-stage application process. The application cycle begins on December 18, 2025, with the first proposal submission deadline scheduled for April 14, 2026, followed by a second deadline on October 8, 2026.

Successful proposals will address several key areas: developing measurement techniques and tools for non-exhaust emissions, assessing their environmental and health impacts, and providing mitigation strategies and recommendations for standardization. The call encourages collaboration among multiple applicants, forming consortia to strengthen project outcomes and deliver multidisciplinary research outputs that could influence regulatory policies and enhance air quality standards.

While specific success rates are not disclosed, competitive pressures can be expected. The project supports the European Green Deal's goals for pollution reduction and facilitates innovations that contribute to the climate-neutral and environmentally sustainable objectives of the EU.

This is a Horizon Europe (HORIZON) call for proposals under the MOBILITY (HORIZON-CL5-2026-06-Two-Stage) program, focusing on non-exhaust emissions in road and railway transport. The call is for HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) and uses a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] Model Grant Agreement. It follows a two-stage submission process. The planned opening date is December 18, 2025. The deadline for the first stage is April 14, 2026, at 17:00:00 Brussels time, and the deadline for the second stage is October 8, 2026, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of the projects should contribute to:
Methods and tools to support measurement, simulation, and validation of non-exhaust pollutant emissions in road and railway transport into the environment.
Estimates on the impact of these pollutants on human health, terrestrial ecosystems, and the aquatic environment (including biodiversity in these ecosystems), with particular focus on microplastics and other heavier non-airborne particles.
Delivery of better emission factors for emission inventories and projections, including the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP), also for resuspension, for which little knowledge exists today.
Recommendations and mitigation strategies including the determination of appropriate KPIs and assessing the effectiveness of control measures with an appropriate cost-benefit analysis to understand the economic and practical feasibility of different emission reduction strategies.

The scope of the call addresses the increasing importance of non-exhaust particulate emissions (NEE) from road and rail transport due to the rise in electrification. NEEs originate from sources like brake wear, tire wear, pantograph-catenary wear, wheel-rail contact, road surface wear, and resuspension of road/track dust. The call acknowledges that quantitative data on NEE magnitude is fragmented and uncertain compared to exhaust emissions data. The health impacts of NEEs are also less studied, and their effects on terrestrial and aquatic environments, as well as biodiversity, are not well understood. Research into rail particulate emissions is crucial due to its implications for air quality, human health, and environmental impact. There is limited data on the health impacts and chemical composition of rail particulates, as well as their impact on soil, water, ecosystems, and biodiversity.

To address these issues, the call expects R&I actions to cover the following aspects:
Methods and tools for the segregation of NEE particle sources: i) during particle collection (e.g., due to high background concentrations), ii) attribution of collected material to different sources. Appropriate real-world test conditions, equipment and sampling methods for the evaluation of particles (e.g., separation of total and solid particles)
Source identification and characterization including detailed source apportionment (brake wear, tyre wear, wheel-rail interaction, resuspension, etc.) and chemical composition.
Assessment of the influencing parameters: use cases (e.g. different vehicle types or tyre types), conditions (e.g. urban, rural, motorways, tunnels), driving behaviour, state of the road surface or rail tracks; attribution and distribution.
Emission Measurement Techniques including but not limited to standardized measurement methods and real-time monitoring.
Downstream assessment: analysis of the deposited material in the environment, assessment of its decomposition, aggregation, dispersion and degradation.
Health Impact estimates building on existing toxicology studies (or developing new ones if deemed necessary) and long-term exposure effects supported by gender disaggregated data collection and intersectional analysis.
Estimates on the environmental impact on soil, water, and ecosystems and their biodiversity as well as deposition patterns (i.e. how particulates disperse and deposit in different environments, especially in urban versus rural areas.)
Mitigations through focusing on State-of-the-Art systems: test systems (including the vehicle e.g., vehicle-lightweight technologies) that can mitigate non-exhaust emissions to reach TRL 6 or higher, innovative tyre and brake designs and materials that balance durability, safety, and reduced abrasion, innovative road surfaces and texture (considering the interaction between tyre and road), runoff and drainage systems. For the railway sector mitigation solutions could include test systems addressing emissions from key mechanical interfaces (e.g., braking and wheel–rail contact), vehicle innovations to reduce wear-related emissions, and infrastructure measures such as optimized track materials, surface treatments, and improved drainage and containment systems. Consider life cycle assessment for the analysis of the systems
Support standardization and regulation based on the recommendations in support of industrial competitiveness

Proposals should consider the results of previous or ongoing EU-funded projects like Leon-T, ULTRAHAS, nPETS, and LIFE23-ENV-ES-LIFE NEEVE.

General conditions for admissibility include that applicants submitting a proposal for a blind evaluation must not disclose their organization names, acronyms, logos, or names of personnel in the proposal abstract and Part B of their first-stage application. The proposal page limits and layout are described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System and Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Eligible countries are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries may have specific provisions for funding their participants, as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Other eligible conditions state that if projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation, and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS.

Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

The first-stage proposals will be evaluated blindly, and the award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. Submission and evaluation processes are 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 of the Work Programme General Annexes.

The legal and financial setup of the grants allows the granting authority to object to a transfer of ownership or exclusive licensing of results up to 4 years after the end of the action, as set out in Annex 5 and described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Specific conditions indicate that call-specific instructions are not applicable.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreements (MGA) include:
Application form templates available in the Submission System (Standard application form (HE RIA IA Stage 1 BLIND)).
Evaluation form templates (Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA and CSA Stage 1 BLIND)).
Guidance documents such as the HE Programme Guide, HE MGA, and HE Unit MGA.

Additional documents include:
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 8. Climate, Energy and Mobility
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 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
Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions
Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement

The budget overview includes two topics:
HORIZON-CL5-2026-06-Two-Stage-D5-10 - HORIZON-RIA with a budget of EUR 15,000,000, a two-stage process, an opening date of December 18, 2025, deadlines on April 14, 2026, and October 8, 2026, and an indicative number of 3 grants around EUR 5,000,000 each.
HORIZON-CL5-2026-06-Two-Stage-D5-19 - HORIZON-RIA with a budget of EUR 7,500,000, a two-stage process, an opening date of December 18, 2025, deadlines on April 14, 2026, and October 8, 2026, and an indicative number of 2 grants between EUR 3,500,000 and EUR 4,000,000 each.

There are 5 partner search announcements available. LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests for open and forthcoming topics.

The submission system is planned to open on the date stated in the topic header.

Support and guidance are 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, CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk, ETSI Research Helpdesk, the European Charter for Researchers, and Partner Search tools.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call focuses on addressing the knowledge gaps and developing mitigation strategies for non-exhaust emissions from road and rail transport. It seeks research and innovation actions that will provide methods, tools, and data to better understand, measure, and manage these emissions, ultimately contributing to improved air quality, human health, and environmental protection. The call encourages a comprehensive approach, considering various emission sources, influencing parameters, measurement techniques, health and environmental impacts, and mitigation strategies, while also supporting standardization and regulation in the field. The application process is two-staged, with a blind evaluation for the first stage, and applicants are encouraged to seek partners and utilize available support resources.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but based on the Horizon Europe program and the nature of Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), eligible applicants can include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other legal entities capable of conducting research and development activities. Participation of non-EU/non-Associated Countries is possible under specific provisions.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG], which falls under the HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA).

Consortium Requirement: While not explicitly stated, the call encourages collaboration and partner search, suggesting that a consortium is preferred, although single applicants might be eligible as well. The partner search announcements indicate a collaborative approach is favored.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): Eligible countries are 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. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. This suggests that the primary geographic eligibility is for EU and associated countries, with possibilities for non-EU countries under specific conditions.

Target Sector: The target sector is mobility, specifically addressing non-exhaust emissions (NEE) in road and railway transport. This encompasses environment, transport, and research and innovation related to reducing pollution from these sources.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the opportunity is open to EU member states, associated countries, and potentially non-EU/non-associated countries based on specific provisions outlined in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project is research and innovation actions, which typically involve activities ranging from research to demonstration. The call mentions achieving TRL (Technology Readiness Level) 6 or higher for mitigation systems, indicating a focus on development and validation.

Funding Amount: There are two topics: HORIZON-CL5-2026-06-Two-Stage-D5-10 has a budget of EUR 15,000,000 with an indicative grant amount of around EUR 5,000,000 and HORIZON-CL5-2026-06-Two-Stage-D5-19 has a budget of EUR 7,500,000 with an indicative grant amount of EUR 3,500,000 to EUR 4,000,000.

Application Type: The application type is a two-stage open call. The first deadline is for the first stage, and the second deadline is for the second stage.

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

Application Stages: The application process consists of two stages. The first-stage proposals of this topic will be evaluated blindly.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants suggests that for HORIZON-CL5-2026-06-Two-Stage-D5-10, 3 grants will be awarded, and for HORIZON-CL5-2026-06-Two-Stage-D5-19, 2 grants will be awarded.

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

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call focuses on addressing the increasingly important issue of non-exhaust emissions (NEE) from road and railway transport. With the rise of electric vehicles and trains, particulate emissions from sources like brake wear, tyre wear, and wheel-rail contact are becoming a proportionally larger environmental concern. The call aims to fund research and innovation actions that will improve methods for measuring, simulating, and validating these emissions, assess their impact on human health and the environment, develop better emission factors, and recommend effective mitigation strategies.

The call is structured around two specific topics. The first topic, HORIZON-CL5-2026-06-Two-Stage-D5-10, has a budget of EUR 15 million and aims to award approximately 3 grants of around EUR 5 million each. The second topic, HORIZON-CL5-2026-06-Two-Stage-D5-19, has a budget of EUR 7.5 million and aims to award 2 grants, each between EUR 3.5 million and EUR 4 million.

The projects funded under this call are expected to develop methods and tools for segregating NEE particle sources, identify and characterize these sources, assess influencing parameters, develop emission measurement techniques, analyze deposited material in the environment, estimate health impacts, assess environmental impacts on soil, water, and ecosystems, and propose mitigation strategies. The mitigation strategies should focus on state-of-the-art systems and aim to reach a Technology Readiness Level of 6 or higher.

The application process is divided into two stages, with the first stage involving a blind evaluation. The call is open to a wide range of applicants, including universities, research institutes, SMEs, and large enterprises, primarily from EU member states and associated countries, with potential participation from non-EU countries under specific conditions. The ultimate goal is to provide recommendations for standardization and regulation to support industrial competitiveness in reducing non-exhaust emissions.