Onboard renewable energy solutions and energy saving measures to reduce the fuel consumption of ships by at least 55% (ZEWT Partnership)

The HORIZON-CL5-2027-03-D5-14 opportunity is part of the Horizon Europe programme, focusing on reducing fuel consumption by at least 55% in the maritime sector through the integration of renewable energy solutions and energy-saving measures. The funding type is a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, specifically for Innovation Actions. This call seeks to encourage collaboration among various stakeholders, including research institutions, private enterprises such as shipyards and equipment manufacturers, and potentially non-profit organizations.

Eligible applicants are primarily those based in EU member states or EEA countries, with a focus on partners located within these regions. The project aims to support demonstration and validation activities, meaning applicants should have developed technologies ready for full-scale implementation. A total budget of €6.5 million is allocated for this specific topic, with a single project expected to be funded.

The call opens for applications on December 15, 2026, and closes on April 14, 2027. The application process is a single-stage submission, and proposals will undergo a comprehensive evaluation by independent experts. Expected outcomes include full-scale demonstrations of renewable energy applications, development of standardized frameworks for technology integration, and addressing safety and operational challenges in maritime environments.

Proposals must demonstrate a comprehensive plan to achieve significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions while ensuring compliance with EU regulatory frameworks. Collaborations are essential to combine expertise and resources effectively, as single applicants are unlikely to meet the diverse technological requirements needed for project success.

Overall, this funding opportunity represents a critical investment in advancing the zero-emission transition within the maritime sector, aligning with broader EU initiatives on climate neutrality and industry competitiveness. Organizations are encouraged to prepare competitive proposals, anticipating a highly selective process with potentially low success rates due to significant competition for the limited available funding.

This EU funding opportunity focuses on promoting energy efficiency and reducing emissions in the waterborne transport sector. It falls under the Horizon Europe Programme, specifically the MOBILITY (HORIZON-CL5-2027-03) call, and is a HORIZON Innovation Action (HORIZON-IA). The grant type is a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS]. The call is forthcoming with a single-stage deadline model. The planned opening date is 15 December 2026, and the deadline is 14 April 2027 at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of projects funded under this opportunity include:

Full-scale demonstration of combined solutions to reduce ship GHG intensity and energy savings by at least 55% compared to 2008 levels.
Development of a standardized framework to verify improvements from energy efficiency measures and standardized interfacing with certification of renewable energy solutions to strengthen the implementation of FuelEU Maritime.
Exploration and establishment of assessment criteria and sea-trial procedures for combined solutions.
Adaptation of digital solutions towards standardized interface layers (hardware and software) for data-driven optimization and seamless integration.
Facilitation of retrofitting existing vessels with zero-emission energy sources combined with energy efficiency measures up to 2030.
Addressing safety and operational impacts on ships, ports, and land infrastructure, as well as training gaps for necessary skills and competencies.
Strengthening market confidence in technology integration and ensuring sustainability of project outputs.
Addressing potential trade-offs with air and water pollution linked to decarbonization technologies and fuels.

The scope of this funding opportunity centers on addressing the challenges in achieving high energy efficiency in vessels, despite technological advancements. It emphasizes the combination and integration of various solutions and measures related to energy conversion, propulsion, onboard energy consumption, and power systems. Adaptability across ship types, scalability for large vessels, financial viability for small and medium-sized shipping companies, and the absence of a standardization framework are key challenges to be addressed.

Proposals are expected to cover the following aspects:

Full-scale demonstration of at least 55% reduction in fuel consumption compared to 2008 levels, with clear definition of the baseline for retrofits or newbuilds.
Methodology for estimating energy savings and reduced GHG intensity and emissions from individual technologies and their combined savings.
Design optimization for deployment on different ship types, focusing on retrofit cases and replication.
Capitalization on existing digital solutions for energy optimization and seamless technology integration, including cybersecurity aspects.
Consideration of data integrity and cybersecurity risks associated with high data transfers for monitoring, optimization, and decision-making.
Assessment of environmental benefits, including reduced emissions and underwater noise, and cost-effectiveness using life-cycle assessment approaches.
Focus on safety and operational aspects, addressing technical and operational challenges.
Facilitation of cooperation and joint training between vessel crews, ports, and emergency services.

Proposals should explain the contribution of their objectives, results, IP management, and exploitation strategy to EU added value creation and strategic autonomy, including competitiveness of the EU waterborne industry, enhancement of R&I capacity, technological know-how, human capital, and resilience of the EU industrial and manufacturing base. Prioritization of shipyards, equipment manufacturers, and providers located and/or manufacturing in the EU and EEA is encouraged. The topic implements the Zero Emission Waterborne Transport (ZEWT) Partnership, and projects will be expected to report on results to support the monitoring of its KPIs.

The general conditions for this opportunity include:

Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form.
Eligible Countries: Described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
Other Eligible Conditions: Use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS for projects using satellite data, subject to restrictions for European communication networks, and adherence to Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Financial and operational capacity and exclusion: Described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes; submission and evaluation processes described in Annex F and the Online Manual; indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement described in Annex F.
Legal and financial set-up of the grants: The granting authority may object to ownership transfer or exclusive licensing of results for up to 4 years after the action's end, as set out in Annex 5. Eligible costs will be in the form of a lump sum, as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021. Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes also applies.

Specific conditions include that this opportunity is Not applicable.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA) information:

Application form templates are available in the Submission System (Standard application form HE RIA, IA).
Evaluation form templates will be used with necessary adaptations (Standard evaluation form HE RIA, IA).
Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide.
Model Grant Agreements (MGA) include the Lump Sum MGA.
Call-specific instructions include a detailed budget table (HE LS) and guidance on lump sums.

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 for the year 2027 includes several topics:

HORIZON-CL5-2027-03-D5-03 - HORIZON-IA: EUR 24,000,000, contributions ranging from EUR 5,000,000 to EUR 7,000,000, with an indicative number of 4 grants.
HORIZON-CL5-2027-03-D5-04 - HORIZON-IA: EUR 13,500,000, with a contribution of around EUR 13,500,000 and an indicative number of 1 grant.
HORIZON-CL5-2027-03-D5-05 - HORIZON-IA: EUR 16,000,000, with a contribution of around EUR 8,000,000 and an indicative number of 2 grants.
HORIZON-CL5-2027-03-D5-06 - HORIZON-IA: EUR 8,000,000, with a contribution of around EUR 8,000,000 and an indicative number of 1 grant.
HORIZON-CL5-2027-03-D5-08 - HORIZON-RIA: EUR 5,000,000, with a contribution of around EUR 2,500,000 and an indicative number of 2 grants.
HORIZON-CL5-2027-03-D5-14 - HORIZON-IA: EUR 6,500,000, with a contribution of around EUR 6,500,000 and an indicative number of 1 grant.
HORIZON-CL5-2027-03-D5-15 - HORIZON-CSA: EUR 2,000,000, with a contribution of around EUR 2,000,000 and an indicative number of 1 grant.
HORIZON-CL5-2027-03-D5-16 - HORIZON-IA: EUR 15,000,000, with a contribution of around EUR 7,500,000 and an indicative number of 2 grants.
HORIZON-CL5-2027-03-D5-17 - HORIZON-RIA: EUR 14,000,000, with a contribution of around EUR 7,000,000 and an indicative number of 2 grants.
HORIZON-CL5-2027-03-D5-18 - HORIZON-IA: EUR 20,000,000, with a contribution of around EUR 10,000,000 and an indicative number of 2 grants.
HORIZON-CL5-2027-03-D5-20 - HORIZON-RIA: EUR 7,000,000, with a contribution of around EUR 3,500,000 and an indicative number of 2 grants.

Partner search announcements are available for collaboration on this topic. LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants can publish partner requests after logging into the Portal. The submission system is planned to open on the date stated on the topic header.

For support, applicants are encouraged to read the provisions carefully, consult the Online Manual and Horizon Europe Programme Guide, and use the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, and CEN-CENELEC/ETSI Research Helpdesks.

In summary, this funding opportunity aims to significantly reduce fuel consumption and emissions in waterborne transport by promoting the integration of renewable energy solutions and energy-saving measures. It seeks to overcome existing challenges, foster innovation, and establish a standardized framework for the sector, ultimately contributing to the EU's climate goals and the competitiveness of its waterborne industry. The funding supports innovation actions with a focus on full-scale demonstrations and encourages collaboration among various stakeholders, including shipyards, equipment manufacturers, research institutions, and training providers.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but the call is open to various entities involved in the waterborne transport sector, including shipyards, equipment manufacturers, providers, research organizations, and potentially SMEs and large enterprises. The call encourages the participation of entities located and/or manufacturing in the EU and EEA.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, under the HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) funding scheme.

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required, but the nature of the projects suggests that a consortium of multiple applicants is highly likely, if not implicitly required, to bring together the necessary expertise and resources for full-scale demonstration and integration of various technologies.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes the EU and EEA, with encouragement for proposals to prioritize entities located and/or manufacturing in these regions. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries may also be eligible if they have made specific provisions for funding their participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Target Sector: The target sector is waterborne transport, with a focus on enhancing energy efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and air pollutants, and promoting the adoption of renewable energy solutions and energy-saving measures in ships. This includes electric and hybrid propulsion systems, wind-assisted propulsion technologies, hull optimization, air lubrication systems, energy conversion, propulsion systems, onboard energy consumer demands, and alternative power systems. The call also addresses cybersecurity in digital solutions for energy optimization.

Mentioned Countries: The European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA) are explicitly mentioned. There is also a general reference to non-EU/non-Associated Countries.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project is full-scale demonstration, with an emphasis on integrating and demonstrating combined solutions to reduce fuel consumption and GHG intensity. The call also aims to facilitate the retrofitting of existing vessels, suggesting a focus on validation and demonstration, potentially leading to commercialization.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic. For example, HORIZON-CL5-2027-03-D5-14 has a budget of EUR 6,500,000, with an indicative grant amount of around EUR 6,500,000. Other topics have different budget allocations and indicative grant amounts, ranging from EUR 2,000,000 to EUR 24,000,000.

Application Type: The application type is a single-stage call, meaning applicants submit a full proposal in one stage.

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

Application Stages: There is one application stage, as it is a single-stage call.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly stated, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight. For instance, HORIZON-CL5-2027-03-D5-14 aims to award 1 grant with a budget of EUR 6,500,000, while HORIZON-CL5-2027-03-D5-03 aims to award 4 grants with a total budget of EUR 24,000,000.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement. However, given that the eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum, it is possible that applicants may need to cover additional costs beyond the grant amount.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, under the MOBILITY pillar and specifically targeting the Zero Emission Waterborne Transport (ZEWT) Partnership, seeks to fund innovation actions that significantly reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from ships. The call encourages projects that demonstrate full-scale integration of renewable energy solutions and energy-saving measures, aiming for at least a 55% reduction in fuel consumption compared to 2008 levels. Projects should focus on developing standardized frameworks, optimizing designs for various ship types, capitalizing on digital solutions for energy optimization, assessing environmental benefits, and addressing safety and operational aspects. The call prioritizes entities located and/or manufacturing in the EU and EEA and encourages collaboration between vessel crews, ports, and shore-side emergency services. Funding is provided as a lump sum grant, and applications are submitted in a single stage. The overall goal is to enhance the competitiveness of the EU waterborne industry, strengthen its R&I capacity, and contribute to the EU's strategic autonomy in the maritime sector.