Safety of renewable low and zero-carbon waterborne fuels in port areas: risk assessment, regulatory framework, and guidelines for safe bunkering, hand...

The Horizon Europe call titled "Safety of renewable low and zero-carbon waterborne fuels in port areas: risk assessment, regulatory framework, and guidelines for safe bunkering, handling and storage (ZEWT partnership)" is identified as HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-13. It is a forthcoming Coordination and Support Action with an anticipated opening date of December 18, 2025, and a submission deadline of April 14, 2026. The total budget allocated for this topic is €2,000,000, with one grant expected to be awarded.

This opportunity is aligned with the broader Cluster 5 of Horizon Europe, focusing on Climate, Energy, and Mobility, and specifically aims to address safety challenges associated with the transition to renewable low and zero-carbon fuels in maritime and inland port operations. As ports shift towards sustainable fuels, there are critical safety gaps in regulations governing the storage, handling, and distribution of these fuels within densely populated areas.

Eligible applicants include a wide range of organizations such as universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, port authorities, and regulatory bodies, requiring a consortium structure to effectively engage stakeholders like shipping companies and trade unions. The main funding mechanism is a lump sum grant to simplify the reimbursement process.

The project is expected to deliver comprehensive outputs including a risk assessment across EU Member States, regulatory reviews to identify gaps, tailored operational safety guidelines, standardized risk assessment criteria, and a strategy for skills development aimed at port personnel. The geographical scope encompasses EU Member States and potentially includes some non-EU countries under specific provisions.

This opportunity targets sectors related to maritime transport, renewable energy, and safety compliance, and emphasizes the importance of engaging various stakeholders to ensure that the developed guidelines are practical and effective. The single-stage submission process encourages applicants to focus their proposals on safety analysis and regulatory harmonization without technological innovation requirements.

Given the competitive nature of the grant, with only one award anticipated, applicants are encouraged to prepare high-quality proposals. While there is no co-funding requirement stipulated, contributions from consortium partners may enhance proposal competitiveness. The aim is to provide clear and actionable recommendations to improve safety in port operations amidst the ongoing energy transition in the waterborne transport sector.

This is a Horizon Europe call for proposals under the MOBILITY (HORIZON-CL5-2026-05) call, specifically targeting the topic "Safety of renewable low and zero-carbon waterborne fuels in port areas: risk assessment, regulatory framework, and guidelines for safe bunkering, handling and storage (ZEWT partnership)" with topic ID HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-13. It is a HORIZON Coordination and Support Action (HORIZON-CSA) with a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] type of Model Grant Agreement (MGA). The deadline model is single-stage, with a planned opening date of 18 December 2025 and a deadline of 14 April 2026 at 17:00:00 Brussels time. The total budget for this specific topic is 2,000,000 EUR for the year 2026, and the indicative number of grants is 1.

The expected outcomes of projects funded under this topic include: a comprehensive risk assessment of introducing renewable low and zero-carbon waterborne fuels in maritime and inland port areas, improved knowledge on the risks posed by these fuels, a review of existing regulations, standards, and guidelines across EU Member States with recommendations for updates and harmonization, defined operational improvements to enhance safety in storage, handling, and bunkering, and a strategy for skills development for port personnel and stakeholders.

The scope of the topic addresses the safety challenges arising from the rapid transition to low and zero-carbon solutions in waterborne transport, particularly in port areas where multiple operations and activities coexist. It acknowledges the limitations of existing EU legislation regarding port worker safety and the increased risks associated with the use of renewable fuels. Proposals should aim to provide a clear picture of the current status of fuel storage and bunkering in EU ports, identify applicable legislation, map gaps and risks, and offer recommendations for follow-up actions.

Proposals are expected to address several key aspects, including: a comprehensive risk review of renewable fuel introduction in port areas, analysis of gaps in existing regulations and guidelines in TEN-T ports, identification of safety risks not adequately addressed by current rules and risk assessments (including HAZID and QRA), development of guidelines and recommendations for safe operations per fuel type and port characteristics, development of standard risk assessment criteria for groups of ports with similar characteristics, engagement with relevant stakeholders, and a strategy for skills development including training modules and certification pathways.

This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on ‘Zero Emission Waterborne Transport’ (ZEWT), and projects are expected to report results to the partnership to support the monitoring of its KPIs.

Regarding general conditions, the proposal page limit and layout are 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 described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. If projects use satellite data, they must use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion are described in Annex C, and evaluation and award criteria, submission and evaluation processes, and the indicative timeline are in Annex D and Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. Legal and financial aspects are detailed in Annex G, with the granting authority retaining the right to object to ownership transfer or exclusive licensing for up to 4 years. Eligible costs will be in the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021.

Specific conditions indicate that this call is not applicable.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreements are available in the Submission System, including the standard application form (HE CSA) and evaluation form (HE CSA). Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide, Lump Sum MGA, call-specific instructions, 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, 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, and Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

Partner search announcements can be viewed and edited by LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants. The submission system is planned to open on the date stated in the topic header.

This funding opportunity aims to improve the safety of port operations as the maritime and inland waterborne transport sectors transition to renewable, low, and zero-carbon fuels. It seeks to address the current lack of specific EU legislation for port worker safety in the context of these new fuels. The call encourages projects that will conduct risk assessments, review existing regulations, develop safety guidelines, and create skills development strategies for port personnel. The ultimate goal is to ensure a safe and efficient energy transition in the waterborne transport sector by mitigating risks associated with the handling, storage, and bunkering of renewable fuels in port areas.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but based on the Horizon Europe program and the nature of the call, eligible applicants likely include: universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, port authorities, terminal operators, shipping companies, trade unions, regulatory bodies, and other relevant stakeholders from EU member states and associated countries. The call encourages engagement with social partners and civil society, suggesting that these types of organizations are also eligible or should be included in the proposed projects. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries may also be eligible if they have specific provisions for funding participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, under the HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA) framework.

Consortium Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required, but the call encourages engagement with various stakeholders, including port authorities, terminal operators, shipping companies, trade unions, and regulatory bodies. This suggests that a consortium approach is highly recommended, if not required, to ensure the practicality and effectiveness of the developed guidelines and recommendations.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility primarily focuses on EU member states and associated countries. However, the call 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. Therefore, some third-country participation is possible. The projects should focus on maritime and inland TEN-T ports, which are located within the EU.

Target Sector: The program targets the following sectors:
 *  Maritime and inland waterborne transport
 *  Energy (renewable, low and zero-carbon fuels)
 *  Port operations and safety
 *  Environmental protection
 *  Occupational safety and health
 *  Skills development and training

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity explicitly mentions EU Member States, and non-EU/non-Associated Countries. The focus is on EU ports, so the primary geographic scope is the European Union.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project is focused on coordination and support actions. This includes:
 *  Risk assessment
 *  Review of existing regulations
 *  Development of guidelines and recommendations
 *  Strategy development for skills and training
 *  Stakeholder engagement
The project stage is geared towards developing frameworks, guidelines, and strategies rather than direct implementation or commercialization.

Funding Amount: The budget for the specific topic HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-13 is EUR 2,000,000. The indicative number of grants is 1. Other related topics under the same call (MOBILITY HORIZON-CL5-2026-05) have varying budgets:
 *  HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-01: EUR 68,000,000 (around EUR 34,000,000 per grant, 2 grants)
 *  HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-02: EUR 16,000,000 (around EUR 16,000,000 per grant, 1 grant)
 *  HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-07: EUR 10,000,000 (around EUR 5,000,000 per grant, 2 grants)
 *  HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-11: EUR 21,000,000 (around EUR 10,500,000 per grant, 2 grants)
 *  HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-12: EUR 21,000,000 (around EUR 10,500,000 per grant, 2 grants)

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 single-stage.

Success Rates: The success rates can be estimated based on the indicative number of grants and the overall interest in Horizon Europe calls, but specific success rates for this topic are not provided.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required. However, Horizon Europe grants often fund a significant portion of the project costs, implying that co-funding may not be mandatory but could strengthen a proposal.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, under the MOBILITY pillar, aims to address the safety challenges associated with the rapid transition to renewable low and zero-carbon fuels in maritime and inland waterborne transport, specifically within port areas. The call, titled "Safety of renewable low and zero-carbon waterborne fuels in port areas: risk assessment, regulatory framework, and guidelines for safe bunkering, handling and storage (ZEWT partnership)," seeks proposals for Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) to conduct comprehensive risk assessments, review existing regulations, develop safety guidelines, and create skills development strategies for port personnel. The projects are expected to contribute to the Zero Emission Waterborne Transport (ZEWT) partnership by improving knowledge, defining operational improvements, and ensuring safe and efficient operations in EU ports. The geographic focus is primarily on EU member states and associated countries, with potential participation from non-EU countries under specific provisions. The funding is provided as a lump sum grant, and the application process is a single-stage open call. The call encourages collaboration among various stakeholders, including port authorities, terminal operators, shipping companies, trade unions, and regulatory bodies, to ensure the practicality and effectiveness of the project outcomes. The total budget for this specific topic (HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-13) is EUR 2,000,000, with an indicative number of 1 grant to be awarded.