Horizon Europe European Union
Neutral-Atom Platform Technologies
This action aims to establish European leadership in neutral-atom quantum simulation and digital quantum computing by delivering: • Fully programmable industry-ready quan…
Horizon Europe · European Union
Onboard renewable energy solutions and energy saving measures to reduce the fuel… (ZEWT Partnership)
Full title in the source: Onboard renewable energy solutions and energy saving measures to reduce the fuel consumption of ships by at least 55% (ZEWT Partnership)
Opens 15 Dec 2026
The EU's Horizon Europe programme expects to make 1 award of €6.5 million, from a total budget of €6.5 million. Applications close on 14 Apr 2027 (EU calls usually close at 17:00 Brussels time). Organisations in EU member states and Horizon Europe associated countries such as Türkiye can usually take part; the topic conditions control.
- Deadline
- 14 Apr 2027 (in 150 days)
- Opens
- 15 Dec 2026
- Grant amount
- €6.5 million per project
- Funding rate
- 70% for companies, 100% for non-profits Standard rule for this programme; the call can differ.
- Total budget
- €6.5 million
- Expected awards
- 1
- Type of action
- HORIZON Innovation Actions · HORIZON Lump Sum Grant
- Likely applicant types
- Companies, SMEs / start-ups, Non-profits, Universities & research, Public bodies From source categories or programme rules; the call decides.
- Funder
- Horizon Europe (HORIZON)
- Reference
- HORIZON-CL5-2027-03-D5-14
- Call
- HORIZON-CL5-2027-03
- Last checked
- 14 Nov 2026
Expected outcome
Project’s results are expected to contribute to the following expected outcomes:
• Full-scale demonstration of the combined solutions aiming to reduce ship GHG intensity and energy savings by at least 55%, compared to 2008 levels.
• Development of a standardized framework to verify improvements stemming from energy efficiency measures and standardized interfacing with certification of renewable energy solutions to strengthen the implementation of FuelEU Maritime.
• Explore and establish assessment criteria, and sea-trial procedures for the combination of solutions.
• Adapt digital solutions towards standardised interface layers (hardware and software) to introduce data-driven optimisation and seamless integration.
• Facilitate the retrofitting of existing vessels with zero emission energy sources in combination with energy efficiency measures up to 2030.
• Address the safety and operational impacts on ships, ports and other land infrastructure, as well as training gaps in terms of skills and competencies necessary for the adoption and operation of these technologies onboard ships.
Read the full text
• Strengthen market confidence in the integration of technologies and ensure sustainability and continuation of project outputs, including the integrated technologies.
• Address possible trade-offs with air and water pollution (unintended higher NOx or Black Carbon, ammonia dispersion, etc.) linked to decarbonization (technologies and fuels).
Scope
One of the key areas in the waterborne transport domain aimed at enhancing energy efficiency and subsequently reducing emissions of greenhouse gas (GHG) and air pollutants is the exploration, implementation, and assessment of renewable energy solutions and energy-saving measures. To this end, numerous advancements (e.g., electric and hybrid propulsion systems, wind-assisted propulsion technologies, hull optimization, air lubrication systems etc.) have been made across various aspects of ships. However, a high energy-efficient vessel requires addressing specific challenges despite the significant technological advancements. One of the most critical factors relates to the combination and integration of different solutions and measures that may lead to additional energy savings concerning multiple ship elements such as energy conversion, propulsion, onboard energy consumer demands (e.g., hotel loads for passenger vessels, operation equipment for offshore vessels etc.), higher-efficiency conventional or alternative power systems and others without compromising the ship’s safety and performance.
Read the full text
Adaptability across different ship types and scalability, particularly for large vessels, are further challenges that require meticulous analysis. The shift towards zero emission entails significant investment costs, especially for small and medium-sized shipping companies, and consideration of financial viability is of paramount importance. Lastly, the absence of a concrete standardization framework poses a substantial barrier that must be adequately addressed and overcome.
Proposals are expected to address all the following aspects:
• Full-scale demonstration offering combined reduction of fuel consumption of at least 55% compared to 2008 levels. Proposals should clearly define the baseline, either in case of retrofits or newbuilds, with respect to the ship’s existing or expected operational profile.
• Create a methodology estimating energy savings and reduced GHG intensity and emissions of air pollutants from each technology separately and the aggregated savings of combining these technologies in different scenarios.
• Design optimization to facilitate deployment on different ship types, with a focus on retrofit cases and replication.
• Capitalise on existing digital solutions for including energy optimization (e.g., smart control, energy management) and for seamless integration of technologies with the ship’s automation and class‑certification processes introducing and explore cyber security aspects of the developed solutions.
• Projects should consider how high amounts of data transfers for monitoring, optimization, and decision-making may pose risks in terms of data integrity, cybersecurity and propose approaches to address those risks.
• Assessment of environmental and wider benefits, including reduced emissions of air and water pollutants, and underwater noise, as well as cost-effectiveness of the combined solutions considering life-cycle assessment…
Who can apply
Consortium of at least 3 independent legal entities from 3 different EU Member States or associated countries, at least one in a Member State (Horizon Europe standard rule).
Applicant categories are a starting point. The official call decides eligibility.
Timing
Single-stage call. Next deadline 2027-04-14. The portal states the exact cut-off time (EU calls usually close at 17:00 Brussels time).
How to apply
- Read the full topic on the Funding & Tenders Portal: expected outcome, scope, type of action and the topic conditions, including any country restrictions.
- Register each participating organisation in the Funding & Tenders Portal to get a PIC.
- Consortium of at least 3 independent legal entities from 3 different EU Member States or associated countries (Horizon Europe standard rule; Türkiye is associated). Confirm in the topic conditions.
- Prepare Part A (administrative forms and budget, completed in the portal) and Part B (the technical description on the official template for this type of action).
- Submit in the portal before the cut-off time on the deadline day. Late submissions are not accepted.
From the call text
- Who can apply
- Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page
- Company stage
- Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page
- Single applicant or consortium
- Read the topic conditions on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for eligible countries, consortium requirements, budget and the application route.
- Where applicants must be based
- Read the topic conditions on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for eligible countries, consortium requirements, budget and the application route.
- Where to apply
- Read the topic conditions on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for eligible countries, consortium requirements, budget and the application route.
Where these facts come from
| Fact | Value | How we know | Taken from the source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadline | 14 April 2027 “Single-stage call. Next deadline 2027-04-14. The portal states the exact cut-off time (EU calls usually close at 17:00 Brussels time).” | official data field | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Amount per applicant | Unknown — not stated in the source we hold | unknown | — |
| Total budget | €6.5 million | official data field | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Funding rate | 70% for companies, 100% for non-profits | programme standard rule | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Who can apply | Consortium of at least 3 independent legal entities from 3 different EU Member States or associated countries, at least one in a Member State (Horizon Europe standard rule). | programme standard rule | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Where to apply | Read the topic conditions on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for eligible countries, consortium requirements, budget and the application route. | read from the official text | 15 Nov 2026 |
Official sources
Facts on this page come from the funder’s official data, taken on 14 Nov 2026. The funder's own documents, including later amendments, always take precedence.
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