Development of hydropower technologies and water management schemes allowing for win-win situation of flexible hydropower and biodiversity improvement – Societal Readiness Pilot

The sufficient / appropriate expertise is to be determined by the project team; experience in RRI is of course very welcome. profiles with experience in addressing social and cultural perspectives, methodological knowledge to e.g., conduct and analyse interviews, design, and lead co-creation, facilitate inclusion, or otherwise meaningfully support the consideration of and responsiveness to societal needs and concerns should be included.

Instructions related to the Societal Readiness pilot are accurately detailed in the last part of the main introduction of Cluster 5 work programme 2025. They should be strictly respected and considered as an extension of the topic text. Societal Readiness should be transversally integrated in the proposal, meaning that related activities should be incorporated across the various work packages of the project (or as a transversal work package connected to the others), and should not be confined to an isolated task.

The text under the section 1.2 Methodology is expected to outline how the project will be developed to enhance Societal Readiness (SR) all along its duration, demonstrating the uptake of the Responsible Research and Innovation questions (see specific instructions in main introduction of Cluster 5 work programme 2025). References to SSH activities requested under section 1.2 Methodology of the standard Application Form remain valid: they should aim at achieving Societal Readiness goals. SR and SSH are therefore fully correlated.

There are no official guidelines to that respect. SR aspects and activities should be considered in the proposal’s risk management along with other relevant and/or critical aspects of the proposal, in relation to the topic requirements.

« Societal actors » refer to individuals, organizations, or groups that are directly or indirectly affected by, involved in, or have a stake in the development, implementation, or outcomes of the technology: End-users or consumers, community groups, policymakers, industry representatives (e.g. services providers), researchers and experts, civil society organizations etc.

They can play a role either as associated partners, or external stakeholders, and participate, be engaged and/or involved depending on the project’s needs.

This topic is a RIA and activities are expected to achieve TRL 4-5 by the end of the project. The location of activities is up to the proposal to chose according to the requirements of the topic.

In scope are only solutions for existing run-of-river hydropower, reservoir hydropower plants or cascades of such pants.

Besides that there is no restriction on hydropower technologies, besides the exclusion of innovation on pumped storage hydropower and hydropower not directly connected to natural water bodies.

Water management schemes refers to managing water resources effectively, in respect of e.g. controlling water movement, efficient and sustainable water use. Exemplary thematic areas are listed in the topic.

The project can include validation of the technology in the relevant environment, in line with TRL 5, however this is not mandatory according to the topic text and the TRL expected, which is TRL4-5. It is up to the proposal to define the specific project outline in respect of methodology and tools used in line with expected outcome and scope.

• There is no specific eligible criterion as regards organisations’ participation in both the monitoring and evaluation CSA and other Societal Readiness pilot topics. However, participating in the monitoring and evaluation CSA and in other SR pilot topics in parallel would give raise to potential conflict of interest which must be avoided, i.e. the relevant organisations should put in place measures that address the potential conflicts of interest, so that they acts as a neutral broker vis à vis all SR pilot projects.