# Ports of the future (ZEWT Partnership)
EUACC page: https://www.euacc.ai/calls/HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-11
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## Public content

**topic id:** HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-11
**call id:** HORIZON-CL5-2026-05
**title:** Ports of the future (ZEWT Partnership)
**programme:** Horizon Europe
**cluster:** CL5
**status:** closed
**deadline date:** 2026-04-16T00:00:00+00:00
**deadline model:** single-stage
**start date:** 2025-12-18T00:00:00+00:00
**url:** https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-11
**description:** Expected Outcome:
Project results are expected to contribute to all the following expected outcomes. 
 • Ensured applicability and replicability of sustainable and digital strategies at port level for middle and small-size maritime ports and inland ports across all the EU, balancing geography and size. Ensured increased adoption of sustainable waterborne transport practices in ports of all sizes. 
• Sustainable and digital strategies will prepare middle and small-sized ports to enhance their competitiveness with a focus on cost-effective and scalable adaptation measures, increase their climate resilience and biodiversity friendliness, and improve safety for port workers and crews of ships at berth.
• Sustainable and digital strategies will reduce emissions of GHG, air and water pollutants and other biodiversity impacts from ports, applying innovative solutions for zero-emission and biodiversity friendly port operations and ships at berth. Strategies should be applicable to maritime and inland waterway middle-sized and small-sized ports and located throughout Europe.
• Contribute to the objectives of the EU Port Strategy.
• Development of sustainable and digital strategies that not only enhance the competitiveness of middle-sized and small-sized ports but also mitigate health risks for populations in port areas. 
 Scope:
Ports are important multimodal hubs in the supply chain, linking the sea with the hinterland, evolving into critical hubs and facilitators of sustainable energies, are clusters of industry and circular economy, as well as geo-political and geo-economic resilience. Europe needs ports that are competitive and sustainable on local, regional and global levels, and the Competitiveness Compass calls for a new strategy to highlight the role that European ports will play in the future EU economy.
The Green Deal aims to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 and to reverse the degradation of ecosystems by 2030. The EU Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy[1] (SSMS) states that infrastructure must be adapted to climate change, less biodiversity harmful and made resilient to disasters. In line with the SSMS, it is also important that ports can provide increasing volumes of clean and decarbonised energy sources, notably renewable energy, and on a modernised grid.
Proposals are expected to address all the following aspects:
 • Identify innovative technologies, as well as results from EU-funded research, innovation and deployment projects and other technological, economic and social best practices. Consider mature technologies ready to be deployed in middle and small-sized ports across the EU contributing to the expected outcomes. Address challenges and opportunities for the implementation and/or for commercial deployment of these solutions in small and medium-sized maritime ports and inland waterway ports located throughout the EU.
• Developing strategies contributing to the expected outcomes for middle and small ports across the EU following a geographical balance, contributing to the objectives of the EU Ports Strategy.
• Design and demonstrate integrated smart energy systems and grids for port and waterborne transport operations, including energy production, storage and OPS operations, covering the needs for electrification and charging of port terminal equipment, and modes of transport connecting the port to the hinterland, such road transport, nearby industry and buildings) to make the solutions more energy- and cost-effective.
• Develop climate resilience strategies of middle and small size ports and their infrastructure, including adaptation measures to address sea-level rise, extreme weather events, and other climate-related risks, with a focus on cost-effective and scalable solutions (such as nature-based solutions), building on best practices developed in EU-funded research projects.
• Analyse how VTMIS and port community systems can be developed and exploited to their full potential, harmonizing functionalities whenever possible, paving the way to automatic shipping. Consider possible linkages to eMSW and eFTI.
• Apply digital standards and common semantics which enable the harmonisation of collection and analysis of GHG and pollutant emissions at small and medium sized TEN-T ports network.
• When developing digital solutions proposals should consider cybersecurity implications and develop solutions that assess and manage vulnerabilities in IT and OT systems, establish robust incident response plans, implement strong access control measures, network and supply chain security, in line with EU standards such as the NIS Directive and the Cybersecurity Act and with the goal of achieving resilience and redundancy.
• Explore long-term workforce requirements for zero-emission, climate-resilient, biodiversity friendly, safe and competitive port operations, ensuring continuous knowledge transfer between universities, vocational training providers and industry.
• Develop a R&I roadmap for solutions of EU and EEA ports to address the areas covered under the expected outcomes, taking into consideration 2035 as an intermediate milestone and 2050 as the final one.
• Explore, with competent authorities and stakeholders, how environmental aspects related to zero pollution and circular economy for ports as well as maritime and inland waterway vessels can be improved in an environmentally and economically sustainable way (through reception facilities, degassing facilities, OPS...), in line with the ambition expressed in i.a. NAIADES III, SUMPs, local or regional Air Quality Plans and Waste Management Plans. Collaborate with industry stakeholders and regulatory bodies to align project outcomes with EU policy objectives, particularly the Port Strategy.
• Explore cooperation between ports, as well as stronger horizontal networking, to increase the efficiency of undertakings and improve the integration of European ports.
• Evaluate the financial implications of proposed solutions and identify possible strategies and tools for financing/funding as well as business models that go beyond request of public support.
 Solutions at project level must be demonstrated in at least six medium and small-sized TEN-T ports ensuring a geographical balance, of which five are maritime ports and one inland. Not all solution must necessarily be demonstrated in all ports.
Proposals are expected to explain the contribution of their objectives, results, IP management and exploitation strategy to the EU added value creation and strategic autonomy throughout the supply and value chain, including competitiveness of the EU waterborne industry, enhancement of the EU’s R&I capacity, technological know-how capabilities and human capital, and resilience of the EU industrial and manufacturing base. Proposals are encouraged to include synergies with shipyards, equipment manufacturers and providers, including start-ups and SMEs, located and/or manufacturing in the EU and EEA.
This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on ‘Zero Emission Waterborne Transport’ (ZEWT). As such, projects resulting from this topic will be expected to report on results to the European Partnership ‘Zero Emission Waterborne Transport’ (ZEWT) in support of the monitoring of its KPIs.
Technology Readiness Level - Technology readiness level expected from completed projects
Activities are expected to achieve TRL 8 by the end of the project – see General Annex B. Activities may start at any TRL.

[1] https://transport.ec.europa.eu/document/download/be22d311-4a07-4c29-8b72-d6d255846069_en?filename=2021-mobility-strategy-and-action-plan.pdf
**conditions:** General conditions
1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout
described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.

2. Eligible Countries
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.

3. Other Eligible Conditions
If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS (other data and services may additionally be used).

In line with the “restriction on control in innovation actions in critical technology areas” delineated in General Annex B of the General Annexes, entities established in an eligible country but which are directly or indirectly controlled by China or by a legal entity established in China are not eligible to participate in the action.

Subject to restrictions for the protection of European communication networks.

described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.

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

5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds
are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.

5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes
are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.

5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement
described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants
The granting authority may, up to 4 years after the end of the action, object to a transfer of ownership or to the exclusive licensing of results, as set out in the specific provision of Annex 5.

described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Specific conditions
 Not applicable.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA):
 Application form templates — the application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System
Standard application form (HE RIA, IA)
Evaluation form templates — will be used with the necessary adaptations 
Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA) 
Guidance
HE Programme Guide 
Model Grant Agreements (MGA)
HE MGA 
HE Unit MGA 
Call-specific instructions 
Not applicable.

Additional documents:
 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
**action type:** HORIZON Innovation Actions
**budget:** 
  **budget Years Columns:** 
    - 2026
  **budget Topic Action Map:** 
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      -         **action:** HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-12 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions
        **budget Year Map:** 
          **2026:** 21000000
        **deadline Dates:** 
          - 2026-04-16
        **deadline Model:** single-stage
        **expected Grants:** 2
        **max Contribution:** 10500000
        **min Contribution:** 10500000
        **planned Opening Date:** 2025-12-18
    **112882:** 
      -         **action:** HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-13 - HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions
        **budget Year Map:** 
          **2026:** 2000000
        **deadline Dates:** 
          - 2026-04-16
        **deadline Model:** single-stage
        **expected Grants:** 1
        **max Contribution:** 2000000
        **min Contribution:** 2000000
        **planned Opening Date:** 2025-12-18
    **112883:** 
      -         **action:** HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-11 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions
        **budget Year Map:** 
          **2026:** 21000000
        **deadline Dates:** 
          - 2026-04-16
        **deadline Model:** single-stage
        **expected Grants:** 2
        **max Contribution:** 10500000
        **min Contribution:** 10500000
        **planned Opening Date:** 2025-12-18
    **112884:** 
      -         **action:** HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-01 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions
        **budget Year Map:** 
          **2026:** 68000000
        **deadline Dates:** 
          - 2026-04-16
        **deadline Model:** single-stage
        **expected Grants:** 2
        **max Contribution:** 34000000
        **min Contribution:** 34000000
        **planned Opening Date:** 2025-12-18
    **112885:** 
      -         **action:** HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-02 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions
        **budget Year Map:** 
          **2026:** 16000000
        **deadline Dates:** 
          - 2026-04-16
        **deadline Model:** single-stage
        **expected Grants:** 1
        **max Contribution:** 16000000
        **min Contribution:** 16000000
        **planned Opening Date:** 2025-12-18
    **112886:** 
      -         **action:** HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-07 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON  Research and Innovation Actions
        **budget Year Map:** 
          **2026:** 10000000
        **deadline Dates:** 
          - 2026-04-16
        **deadline Model:** single-stage
        **expected Grants:** 2
        **max Contribution:** 5000000
        **min Contribution:** 5000000
        **planned Opening Date:** 2025-12-18
**keywords:** HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-11, HORIZON-CL5-2026-05
**last synced at:** 2026-11-09T17:23:17.403+00:00

## Review record

No independent verification record is available.

## Source metadata