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Strategic Analysis
A winning proposal for this Societal Readiness Pilot must position Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) expertise as a core design driver rather than a secondary validation layer. The strategic angle lies in integrating human-centric AI and real-time in-cabin monitoring to eliminate mode confusion during hand-over/take-over transitions, directly operationalising societal readiness principles across diverse user demographics.
TRL 4 → 8
Based on programme defaults
Proposals should follow the instructions applying to the Societal readiness pilot, as described in the introduction of the Horizon Europe Main Work Programme 2025 for Climate, Energy and Mobility. They entail the use of an interdisciplinary approach to deepening consideration and responsiveness of research and innovation activities to societal needs and concerns.
This topic requires effective contribution of the relevant social sciences and humanities (SSH) expertise, including the involvement of SSH experts in the consortium, to meaningfully support Societal Readiness. Specifically, SSH expertise is expected to facilitate the socio-technological interface and enable the design of project objectives with Societal Readiness related activities.
Increased understanding of the synergies between driver and driving assistance systems capabilities and implementation of tailored, “self-learning” Human-Technology Interaction (HTI) strategies in order to improve road safety;
Avoidance of crashes related to mode confusion during the use of driver’s assist, the hand-over and take-over phase;
Advanced standardisable assessment tools and methods for improved HTI;
Development of training methods for new and experienced drivers with respect to the evolving technologies;
Responsiveness to a deeper understanding of the needs and concerns of diverse social groups involved in or potentially affected by the research and innovation (R&I) development, thereby increasing the potential for beneficial societal uptake, and building trust in results and outcomes.
Safe, inclusive, affordable, attractive and accessible door-to-door (incl. shared) mobility for people and goods, including freight services and last-mile deliveries, in all weather conditions, seamlessly integrated with various transportation modes to ensure interoperability and full integration of CCAM solutions into the existing transport ecosystem;
Resilient, climate neutral, and sustainable mobility solutions with a reduced carbon footprint leading to greener, less congested, cost-effective and more demand-responsive transport everywhere;
Smart mobility services based on user-centric and explainable technologies and services, including digital technologies, advanced satellite navigation services, and smart traffic management (AI enabled when appropriate), considering the diverse needs and behaviours of categories of end-users;
Improvement of road safety thanks to the progressive transition of road traffic towards automation and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).
Advanced knowledge base and solutions for climate neutral and resilient infrastructure;
More efficient, sustainable, safe and competitive infrastructure construction, maintenance, inspection and monitoring in a “whole life cycle” approach;
Existing and new transport infrastructure is designed/adapted to support deployment of new technologies and fuels in view of improving its performance, user experience and safety, support seamless and efficient multimodality and limit transport related emissions;
Reduced emissions and increased efficiency and competitiveness of long-haul and regional freight transport and logistics, including the supply chain optimisation.
Drastic reduction in serious injuries and fatalities in road crashes involving cyclists, pedestrians and users of micro-mobility devices;
Predictive framework is established using AI and big data for transport safety;
Optimised Human-technology interaction that minimises confusion, distraction and thus collision risks;
Enhanced aviation safety under adverse weather conditions.
No EU policy alignment identified for this call.
Specific requirements
EU space data infrastructures
If the project uses satellite-based Earth observation, positioning, navigation or timing data/services, beneficiaries must use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS. Other sources may be added but not substitute EU infrastructures.
Civil applications only
Horizon Europe funds exclusively civil applications. Research with exclusive military or dual-use application is excluded.
Gender Equality Plan
Having a Gender Equality Plan (GEP) is an eligibility criterion for public bodies, research organisations, and higher education institutions from Member States and Associated Countries.
Open Science
Mandatory open access to peer-reviewed scientific publications and responsible management of research data (FAIR principles, DMP required).
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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.
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.
The following exceptions apply: subject to restrictions for the protection of European communication networks.
described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025). [[This decision is available on the Funding and Tenders Portal, in the reference documents section for Horizon Europe, under ‘Simplified costs decisions’ or through this link: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/ls-decision_he_en.pdf]].
described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Not applicable.
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
Model Grant Agreements (MGA)
Call-specific instructions
Guidance: "Lump sums - what do I need to know?"
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 8. Climate, Energy and Mobility
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 14. General Annexes
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
Evaluators will strictly assess compliance with the Societal Readiness Pilot requirements, paying close attention to genuine interdisciplinary collaboration between technical engineers and SSH researchers. They will prioritize proposals that present standardized assessment methodologies for @EO3, concrete approaches to eliminate mode confusion in Level 2+/3 automation (@EO2), and actionable training frameworks (@EO4) validated across inclusive user groups (@EO5).
Everything the call asks for, seen from the call's point of view. Each line shows what answers it, and which partner carries it.
This matrix lists everything the call asks for: outcomes, impacts, scope, the requirements buried in the call text, and policy alignment. Sign up free and GrantForge tracks each line against the concept you build.
| Requirement | Covered by | Carried | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope activities | |||
| SC1Proposals should follow the instructions applying to the Societal readiness pilot, as described in the introduction of the Horizon Europe Main Work Programme 2025 for Climate, Energy and Mobility. They entail the use of an interdisciplinary approach to deepening consideration and responsiveness of research and innovation activities to societal needs and concerns. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC2This topic requires effective contribution of the relevant social sciences and humanities (SSH) expertise, including the involvement of SSH experts in the consortium, to meaningfully support Societal Readiness. Specifically, SSH expertise is expected to facilitate the socio-technological interface and enable the design of project objectives with Societal Readiness related activities. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Expected outcomes | |||
| EO1Increased understanding of the synergies between driver and driving assistance systems capabilities and implementation of tailored, “self-learning” Human-Technology Interaction (HTI) strategies in order to improve road safety; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO2Avoidance of crashes related to mode confusion during the use of driver’s assist, the hand-over and take-over phase; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO3Advanced standardisable assessment tools and methods for improved HTI; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO4Development of training methods for new and experienced drivers with respect to the evolving technologies; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO5Responsiveness to a deeper understanding of the needs and concerns of diverse social groups involved in or potentially affected by the research and innovation (R&I) development, thereby increasing the potential for beneficial societal uptake, and building trust in results and outcomes. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Other requirements | |||
| REQ1Interdisciplinary SSH Expertise and Consortium InvolvementProposals must follow Societal Readiness Pilot guidelines, requiring an interdisciplinary approach and meaningful involvement of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) experts within the consortium to facilitate the socio-technological interface. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| REQ2Gender Dimension IntegrationProposals are expected to explicitly consider the gender dimension when addressing the needs and behaviors of diverse driver groups. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| REQ3Inclusion of Specific Target Driver PopulationsProposals must address use cases involving specific vulnerable or distinct driver populations, including elderly drivers, young/inexperienced drivers, and professional drivers handling multi-tasking demands. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| REQ4Cross-Sectoral Synergies with Other Transport ModesProposals should investigate cross-fertilisation opportunities with other transport modes (e.g., aviation) regarding software/hardware upgrade management with minimal user disruption. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Expected impacts | |||
| EI1Safe, inclusive, affordable, attractive and accessible door-to-door (incl. shared) mobility for people and goods, including freight services and last-mile deliveries, in all weather conditions, seamlessly integrated with various transportation modes to ensure interoperability and full integration of CCAM solutions into the existing transport ecosystem; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI2Resilient, climate neutral, and sustainable mobility solutions with a reduced carbon footprint leading to greener, less congested, cost-effective and more demand-responsive transport everywhere; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI3Smart mobility services based on user-centric and explainable technologies and services, including digital technologies, advanced satellite navigation services, and smart traffic management (AI enabled when appropriate), considering the diverse needs and behaviours of categories of end-users; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI4Improvement of road safety thanks to the progressive transition of road traffic towards automation and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI5Advanced knowledge base and solutions for climate neutral and resilient infrastructure; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI6More efficient, sustainable, safe and competitive infrastructure construction, maintenance, inspection and monitoring in a “whole life cycle” approach; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI7Existing and new transport infrastructure is designed/adapted to support deployment of new technologies and fuels in view of improving its performance, user experience and safety, support seamless and efficient multimodality and limit transport related emissions; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI8Reduced emissions and increased efficiency and competitiveness of long-haul and regional freight transport and logistics, including the supply chain optimisation. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI9Drastic reduction in serious injuries and fatalities in road crashes involving cyclists, pedestrians and users of micro-mobility devices; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI10Predictive framework is established using AI and big data for transport safety; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI11Optimised Human-technology interaction that minimises confusion, distraction and thus collision risks; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI12Enhanced aviation safety under adverse weather conditions. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Underlying policies | |||
| No underlying policies in this call. | |||
The binding rules of this call. Items marked auto are verified by GrantForge from the call and the template. The others are yours to confirm.
LMIC entities auto-eligible
Low/middle-income country entities are automatically eligible for funding.
EU space data infrastructures
If the project uses satellite-based Earth observation, positioning, navigation or timing data/services, beneficiaries must use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS. Other sources may be added but not substitute EU infrastructures.
Civil applications only
Horizon Europe funds exclusively civil applications. Research with exclusive military or dual-use application is excluded.
Gender Equality Plan
Having a Gender Equality Plan (GEP) is an eligibility criterion for public bodies, research organisations, and higher education institutions from Member States and Associated Countries.
Open Science
Mandatory open access to peer-reviewed scientific publications and responsible management of research data (FAIR principles, DMP required).
4 key insights you must internalise before writing. Each is grounded in the call text and tells you what evaluators will actually look for. Share these with your consortium before drafting.
Because this call is a designated Societal Readiness Pilot, treating Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) as a secondary validation layer will result in severe scoring penalties. Evaluators are explicitly instructed to strictly assess genuine interdisciplinary collaboration, meaning SSH experts must be embedded as core consortium partners driving the early-stage design of the HTI systems, not just conducting post-development surveys.
Source: Evaluation criteria (pre-award)
The scope explicitly mandates addressing use cases for elderly, young/inexperienced, and professional drivers, while also integrating the gender dimension. A proposal that relies on a generic or average user testing pool will fail to meet the core operational design domain requirements. Your validation framework must explicitly recruit and segment these specific populations to test cognitive load and mode confusion.
Source: Scope
Evaluators will prioritize proposals that present concrete, standardized assessment methodologies for Human-Technology Interaction (HTI). This means the project cannot stop at prototype validation; it must deliver tools ready for adoption by regulatory or standardisation bodies. Including partners with direct links to standardisation entities will strongly position the proposal to achieve this expected outcome.
Source: Evaluation criteria (pre-award)
This call uses a lump sum funding model, meaning financial payouts are strictly tied to the full completion of work packages. You must carefully architect your work packages to avoid bottlenecking payments behind long-term validation trials. Ensure that intermediate milestones, such as the delivery of the standardisable assessment tools or training frameworks, trigger their own work package closures to maintain consortium cash flow.
Source: Eligibility rules
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