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Strategic Analysis
A winning proposal must build an end-to-end AI-driven multimodal resilience framework combining generative AI (for synthetic disruption scenario libraries and rapid contingency response drafting) and discriminative AI (for real-time anomaly detection, predictive maintenance, and delay forecasting). Proposals must validate solutions across at least three pilot sites in different EU Member States, each integrating a minimum of three distinct transport modes across urban, suburban, and long-distance corridors while quantitatively hitting the ≥20% delay reduction and ≥40% response dissemination acceleration targets.
TRL 4 → 7
Development and implementation of measures to enhance the resilience of urban, sub-urban and long-distance transport systems.
Leveraging digital technologies (e.g. big data, digital twins) and in particular generative and discriminative AI for anticipating and predicting the evolution of disruptions and their impacts, with real-time planning and information systems for minimizing impact and enabling faster recovery.
Use of innovative technologies for data acquisition and integrate data from various sources to inform decision-making and optimise strategies, and generate scenario libraries for different disruptive events and monitor the implementation of the response plans
Involve authorities and operators in the design process to create holistic solutions that are user-friendly and aligned with their needs.
Conducting safety and security assessments in data interpretation, ensuring decisions are based on objective factors while avoiding biases.
Test and validate the aspects above in real-life use cases in multimodal transport corridor within urban, sub-urban and long-distance passenger transport with minimum three transport modes per use cases (e.g. buses, metros, trams, trains, coaches, trolleybuses, ferries, share mobility) in at least three pilot sites situated in different Member States and reflecting a diversity of operational, geographic, and technological contexts.
Development of systems that utilize real-time data analytics to dynamically respond to disruptions, allowing transport and infrastructure operators to adjust operations swiftly and efficiently;
Development of predictive maintenance strategies applying innovative Generative AI solutions and utilizing other digital technologies to anticipate and prevent infrastructure and equipment failures;
Development of guidelines and tools to support passenger transport operators and authorities to ensure minimal disruption in unexpected and critical situations and organise real life emergency simulations;
Deployment of training programme for transport and infrastructure operators on how to handle transport disruption, including tools and catalogue with contingency planning for specific transport disruptions;
Reduction of average passenger delay at corridor level (at least 20%) during planned disruptions, compared to the baseline and of (at least 40%) time needed from the generation to the dissemination of a response plan to different stakeholders (e.g. transport operators, passengers, citizens) during unplanned and critical events, compared to the baseline.
Improved mobility for people and goods in all weather conditions, ensuring safe, shared, inclusive, affordable, attractive, and accessible door-to-door mobility, for private and public transport in mixed traffic and confined areas, as well as open roads.
Seamless integration of CCAM solutions into existing transport ecosystems to ensure interoperability, promote multimodality, enhance traffic safety, catering to diverse user needs and behaviours.
Resilient, climate-neutral, and sustainable mobility solutions with reduced carbon footprints, resulting in greener, less congested, cost-effective, and demand-responsive transport systems.
Increased competitiveness of the transport system using secure and hyper-advanced technologies such as real-time perception, situational awareness, and decision-making systems, based on trustworthy Artificial Intelligence (including Edge and Generative AI), satellite navigation, smart traffic management, and tools for software development for CCAM applications.
Enhanced resilience of transport networks through improved operational efficiency for both passenger and intermodal freight transport, future-proofed mobility systems supporting EU competitiveness while ensuring affordable and accessible transport for all passengers.
Drastic reduction in road fatalities for all types of users, especially on rural areas
Improved resilience of the public transport system via the use of AI
Advanced technologies and methods for improved reliability in complex environments for aviation
EU Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy
highThe Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy lays the foundation for the EU transport sector to achieve its green and digital transformation in line with the European Green Deal. It sets ambitious milestones to cut transport emissions by 90% by 2050 through multimodal integration, automated mobility, and digitalized transport systems.
Evaluators expect proposals to demonstrate how digital tools and AI-driven solutions enhance the resilience, seamlessness, and sustainability of multimodal transport networks. Proposals should clearly connect operational use cases to the strategy's broader targets for passenger modal shift and smart mobility management.
European mobility data space (EMDS)
highThe European Mobility Data Space (EMDS) is a strategic EU initiative to facilitate the secure access, pooling, and sharing of transport and mobility data across public and private actors. It aims to foster interoperability and common standards to support cross-border mobility services, traffic management, and data-driven innovation.
Evaluators expect proposals utilizing AI and digital technologies for multimodal transport to demonstrate interoperability and alignment with EMDS governance, architecture, and data-sharing frameworks, ensuring that data pipelines and shared datasets comply with emerging European common data space specifications.
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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.
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).
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.
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.
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 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 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 critically examine the operational reality of the cross-border pilots and whether the consortium includes active transport authorities and multimodal operators to ensure real data integration (EMDS-aligned) and user adoption. They will check for strict compliance with the quantifiable targets in @EO5, assess whether both generative and discriminative AI are genuinely deployed (avoiding AI-washing), verify AI bias mitigation and safety/security assessments (@SC5), and ensure mandatory integration of EU space data (Galileo/EGNOS/Copernicus).
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 | |||
| SC1Development and implementation of measures to enhance the resilience of urban, sub-urban and long-distance transport systems. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC2Leveraging digital technologies (e.g. big data, digital twins) and in particular generative and discriminative AI for anticipating and predicting the evolution of disruptions and their impacts, with real-time planning and information systems for minimizing impact and enabling faster recovery. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC3Use of innovative technologies for data acquisition and integrate data from various sources to inform decision-making and optimise strategies, and generate scenario libraries for different disruptive events and monitor the implementation of the response plans | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC4Involve authorities and operators in the design process to create holistic solutions that are user-friendly and aligned with their needs. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC5Conducting safety and security assessments in data interpretation, ensuring decisions are based on objective factors while avoiding biases. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC6Test and validate the aspects above in real-life use cases in multimodal transport corridor within urban, sub-urban and long-distance passenger transport with minimum three transport modes per use cases (e.g. buses, metros, trams, trains, coaches, trolleybuses, ferries, share mobility) in at least three pilot sites situated in different Member States and reflecting a diversity of operational, geographic, and technological contexts. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Expected outcomes | |||
| EO1Development of systems that utilize real-time data analytics to dynamically respond to disruptions, allowing transport and infrastructure operators to adjust operations swiftly and efficiently; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO2Development of predictive maintenance strategies applying innovative Generative AI solutions and utilizing other digital technologies to anticipate and prevent infrastructure and equipment failures; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO3Development of guidelines and tools to support passenger transport operators and authorities to ensure minimal disruption in unexpected and critical situations and organise real life emergency simulations; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO4Deployment of training programme for transport and infrastructure operators on how to handle transport disruption, including tools and catalogue with contingency planning for specific transport disruptions; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO5Reduction of average passenger delay at corridor level (at least 20%) during planned disruptions, compared to the baseline and of (at least 40%) time needed from the generation to the dissemination of a response plan to different stakeholders (e.g. transport operators, passengers, citizens) during unplanned and critical events, compared to the baseline. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Other requirements | |||
| REQ1Involvement of authorities and operators in design processInvolve authorities and operators in the design process to create holistic solutions that are user-friendly and aligned with their needs. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| REQ2Synergies with previous calls on resilience and transport managementProposals are encouraged to build on results from previous calls on infrastructure and transport resilience (e.g. HORIZON-CL5-2024-D6-01-11, MG-7-1-2017, HORIZON-CL5-2021-D6-01-09), multimodal traffic management (e.g. HORIZON-CL5-2022-D6-02-05, MG-2-11-2020), and shared mobility and public transport (e.g. HORIZON-CL5-2022-D6-02-04, HORIZON-MISS-2021-CIT-02-02). | · | · | Sign up to track |
| REQ3Adherence to FAIR data principlesParticular efforts should be made to ensure that the data produced in the context of this topic is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable). | · | · | Sign up to track |
| REQ4Mandatory use of Copernicus and Galileo/EGNOS space dataIf 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. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Expected impacts | |||
| EI1Improved mobility for people and goods in all weather conditions, ensuring safe, shared, inclusive, affordable, attractive, and accessible door-to-door mobility, for private and public transport in mixed traffic and confined areas, as well as open roads. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI2Seamless integration of CCAM solutions into existing transport ecosystems to ensure interoperability, promote multimodality, enhance traffic safety, catering to diverse user needs and behaviours. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI3Resilient, climate-neutral, and sustainable mobility solutions with reduced carbon footprints, resulting in greener, less congested, cost-effective, and demand-responsive transport systems. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI4Increased competitiveness of the transport system using secure and hyper-advanced technologies such as real-time perception, situational awareness, and decision-making systems, based on trustworthy Artificial Intelligence (including Edge and Generative AI), satellite navigation, smart traffic management, and tools for software development for CCAM applications. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI5Enhanced resilience of transport networks through improved operational efficiency for both passenger and intermodal freight transport, future-proofed mobility systems supporting EU competitiveness while ensuring affordable and accessible transport for all passengers. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI6Drastic reduction in road fatalities for all types of users, especially on rural areas | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI7Improved resilience of the public transport system via the use of AI | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI8Advanced technologies and methods for improved reliability in complex environments for aviation | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Underlying policies | |||
| POL1sustainable and smart mobility strategyThe Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy lays the foundation for the EU transport sector to achieve its green and digital transformation in line with the European Green Deal. It sets ambitious milestones to cut transport emissions by 90% by 2050 through multimodal integration, automated mobility, and digitalized transport systems. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| POL2european mobility data spaceThe European Mobility Data Space (EMDS) is a strategic EU initiative to facilitate the secure access, pooling, and sharing of transport and mobility data across public and private actors. It aims to foster interoperability and common standards to support cross-border mobility services, traffic management, and data-driven innovation. | · | · | Sign up to track |
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).
5 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.
Proposals must validate solutions across at least three pilot sites in different EU Member States, and crucially, each site must integrate a minimum of three distinct transport modes. A consortium that fails to secure active operational partners for three distinct modes (e.g., rail, bus, ferry) per pilot site will fail the scope requirements.
Source: Scope
Evaluators are instructed to check for strict compliance with specific performance metrics: a ≥20% reduction in passenger delay and a ≥40% acceleration in response dissemination. Proposals that treat these as aspirational rather than providing a concrete, validated methodology to measure and achieve them will be penalized during scoring.
Source: Evaluation_pre_award
The technical architecture must genuinely deploy both generative AI (for scenario libraries and response drafting) and discriminative AI (for anomaly detection). Evaluators will actively screen for AI-washing and require explicit, rigorous frameworks for AI bias mitigation and safety/security assessments.
Source: Evaluation_pre_award
The use of satellite-based data is not optional. Proposals must explicitly integrate Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS services into their data acquisition and real-time planning systems. Failing to embed these specific EU space services will trigger an eligibility or evaluation rejection.
Source: Eligibility
This call uses a lump sum funding model. Financial execution is entirely dependent on the completion of work packages. The consortium must structure the pilot validations and AI deployment milestones so that the largest lump sum installments align with achievable, verifiable deliverables rather than open-ended research tasks.
Source: Eligibility
Talk to the Grant Coach to build your concept. There is no set order: start wherever your project starts. The sections below mirror what the conversation produces, and your coverage tracks the progress. You can refine everything once your project workspace is created.
The problems this call frames, and who they affect. Your concept and plan address them.
Lack of unified real-time data exchange across distinct transport modes (rail, bus, urban transit) leads to slow response dissemination during unplanned disruptions, causing cascading passenger delays across entire corridors.
Operators rely on scheduled or reactive maintenance rather than generative/discriminative AI predictive failure anticipation, leading to avoidable breakdown-induced network paralysis.
During severe disruption events, travelers face prolonged delays and contradictory information due to lack of dynamic rerouting across alternative combined transport modes.
Regional and urban transport authorities, rail infrastructure managers, and traffic management centers responsible for network-wide coordination and crisis management.
Public and private operators of rail, metro, tram, bus, ferry, coach, and shared mobility fleets managing rolling stock maintenance and service delivery.
Daily commuters and long-distance travelers relying on timely information, reduced disruption delays, and seamless multimodal passenger transfers.
Academic researchers, AI developers, and transport engineering institutes advancing trustworthy AI, digital twins, and resilient mobility systems.
Bodies shaping the European Mobility Data Space (EMDS), CCAM guidelines, and EU Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy implementations.
The long-term impacts your project should drive, and the policies they serve.
Substantially reduces passenger journey delays and downtime through dynamic AI-driven contingency execution and real-time cross-modal coordination.
Fosters shift to reliable shared public transport corridors by minimizing bottlenecks, mitigating urban greenhouse gas emissions and transit disruption spikes.
Delivers unbiased, robust AI decision support frameworks and safety-certified training programs adopted across European transport authorities.