Horizon 2020

Offshore wind basic science and balance of plant (RIA)

The call opened the 3rd of December 2019 and it is classified as a “ RIA – Research and Innovation Action ” and the focus area is: Building a low-carbon, climate resilient future (LC). The contribution of offshore wind power to the energy mix is expected to increase significantly by 2030. Better knowledge of basic wind energy science and related areas contributes to the cost reductions required to achieve that goal.

Scope

Proposals are expected to address one or more of the following research areas for offshore, identified in the SET-Plan Implementation Plan :
1. Atmospheric multi-scale flow modelling (from meso-scale to wind farm flows);
2. Understanding and modelling key uncertainties and physical phenomena of offshore wind energy design and operation (e.g. fluid-structure, soil-structure and electro-mechanical interaction, large motion prediction, turbulence, wave modelling, mooring line behaviour);
3. High performance computing and digitalisation (e.g. data processing, machine learning and data analytics methods for implementation in data‑driven design, digital twins and control and monitoring for O&M);
4. Development and validation of models of structural damage and degradation for offshore wind turbines and/or for their components as functions of loads and environment;
5. Numerical and test methods for accurate assessment of system and component reliability when introducing new materials and technologies;
6. Other offshore balance of plant aspects related to the manufacturing, construction, installation and/or decommissioning of large-scale wind turbines.
While offshore wind must be the cornerstone of the proposal addressing any bullet point above, onshore wind may also be covered when synergies may be exploited from including both. This is just a possibility and not a requirement.
The proposals are expected to bring new technologies/models/methods to TRL 4-5 (please see part G of the General Annexes).
Proposals should lower the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE); those addressing any of the first four bullet points above should also aim to increase the market value of wind power.

Deadline

The deadline is 21 April 2020 17:00:00 Brussels time (single stage).

Project duration

The signature of grant agreement is expected maximum 8 months from the deadline for submission (Evaluation results: maximum 5 months from the deadline for submission). No maximum project duration indicated.

Financial allocation

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of between EUR 2 to 4 million would allow this challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts. The total budget expected for this call is €8million. The funding rate is equal to 100% of eligible costs of eligible costs.

Partnership

The list of eligible countries for funding can be found in Annex A5. However, some 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 2020 projects6.
Eligibility conditions for participation in RIA : At least three legal entities. Each of the three must be established in a different EU Member State or Horizon 2020 associated country. All three legal entities must be independent of each other.
Sole participants formed by several legal entities (e.g. European Research Infrastructure Consortia, European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation, central purchasing bodies) are eligible if the above-mentioned minimum conditions are satisfied by the legal entities forming together the sole participant.

More information here

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Improved Production and Maintenance Processes in Shipyards (IA)

The call opened the 3rd of December 2019 and it is classified as a “ IA – Innovation Action ” and the focus area is: Smart, green and integrated transport.

European Ship building, repair, modification and maintenance has been founded upon a technology based competitive advantage which has enabled it to build, improve and maintain the world’s most advanced ships. However, competitors are also becoming more advanced and seeking to enter European high technology markets. Europe is still a global leader for very high technology ships such as large passenger vessels, but this is a niche and competitors have a strategy to also enter these markets.

The market is particularly challenging for smaller shipyards across Europe who can be agile to develop and maintain niche products or to be integrated within smart supply chains yet do not have significant resources to undertake research and innovation. Consequently, continuous innovation is needed for the sector to remain competitive.

Scope

1. The development of innovative technologies and systems to enhance the competitiveness of production and maintenance processes within European shipbuilders and ship yards, particularly those with potential to reduce CO2 and/or other polluting emissions.
2. To identify and adress the necessary related skills development needs and strategies in order to maximise the value from innovative production technologies and practices.
3. Testing and physical demonstration of the developed technologies to at least TRL 5
4. Development of business plans and roll out strategies.
5. IPR and or other measures to reduce leakage of the developed innovations outside of Europe.
Whilst not excluding very large shipyards, an emphasis on the competitive needs of smaller and medium size shipyards across Europe would be welcome in cases where the incremental benefits from Research and Innovation maybe higher.

Deadline

The deadline is 21 April 2020 17:00:00 Brussels time (single stage)

Project duration

The signature of grant agreement is usually expected maximum 8 months from the deadline for submission. Maximum project duration not yet indicated.

Financial allocation

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of up to between EUR 4 and 6 million would allow the specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. The total budget expected for this call is €15million. The funding rate is equal to 70%. Exception: the eligible costs of non-profit beneficiaries may be reimbursed at 100%.

Partnership

The list of eligible countries for funding can be found in Annex A5. However, some 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 2020 projects6.

Eligibility conditions for participation in IA : At least three legal entities. Each of the three must be established in a different EU Member State or Horizon 2020 associated country. All three legal entities must be independent of each other.
Sole participants formed by several legal entities (e.g. European Research Infrastructure Consortia, European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation, central purchasing bodies) are eligible if the above-mentioned minimum conditions are satisfied by the legal entities forming together the sole participant.

More information here

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Under water noise mitigation and environmental (RIA)

The call opened the 3rd of December 2019 and it is classified as a “ RIA – Research and Innovation Action ” and the focus area is: Smart, green and integrated transport. Underwater noise from shipping and boats affects the behaviour and health of water organisms in rivers and at sea, including marine mammals. However, despite previous research, the environmental impacts from effects and the propagation of underwater noise at different amplitudes and frequencies remain poorly understood and largely unquantified.

All following aspects should be addressed:
1. Develop standardised methods to measure and assess the impacts from underwater noise generated by shipping and boats. Consideration should be given to the acute and cumulative effects on different water species in rivers and at sea including marine mammals.
2. Establish a stakeholder group to support methodology and standards development and its dissemination. The group should include researchers within the domain of underwater noise assessment and mitigation and other relevant actors , such as for example NGO’s, marine and waterway authorities, industry, ship owners, naval industry etc.
3. Identify, quantify and validate any negative impacts from different types and amplitudes of underwater noise from shipping and boats.
4. Propose the most effective feasible solutions to mitigate the effects of underwater noise and to establish appropriate limits.

Expected impacts include:

• To enable appropriate mitigation measures, increase understanding of the short and long term environmental impacts of underwater noise from shipping and boats.
• Identification of the most harmful underwater noise characteristics and the acute and longer term impacts on different organisms including marine mammals.
• Establishment of standards which can be widely adopted for underwater noise measurement to increase the comparability of data between research programs.
• Develop cost effective solutions to measure underwater radiated noise from shipping.
• Identification and assessment of solutions to reduce harm from underwater noise.
• Develop innovative solutions to reduce the most harmful radiated shipping noise.
• Provide a foundation for policy. Support implementation of the marine strategy framework directive

Deadline

The deadline is 21 April 2020 17:00:00 Brussels time (single stage).

Project duration

The signature of grant agreement is expected maximum 8 months from the deadline for submission (Evaluation results: maximum 5 months from the deadline for submission). No maximum project duration indicated.

Financial allocation

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of €8million would allow this challenge to be addressed appropriately. The total budget expected for this call is €8million. The funding rate is equal to 100% of eligible costs of eligible costs.

Partnership

The list of eligible countries for funding can be found in Annex A5. However, some 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 2020 projects6.
Eligibility conditions for participation in RIA : At least three legal entities. Each of the three must be established in a different EU Member State or Horizon 2020 associated country. All three legal entities must be independent of each other.
Sole participants formed by several legal entities (e.g. European Research Infrastructure Consortia, European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation, central purchasing bodies) are eligible if the above-mentioned minimum conditions are satisfied by the legal entities forming together the sole participant.

More information here

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PNR on hydrogen-based fuels solutions for passenger ships – H2020-JTI-FCH-2020

The call opened the 14th of January 2020 and it is classified as a “ RIA – Research and Innovation Action ” and the scope is to contribute to the development of a goal-based regulatory framework on the use of hydrogen and hydrogen-based alternative fuels for waterborne transport. It will identify and ensure the correct management of risks in all design and operational aspects. It will establish the relevant objectives and the functional requirements for the use of hydrogen, consistent with the provisions of SOLAS chapter II-282 for the fuel system components, installation and energy converters.

In April 2018, the International Maritime Organisation, IMO adopted an initial strategy on reduction of GHG emissions from ships (overall fleet target ≥50% CO2 reduction by 2050 compared to 2008). Alternative fuels and FC technologies can help meet these environmental and climate goals but require short and medium-term measures to become sustainable, viable and safe solutions. H2 and FC technologies are not covered nor supported by existing regulations applicable to the maritime sector, undermining the willingness of actors (in particular ship-builders and owners) to invest and develop solutions based on these technologies.

Scope

The scope of the project should therefore include:

• A review of the current regulatory framework, identifying obstacles and barriers, needs, challenges etc.;
• Technical knowledge to support the discussions for the development of a coherent regulatory framework for risk assessment and risk management of gaseous and liquid hydrogen (GH2 and LH2) and hydrogen-based alternative fuels on ships;
• A roadmap to add GH2, LH2 and hydrogen-based alternative fuels to the IGF Code in practical consistent manner e.g. referring to fuels already addressed by the Code.

With reference to the above roadmap, all the following points should be addressed from a regulatory point of view:

• Ship design and arrangements for the use of GH2, LH2 or other H2-based fuels;
• Bunkering procedures and logistic interface at port;
• Fuel storage and distribution to systems on-board;
• Materials, components and general piping design for H2 containment and handling;
• H2 power generation and management systems;
• Active and passive safety systems for fire and explosion prevention, including ventilation and exhaust systems, integrated automation, safety monitoring and control systems;
• Operational best practices, condition-based monitoring and maintenance.

As regards the technical knowledge the project should also:

• Define and validate the most appropriate science-based safety engineering and Computer Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models to support designers in minimising risk in early design stage;
• Draft guidelines for the integration of fuel cell power generation systems in the ship network;
• Define requirements for the ship interactions at port (bunkering, refilling etc.)
• To carry out these R&D activities, a strong partnership with all stakeholders is recommended: shipbuilders, ship designers, technology providers, research centres, ship operators, classification societies, experts in the production/handling /transport/bunkering of hydrogen, local authorities.

Such teamwork among all stakeholders is necessary to pave the way for a seamless cooperation at IMO level. To finalize the provisions of a dedicated chapter of the IGF Code dedicated to hydrogen, the proposal should:

• Establish a cooperation with IMO and other relevant organizations (ISO-TC197 [83], IEC TC 105 [84]) to facilitate the discussion and the uptake of the necessary provisions;
• Seek feedback from existing applications, best practices, reference from other industrial sectors, available technologies, safety procedures in design and operation, human element aspects etc.

It is expected that the project will setup an international advisory board to support the R&D activities and the continuation of the activities afterwards, interacting with the IMO throughout the process.

The project should contribute towards the activities of Mission Innovation – Hydrogen Innovation Challenge. Cooperation with entities from Hydrogen Innovation Challenge member countries, which are neither EU Member States nor Horizon 2020 Associated countries, is encouraged (see chapter 3.3 for the list of countries eligible for funding, and point G. International Cooperation).

Deadline

The deadline is 29 April 2020 17:00:00 Brussels time

Financial allocation

The FCH 2 JU considers that the proposals requesting a contribution of EUR 2.5 million, including the analysis and testing of the materials, would allow the specific challenges to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of supplementing proposals, requesting other amounts.

Partnership

Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco, EU Member States

More information here

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The Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) / FET Proactive – EIC Pathfinder – FETPROACT-EIC-05-2019

FET Proactive nurtures emerging themes, seeking to establish a critical mass of European researchers in a number of promising exploratory research topics. FET Proactive is now part of the EIC Pathfinder pilot.

FET Proactive is now part of the Enhanced European Innovation Council (EIC) Pilot specifically within the EIC Pathfinder Pilot.

Cutting edge-high-risk/ high reward research and innovation projects that aim to firmly establish the future potential of a new and promising demonstrate a new technological paradigm within a predefined scope.

In Horizon 2020, FET Proactive initiatives involve a set of complementary and collaborating projects (see first, second and third projects), building new multidisciplinary research communities and enhancing Europe’s innovation potential. In addition to research, FET Proactive activities also include:

• generating a research roadmap for the area,
• developing appropriate educational materials, and
• disseminating results to raise the general awareness of the new technology benefits.

FET Proactive consists of 3 initiatives under the topic Boosting emerging technologies:

1) Emerging paradigms and communities, to explore and consolidate a new technological direction in order to put it firmly on the map as a viable paradigm for future technology. To foster the interdisciplinary communities that are able to drive this forward, extending from the participating consortia to a wider European pool of expertise. To stimulate the emergence of a European innovation eco-system around a new technological paradigm, well beyond the world of research alone. For 2019 and 2020 there will be three subtopics each year:
• Human-Centric AI (2019)
• Implantable autonomous devices and materials (2019)
• Breakthrough zero-emissions energy generation for full decarbonization (2019)
• Future technologies for social experience (2020)
• Measuring the unmeasurable – Sub-nanoscale science for Nanometrology (2020)
• Digital twins for the life-sciences (2020)

2) EIC Transition to Innovation Activities to turn promising results from FET-funded projects into genuine technological or societal breakthrough and disruptive innovations. Since the typical researchers’ mind-set is to identify further opportunities for research, promising research results that could be the basis for breakthrough and disruptive innovation risk to remain unexploited. The challenge is to create a fertile ground for those results to mature, to a level where exploitation and investment opportunities can start to be discussed, and ultimately towards future market uptake. While recognising that this may still take further research and development, it is crucial to complement research excellence with a focus on entrepreneurial ambition and commitment at an early stage. The targeted areas in 2019 are:
• Micro-and Nano-technologies;
• Artificial Intelligence and advanced robotics;
• Technologies for the life sciences, health and treatment
• Low-carbon energy and climate change technologies;
• Interaction technologies (including virtual-, augmented- and mixed reality).

3) Environmental Intelligence – new synergies between the distant communities of environmental modelling, advanced sensor research, social sciences, and artificial intelligence can lead to radically new approaches to creating and using dynamic models of the environment, including predictive modelling and scenario testing and tracking.

The ultimate vision is to use the fusion and analysis of this rich, dynamic data coming from a variety of sensing modalities and their characteristic locations to build a deeper understanding of the socioenvironmental inter-relationships, for example, by testing and validating complex theoretical models. This topic will be called for in 2020 with two subtopics:
• New techniques for creating and using dynamic models of environmental evolution
• Radically novel approaches to resilient, reliable and environmentally responsible in-situ monitoring

Project duration

Up to 4 years

Financial allocation

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of up to EUR 4 million and with a duration of up to 4 years would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts or duration

Partnership

EU Member States, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania (Annex A of Horizon 2020 Work Programme)

More information here

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The Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) Innovation LaunchPad – FETOPEN-03-2018-2019-2020

The Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) Innovation LaunchPad aims to turn results from FET funded projects into societal or economic innovations.
The FET Innovation LaunchPad topic encourages activities such as defining a commercialisation process, market and competitiveness analysis, technology assessment, verification of innovation potential, consolidation of intellectual property rights, business case development. Proposals can include activities with, for instance, partners for technology transfer, license-takers, investors and other sources of financing, societal organisations or potential end-users.
One of the expected impacts of the Innovation LaunchPad topic is to bring about improved competitiveness of the European industry, and economy overall, by seeding future growth and the creation of jobs from EIC Pathfinder FET research results. And indeed, experience from earlier calls shows that some projects have managed to launch a spin-off! Other projects have been able to receive funding from VC funds or signed first sales with customers. Some even have recruited staff of more than 20 high-profile physicists and engineers.
Its a single-stage proposal opened the 9th of October 2019

Expected Impact

• Increased value creation from FET projects by picking up innovation opportunities.
• Improved societal and market acceptance of concrete high-potential innovations from FET projects.
• Stimulating, supporting and rewarding an open and proactive mind-set towards exploitation beyond the research world.
• Contributing to the competitiveness of European industry/economy by seeding future growth and the creation of jobs from FET research.

The following specific page limits apply. Sections 1 to 3 of the part B of the proposal should consist of a maximum of 7 A4 pages. The limits will be clearly shown in the “proposal templates” in the Funding & Tenders Portal electronic submission system. Sections that are not subject to limits will be indicated.

Proposals must build on results from an ongoing or recently finished project, funded as a result of call in any FET topic under FP7 or Horizon 2020 and clearly identified in the proposal. For a project to be considered “recently finished” in the context of this call topic its actual end date must be at most one year before the deadline for proposal submission to this topic. For a project to be considered “ongoing” in the context of this call topic the deadline for proposal submission to this topic must be within the period limited by the contractual start date and end date of the project.

Proposals must include a declaration by the coordinator of the necessary rights and ownership of results to be exploited, as described in the proposal. Applicants that are not the owner of the result to be taken up in the proposal must provide a letter from the relevant beneficiary or beneficiaries of the previous FET project that own(s) the result that confirms the existence of the necessary agreements with the coordinator of the current proposal, including on IPR.

Deadline

14 October 2020

Project duration

The Commission considers that proposals for actions no longer than 18 month

Financial allocation

Up to EUR 100.000 is available to support short actions focused on the non-scientific aspects and the early stages of turning a FET result into a genuine innovation with socio-economic impacts

Partnership

EU Member States, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania (AnnexA of Horizon 2020 Work Programme)

More information here and here

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The Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) / FET Open – EIC Pathfinder – FET-Open Challenging Current Thinking – FETOPEN-01-2018-2019-2020 (RIA)

Early-stage, science and technology research by interdisciplinary consortia exploring visionary ideas for radically new future technologies that challenge current paradigms and venture into the unknown. Open to research into any area of technology, it aims to attract new, high-potential research and innovation players.

Scope

Proposals are sought for cutting-edge high-risk / high-impact interdisciplinary research with all of the following essential characteristics (“FET gatekeepers”):
o Radical vision: the project must address a clear and radical vision, enabled by a new technology concept that challenges current paradigms. In particular, research to advance on the roadmap of a well-established technological paradigm, even if highrisk, will not be funded.
o Breakthrough technological target: the project must target a novel and ambitious science-to-technology breakthrough as a first proof of concept for its vision. In particular, blue-sky exploratory research without a clear technological objective will not be funded.
o Ambitious interdisciplinary research for achieving the technological breakthrough and that opens up new areas of investigation. In particular, projects with only low-risk incremental research, even if interdisciplinary, will not be funded.

Specific Challenge

To lay the foundations for radically new future technologies of any kind from visionary interdisciplinary collaborations that dissolve the traditional boundaries between sciences and disciplines, including the social sciences and humanities. This topic also encourages the driving role of new actors in research and innovation, including excellent young researchers, ambitious high-tech SMEs and first-time participants to FET under Horizon 2020 from across Europe.

Expected impact

o Scientific and technological contributions to the foundation of a new future technology.
o Potential for future social or economic impact or market creation.
o Building leading research and innovation capacity across Europe by involvement of key actors that can make a difference in the future, for example excellent young researchers, ambitious high-tech SMEs or first-time participants to FET under Horizon 2020

Project duration

Up to 4 years

Deadline

03 June 2020

Financial allocation

The total indicative budget for the FET-Open topic FETOPEN-01-2018-2019-2020 is EUR
641.20 million. For cut-off date 13/05/2020 196.20 million

Partnership

EU Member States, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania (AnnexA of Horizon 2020 Work Programme)

More information here

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Building a low-carbon, climate resilient future: secure, clean and efficient energy -H2020-LC-SC3-2018-2019-2020; Renewable energy solutions at the district level and for industrial processes – LC-SC3-RES-10-2020

This call includes the contribution of the Horizon 2020 Societal Challenge “Secure, clean and efficient energy” to the focus area “Building a low-carbon, climate resilient future” which underpins the goals of the Paris Agreement and the “Clean Energy for all European” package, including the Communication “Accelerating Clean Energy Innovation” (COM (2016) 736) and the SET-Plan priorities, with concrete R&I actions focussing on the accelerated transformation of the energy system, and other sectors, towards carbon neutrality and climate resilience. Activities also fully contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals and the Horizon 2020 spending targets on Sustainable Development and climate action.

Achieving climate neutrality in the energy sector – while ensuring at the same time a more efficient energy use, a secure supply of energy, affordable prices and low environmental impact – is a complex endeavour which requires R&I activities on multiple fronts. Activities supported in this call should deliver:

• on the supply side, cheaper and more performant generation technologies (e.g. renewable energy technologies) which are better integrated in various levels of the energy system;
• a smarter, more flexible and resilient energy system (including affordable and integrated energy storage solutions), taking into account current and future climate change adverse impacts;
• on the demand side, increased overall energy efficiency (e.g. in the EU’s building stock) and provision of means to enable consumers to play a more active role in the energy transition;
• a better understanding of the specific socio-economic contexts in which the energy transition takes place which will allow to address obstacles in a more effective way;
• increased market-uptake of innovations, including the implementation of energy policy, the preparation for rolling-out investments, and the support for capacity-building.

Specific Challenge

With the transition to a decentralised and decarbonised energy system, digital smart technologies will be playing an increasingly important role. Not only that they will enable buildings and equipment in buildings to become interactive elements by optimising energy consumption, distributed generation and storage in the home and vis-à-vis the energy system. They will also trigger new business opportunities and revenue streams for up-graded, innovative energy services which valorise energy savings and flexible consumption. This call supports both technology and business development and test it in real market & regulatory conditions to pave the way towards the uptake of innovative energy services enabled by energy decarbonisation, decentralisation and digitalisation. That way, active consumers will not only be able to benefit from cost reductions but also from a bigger variety of services that bring along a more comfortable, convenient and healthier living environment.

This call includes 4 lines of interventions:

• breakthrough technology development,
• renewable energy solutions for implementation at consumer scale (encompassing generation of energy in all its form, starting from electricity only generation to also encompass combined heating and cooling solutions, from domestic to industrial and district scale),
• renewable energy solutions for implementation at the energy system level (oriented to reduce the costs of electricity generated, to optimise system operation and improve processes and components manufacturing, to provide flexibility to the system), and
• renewable fuels for transport (aiming both feedstock and process improvements and supporting road, aviation and shipping sectors in particular)

Deadline

The deadline is 21 April 2020 17:00:00 Brussels time

Financial allocation

15M EURO

Partnership

Eligible participants: EU Member States, Algeria and Morocco
The buyers group must contain minimum two legal entities which are public procurers that are established in two different Member States or associated countries. Both legal entities must be independent of each other.

Actions in this area aim to produce solutions to support the worldwide large-scale deployment of renewable energy, its broader penetration in the energy and transport mix to significantly contribute to the decarbonisation of the global economy of the future. Actions will make renewable energy solutions in the broader sense (i.e. including the use of the renewable source and all the features needed for performing in a complex and integrated energy system) cost competitive with their fossil equivalents, allowing them to participate in the energy and transport markets on a level playing field. They will support the transition to a decentralized energy system where the citizens are empowered to take an active role and become prosumers.

More information here

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