Enhancing Mobility for All: affordable, reliable, and accessible multimodal transport for inclusive rural and urban connectivity – Societal Readiness pilot

Overview

Supports the development and piloting of affordable, reliable, and accessible multimodal transport solutions to improve rural and urban connectivity for vulnerable populations. Targets local authorities, transport operators, and consortia addressing transport poverty through community-driven innovations.

Who Can Apply

Consortia including rural/local/regional public authorities, transport authorities, research institutions, civil society organizations, and private entities. At least four pilot sites across eligible EU and Associated Countries must be involved, with public authorities as beneficiaries.

Funding Details

Maximum grant amount: €7,000,000. Funding is provided as a lump sum.

What Is Funded

• Strategies and best practices to enhance availability, accessibility, and affordability of rural-urban transport.
• Integrated multimodal solutions improving first- and last-mile connectivity, with a focus on vulnerable and low-income households.
• Pilot demonstrations in at least four geographically diverse EU/Associated Countries, addressing transport poverty and gender disparities.
• Implementation plans and roadmaps for scaling solutions, developed in collaboration with local authorities and transport operators.
• Active engagement with the European Rural Mobility Network (ERMN) and coordination under the CIVITAS initiative.

Technology / Maturity Requirements

Technology Readiness Level (TRL): 4–6. Solutions must utilize Galileo for positioning, navigation, and timing services where applicable.

Key Dates

Deadline: 2027-10-06T22:00:00Z

Application Process (High-Level)

Single-stage submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal. Proposals must include a detailed work plan, pilot site descriptions, and collaboration provisions for cross-project coordination.

Post-Award Obligations

• Active collaboration with other selected projects for dissemination, evaluation, and coordination.
• Reporting on pilot outcomes, implementation plans, and societal readiness metrics.
• Compliance with lump-sum funding rules and potential restrictions on ownership transfers or exclusive licensing of results for up to four years post-project.

Geographic Scope & Language

Eligible countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, United Kingdom, Switzerland. Application language: English.

Notes

• Proposals must address all specified outcomes, including behavioral change toward sustainable mobility.
• Digital platform development is excluded.
• SSH expertise is required to support societal readiness and inclusive transport system design.
• Community-driven pilots must involve local authorities and transport operators as beneficiaries.