Marco Polo European Programme

Call for proposals

The general objectives of the MARCO POLO European Programme is reduce road congestion resulting from freight traffic with a view of improving the environmental performance of the transport system and enhancing intermodal transport, thereby contributing to a more efficient and sustainable transport system which will provide EU added value without having a negative impact on economic, social or territorial cohesion. It is specifically intended to help cover initial stage losses resulting from freight transport in new or enhanced intermodal services or resulting from freight traffic avoidance actions.

Eligible Participants within this MARCO POLO European Programme’s call for proposal must be legal entities established in:

• EU Member States
• EFTA Countries
• EEA countries
• Candidate countries

There are 5 kind of eligible actions that can be funded within this MARCO POLO European Programme’s call for proposal:

 

1. Modal shift actions, which focus on shifting as much freight as economically meaningful under current market conditions from road to short sea shipping, rail or/and inland waterways.
2. Catalyst actions, change the way non-road freight transport is conducted in the  European Union. Under this type of action, structural market barriersin European freight transport are overcome through a highly innovative concept: causing a real break-through.
3. Motorways of the sea actions, offering an integrated service, which shifts freight from long road distances to a combination of short sea shipping and other modes of transport.
4. Traffic avoidance actions, integrating transport into production logistics: reducing freight transport demand by road with a directimpact on emissions.
5. Common learning actions, enhance knowledge in the freight transport and logistics sector and foster advanced methods and procedures of co-operation in the freight market, with an overall objective of promoting intermodal solutionsaiming at achieving modal shift or traffic avoidance of the EU grant.

 

The total budget available for this MARCO POLO European Programme’s call for proposal amounts to € 66.7 million. The European contribution will cover a maximum of 35 % to 50% of eligible costs, depending of the action which is put in practice.

 

The deadline for submitting proposals in the framework of the current Call for Proposals of the MARCO POLO European Programme is 23 August 2013.

 

Further information on the current Call for Proposals of the MARCO POLO European Programme is available at:

http://ec.europa.eu/transport/marcopolo/getting-funds/application-packs/2013/index_en.htm