Funding for freight transport

Marco Polo was launched in December 2006, with a budget of €450 million for the period 2007/2013, the second Marco Polo programme, as its predecessor, contributes to an efficient and sustainable transport system by backing commercial undertakings which set up intermodal – rail, sea and road – freight transport services.
Support goes to firms to enable them to offer more environmentally sustainable services in international freight transport markets. The emphasis is on services, as Marco Polo does not support research projects or the development of core infrastructure.

Marco Polo support may be given for three main types of actions: Modal shift actions: to provide aid to start up services. Projects should be robust, but not necessarily innovative: aiming simply to shift freight off roads; Catalyst actions: aim to overcome structural barriers in the market. Projects should be highly innovative, aiming to achieve a real breakthrough and aim to improve cooperation and sharing of know-how. Objective is mutual training to help cope with an increasingly complex transport and logistics market; Traffic avoidance actions: aim to integrate transport into production logistics to avoid a large percentage of freight transport by road.

Marco Polo support is open to commercial undertakings only. Projects must demonstrate a European dimension to be eligible for support. They should cover an international route, involving EU territory and that of ‘close third countries'.

Proposals can only be submitted in response to an annual call published in the EU's Official Journal. The Marco Polo website gives indicative dates for forthcoming calls and full information.

Subsidy calculations are always based on the route the truck would have taken, if the freight had not been shifted to an alternative mode of transport (ship, rail or a combination of ship and rail).

Only projects concerning freight transport services may be supported by the Marco Polo programme. Infrastructure projects, RTD and study projects are not eligible for support.
Only commercial undertakings are eligible to participate, but administrations may be up to 100 % owners of participating commercial undertakings.

The 2009 Call for Proposals will be published late January 2009 and will remain open until the end of April 2009.

For more information please contact Abigail Mamo at GRTU offices.