CMA CGM has decided to make a commitment to the ecological transition by creating a pioneering €200 million endowment fund, managed by Bpifrance, to support the decarbonisation of the French shipping industry. The main aim of this unique initiative is to accelerate the decarbonisation of the maritime sector, reduce energy expenditure by ships, cut greenhouse gas emissions and improve the overall environmental footprint. The project must be led by a company of any size registered in France.

The projects must address specific themes to guarantee innovative solutions.

The projects submitted must fit into at least one of the four defined areas, i.e. the integration of new equipment or technological solutions to improve energy performance, the development of decarbonised ship concepts, the creation of technological building blocks ranging from research and development to demonstrators, and the extension of industrial sites to promote decarbonisation. These themes aim to cover all fleet segments and achieve significant gains in terms of emissions. The call for projects is open to all companies and research laboratories working in one of the areas described above. These projects can be carried out individually (total expenditure expected to exceed €750,000 excluding VAT) or by a consortium consisting of a lead company (total expenditure expected to exceed €2 million excluding VAT), which brings together industrial partners of all sizes and/or research partners (maximum 5 partners). The inclusion of non-funded French or even European partners may be accepted as a complement or synergy, provided that it can be demonstrated that such inclusion strengthens the position of the project leader(s).

A selection process based on rigorous criteria to ensure the quality of the projects funded.

Projects must meet strict eligibility criteria, including the need to present an improvement on the existing situation and to include an innovation component. Projects are selected on the basis of their technical performance, environmental impact, economic viability and capacity for innovation, ensuring that only the most promising projects receive support.

The costs eligible for funding are research, development and innovation costs (personnel costs, studies, instruments and equipment) as well as investment costs. For decarbonised vessel projects or the integration of new equipment, only the additional cost of the equipment or vessel compared with a carbon-based solution will be taken into account in an application for aid;

Project implementation and monitoring are essential to ensure that the funds allocated are used effectively.

Each beneficiary will sign a contract with Bpifrance specifying the use of funds and the timetable for completion. A dashboard is set up to monitor the technical, industrial and financial progress of the projects, with regular progress reports. The funds are released in tranches, depending on the progress of the project and the criteria defined in the contract, thus ensuring an efficient allocation of resources and rigorous monitoring of the impact of the projects on the decarbonisation of the maritime sector.