Bpifrance’s Maritime Decarbonization Fund

Overview

Bpifrance’s Maritime Decarbonization Fund is a French public investment initiative aimed at accelerating the decarbonization of the maritime industry. The fund was established in partnership with CMA CGM, a French shipping company, which contributed €200 million to the initiative. The fund is managed by Bpifrance, the French national investment bank, and is designed to support projects that reduce carbon emissions in the maritime sector. The fund focuses on financing projects that address specific themes to guarantee innovative solutions. These themes include the integration of new equipment or technological solutions to improve energy performance, the development of decarbonized ship concepts, the creation of technological building blocks ranging from research and development to demonstrators, and the extension of industrial sites to promote decarbonization. The fund is open to all companies and research laboratories working in these areas, with projects expected to have a total expenditure exceeding €750,000 excluding VAT for individual applications or €2 million excluding VAT for consortiums. Each beneficiary signs 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, ensuring an efficient allocation of resources and rigorous monitoring of the impact of the projects on the decarbonization of the maritime sector.

Investment Focus

• Projects must address specific themes to guarantee innovative solutions
• 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 based on their technical performance, environmental impact, economic viability, and capacity for innovation
• Projects must be led by a company of any size registered in France
• Projects can be carried out individually or by a consortium consisting of a lead company and up to five partners
• Projects must have a total expenditure exceeding €750,000 excluding VAT for individual applications or €2 million excluding VAT for consortiums
• Projects must be submitted within the specified application periods: 17 September 2024 to 18 March 2025, and 14 October 2025
• Projects must be submitted electronically via the online platform
• Projects must sign a contract with Bpifrance specifying the use of funds and the timetable for completion
• Projects must provide regular progress reports to monitor the technical, industrial, and financial progress
• Projects must release funds in tranches, depending on the progress of the project and the criteria defined in the contract
• Projects must ensure an efficient allocation of resources and rigorous monitoring of the impact on the decarbonization of the maritime sector