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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

The core objective of this grant is to significantly advance the development of next-generation Air Traffic Services (ATS) platforms for both en-route and Terminal Manoeuvring Area (TMA) operations. This involves leveraging innovative solutions and advanced automation, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cyber-resilience, to achieve higher levels of automation (up to Level 4) and improve environmental performance. The goal is to enhance safety, efficiency, and sustainability within the European Air Traffic Management (ATM) system. - Target recipient type and size: Consortia are required. - Required consortium members: At least three Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) and either an established ATS system manufacturer or an entity with proven operational and technical capability to build ATS system prototypes. - SECTOR-SPECIFIC - Geographic scope: European Union Member States and Associated Countries. - Key filtering criteria for initial grant screening: - Must be a consortium meeting specific composition requirements (3 ANSPs + manufacturer/prototype builder). - Project must align with the detailed research and innovation needs for next-gen ATS platforms. - Focus on civil aviation applications. - Must address development actions aimed at reaching TRL6 (Technology Readiness Level 6). - Compliance with all EU eligibility restrictions. - Grant frequency and program context: This is a Research and Innovation Action (RIA) under the HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02 call, part of the broader Horizon Europe framework. This specific topic is part of the SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking's bi-annual work program.

Financial Structure

Total budget allocated for this specific topic (HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA3-1) is 93,000,000 EUR.
The funding organization expects to award 3 grants under this topic.
Minimum grant amount per project: 9,000,000 EUR.
Maximum grant amount per project: 31,000,000 EUR.
Currency: EUR.
Funding rate: An exceptional funding rate of 70% applies to all beneficiaries, regardless of their legal status. This means applicants are responsible for co-financing the remaining 30% of eligible costs.
Cost model: Eligible costs will be reimbursed using a lump sum approach.
Budget justification: Applicants must submit a detailed budget table with their proposal. This table will be used to justify and set the lump sum amount. Costs included in this table must adhere to basic eligibility conditions for EU actual cost grants, such as ensuring 'best value for money' for purchases and subcontracts.
Payment schedule:
An initial pre-financing payment is typically provided after the grant agreement is signed (usually 160% of the average EU funding per reporting period).
A portion (5% to 8%) of the maximum grant amount will be deducted from the pre-financing and transferred to a mutual insurance mechanism.
Interim payments will be made, linked to periodic reports submitted during the project.
A final payment will be calculated and disbursed after the project's completion and the submission of the final report.
No profit rule: The grant may not result in a profit. Any surplus of revenues plus EU grant over costs will be deducted from the final grant amount.
No double funding: It is strictly prohibited to declare the same costs to two different EU actions.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Type & Legal Status

Any legal entity may participate, regardless of its place of establishment. However, to be eligible for funding, legal entities must be established in one of the following:
European Union Member States (e.g., Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Spain).
Countries associated with Horizon Europe (e.g., Iceland, Israel, Norway, Switzerland, Türkiye, United Kingdom).
International European research organizations are eligible for funding.
Legal entities from EU Member States and Associated Countries that are public bodies, research organizations, or higher education establishments (including private ones) must have a Gender Equality Plan (GEP).
Legal entities established in Russia, Belarus, or non-government controlled territories of Ukraine are NOT eligible to participate in any capacity.
Entities assessed as 'high-risk suppliers' of mobile network communication equipment (and any entities they own or control) are NOT eligible to participate as beneficiaries, affiliated entities, or associated partners.
Entities subject to EU restrictive measures are NOT eligible.

Consortium Composition

A mandatory consortium is required.
The consortium must include, as beneficiaries:
At least three independent legal entities, each established in a different country.
At least one independent legal entity established in a Member State.
At least two other independent legal entities, each established in different Member States or Associated Countries.
Specific to this topic, the consortium must include:
At least three Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs).
Either an established ATS system manufacturer OR provide evidence that the consortium has the operational and technical capability to build the ATS system prototypes required for the research at the required maturity level.

Technical & Operational Capacity

Applicants must demonstrate the necessary know-how, qualifications, and resources to successfully implement their tasks, including sufficient experience in transnational projects of comparable size.
This includes the operational and technical capability to build ATS system prototypes.
The proposed project's content must correspond, wholly or in part, to the specified topic description.

Project Scope Exclusions

Projects must focus exclusively on civil applications.
Projects are NOT permitted to:
Aim at human cloning for reproductive purposes.
Intend to modify the heritable genetic heritage of human beings (exceptions for cancer treatment of gonads apply).
Intend to create human embryos solely for research or stem cell procurement.

Application Process

Application Submission

Application submission opens: 2025-04-01.
Application deadline: 2025-09-16.
Submission method: Applications must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal. Paper submissions are not accepted.
Required documentation:
Part A: Administrative information (completed directly online), including a summarized budget and call-specific questions.
Part B: The technical description of the project (downloaded, completed as a PDF, and re-uploaded).
A detailed budget table: This is mandatory for lump sum grants and will be used to justify and fix the lump sum amount.
An ethics self-assessment must be completed as part of the application.
The coordinating applicant must confirm they have the mandate to act for all participants and that all information is correct and compliant with funding conditions.

Evaluation & Selection Process

Proposals will be evaluated by independent external experts.
All applicants will be invited to a mandatory hearing with the evaluation committee to clarify specific elements of their proposals.
Notification of the evaluation outcome is expected around 5 months from the submission deadline (approximately February 2026).
The indicative date for signing grant agreements is around 8 months from the submission deadline (approximately May 2026).
An invitation to the 'grant preparation' stage does not guarantee funding; various legal checks (e.g., legal entity validation, financial capacity verification, exclusion checks) are still required.

Project Implementation

The maximum project duration is 36 months.
The project's starting date will typically be after the grant agreement is signed, though a retroactive start can be granted in exceptional, justified circumstances with agreement from the granting authority.
Milestones and deliverables for each project will be managed through the grant management system and specified in Annex 1 of the grant agreement.
Reporting obligations include periodic reports (linked to interim payments) and a final report, which informs the calculation of the final grant amount.

Support and Assistance

Applicants can access support from various sources, including the SESAR 3 JU Call Helpdesk, the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, the Horizon Europe Programme Guide, frequently asked questions (FAQ), the Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), the Enterprise Europe Network, the IT Helpdesk for technical issues, and the European IPR Helpdesk for intellectual property advice.

Evaluation Criteria

Scoring Breakdown

Each of the three criteria will be scored out of 5.
An individual threshold of 3 out of 5 applies to each criterion.
An overall threshold of 10 out of 15 (sum of the three individual scores) applies.
Proposals must pass both the individual threshold for each criterion AND the overall threshold to be considered for funding.

Excellence (40% Weight)

Clarity and relevance of the project's objectives.
The extent to which the proposed work is ambitious and goes beyond the current 'state of the art'.
Soundness of the proposed methodology, including its underlying concepts, models, and assumptions.
Consideration of inter-disciplinary approaches.
Quality of open science practices, including plans for sharing and managing research outputs and engaging citizens or end-users.

Impact (40% Weight)

Credibility of the pathways designed to achieve the expected outcomes and impacts outlined in the work program.
The likely scale and significance of the project's contributions.
Suitability and quality of the measures proposed to maximize expected outcomes and impacts, as detailed in the dissemination and exploitation plan (including communication activities).

Quality and Efficiency of the Implementation (20% Weight)

Quality and effectiveness of the proposed work plan.
Thoroughness of the risk assessment.
Appropriateness of the effort allocated to work packages and overall resources.
Capacity and specific role of each participant.
The degree to which the consortium as a whole brings together all the necessary expertise for the project.

Evaluation Process & Hearings

All applicants who submit proposals under this topic will be invited to participate in a hearing with the evaluation committee.
The purpose of these hearings is to clarify specific elements of the proposals and provide necessary clarifications to help the evaluation committee make its final assessment and assign scores.
The evaluation committee will integrate information gathered during the hearing into the overall assessment, which may affect final scores.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory & Ethical Compliance

Projects must adhere to the highest standards of research integrity and comply with all applicable EU, international, and national laws.
An ethics self-assessment is required for all applications. Projects with identified ethical issues will undergo a formal ethics review and may be subject to specific ethics requirements.
Data protection: The collection, use, and processing of personal data related to the application must comply with Regulation 2018/1725.
Civil applications: The grant strictly funds projects focused exclusively on civil applications. Certain activities, such as human cloning for reproductive purposes, heritable genetic modification of humans, or creating human embryos solely for research, are explicitly prohibited.

Security Requirements

European communication networks: This call is subject to restrictions aimed at protecting European communication networks. Entities identified as 'high-risk suppliers' of mobile network communication equipment (and any entities they own or control) are not eligible to participate.
Classified information: Projects involving classified or sensitive information will undergo a security appraisal. Strict rules apply to handling EU classified information (EUCI), including requirements for Facility Security Clearances (FSC) for premises and Personnel Security Clearances (PSC) for individuals accessing certain classification levels.
Disclosure of EUCI or sensitive results requires prior written approval from the European Commission.

Intellectual Property (IP) & Dissemination

Additional dissemination obligations: Beneficiaries must proactively share all relevant project results, royalty-free and in a timely manner, with other grants awarded under the same call. This obligation must be outlined in the proposal.
Additional exploitation obligations: For results relevant to standardisation, beneficiaries must grant a non-exclusive, royalty-free license. All relevant results must be made available for reuse under fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) conditions via a trusted repository.
Mutual access: If working on linked actions (specifically with HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-IR-01 and HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-ER-01), beneficiaries must ensure mutual access to background and results for implementation or exploitation.
Granting authority's right to object: The granting authority may object to any transfer of ownership or exclusive licensing of project results for up to 4 years after the action concludes.
Open Science: Beneficiaries are required to provide access to data or other results needed to validate scientific publications. In cases of public emergency, immediate deposit of research output in a repository for open access is required, or licensing under FRAND conditions if open access would harm legitimate interests.

Consortium Agreement

For multi-beneficiary grants, a written consortium agreement is a crucial requirement. It ensures smooth project implementation, addresses exceptional circumstances, and allows for the redistribution of EU funding among consortium members based on internal principles.

Grant Details