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Grant Details

Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant aims to fast-track the development and implementation of advanced U3 U-space services and Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance (CNS) capabilities. The core objective is to significantly advance research and innovation (R&I) in areas such as collaborative air traffic control (ATC) interfaces, enhanced drone flight authorizations, tactical separation management, ground risk assessment, geofencing, drone Detect and Avoid (DAA) systems, altimetry, counter-UAS (C-UAS) systems, data exchange, and infrastructure monitoring for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).
  • SECTOR-SPECIFIC: Aviation, Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), Air Traffic Management (ATM), Aerospace, Technology.
  • Target recipients: Consortia of various organization types, including research organizations, industry players, and public entities involved in aviation and drone technology.
  • Geographic scope: Organizations from EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries are eligible.
  • Key filtering criteria: Proposals must demonstrate clear alignment with the detailed R&I needs for advanced U-space and CNS capabilities.
  • Grant frequency: This is part of the SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking Bi-Annual Work Programme (BAWP) 2024-2025, indicating recurring opportunities.

Financial Structure

  • Funding type: Innovation Action (IA), with eligible costs taking the form of a lump sum.
  • Budget range per project: Minimum contribution of 2,000,000.0 EUR and maximum contribution of 5,000,000.0 EUR.
  • Total budget for the entire HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02 call: 230,000,000.0 EUR (distributed across multiple topics/work areas within the call, including this one).
  • Funding rate: A 70.0% funding rate applies to all beneficiaries, regardless of their legal status.
  • Co-financing requirements: The remaining 30.0% of project costs must be covered by the beneficiaries (co-financing).
  • Eligible costs: Defined by the lump sum agreement, based on deliverables and milestones rather than actual expenditures.
  • Financial reporting: Will follow the lump sum model, focusing on the achievement of agreed outputs.
  • Currency: All amounts are in EUR.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Type and Structure
  • Eligible participants are generally any legal entity, typically forming consortia for Innovation Actions.
  • Specific qualifications and certifications: Not explicitly defined, but technical expertise in aviation, UAS, ATM, and relevant technologies is implicitly required to address the complex scope.
  • Organizational size and capacity: Not specified by employee count or revenue; capacity is assessed based on the ability to successfully implement the proposed project within a consortium.
  • Partnership or consortium requirements: A collaboration agreement is required, especially for projects linked to previous SESAR actions (HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-IR-01, HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-ER-01). Consortia are expected.
Geographic and Regulatory Requirements
  • Geographic location: Organizations established in EU Member States and countries associated with Horizon Europe (as defined in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes) are eligible for funding.
  • Previous relationship with funder: Grants awarded under this topic will be linked to specific past SESAR actions; mutual access to background and results of ongoing and closed linked actions may be required.
Technical and Capacity Requirements
  • Technical expertise: Required in areas such as U-space services, CNS, UAS traffic management (UTM), drone operations, DAA systems, GNSS altimetry, geofencing, C-UAS, and data exchange protocols.
  • Infrastructure requirements: Implied by the need for research, development, and validation activities related to advanced aviation systems.
  • Organizational maturity: Expected to be capable of undertaking Innovation Actions (TRL 6-8) and delivering tangible results.

Application Process

Application Deadlines and Submission
  • Application submission window: Opens on 2025-04-01 and closes on 2025-09-16 00:00:00+0000 (latest deadline).
  • Submission format: Proposals must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal.
  • Required documentation:
  • Part A of the Standard Application Form (Horizon Europe RIA, IA template).
  • Part B of the SESAR 3 application form (specific for this call, available in the Submission System).
  • Detailed budget table (for the lump sum model).
Evaluation and Selection Process
  • Review process: Proposals are subject to a single-stage evaluation. The evaluation committee may include representatives of EU institutions and agencies.
  • Selection criteria: Grants will be awarded based on ranking, but also ensuring a balanced portfolio by prioritizing highest-ranked applications within topics in the same work area, provided they meet the threshold.
  • Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement: Described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes (specific dates not provided in this document).
Project Implementation and Reporting
  • Grant duration: Maximum project duration is 36 months.
  • Key milestones and deliverables timeline: To be defined within the project plan, linked to the lump sum payment schedule.
  • Monitoring and evaluation: Based on project progress, deliverables, and financial reporting aligned with the lump sum model.
  • Post-award requirements: Includes specific dissemination and exploitation obligations (see Compliance section).
Application Assistance
  • Various support channels are available: SESAR 3 JU Call Helpdesk ([email protected]), Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk, ETSI Research Helpdesk.

Evaluation Criteria

Award Criteria and Weighting
  • Excellence: 40% weighting. Evaluates the clarity and pertinence of objectives, soundness of methodology, extent that proposed work is beyond the state-of-the-art, and inter-disciplinary aspects.
  • Impact: 40% weighting. Assesses the expected contributions to the topic's outcomes, societal impact (safety, efficiency, environmental, societal acceptance), and exploitation/dissemination of results.
  • Implementation: 20% weighting. Considers the quality and efficiency of the work plan, appropriateness of resources, and management structures.
Innovation and Technical Advancement
  • Proposals must demonstrate significant advancement in U3 U-space services and CNS capabilities.
  • Expected technological advancement levels align with Innovation Actions (TRL 6-8), aiming for solutions ready for demonstration or close to market.
Impact Expectations
  • Contribution to the European ATM Master Plan and Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA).
  • Social impact: Address aspects like noise mitigation, visual pollution, privacy, and urban/rural development related to drone operations.
  • Safety and efficiency improvements for drone and crewed aviation integration.
  • Environmental considerations (e.g., CO2 emissions, energy consumption).
Quality and Alignment
  • The research must consider specific needs of military/state drones and general/leisure aviation.
  • Proposals should elaborate on state-of-the-art analysis and build upon relevant previous R&I work (e.g., projects ENSURE, SPATIO, U-AGREE, PERCEVITE, Geosafe, ASPRID, ICARUS).
  • Alignment with funder priorities (SESAR 3 JU, Horizon Europe) and relevant regulations (e.g., EU IR 2021/664, EU IR 2021/665, EASA guidelines) is crucial.
Cross-Cutting Themes
  • The integration of a gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) into R&I content is not a mandatory requirement for this call.
  • Societal acceptance is a key consideration, involving the public in system development to address concerns about noise, visual pollution, privacy, and development impacts.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance
  • Adherence to general Horizon Europe conditions (Annex A, B, C, E, F, G of Work Programme General Annexes).
  • Specific compliance with EU Implementing Regulations (IR) 2021/664 and 2021/665, and Council Regulation (EU) 2021/2085.
  • Must consider EASA recommendations and studies (e.g., on geofencing, ground risk management).
Data Protection and Intellectual Property (IP)
  • Dissemination obligations: Beneficiaries must proactively share all relevant results, royalty-free, with other grants awarded under the same call.
  • Exploitation obligations: Results must be made available for reuse under fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory conditions via a trusted repository.
  • Standardisation: If results relate to standardisation, beneficiaries must grant a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to the results.
  • Linked actions: Mutual access to background and results of ongoing/closed linked actions is required if necessary for implementation or exploitation.
Risk Management and Security
  • Proposals should address risk management, particularly concerning ground risk assessment (using SORA 2.5 and subsequent versions) and air risk mitigation.
  • Consideration of cybersecurity for U-space data exchange and communication services is essential, including strong identification, authentication, and integrity.
  • Counter-UAS (C-UAS) systems for airport operations include defining specifications, operational processes, neutralization components, threat identification, and response procedures.
Unique Aspects and Challenges
  • Funding mechanism: The use of a lump sum model for eligible costs means funding is tied to pre-defined deliverables rather than actual expenditures.
  • Collaboration agreement: Required for projects linked to specific previous SESAR calls, fostering continuity and synergy.
  • Societal impact: Projects must consider and mitigate concerns related to noise, visual pollution, privacy, and urban/rural development, aiming for societal acceptance of new operations.
  • Dual-use civil-military concepts: Geofencing, for example, is a dual-use concept, and proposals should consider military community needs.
  • Specific needs: Research must consider specific needs of military/state drones, and how to integrate with general and leisure aviation.

Grant Details

aviation drones uas u-space air traffic management atm cns communication navigation surveillance unmanned aerial vehicles ground risk geofencing daa detect and avoid altimetry c-uas counter-uas airport operations data exchange infrastructure monitoring innovation research and innovation horizon europe sesar airspace management mobility transport aerospace security traffic management
Fast-track U3 U-space advanced services and CNS capabilities
47761654TOPICSen
Horizon Europe
OTHER
AT BE BG HR CY CZ DK EE FI FR DE GR HU IE IT LV LT LU MT NL PL PT RO SK SI ES SE NO TR UK MK ME RS BA GE UA MD
TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY OTHER
DEVELOPMENT EARLY_MARKET
OTHER
SDG9 SDG11 SDG13 SDG16 SDG17
FUNDING RESEARCH_DEVELOPMENT INNOVATION_COMMERCIALIZATION
230000000.00
2000000.00
5000000.00
EUR
70.00
Sept. 16, 2025, midnight
Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.