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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

- Core objective: To significantly advance next-generation air traffic control (ATC) platform and enhanced Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance (CNS) capabilities for robust and resilient air traffic management (ATM). - Target recipient type and size: Organizations of any size (e.g., businesses, research institutions, universities, public bodies). - SECTOR-SPECIFIC: Aviation, Air Traffic Management (ATM), Aerospace, Transport, Technology. - Geographic scope: Primarily EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries, with potential for broader international participation for funded entities if specific provisions are made. - Key filtering criteria: Focus on CNS as a service, integration of new air/ground technologies for higher airspace operations (HAO) and new entrants (HAPS, hypersonic, supersonic, space launches), satellite-based multilateration (MLAT), ADS-B phase overlay applications, collaborative cybersecurity for CNS, combined airborne and ground dual-frequency multi-constellation (DFMC) GBAS, and ground-based Alternative-Position, Navigation and Timing (A-PNT) solutions. - Grant frequency: Part of the SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking Bi-Annual Work Programme (BAWP) 2024-2025, suggesting recurring opportunities within the Digital European Sky (DES) initiative.

Financial Structure

Funding Type: Lump sum contributions.
Budget Range (per project): Minimum €5,000,000 to Maximum €10,000,000 for projects under the HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA3-2 topic.
Funding Rate: A 70% funding rate applies to all eligible costs for all beneficiaries, irrespective of their legal status.
Eligible Costs: Costs will be covered by the lump sum, meaning a fixed amount for the entire project, rather than itemized reimbursement.
Co-financing: The 70% funding rate implies that beneficiaries are responsible for co-financing the remaining 30% of the project costs.
Financial Reporting: Financial reporting requirements are governed by Annex G of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, which details the legal and financial setup of grants.
Audit Requirements: Standard audit requirements apply as per Horizon Europe lump sum grant agreements, though specific details are not provided here.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Type & Legal Status

Open to any legal entity eligible for Horizon Europe funding.
Specific types are not explicitly limited, implying broad participation (e.g., enterprises, research organizations, public bodies, SMEs).

Geographic Location

Entities from EU Member States and countries associated with Horizon Europe are eligible for funding.
Non-EU/non-Associated Countries that have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects may also be eligible for funding.

Capacity & Experience

Must possess sufficient financial and operational capacity to execute the proposed research and innovation activities.
A proven track record in relevant fields such as CNS, ATM, aerospace, cybersecurity, or satellite technology is implicitly required due to the technical depth of the call.

Consortium Requirements

A 'collaboration agreement' is mandatory for applications under this call, indicating that projects must involve multiple entities working together.
Grants awarded under this topic are 'linked to' specific actions from previous calls (HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-IR-01, HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-ER-01).

Exclusions

Subject to restrictions aimed at protecting European communication networks.
Entities falling under exclusion criteria detailed in Annex C of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes are ineligible.

Application Process

Application Deadline

The final submission deadline is 2025-09-16 00:00:00+0000.
The submission session officially opened on 2025-04-01.

Submission Process

This call operates under a single-stage submission model.
Proposals must be submitted electronically through the Funding & Tenders Portal's Electronic Submission Service.
Applicants are required to sign in using an EU Login account or an approved third-party sign-in service.
Required documentation includes:
- Standard application form (HE RIA, IA) - only Part A is applicable.
- SESAR 3 application form (RIA, IA) - Part B, which is specific to this call and available within the Submission System.
- Detailed budget table (HE LS) tailored for lump sum grants.

Project Duration

The maximum allowable duration for projects under this grant is 36 months.

Reporting & Monitoring

Beneficiaries have additional dissemination obligations, requiring proactive, royalty-free sharing of all relevant results with other grants awarded under the same call.
Beneficiaries also have additional exploitation obligations, requiring them to make relevant results available for reuse under fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory conditions through a trusted repository.
If the purpose of exploitation relates to standardisation, a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to the results must be granted.
In cases of 'linked actions', mutual access to background information and results of ongoing and closed linked actions is required if necessary for task implementation or exploitation.
These obligations must be explicitly outlined in the proposal and formally integrated into Annex I of the grant agreement.

Application Support

A SESAR 3 JU Call Helpdesk is available for inquiries via [email protected]; it is recommended to submit questions at least two weeks before the deadline.
Comprehensive guidance documents are provided, including the SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking Bi-Annual Work Programme (BAWP) 2024-2025 (Annex III), SESAR 3 Project Handbook, SESAR 3 Q&A Document, the general Horizon Europe Work Programme, and the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
The Online Manual offers guidance on procedures from proposal submission to grant management.
National Contact Points (NCPs) and the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) provide practical information and assistance, particularly for SMEs.
An IT Helpdesk is available for technical submission issues.
The European IPR Helpdesk offers assistance on intellectual property matters.
A Partner Search functionality is available on the Funding & Tenders Portal to help find suitable collaboration partners.

Evaluation Criteria

Award Criteria & Weighting

Excellence: 40% weighting. Assesses the quality of the project's objectives, the soundness of the proposed methodology, and the scientific/technical approach.
Impact: 40% weighting. Evaluates the potential effects and outcomes of the project, including its contribution to the Digital European Sky (DES) objectives, and the quality of dissemination and exploitation plans.
Implementation: 20% weighting. Assesses the quality and efficiency of the work plan, the suitability of the management structure, and the allocation of resources.

Key Scoring Factors

Contribution to Expected Outcomes: Proposals must clearly demonstrate how they will significantly advance specified development actions, such as CNS as a service, air/ground technologies for HAO, satellite-based MLAT, ADS-B phase overlay, collaborative cyber security for CNS, DFMC GBAS, and ground-based A-PNT solutions.
Alignment with European ATM Master Plan: Projects must align with the development priorities outlined in the European ATM Master Plan.
Technical Maturity & Validation: Proposals should outline a credible path to achieve a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 6, addressing potential risks, particularly where end-to-end TRL6 validation is challenging.
Dissemination & Exploitation: Beneficiaries are required to proactively share relevant results, royalty-free, with other grants awarded under the same call. They must also make results available for reuse under fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory conditions via a trusted repository.
Standardisation & Certification Support: Demonstrated plans to support standardisation and accelerate certification activities pertinent to the developed solutions (e.g., for GBAS equipment) will be valued.
Mutual Access: For projects linked with other actions, proposals must ensure mutual access to background intellectual property and results if necessary for task implementation or exploitation.
Risk Management: Assessment of potential risks, particularly in achieving TRL6 and addressing cybersecurity threats related to new entrants (e.g., HAO).
Interoperability: Proposed solutions should demonstrate how they integrate into broader, cross-domain European frameworks, ensuring seamless interoperability.

Cross-cutting Themes

The integration of a gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) into Research & Innovation (R&I) content is not a mandatory requirement for this call.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

Projects must adhere to the general conditions outlined in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Compliance with restrictions designed for the protection of European communication networks is mandatory.
Adherence to the EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509 is required.
Compliance with Council Regulation (EU) 2021/2085, which establishes Joint Undertakings under Horizon Europe, is necessary.

Ethical Standards

While important, the integration of a gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) into Research & Innovation (R&I) content is not a mandatory requirement for this specific call.

Intellectual Property (IP) Policies

For exploitation activities related to standardisation, beneficiaries are obliged to grant a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to the project's results.
If working on 'linked actions', beneficiaries must ensure mutual access to any necessary background intellectual property and the results of both ongoing and completed linked actions for effective task implementation or exploitation.

Risk Management

Proposals should explicitly identify and plan for risks, particularly those associated with achieving Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6 for various components of the proposed solutions (e.g., space segment, space network, ground segment).
A key focus is on monitoring and mitigating potential cybersecurity risks, especially those introduced by new entrants in the aviation ecosystem (e.g., Higher Airspace Operations - HAO).

Special Considerations & Strategic Opportunities

This grant is an integral part of the broader SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking, directly contributing to the ambitious Digital European Sky initiative and the strategic objectives of the European ATM Master Plan.
Projects are explicitly 'linked to' and build upon work from previous calls (HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-IR-01, HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-ER-01), emphasizing continuity and leveraging prior research.
A significant strategic opportunity lies in the focus on civil/military dual-use technologies (e.g., HAO integration, A-PNT, ADS-B phase overlay, radio frequency interference mitigation), opening doors for entities with expertise in both civil and defence sectors.
The grant places a strong emphasis on dissemination and exploitation, requiring applicants to demonstrate proactive efforts to share and enable reuse of project results.
Solutions developed should demonstrate interoperability and the ability to integrate into larger, cross-domain frameworks (e.g., the European complementary PNT framework).
Proposed research should enhance resilience against GNSS outages, jamming, and spoofing, addressing critical vulnerabilities in air navigation.

Grant Details