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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant aims to significantly advance airborne capabilities to reduce the environmental footprint of Air Traffic Management (ATM). The core objective is to develop new technologies and operational concepts in areas such as wake energy retrieval, energy-based operations, environment-driven trajectory optimisation, and geometric altimetry.

Explicit identification of target recipient type and size: This grant targets legal entities with R&I capabilities, including businesses (startups, SMEs, large enterprises), universities, research organizations, and public bodies involved in aviation and ATM.
MUST state if grant is 'SECTOR-SPECIFIC' or 'SECTOR-AGNOSTIC': This grant is SECTOR-SPECIFIC to Aviation, Air Traffic Management, and Aerospace.
Geographic scope and any location requirements: Applicants must be based in an EU Member State or a country associated with Horizon Europe. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries may be eligible if specific funding provisions are in place.
Key filtering criteria for initial grant screening: Focus on entities with strong R&I capabilities in aviation, specifically in environmental impact reduction, air traffic management, and airborne systems development.
Grant frequency and program context: This is a specific topic within the SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking Bi-Annual Work Programme 2024-2025, which implies a recurring program context for ATM research.

Financial Structure

Funding amount: Individual projects for this topic (HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA5-3) are expected to range from €3,000,000 to €6,000,000.
Funding rate: A funding rate of 70% applies to all beneficiaries, regardless of their legal status.
Eligible costs: Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum, as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme.
Currency: All amounts are in EUR (Euro).

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Type and Structure

Eligible organization types: STARTUP, SME, ENTERPRISE, UNIVERSITY, PUBLIC, NGO, OTHER (including research organizations, airlines, Air Navigation Service Providers, aircraft manufacturers).
Consortium requirement: A collaboration agreement (consortium) is required for the application.

Geographic Requirements

Eligible countries: Organisations established in EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries are eligible. This typically includes: 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. Organisations from certain non-EU/non-Associated Countries may also be eligible if specific funding provisions are made.

Formal and Regulatory Requirements

Admissibility conditions: Proposals must comply with conditions described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Eligible conditions: Proposals must meet conditions described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Financial and operational capacity: Applicants must meet the financial and operational capacity requirements described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Protection of European communication networks: This call is subject to restrictions for the protection of European communication networks.

Application Process

Application Deadlines and Timeline

Application deadline: The submission deadline is 2025-09-16 00:00:00+00.
Submission session opening: The submission session opened on 2025-04-01.
Project duration: The maximum project duration is 36 months.

Required Documentation and Submission

Application form templates: Applicants must use the Standard Application Form (Part A) and the specific SESAR 3 Application Form (Part B).
Budget information: A Detailed Budget Table (Lump Sum) must be submitted.
Submission process: Applications must be submitted through the online Submission System on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Post-Award Requirements and Compliance

Legal and financial setup: Grants are subject to the legal and financial setup described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Reporting obligations: Not explicitly detailed but implied by lump sum funding and standard Horizon Europe practices.

Application Assistance and Support

General guidance: Applicants can refer to the Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, and Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ.
Specific help: Support is available from the SESAR 3 JU Call Helpdesk ([email protected]), National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, and European IPR Helpdesk.

Evaluation Criteria

Award Criteria Weighting

Excellence: 40% of the total score. This assesses the scientific and technological quality of the project, soundness of methodology, and innovation.
Impact: 40% of the total score. This evaluates the project's expected contribution to reducing ATM environmental footprint, progress towards standardisation and certification, and broader societal/economic benefits.
Implementation: 20% of the total score. This assesses the quality and efficiency of the work plan, proposed management structure, and resources.

Selection and Portfolio Balance

Balanced portfolio: Grants will be awarded not only based on ranking but also to ensure a balanced portfolio within topics and work areas, provided the application meets the required threshold.

Cross-Cutting Themes

Gender dimension: The integration of a gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) into R&I content is not a mandatory requirement for this grant.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory and Ethical Compliance

Regulatory compliance: Projects must comply with all relevant regulations as outlined in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Council Regulation (EU) 2021/2085.
Data protection and privacy: Not explicitly detailed, but implied by Horizon Europe general requirements.
Ethical standards: While gender dimension integration is not mandatory, general ethical standards apply as per Horizon Europe guidelines.

Dissemination and Exploitation of Results

Dissemination obligations: Beneficiaries must proactively share all relevant results, royalty-free, in a timely manner with other grants awarded under the same call. This must be outlined in the proposal and Annex I to the grant agreement.
Exploitation obligations: Results must be made available for reuse under fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory conditions through a trusted repository. For standardisation purposes, a non-exclusive, royalty-free license must be granted. If working on linked actions, mutual access to background and results is required for implementation and exploitation.

Strategic Alignment and Collaboration

Strategic alignment: Projects must align with the objectives set in Council Regulation (EU) 2021/2085, the SRIA (Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda), and the European ATM Master Plan.
Linked actions: Grants awarded under this topic will be linked to actions from Call HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-IR-01 and Call HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-ER-01. Collaboration with these linked actions is essential.

Grant Details