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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

Fast-track enabling innovative air mobility (IAM) and Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) capable aircraft (VCA) operations. This grant aims to significantly advance both crewed and uncrewed VCA operations, including those in complex environments, congested areas, and vertiports. It focuses on developing operational procedures, automation, and related infrastructure. - Target Recipient Type: Operators of Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) capable aircraft (VCA), including companies and entities involved in the aviation sector. - Target Recipient Size: Not explicitly defined, but 'operators' implies businesses of varying sizes. - Designation: SECTOR-SPECIFIC (Aviation, Innovative Air Mobility, Technology). - Geographic Scope: European Union Member States and Associated Countries. The legal regulations mentioned directly apply to EU Member States. - Key Filtering Criteria: Proposals must be directly relevant to IAM/VCA operations, vertiport management, aviation automation, and regulatory integration. - Grant Frequency: This grant is part of the SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking Bi-Annual Work Programme (BAWP) 2024-2025, indicating it is a recurring opportunity within the program context.

Financial Structure

Funding Rate: A funding rate of 70.0% applies to all beneficiaries, regardless of their legal status.
Eligible Costs: Eligible costs will be managed as a lump sum, as specified in the Decision of 7 July 2021 regarding Horizon Europe Programme funding.
Minimum Grant Amount: The minimum contribution for a single project under this topic (WA6-3) is 2000000.0 EUR.
Maximum Grant Amount: The maximum contribution for a single project under this topic (WA6-3) is 5000000.0 EUR.
Currency: EUR.
Total Call Budget: The total budget for the overarching call 'HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02' is 230000000.0 EUR, which is distributed across multiple topics within this call.
Co-financing: A 70% funding rate implies that beneficiaries are responsible for co-financing the remaining 30% of the project costs.
Financial Capacity: Applicants must meet specific financial capacity requirements detailed in Annex C of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Type & Legal Status

Eligible Organizations: 'IAM operators' (Innovative Air Mobility operators), which refers to entities or businesses involved in operating vertical take-off and landing capable aircraft (VCA).
Certification: Applicants must hold, or be in the process of obtaining, an Air Operator Certificate (AOC).
Other Eligible Entities: Approved training organizations are specifically mentioned as being able to provide VCA training relevant to these operations.
Consortium Requirement: A collaboration agreement is required, implying that applications must be submitted by a consortium of entities.

Geographic Location

Eligible Countries: Organizations established in European Union Member States are eligible, as the relevant EU regulations apply directly to them. Eligibility also extends to countries listed in Annex B of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, which typically includes Associated Countries (specific list not provided in the extract).

Financial & Operational Capacity

General Requirements: Applicants must meet financial and operational capacity requirements as described in Annex C of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Suitability: Organizations must demonstrate that their structure and management are appropriate for the scale and scope of the proposed operation.

Technical & Operational Qualifications

Regulatory Compliance: Projects must ensure full compliance with the specific requirements for IAM operations with manned VTOL-capable aircraft (VCA) under Annex IX (Part-IAM) of Regulation (EU) No 965/2012.
Operation Standards: Adherence to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1111, which establishes requirements for the operation of manned aircraft with vertical take-off and landing capability.
VEMS Operations: For Vertical Emergency Medical Services (VEMS) operations, operators require specific approval from the competent authority and must conduct operations in accordance with Annex IX (Part-IAM).
TRL: Solutions are expected to aim for a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 6.

Exclusion Criteria

European Communication Networks: This call is subject to restrictions for the protection of European communication networks.
Personnel Conduct: Crew members must not operate under the influence of psychoactive substances or when unfit due to injury, fatigue, medication, or sickness.
Recording Devices: Recorders must not be disabled or switched off during flight, and recordings must not be intentionally erased.

Application Process

Application Type: 'HORIZON JU Innovation Actions (IA)'.
Submission Dates: The submission session opened on 2025-04-01.
Submission Procedure: Applications follow a single-stage submission process.
Platform: Proposals must be submitted via the Electronic Submission Service available on the Funding & Tenders Portal.
Required Forms: Applicants should use Part A of the standard Horizon Europe (HE) RIA, IA template. Part B requires a specific SESAR 3 application form (RIA, IA), which is accessible within the Submission System.
Budget Submission: A detailed budget table (HE LS) is required for lump sum grants.
Pre-Application Enquiries: It is strongly recommended to submit any enquiries at least two weeks prior to the application deadline to ensure a timely response.

Deadlines & Project Timeline

Application Deadline: The definitive deadline for proposal submission is 2025-09-16 00:00:00+00:00.
Project Duration: The maximum project duration is 36 months.
Evaluation & Grant Agreement: An indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement procedures is detailed in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes (specific dates not provided in the extract).

Post-Award Requirements

Dissemination: Beneficiaries are obligated to make proactive efforts to share all relevant results, royalty-free and in a timely manner, with other grants awarded under the same call.
Exploitation: Results generated must be made available for reuse under fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory conditions, utilizing a trusted repository. If results are intended for standardisation, a non-exclusive, royalty-free license must be granted.
Inter-Project Collaboration: For projects linked to other actions (specifically HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-IR-01 and HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-ER-01), mutual access to background and results is required to facilitate implementation and exploitation.
Collaboration Agreement: A formal collaboration agreement is mandatory for linked actions.
Reporting & Monitoring: Ongoing progress tracking, including regular in-flight fuel/energy checks and management, is required. IAM operators must report the amount of hours flown for each VCA to the competent authority annually. Financial reporting and audit requirements are specified in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Pilot Support: IAM operators must facilitate and ensure access to a proactive and non-punitive support program for pilots.

Application Assistance & Resources

Helpdesk: Direct support is available from the SESAR 3 JU Call Helpdesk ([email protected]).
Documentation: Comprehensive guidance is provided through the Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, and the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ.
National Support: National Contact Points (NCPs) and the Enterprise Europe Network offer guidance and assistance, especially for SMEs.
Technical Support: An IT Helpdesk is available for technical issues related to the Funding & Tenders Portal.
IP Support: The European IPR Helpdesk assists with intellectual property matters.
Standardisation Guidance: CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk provide advice on integrating standardisation into project proposals.
Partner Search: A dedicated partner search facility is available to help applicants form consortia.

Evaluation Criteria

Scoring Criteria

Excellence: 40%
Impact: 40%
Implementation: 20%

Award Principles

Portfolio Balance: Grants will be awarded not only based on ranking but also to the highest-ranked applications within topics in the same work area, provided they meet the minimum threshold. This aims to ensure a balanced portfolio of funded projects.

Project Quality & Innovation

Research Scope: Proposals may include research elements beyond the suggested list if they contribute to the expected outcomes and align with the European ATM Master Plan.
Technological Progression: Projects should demonstrate a clear path towards advanced solutions, for example, progressing from flight-director-based concepts to autopilot-based Automatic Take-Off and Landing (ATOL) for VCA.
Existing Work Integration: Research should consider and build upon work conducted by entities like EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency) on i-conspicuity.

Impact Expectations

Core Objective: Projects are expected to significantly advance the development action 'IR-6-04 Enabling IAM/VTOL capable aircraft (crewed and uncrewed) operations, including in complex environments, congested areas and vertiports.'
Regulatory Addressing: Must address regulatory aspects, such as the integration of landing sites into ATS flight plans and overall vertiport management.
Solution Readiness: Aim to deliver a TRL6 solution primarily for crewed VFR VCA, while also making progress towards solutions for crewed IFR VCA.
Automation: Contribute to increasing the level of automation for VFR aircraft by Air Traffic Control (ATC) and Flight Information Service (FIS).
Safety Enhancements: Investigate and establish safe wake turbulence separation standards for VCA.

Cross-Cutting Themes

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

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

Horizon Europe Framework: Compliance with general conditions and annexes of the Horizon Europe Work Programme (Annex A, E, B, C, F, G).
EU Regulations: Strict adherence to Council Regulation (EU) 2021/2085 on Joint Undertakings and EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509.
Aviation-Specific Regulations: Compliance with several EU aviation regulations, including: Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1111 (for VTOL-capable aircraft operations), Implementing Regulation (EU) No 923/2012 (common rules of the air), and Commission Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 (air operations), particularly Annex IX (Part-IAM) for innovative air mobility operations.
Dangerous Goods: Transport of dangerous goods must comply with Annex 18 to the Chicago Convention and applicable Technical Instructions (TI).
Data Protection: Adherence to data protection and privacy regulations, such as Regulation (EU) 2016/679, especially concerning the processing of recorder recordings.
Labor Standards: Compliance with flight and duty time limitations and rest requirements for aircrew.

Technical & Operational Standards

Technology Readiness Level (TRL): Projects aim for a TRL of 6, indicating a readiness for demonstration in a relevant environment.
Noise Abatement: Operating procedures must prioritize safety over noise abatement, but also consider published noise-abatement procedures.
Aircraft Airworthiness: Continuous compliance with airworthiness requirements for aircraft, instruments, and equipment.
On-board Safety: Procedures for proper stowage of baggage/cargo and strategic passenger seating to facilitate emergency evacuation are required.

Ethical & Social Considerations

Pilot Assessment: Pilots are required to undergo a psychological assessment before commencing flight operations to evaluate suitability and mitigate risks.
Substance Policy: IAM operators must implement an objective, transparent, and non-discriminatory policy to prevent and detect psychoactive substance misuse by pilots and other safety-sensitive personnel.
Safety Responsibility: The Pilot-In-Command (PIC) must ensure the safety of the aircraft and its occupants, and not engage in reckless, intentional, or negligent acts that could endanger safety.

Special Features & Context

Innovation Focus: The grant specifically targets 'Innovation Actions', emphasizing the development and implementation of new technologies and operational concepts in air mobility.
Lump Sum Funding: Funding is provided on a lump sum basis, requiring applicants to clearly outline how they will meet their obligations in the proposal.
Linked Actions: The project is strategically linked to and expected to collaborate with previous SESAR calls (HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-IR-01 and HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-ER-01).
Strategic Alignment: Projects must align with the objectives of the SRIA (Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda) and the European ATM (Air Traffic Management) Master Plan, reinforcing the strategic importance of the research for the European aviation landscape.

Grant Details