Icing in the context of sustainable aviation
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See in 5 min if you're eligible for Icing in the context of sustainable aviation offering max €30.0M funding💰 Funding Details
Funding Description
What the Grant Funds
The call "Icing in the context of sustainable aviation" (HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-15) finances Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) that advance TRL 3 → 5 knowledge and prototypes in three tightly inter-linked areas:
* Means of compliance & certification tools – numerical modelling, validation datasets, test facilities (SLD, ice-crystal, falling/blowing snow, anti-icing fluids).
* Icing environment evolution – modelling/measurement of future icing envelopes under climate-change scenarios and coupling with global circulation models.
* Innovative ice detection & protection technologies – low-energy IPS, coatings, hybrid systems, dissimilar air-data solutions, health-monitoring and smart sensing.
Projects must address all, or significant parts of all, three areas and cooperate with EASA and national aviation authorities.
Funding Modalities
* Maximum EU contribution per project: €30 million (lump-sum grant).
* Funding rate: 100 % of eligible lump-sum amount for all beneficiaries, incl. non-profit & industry.
* Cost model: Single pre-agreed lump sum; no reporting of actual costs—deliverables & milestones trigger payments.
* Duration guideline: 36–60 months is typical for RIA of this size (not formally fixed).
Eligibility Snapshot
* Consortium: Minimum 3 legal entities from 3 different EU Member States or Associated Countries (HEU rules, Annex B). Large-scale test facilities and flight-test operators strongly recommended.
* Entities from non-associated third countries may participate without funding unless their country has made self-funding provisions.
* Mandatory aspects:
* Open Science practices & data-management plan (DMP).
* Gender Equality Plans (public sector, higher education, research organisations ≥ 50 staff).
* Ethics self-assessment & security scrutiny (dual-use equipment/testing).
* Timeline:
* Call opens: 16 Sep 2025
* Deadline (single stage): 20 Jan 2026, 17:00 CET
* Estimated GA signature: Q3 2026
Key Documents
* Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025–2027, Cluster 5.
* General Annexes A–G (admissibility, eligibility, evaluation, lump-sum decision).
* EASA rulemaking tasks RES.0010, RES.0017, RES.0014, RMT.0196, RMT.0118—use them as reference for regulatory alignment.
📊 At a Glance
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🇪🇺 Strategic Advantages
EU-Wide Advantages & Opportunities for "Icing in the context of sustainable aviation" (HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-15)
1. Strong Alignment with EU Policy & Regulatory Roadmaps
- Green Deal / Sustainable & Smart Mobility Strategy: Contributes to the 55 % CO₂-reduction target by enabling lighter, electric and hydrogen aircraft that still meet safety standards under severe icing.
- EASA Rulemaking Synergy: Directly feeds RES.0010, RES.0014, RES.0017, RMT.0196 & RMT.0118, accelerating EU-level certification pathways and giving participants early influence on future regulation.
- Strategic Autonomy: Creates an EU-owned test & certification capability (SLD, ice crystal, falling-snow facilities) that reduces dependence on US or Canadian infrastructures.
2. Unique EU Single-Market Size & Demand Pull
- 490+ commercial airports, 300+ regional OEMs/ Tier-1s and 600+ eVTOL start-ups offer the largest contiguous market where common certification rules instantly unlock sales across 27 Member States and 500 million citizens.
3. Pan-European Research Infrastructure Leverage
- Access to ESA wind-tunnels, DLR cryogenic facilities, ONERA icing wind tunnels, NTNU/ SINTEF sea-spray labs, Czech icing tanker fleet, etc.
- Efficient use of EU digital twins (Destination Earth, Copernicus climate services) for regionalised icing-climate projections, impossible for a single country to finance alone.
4. Critical Mass of Multidisciplinary Excellence
- Combines aeronautics, materials science, AI-based detection, climate modelling and advanced manufacturing communities scattered across the EU.
- Facilitates cross-sector fertilisation with wind-energy blade anti-icing, rail & power-grid de-icing technologies via European Technology Platforms (ETIP Wind, ERRAC, etc.).
5. Economies of Scale in Test Data & Open Science
- EU-funded open flight-test datasets avoid duplication; every Member State benefits from shared reference data in Appendix C/O/P conditions.
- Harmonised data standards via EOSC accelerate AI training for ice-detection algorithms.
6. Financing & Risk-Sharing Advantages
- Lump-sum model offers up-front cost visibility for SMEs; cascade funding schemes (e.g. Clean Aviation JU synergies) can derisk spin-off prototypes.
- Blending possibilities with EIB Green Transport windows and national Recovery & Resilience Funds multiply budgets.
7. Industrial Competitiveness & Job Creation
- Strengthens EU OEMs (Airbus, ATR, Leonardo, Dassault) and their 9,000+ suppliers by securing critical safety know-how.
- Opens new markets for coatings, sensors, power electronics; estimated 11,000 high-skill jobs by 2035 (source: ASD Europe forecasts).
8. Standardisation Leadership
- Fast-tracks European standards in ISO, EUROCAE & SAE committees; ensures EU priorities are embedded before global adoption.
9. Climate-Resilience Knowledge Base for All Modes
- Climate-icing models generated here can be reused for rotorcraft, drones, wind turbines and power lines, maximising societal benefit.
10. Consortium-Building Opportunities
- Natural cooperation triangle: Northern (cold-weather ops & arctic data), Central (OEM & Tier-1 manufacturing) and Southern Europe (high-mountain icing, Mediterranean humidity).
- Encourages inclusion of Widening countries with aerospace clusters (PL, CZ, RO, PT) to balance excellence & cohesion.
11. Global Visibility & Export Impact
- EU-validated low-energy ice-protection solutions become de-facto benchmarks, positioning Europe to capture a projected €8 billion global anti-icing equipment market (2030).
12. Contribution to EU Environmental & Social Goals
- Lower energy consumption of protection systems reduces aircraft electrical load → lighter batteries/fuel cells → extended range → fewer emissions.
- Enhanced safety under more extreme weather protects passengers and sustains public trust in sustainable aviation transitions.
Bottom Line: Only an EU-level action can muster the critical facilities, regulatory leverage, harmonised climate data and cross-border industrial ecosystem required to deliver certifiable, low-energy anti-icing solutions that keep European aviation both clean and safe in a warming climate. These collective advantages significantly raise the probability of technological success, speedy market uptake and long-term global competitiveness for the European aeronautics sector.
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