AI-assisted digital aircraft design, manufacturing and MRO, towards a competitive aviation

The opportunity outlined concerns a Horizon Europe grant focused on AI-assisted digital aircraft design, manufacturing, and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO). The call identifier is HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-07, and it falls under a category known as Research and Innovation Actions (RIA). The total funding available for this specific topic amounts to €10 million, which is expected to be distributed across two grants of €5 million each.

The opening date for applications is set for December 18, 2025, with a submission deadline of April 14, 2026, at 17:00:00 Brussels time. This grant is part of the broader Mobility cluster under Horizon Europe, aimed at enhancing competitiveness within the aviation industry through advanced digital technologies.

Eligible applicants for this grant typically include a diverse range of entities such as universities, research institutes, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and large companies, aligned with the standards set forth in Annex B of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. The call specifically emphasizes the need for collaborative partnerships among applicants to address complex challenges effectively, suggesting the formation of consortia comprising multiple legal entities is a favorable approach.

The project aims to develop and validate robust AI-enhanced capabilities that work synergistically with digital twin technologies. This includes focusing on areas such as improving aircraft design efficiency, optimizing manufacturing processes, implementing predictive maintenance strategies, and ensuring overall effectiveness in MRO operations. Proposals are encouraged to explore novel AI applications, including the use of Generative AI and machine learning, within a regulatory framework to maintain airworthiness and improve safety.

The funding mechanism employed is a lump sum grant, making financial management more flexible for recipients by providing a fixed amount rather than reimbursing cost-eligible expenses.

Additionally, the expected outcomes from successful proposals will encompass the creation of AI-assisted design tools, efficient condition monitoring, and the integration of smart manufacturing processes leading to enhanced sustainability and performance of aircraft throughout their lifecycle.

While the specific success rates for this opportunity have not been disclosed, Horizon Europe overall typically experiences a competitive success rate, commonly falling within the range of 10-15%. However, this varies depending on factors like the number of applications and their quality.

Co-funding is not a mandatory requirement, although projects that showcase partnerships or synergies with other EU funding programs may strengthen their proposals.

The single-stage application process necessitates a comprehensive proposal submission, whereby applicants must prepare extensively to showcase their innovative strategies and expected impacts within the defined scope of AI and digital technology applications in aviation.

Overall, this grant represents a significant opportunity for advancing AI capabilities in the aviation sector, promoting research and collaborative innovation to enhance operational efficiencies while addressing sustainability challenges.

This is a Horizon Europe grant opportunity focused on AI-assisted digital aircraft design, manufacturing, and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) to enhance the competitiveness of the aviation industry. The call, MOBILITY (HORIZON-CL5-2026-05), falls under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program. The type of action is HORIZON-RIA, which stands for HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions. The Model Grant Agreement (MGA) type is HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS]. It is a forthcoming, single-stage submission process. The planned opening date is December 18, 2025, and the deadline for submission is April 14, 2026, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of the projects funded under this topic are: AI-assisted digital aircraft design, redesign, and certification in collaboration with digital twins and virtual products; AI-assisted design tools for aircraft requirement definition, validation, and verification to improve the efficiency of system design activities; and AI-assisted digital aircraft manufacturing, operation, condition monitoring and prediction, and maintenance, repair, and overhaul operations.

The scope of the topic is the development of robust AI-assisted capabilities that will work in tandem with digital twins. The term aircraft includes propulsion, aerostructures, systems, and their integration.

Proposals may focus on: Robust, reliable, verifiable, and accelerated training of AI-assisted digital capabilities; Efficient and high-performance AI-assisted computing, in connection to complex multi-disciplinary design and optimisation methodologies at system and/or integrated level; Protocols, standards, and AI-assisted digital capabilities for the entire aircraft manufacturing and MRO supply chain; Accelerated experimental validation capabilities of machine learning algorithms, for selected industrial use cases, linked to novel EU research and technology infrastructures; Verifiable and reproducible usage of Generative AI and Large Language Models for recommendation systems and information retrieval, especially within areas under authority regulation to maintain airworthiness and safety of airframes and their major systems (i.e., using Explainable Generative AI or surrogate models); AI-assisted prescriptive maintenance procedures for efficient condition-based maintenance and maximized circularity by optimizing the utilization of the globally available high-value items (components, engines, airframes); and AI-assisted maintenance assistance systems for efficient human-in-the-loop integration.

The general conditions include: Admissibility Conditions related to proposal page limits and layout, which are described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System; Eligible Countries, described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries outlined in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide; Other Eligible Conditions requiring beneficiaries to use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS if projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation, and/or related timing data and services, also described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes; Financial and operational capacity and exclusion, described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes; Evaluation and award criteria, scoring, and thresholds, described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes; Submission and evaluation processes, described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual; Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement, described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes; and Legal and financial set-up of the grants, where the granting authority may object to a transfer of ownership or exclusive licensing of results up to 4 years after the end of the action, as set out in Annex 5. 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.

Specific conditions indicate that the topic is not applicable.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA) details are as follows: Application form templates are available in the Submission System, including the Standard application form (HE RIA, IA); Evaluation form templates will be used with necessary adaptations, including the Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA); Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide; Model Grant Agreements (MGA) include the Lump Sum MGA; Call-specific instructions include a Detailed budget table (HE LS) and Guidance: "Lump sums - what do I need to know?".

Additional documents include: HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction; HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 8. Climate, Energy and Mobility; HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes; HE Programme Guide; HE Framework Programme 2021/695; HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764; EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509; Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme; Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment; EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement; Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual; Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions; and Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

The budget overview for the year 2026 includes: HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-01 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of 68,000,000 EUR, single-stage, opening on 2025-12-18 and closing on 2026-04-14, with around 34,000,000 EUR contribution and an indicative number of 2 grants; HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-02 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of 16,000,000 EUR, single-stage, opening on 2025-12-18 and closing on 2026-04-14, with around 16,000,000 EUR contribution and an indicative number of 1 grant; HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-07 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of 10,000,000 EUR, single-stage, opening on 2025-12-18 and closing on 2026-04-14, with around 5,000,000 EUR contribution and an indicative number of 2 grants; HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-11 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of 21,000,000 EUR, single-stage, opening on 2025-12-18 and closing on 2026-04-14, with around 10,500,000 EUR contribution and an indicative number of 2 grants; HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-12 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of 21,000,000 EUR, single-stage, opening on 2025-12-18 and closing on 2026-04-14, with around 10,500,000 EUR contribution and an indicative number of 2 grants; and HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-13 - HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions with a budget of 2,000,000 EUR, single-stage, opening on 2025-12-18 and closing on 2026-04-14, with around 2,000,000 EUR contribution and an indicative number of 1 grant.

Partner search announcements are available for collaboration on this topic. LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants can publish partner requests for open and forthcoming topics after logging into the Portal.

The submission system is planned to be opened on the date stated on the topic header.

Support is available through the 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 and ETSI Research Helpdesk, and Partner Search.

In summary, this Horizon Europe funding opportunity aims to foster the development and integration of AI-assisted technologies with digital twins to revolutionize aircraft design, manufacturing, and MRO processes. It seeks to improve efficiency, reliability, and sustainability within the aviation industry by leveraging AI for various applications, including design optimization, predictive maintenance, and circularity. The call encourages proposals that address key challenges in AI training, high-performance computing, standardization, experimental validation, and the use of generative AI while adhering to airworthiness and safety regulations. The funding is provided as a lump sum, and applicants are advised to consult the provided guidelines and support resources for proposal preparation and submission.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, given that this is a Horizon Europe call, eligible applicants typically include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other organizations capable of conducting research and innovation activities. Eligibility is further defined in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS]. The call includes HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA), HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA). 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 – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025).

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, given the scope and nature of Horizon Europe projects, it is highly likely that a consortium of multiple applicants is preferred or even required to address the complex challenges outlined in the topic description. Partner search announcements are available, suggesting that consortia are common.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): Eligible countries are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. The text also mentions that a number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Target Sector: The primary target sector is the aviation industry, with a focus on AI-assisted digital aircraft design, manufacturing, and Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO). This includes the integration of AI and digital twin technologies. The call also targets artificial intelligence, digital twins, manufacturing, and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) within the aviation sector.

Mentioned Countries: The text refers to "non-EU/non-Associated Countries" and "third-countries," indicating that the opportunity is primarily focused on EU member states and associated countries, but also allows for participation from other countries under specific conditions.

Project Stage: The project stage varies depending on the specific action type. HORIZON-RIA (Research and Innovation Actions) typically targets projects in the research and development stages, while HORIZON-IA (Innovation Actions) targets projects closer to demonstration and validation. HORIZON-CSA (Coordination and Support Actions) supports networking, coordination, and dissemination activities.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary by topic:
HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-01: €68,000,000 (approximately €34,000,000 per grant, 2 grants)
HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-02: €16,000,000 (approximately €16,000,000 per grant, 1 grant)
HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-07: €10,000,000 (approximately €5,000,000 per grant, 2 grants)
HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-11: €21,000,000 (approximately €10,500,000 per grant, 2 grants)
HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-12: €21,000,000 (approximately €10,500,000 per grant, 2 grants)
HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-13: €2,000,000 (approximately €2,000,000 per grant, 1 grant)

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant.

Application Stages: The application process is single-stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:
This Horizon Europe call, under the MOBILITY pillar, focuses on "AI-assisted digital aircraft design, manufacturing and MRO, towards a competitive aviation." It aims to foster the development and integration of robust AI capabilities with digital twin technologies to enhance various aspects of the aviation industry, including aircraft design, manufacturing, operation, maintenance, and overhaul. The call encompasses several specific topics, each with its own budget and expected outcomes. Projects should contribute to AI-assisted digital aircraft design, redesign, and certification, AI-assisted design tools for requirement definition, and AI-assisted digital aircraft manufacturing, operation, condition monitoring, prediction, maintenance, repair, and overhaul operations.

The call is structured around three main types of actions: Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Innovation Actions (IA), and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA). Eligible applicants include a wide range of organizations from EU member states, associated countries, and potentially non-EU countries under specific provisions. Funding is provided as lump sum grants, and the application process involves a single-stage submission.

Applicants are encouraged to form consortia to address the complex challenges outlined in the call. Proposals should focus on areas such as robust AI training, efficient AI computing, protocols for the aircraft manufacturing and MRO supply chain, accelerated validation of machine learning algorithms, verifiable usage of Generative AI and Large Language Models, AI-assisted maintenance procedures, and AI-assisted maintenance assistance systems. The call aims to improve the efficiency, safety, and circularity of the aviation industry through the application of advanced AI and digital technologies.