Demonstration and Validation of icing Certification Methodologies compatible with EIS2035 for the SMR and REG Aircraft

HORIZON-JU is a Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking Transverse Activity Innovation Action to develop and demonstrate harmonized icing certification methodologies for Appendix O Supercooled Large Droplet conditions supporting EIS 2035 for SMR and regional aircraft. Maximum topic funding is €12 million with a 70% funding rate for for-profit entities (100% for non-profit legal entities) and the call is single-stage via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal, opening 31 March 2026 and closing 19 May 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time. Eligible applicants are legal entities established in EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries (non-EU entities may participate as non-funded partners) and consortia should generally include at least three independent legal entities from different countries. Close cooperation with EASA and other aviation authorities is mandatory, proposals must validate numerical prediction tools, provide means of compliance and a regulatory roadmap, and will be evaluated on Excellence, Impact (weighted), and Quality and Efficiency of Implementation.

Opportunity overview

Demonstration and Validation of icing Certification Methodologies compatible with EIS2035 for the SMR and REG Aircraft

Clean Aviation CfP 04 — HORIZON-JU-CLEAN-AVIATION-2026-04-TRA-01

What it funds: development and demonstration of harmonised icing certification methodologies for Appendix O Supercooled Large Droplet (SLD) icing conditions, including validation of numerical prediction tools against representative test results and a means-of-compliance and regulatory roadmap in collaboration with EASA and other aviation authorities to support efficient future certification of Ultra-Efficient SMR and Regional aircraft.

Type of action:HORIZON-JU-IA Innovation Actions (HORIZON JU Innovation Actions). Single-stage call; HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based MGA. ¹

1. 1Who can apply: legal entities (consortia) established in EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries; usual Horizon Europe eligibility, financial and operational capacity, and exclusion checks apply
2. 2Expected partners/stakeholders: manufacturers, research organisations, test facilities, regulators and EASA involvement for certification relevance
3. 3What is eligible: R&D, validation, demonstration, test campaigns and regulatory roadmapping activities as described in the topic description

Budget and scale: the Clean Aviation CfP 04 package shows a total indicative call budget of €329,500,000 for many topics under the call; no topic-specific funding envelope is published on the page — projects will be funded within the overall call budget and according to evaluation and Governing Board approval ¹.

Application essentials: use the Proposal Application Form and templates on the Funding & Tenders Portal when the submission system opens; follow General Annexes and Clean Aviation specific rules on admissibility, eligibility, evaluation, ethics and security. Q&A documents and call-specific templates will be published on the topic page; two Q&A releases are scheduled prior to deadline ¹.

Quick evaluation notes:Proposals are evaluated against Horizon award criteria (Excellence, Impact, Quality and efficiency of implementation). For Innovation Actions the Impact criterion carries increased weighting; applicable thresholds and templates are in the Horizon general annexes and Clean Aviation guidance ¹.

1. 1Submission: proposals submitted electronically through the Funding & Tenders Portal
2. 2Eligibility: consult Work Programme General Annexes Annex B and Clean Aviation call-specific conditions
3. 3Output: deliverables expected to include validated methodologies, test data comparisons, means-of-compliance material and a regulatory roadmap

Footnotes

1. 1Full topic description, templates, evaluation forms and all call documents are on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal topic page: Demonstration and Validation of icing Certification Methodologies compatible with EIS2035 for the SMR and REG Aircraft Topic page

Funding Opportunity Overview

Title: Demonstration and Validation of icing Certification Methodologies compatible with EIS2035 for the SMR and REG Aircraft

Call: Clean Aviation CfP 04 (HORIZON-JU-Clean-Aviation-2026-01) — Topic ID HORIZON-JU

Type of action: HORIZON-JU-IA (Horizon Europe Joint Undertaking Innovation Actions) — Single-stage call

Submission window: Planned opening 31 March 2026; Deadline 19 May 2026 at 17:00:00 Brussels time

Managing body: Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking (CAJU) under Horizon Europe; applications via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal

Topic link: EU Funding & Tenders Portal — Topic HORIZON-JU-CLEAN-AVIATION-2026-04-TRA-01 ¹

Topic Scope and Expected Outcome

The topic targets the development and demonstration of harmonized icing certification methodologies for Appendix O Supercooled Large Droplet (SLD) icing conditions. It includes validation of numerical prediction tools against representative test results and the creation of a means of compliance and a regulatory roadmap in close collaboration with EASA and other aviation authorities. The overarching aim is to support a time- and resource-efficient future certification process, enhance aviation safety, and ensure entry-into-service (EIS) by 2035 for Ultra-Efficient Short/Medium Range (SMR) and Regional (REG) aircraft.

Key Administrative Conditions

• Single-stage submission and evaluation
• Proposal page limits and layout: as per Part B of the Application Form in the Submission System; admissibility and layout rules per Horizon Europe General Annexes (Annex A and Annex E)
• Eligible countries and other eligibility conditions: as per Horizon Europe General Annex B
• Financial and operational capacity and exclusion: as per General Annex C
• Award criteria, scoring and thresholds: as per General Annex D; Innovation Actions use weighted Impact (weight 1.5)
• Submission and evaluation processes, indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement: as per General Annex F
• Legal and financial set-up of grants: as per General Annex G
• CAJU-specific rules apply; see CAJU rules for submission, evaluation, selection, award, review procedures and the CA JU Specific Evaluation Template for Large Scale Projects (IA Actions)

Timeline and Support Materials

• Call documents and templates are available on the call page; the submission system is planned to open by end of March 2026
• Templates for mandatory financial annexes (estimated budget per reporting period; Work Package description and effort; Cost breakdown per beneficiary; Budget summary per applicant and WP; In-Kind Contribution) available around mid-March 2026
• Q&A publications: First release 17 February 2026; Second release 17 April 2026
• Model Consortium Agreement for CA JU; Clean Aviation contract template for provision of services by EASA is available to facilitate collaboration with EASA when relevant

Budget Information

Indicative total call budget: €329,500,000 (across multiple topics within Clean Aviation CfP 04). A topic-specific budget is not published on the call page for HORIZON-JU.

Evaluation and Selection

• Award criteria: Excellence; Impact; Quality and efficiency of the implementation
• Scoring: 0–5 per criterion; thresholds typically 3 per criterion and 10 overall for IAs
• For Innovation Actions, Impact is weighted 1.5 for ranking
• Single-stage peer review by independent experts, consensus group, Topic Panel Review; CAJU may organize hearings with applicants during evaluation when appropriate
• Indicative feedback timeline: around 5 months from deadline; indicative grant agreement signature: around 8 months from deadline

Scientific and Technical Focus

• Appendix O SLD icing: methodology development and harmonization for certification
• Validation: numerical tool validation against representative experimental results (e.g., wind tunnel, icing rig, flight tests as applicable to certification evidence chains)
• Means of compliance: definition and maturation aligned with EASA and other aviation authorities
• Regulatory roadmap: collaborative path toward efficient certification processes enabling EIS 2035 for SMR and Regional aircraft
• Expected maturity: Innovation Actions typically emphasize validation, demonstration, and pre-certification activities aligned with higher TRLs (often TRL 6–7), while exact TRL expectations must be derived from the detailed topic description in the call documents

Categorization and Structured Information

Eligible Applicant Types

Eligible applicants include legal entities as defined in Horizon Europe General Annexes. Typical participants for this topic include: large enterprises (aircraft and engine OEMs, Tier-1 suppliers), SMEs (icing detection and protection systems, CFD/CAE software, test services), universities, research organizations, certification and standards bodies (in cooperation roles), test centers, wind tunnel and icing facilities operators, and public or non-profit entities with relevant expertise. Collaboration with EASA is foreseen at the service/consultation level under a specific contract template when applicable.

Funding Type

Grant (Horizon Europe Joint Undertaking Innovation Action, budget-based). For Innovation Actions under Horizon Europe, the standard funding rate is up to 70% for for-profit entities and up to 100% for non-profit legal entities, as per General Annex G.

Consortium Requirement

Standard Horizon Europe eligibility for Innovation Actions requires a consortium of at least three independent legal entities, each established in a different EU Member State or Associated Country, with at least one in an EU Member State. Clean Aviation JU allows, by derogation under Article 72 of Regulation (EU) 2021/2085, topic-level exceptions that can enable single legal entity participation; applicants must verify if such derogation applies to this specific topic in the Work Programme. In the absence of a stated derogation, applicants should form an eligible multi-country consortium.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility)

Applicants from EU Member States (including outermost regions), Overseas Countries and Territories, and Horizon Europe Associated Countries are eligible for funding per Horizon Europe General Annex B. Additional restrictions apply: legal entities established in Russia, Belarus, or non-government-controlled territories of Ukraine are not eligible to participate in any capacity. For Innovation Actions, legal entities established in China are not eligible to participate in any capacity, except for case-by-case exceptions justified under the Work Programme. EU restrictive measures and other specific participation restrictions of the General Annexes also apply.

Target Sector

Aerospace and aviation; certification and safety engineering; computational aerodynamics and icing physics; experimental test and validation infrastructures; regulatory science and standardization for icing conditions; aircraft systems and structures for SMR and regional aircraft platforms.

Mentioned Countries or Regions

Regionally, the topic is open to EU Member States, their outermost regions, and Horizon Europe Associated Countries as per eligibility. No specific individual countries are named in the topic text; participation restrictions for certain third countries are defined in Horizon Europe General Annex B.

Project Stage

Innovation Action focus on development, validation, demonstration, and certification-readiness activities. For this topic: validation of numerical prediction tools, demonstration under representative icing conditions, and regulatory roadmap and means of compliance preparation in collaboration with aviation authorities (e.g., EASA).

Funding Amount

The total indicative call budget for Clean Aviation CfP 04 is €329,500,000 across multiple topics. A topic-specific indicative budget is not published on the call page for HORIZON-JU. Applicants should consult the Full Description of Topics and the Work Programme 2026–27 for any subsequent budget clarifications.

Application Type

Open call via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal; single-stage submission and evaluation.

Nature of Support

Monetary grant funding. Non-financial support includes access to standard templates, model agreements, Q&A and helpdesk services, and the possibility to engage with EASA through a dedicated services contract template when appropriate.

Application Stages

1 stage (single-stage). Proposals are evaluated as submitted; hearings with applicants may be organized during evaluation if required.

Success Rates

Success rates are not published for this specific topic or call at the time of call announcement.

Co-funding Requirement

Yes, for for-profit beneficiaries under Innovation Actions due to the 70% funding rate; non-profit legal entities may receive up to 100% of eligible costs. Applicants must provide the remaining share of the budget via co-funding or other sources and comply with the no double funding rule.

Detailed Conditions and Compliance Framework

• Admissibility and page limits: per Horizon Europe General Annexes; excess pages are made invisible to evaluators
• Ethics and security: compliance with EU, national, and international ethics standards; security provisions apply where necessary
• Gender equality plans: mandatory for certain categories of legal entities from MS/AC as per General Annex B
• Open science and dissemination: align with Horizon Europe practices and CAJU-specific guidance; communication and EU visibility obligations apply
• IPR and access rights: Horizon Europe Model Grant Agreement provisions apply; specific CAJU rules on linking actions and cooperation agreements may be requested during Grant Agreement Preparation
• Restrictions: entities subject to EU restrictive measures are not eligible; Russia/Belarus and non-government-controlled territories of Ukraine are excluded; entities established in China are not eligible for participation in IAs, with limited exceptions
• Evaluation weighting: for IAs, Impact criterion weight is 1.5; evaluation thresholds per General Annex D
• Indicative timelines: information on evaluation outcome in ~5 months from deadline; grant preparation and signature in ~8 months from deadline

Templates and Application Structure

Applicants must use the forms provided in the Submission System. The following supporting templates and documents are made available on the call page to prepare a compliant submission and a robust Grant Agreement Preparation package:

• Proposal Application Form for this topic (technical Part B and administrative Part A)
• Financial annex templates: Estimated budget per reporting period; Work Package description (Detailed); Work Package effort (Detailed); Cost Breakdown per beneficiary; Budget summary per applicant and work package; In-Kind Contribution template
• CA JU Model Consortium Agreement
• Clean Aviation contract template for the provision of services by EASA
• Evaluation form templates: Standard evaluation form (HE RIA/IA), CA JU Large Scale Projects (IA) specific template applies
• Model Grant Agreements: Horizon Action Grant Budget-Based (HORIZON-AG) and annotated guidance
• Guidance documents: Horizon Europe Programme Guide; General Annexes; Online Manual; guidance on lump sums where relevant to other topics; information on financial support to third parties where applicable

Partner Search and Support

• Partner search announcements functionality on the call page (available to registered users)
• National Contact Points, Enterprise Europe Network, Research Enquiry Service, IPR Helpdesk, and standards bodies helpdesks (CEN-CENELEC, ETSI)
• IT Helpdesk for portal and submission issues

What to Propose: Technical, Regulatory and Programmatic Alignment

• Design and demonstrate harmonized Appendix O SLD icing certification methods suitable for SMR and Regional aircraft meeting the EIS 2035 target
• Validate numerical icing prediction tools against representative, high-quality experimental and/or flight test data sets that are relevant for certification
• Define, mature, and document means of compliance including test matrices, acceptance criteria, statistical confidence approaches, and conformity of testing
• Co-develop a regulatory roadmap with EASA and other competent authorities, including timelines, standardization pathways, and proposed updates to applicable certification specifications and guidance
• Ensure traceability of methods to safety objectives, with clear coverage of aerodynamics, systems performance (e.g., ice protection), and operational envelopes
• Develop data management plans for validation evidence; assure repeatability and reproducibility of results; include uncertainty quantification for models and tests
• Plan for integration with Clean Aviation SRIA objectives and potential links with other relevant Clean Aviation actions (cooperation agreements or linked actions may be requested during GAP to optimize programmatic impact)

Practical Submission Checklist

• Confirm consortium eligibility under Horizon Europe rules (or topic-level derogation if explicitly provided by CAJU) and ensure all participants are from eligible countries
• Register all entities in the Participant Register and obtain a PIC; appoint a coordinator
• Prepare Part A (administrative forms) and Part B (technical description) respecting page limits
• Complete mandatory financial annexes using the latest templates provided mid-March 2026
• Address evaluation criteria comprehensively, giving special attention to Impact (weighted 1.5 for IAs), and detail a realistic work plan, risks, and resources
• Ensure ethics and, where relevant, security compliance sections are fully addressed
• Plan for co-funding contributions for for-profit participants (70% funding rate applies unless non-profit)
• Use the CA JU Model Consortium Agreement as a basis for internal governance; plan for potential cooperation agreements and linked actions during Grant Agreement Preparation if requested
• Monitor the call page for Q&A updates (17 Feb and 17 Apr 2026) and any topic updates
• Submit before the deadline (19 May 2026, 17:00 Brussels time); the system records official receipt date and time

Long Summary: What This Opportunity Is About

This Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking Innovation Action funds large-scale, multi-actor projects to deliver harmonized certification methodologies for Appendix O Supercooled Large Droplet icing conditions, a critical area for aircraft safety and certification efficiency. Projects should validate numerical prediction tools with robust experimental or flight data, develop clear and regulator-ready means of compliance, and co-author a regulatory roadmap with EASA and other authorities to streamline certification and accelerate the entry-into-service of Ultra-Efficient SMR and Regional aircraft by 2035. Proposals must address rigorous technical validation, data integrity, uncertainty quantification, and reproducibility, and they should demonstrate how the methods provide traceable coverage of safety objectives across aerodynamics, structures, and systems (including ice protection) under SLD conditions. Strong programmatic alignment with Clean Aviation SRIA objectives is essential, and CAJU may require cooperation agreements or linked actions to maximize portfolio-level impact. Applications follow Horizon Europe rules and CAJU-specific procedures: they are single-stage; evaluated against Excellence, Impact (weighted 1.5), and Implementation; and subject to standard ethics, security, and eligibility provisions. The call opens on 31 March 2026 and closes on 19 May 2026. The overall call budget is €329.5 million across multiple topics; the topic-level budget is not published. For Innovation Actions, the funding rate is generally up to 70% for for-profit entities and up to 100% for non-profit entities, implying a co-funding requirement for many industrial participants. All submissions must be filed via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal using the official templates and must comply with Horizon Europe General Annexes. Collaboration with EASA can be structured using the dedicated EASA services contract template when relevant to certification activities. This is a strategic opportunity for consortia combining OEMs, system suppliers, universities, RTOs, and specialized SMEs with icing, CFD/CAE, and test capabilities to influence and enable future icing certification pathways and standards, reduce certification burden, and enhance aviation safety for next-generation SMR and Regional aircraft.

Official Topic Page:EU Funding & Tenders Portal — HORIZON-JU EU Funding & Tenders Portal — Topic Link

Key Reference Rules and Templates:Horizon Europe General Annexes; CAJU-specific rules and Large Scale IA evaluation template; Model Grant Agreement; Proposal templates; Financial annexes; CA JU Model Consortium Agreement; Clean Aviation EASA service contract template; Online Manual; Programme Guide.

Footnotes

1. 1Primary reference: EU Funding & Tenders Portal topic page for HORIZON-JU provides official conditions, templates, and updates.

Funding Opportunity Analysis: Demonstration and Validation of Icing Certification Methodologies

Opportunity Overview

This is a Transverse Activity (TRA) Innovation Action (IA) under the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking (CAJU) Call 4 for Proposals. The opportunity focuses on developing and demonstrating harmonized icing certification methodologies for Appendix O Supercooled Large Droplet (SLD) icing conditions, with validation of numerical prediction tools and creation of regulatory roadmaps to support efficient future certification processes for ultra-efficient small and medium-range (SMR) and regional aircraft.

Key Funding Details

Topic Identifier:HORIZON-JU

Call:Clean Aviation Call 4 (HORIZON-JU-Clean-Aviation-2026-01)

Type of Action:Innovation Action (IA)

Maximum Funding Available:€12 million

Expected Number of Projects:Up to 1 project

Funding Rate:70 percent for Innovation Actions (100 percent for non-profit legal entities)

Timeline and Submission Details

Call Opening Date:31 March 2026

Submission Deadline:19 May 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time

Submission Model:Single-stage submission via EU Funding and Tenders Portal

Q&A Process:First Q&A release on 17 February 2026; second and final Q&A release on 17 April 2026. Questions may be submitted until 26 March 2026 via CFP-2026-01@clean-aviation.eu

Evaluation Timeline:Evaluation results expected around 5 months from deadline (approximately August 2026); grant signature expected around 8 months from deadline (approximately December 2026)

Eligibility and Consortium Requirements

Eligible Applicants:Legal entities established in EU Member States, Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to Member States, or countries associated with Horizon Europe. Non-EU entities may participate as associated partners without funding. Eligible entity types include research institutions, universities, SMEs, private companies, public bodies, and international organizations.

Consortium Composition:Unless otherwise specified in call conditions, a minimum of three independent legal entities is required, with at least one established in an EU Member State and at least two others in different Member States or Associated Countries. This is a standard Horizon Europe requirement for collaborative grants.

Mandatory Partnership:Yes. Multi-beneficiary consortia are required unless derogations apply.

Special Eligibility Conditions:Entities established in China are not eligible to participate in Horizon Europe Innovation Actions in any capacity. Entities subject to EU restrictive measures, those established in Russia, Belarus, or non-government controlled territories of Ukraine are also ineligible. Hungarian public interest trusts established under Hungarian Act IX of 2021 cannot receive funding.

Project Scope and Objectives

The project must develop and demonstrate harmonized icing certification methodologies specifically for Appendix O Supercooled Large Droplet (SLD) icing conditions. Key activities include validation of numerical prediction tools against representative test results, creation of means of compliance documentation, and development of regulatory roadmaps in close collaboration with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and other aviation authorities. The work must support efficient future certification processes while enhancing aviation safety and ensuring Entry Into Service (EIS) 2035 for ultra-efficient SMR and regional aircraft.

Expected Outcomes:Development and demonstration of harmonized icing certification methodologies for Appendix O SLD icing conditions; validation of numerical prediction tools; creation of means of compliance and regulatory roadmap; support for efficient future certification processes; enhancement of aviation safety; alignment with EIS 2035 targets for ultra-efficient aircraft.

Technology Readiness Level (TRL):Projects should demonstrate progression in TRL, with critical technologies expected to reach TRL4 by project completion.

Certification Readiness Level (CRL):Activities are expected to demonstrate CRL4 at project completion for critical technologies, with a defined route to achieve CRL6 at propulsion system level.

EASA Involvement and Regulatory Coordination

Close cooperation with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and other aviation authorities is mandatory. Applicants must establish contact with EASA to define EASA's involvement in the project, including certification advice and support. A Clean Aviation contract template for EASA service provision is available. EASA's participation is expected to facilitate the development of regulatory roadmaps and support the certification process. The project must address ongoing EASA rulemaking actions including RES.0010 (Ice Crystal Detection), RES.0017 (Icing hazard linked to SLD), RES.0014 (Air-data enhanced fault detection), RMT.0196 (Flight simulation training device requirements), and RMT.0118 (On-ground wing contamination effects).

Evaluation Criteria and Award Process

Evaluation Criteria:Proposals are evaluated on three criteria: Excellence, Impact, and Quality and Efficiency of Implementation. For Innovation Actions, the Impact criterion receives a weighting of 1.5 in the ranking.

Scoring and Thresholds:Each criterion is scored from 0 to 5 (half-marks permitted). Individual criterion threshold is 3 out of 5. Overall threshold is 10 out of 15 points (sum of three criteria).

Excellence Criterion:Clarity and pertinence of project objectives and extent to which proposed work is ambitious and goes beyond state of the art; soundness of proposed methodology including underlying concepts, models, assumptions, and quality of open science practices.

Impact Criterion:Credibility of pathways to achieve expected outcomes and impacts specified in work programme; suitability and quality of measures to maximize expected outcomes and impacts as set out in dissemination and exploitation plan, including communication activities.

Quality and Efficiency of Implementation Criterion:Quality and effectiveness of work plan, assessment of risks, and appropriateness of effort assigned to work packages and resources overall; capacity and role of each participant and extent to which consortium brings together necessary expertise.

Financial and Administrative Requirements

Grant Form:Budget-based mixed actual cost grant under Horizon Europe rules

Eligible Costs:Personnel costs, subcontracting costs, purchase costs (equipment, consumables, supplies), travel and subsistence, indirect costs (25 percent flat-rate of eligible direct costs), and other eligible costs as defined in Horizon Europe regulations. Costs must be actually incurred, necessary for action implementation, identifiable and verifiable, and comply with applicable national law.

Ineligible Costs:Return on capital, dividends, debt service charges, provisions for future losses, interest owed, currency exchange losses, bank transfer costs, excessive expenditure, deductible or refundable VAT, costs during grant suspension, and costs declared under other EU grants (except Synergy actions where combined funding does not exceed 100 percent).

Financial Capacity:Applicants must have stable and sufficient resources to successfully implement the project. Financial capacity will be verified for the coordinator if the requested grant amount is €500,000 or more, except for public bodies and international organizations. Beneficiaries must remain eligible throughout the action duration.

Operational Capacity:Applicants must have the know-how, qualifications, and resources to successfully implement their tasks, including sufficient experience in EU or transnational projects of comparable size. This is assessed during evaluation of the Quality and Efficiency of Implementation criterion.

Consortium Agreement:Multi-beneficiary consortia must conclude a written consortium agreement covering internal organization, management of Portal access, distribution keys for payments and financial responsibilities, rules on background and results, dispute settlement, and liability arrangements. The agreement must not contradict the grant agreement.

Reporting and Payment Schedule:Beneficiaries must submit periodic reports (technical and financial) in accordance with the schedule set in the grant agreement. Payments include initial prefinancing, interim payments linked to periodic reports, and final payment. A Mutual Insurance Mechanism contribution (5-8 percent of maximum grant amount) is retained from prefinancing. Late payment interest is charged at ECB rate plus 3.5 percent.

Record-Keeping:Beneficiaries must keep records and supporting documents for at least 5 years after final payment (or 3 years for grants not exceeding €60,000) to prove proper action implementation and cost eligibility. Records must be made available upon request or during checks, audits, and investigations.

Intellectual Property and Dissemination

Ownership of Results:The granting authority does not obtain ownership of results produced under the action. Beneficiaries retain ownership of intellectual property rights in their results.

Granting Authority Rights of Use:The granting authority has the right to use non-sensitive information and materials received from beneficiaries for policy, information, communication, dissemination, and publicity purposes during and after the action. This right is granted as a royalty-free, non-exclusive, irrevocable license including rights to use, distribute, edit, translate, store, archive, and authorize third parties to use the materials.

Background Access:Beneficiaries must give each other and other participants access to background (pre-existing data, know-how, or information) identified as needed for implementing the action, subject to specific rules in the grant agreement.

Dissemination and Communication:Beneficiaries must promote the action and its results by providing targeted information to multiple audiences in a strategic, coherent, and effective manner. All communication activities must acknowledge EU support and display the European flag and funding statement. A disclaimer must be included stating that views expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the granting authority.

Compliance and Risk Management

Conflict of Interest:Beneficiaries must take all measures to prevent situations where impartial and objective implementation could be compromised. Any conflict of interest must be formally notified to the granting authority without delay, and necessary steps must be taken to rectify the situation.

Ethics and Values:The action must be carried out in line with the highest ethical standards and applicable EU, international, and national law on ethical principles. Beneficiaries must commit to and ensure respect for basic EU values including respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law, and human rights.

Data Protection:Beneficiaries must process personal data in compliance with applicable EU, international, and national law on data protection, particularly Regulation 2016/679 (GDPR). Data must be processed lawfully, fairly, transparently, and securely.

Confidentiality and Security:Beneficiaries must keep confidential any data, documents, or material identified as sensitive during action implementation and for at least 5 years after final payment. Classified information must be handled in accordance with applicable EU, international, or national law on classified information. Disclosure of classified information requires prior explicit written approval from the granting authority.

Checks, Audits, and Investigations:The granting authority, European Commission, OLAF (European Anti-Fraud Office), EPPO (European Public Prosecutor's Office), and ECA (European Court of Auditors) have the right to conduct checks, reviews, audits, and investigations. Beneficiaries must allow access to records and premises and cooperate fully. Findings from checks on other grants may be extended to this grant.

Consequences of Non-Compliance:Non-compliance with grant agreement obligations may result in rejection of ineligible costs, grant reduction, suspension of payment deadlines or payments, suspension or termination of the grant agreement, recovery of undue amounts, and administrative sanctions. Serious breaches may lead to exclusion from future EU funding.

Application Process and Support

Submission Platform:All proposals must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal. Paper submissions are not accepted.

Required Documents:Proposals must include Part A (administrative information submitted online) and Part B (technical description downloaded, completed, and re-uploaded as PDF). Mandatory annexes include description of the action, estimated budget, financial statements model, and specific rules if applicable. All participants must be registered in the Participant Register before submission.

Page Limits:Unless otherwise specified, the limit for a full application is 45 pages (or 50 pages for lump sum funding). Excess pages will be automatically made invisible and not considered by evaluators.

Language:Applicants may submit proposals in any official EU language, though English is strongly recommended for efficiency.

Support Resources:Applicants should consult the Horizon Europe Programme Guide, EU Funding and Tenders Portal Online Manual, and EU Grants Annotated Model Grant Agreement. National Contact Points (NCPs) provide guidance and practical information. The Enterprise Europe Network offers advice to businesses, particularly SMEs. The European IPR Helpdesk assists with intellectual property issues. Questions may be submitted to CFP-2026-01@clean-aviation.eu until 26 March 2026.

Key Considerations for Applicants

Applicants should note that this is a highly specialized call requiring expertise in aircraft icing certification, numerical modeling, and regulatory compliance. The mandatory involvement of EASA and other aviation authorities is critical to project success. Consortia should include complementary expertise in icing physics, certification methodologies, numerical simulation, and regulatory affairs. The project must clearly demonstrate how results will support the certification of ultra-efficient aircraft concepts and contribute to achieving EIS 2035 targets. Applicants should establish early contact with EASA to align project activities with regulatory needs and ensure efficient certification pathways. The single-stage submission process means proposals must be comprehensive and well-developed at submission. Budgets should be realistic and justified, as proposals with inflated budgets may receive lower scores. The project duration and resource allocation should be appropriate for achieving the ambitious objectives of developing harmonized certification methodologies and regulatory roadmaps.

Applicants must ensure their consortium meets all eligibility requirements, including the minimum three independent legal entities from different countries. All participants must be registered and validated in the Participant Register before grant signature. Beneficiaries should prepare comprehensive consortium agreements addressing internal organization, payment distribution, and dispute resolution. The proposal should clearly articulate the innovation beyond current state-of-the-art icing certification practices and demonstrate credible pathways to achieving the expected outcomes. Communication and dissemination plans should be strategic and aligned with the goal of supporting future aircraft certification. Finally, applicants should allow sufficient time for proposal preparation, as the submission deadline is firm and no extensions are granted.