Fast-track U3 U-space advanced services and CNS capabilities

This Horizon Europe grant opportunity, specifically under the Digital European Sky Industrial Research 02 call, is aimed at advancing U-space advanced services and Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance (CNS) capabilities within Europe’s aviation sector. The primary objective is to support the integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into controlled airspace, thereby enhancing safety and efficiency in air traffic management.

Eligible applicants include consortia comprising industry stakeholders, research institutes, universities, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and governmental agencies. The project encourages public-private partnerships typical of SESAR Joint Undertaking (JU) initiatives.

Funding is structured as a lump sum grant, which operates under a Horizon model and emphasizes delivering preset objectives rather than reimbursing incurred costs. The grant requires a consortium for multi-stakeholder collaboration and encourages involvement from EU member states and associated countries, with potential inclusivity for certain non-EU countries under specific conditions.

The target sector centers on aviation and air traffic management, with a strong focus on U-space advancements that promote the safe integration of drones. The program aims to address various project stages, emphasizing validation and demonstration in its approach.

Funding amounts estimated generally fall between €1 million and €5 million, contingent on the size and scope of the consortium involved in the project. The application process entails a single-stage submission with a deadline set for September 16, 2025. Beneficiaries are required to provide co-funding based on a 70% funding rate from the grant, implying that 30% must come from external sources.

The call highlights several research and innovation needs, including dynamic airspace reconfiguration, enhanced drone flight authorization processes, tactical separation management to prevent collisions, and the implementation of automated ground risk assessments.

An open and collaborative framework increases the likelihood of successful applications, with the overall success rate estimated between 10% and 39%, in line with historical averages for Horizon Europe initiatives. The maximum project duration is 36 months, and while the integration of a gender dimension into research content is encouraged, it is not mandatory.

In summary, this grant seeks to expedite the deployment of innovative air traffic management solutions, bolstering the U-space framework to support the growing utilization of drones within the European airspace while achieving alignment with broader EU environmental and digitalization goals. The initiative will help pave the way for the safe, efficient, and sustainable integration of UAS technologies.

This is a Horizon Europe, Digital European Sky Industrial Research 02 (HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02) call for proposals, specifically for Fast-track U3 U-space advanced services and CNS capabilities. The call aims to significantly advance development actions related to U-space advanced services, such as common altitude reference, collaborative interface with ATC, tactical conflict detection and resolution, and fairness in strategic deconfliction.

The call includes multiple topics with varying budgets, action types, and expected number of grants. All topics follow a single-stage submission process with an opening date of April 1, 2025, and a deadline of September 16, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time. The funding rate is 70% for all beneficiaries, regardless of their legal status, and eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum. Collaboration agreements are required. The maximum project duration is 36 months. The integration of a gender dimension into R&I content is not a mandatory requirement.

The call specifies several research and innovation needs, including:

Collaborative interface with ATC: dynamic airspace reconfiguration (ATM/U-space): Further development of dynamic airspace reconfiguration (DAR) to facilitate UAS traffic in ATC-controlled areas, defining ATM and UTM responsibilities, and addressing the impact on ATM and UTM capacity. This includes considering the needs of military/state drones and ongoing work under project ENSURE.

Operation of open and certified drones in controlled airspace without dynamic airspace reconfiguration (DAR): Creating a concept for drone operation in controlled airspace outside of AUSA, potentially as an alternative to DAR. The target use case is drone operation at controlled airports for activities like surveillance and NAVAID calibration, with the drone following ATC clearance facilitated by a U-space service.

Enhanced drone flight authorisation processes: Further development of the drone flight plan standard (data format, data exchange protocols, and processes) beyond existing standards like ASTM F-3548-21, including enhancements such as a two-step authorisation process, limited authorisation options, non-FIFO prioritisation rules, inclusion of flight permissions in geozones, updates to include vertiport selection and slot reservation, and interoperability between USSPs and CIS.

U-space tactical separation management service for drones: Development of a tactical separation service to allow drones to receive flight authorisation for BVLOS flights without requiring strategic deconfliction, defining separation minima based on drone capabilities, and considering combined strategic/tactical concepts.

Enhanced ground risk assessment: Providing automated support for ground risk assessment of drone operations, combining multiple information sources, applicable both before and during flight, and addressing the potential needs of a secured and trusted database.

Enhanced geofencing service: Setting up the framework for widespread adoption of geofencing, addressing database management, legal and liability issues, U-space services to process user authorisations, and specific processes for state drones.

Low-ground-risk DAA-based drone operations in drone-only geozones: Developing and validating a concept for small drone operations in areas with no crewed aviation and low ground risk, without pre-departure strategic deconfliction, where collisions are prevented by on-board DAA systems.

Altimetry for drones in very low level (VLL): Providing altimetry solutions for drones, considering both barometric and geometric altimetry, studying their comparative benefits, and investigating the operational impact of having drones with different altimeters in the same airspace.

Separation between uncontrolled crewed VFR flights and drones: Investigating a concept to mitigate the risk of collision between crewed VFR aircraft and drones, examining different use cases and considering altimetry systems.

Multidimensional optimised U-space flight planning and authorisation processes: Ensuring public acceptance of new U-space operations, addressing concerns like noise, visual pollution, and privacy, and defining a cost function for each mission considering societal and environmental impacts.

Counter-UAS (C-UAS) systems’ services for airport operations: Defining the specification of C-UAS system components and developing a drone intrusion management service to support contingency and restoration actions in case of drone intrusions.

U-space advanced data exchange and communication service: Investigating existing data requirements and developing innovative solutions to support a harmonised and interoperable U-space data exchange and communication service.

Infrastructure monitoring services: Developing infrastructure monitoring services, including navigation and communication infrastructure monitoring.

Mitigation of noise impacts of open and specific category drones: Developing a framework to assess the noise annoyance caused by small drones and propose and validate mitigation strategies.

The call specifies a range of documents to be used for application, evaluation, and legal/financial setup, including the SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking Bi-Annual Work Programme, application forms, evaluation forms, model grant agreements, and various guidance documents and regulations.

The call is structured into several topics, each with a specific budget, action type (Research and Innovation Actions, Innovation Actions, or Coordination and Support Actions), and indicative number of grants. The opening date for submissions is April 1, 2025, and the deadline is September 16, 2025.

The evaluation criteria include excellence, impact, and implementation, with weightings of 40%, 40%, and 20% respectively.

In summary, this SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking call focuses on advancing U-space capabilities to safely and efficiently integrate drones into the European airspace. It covers a wide array of research and innovation areas, from dynamic airspace management and flight authorisation processes to risk assessment, geofencing, altimetry, and counter-UAS systems. The call encourages collaboration and aims to contribute to the development of a harmonised and interoperable U-space ecosystem, while addressing societal concerns and ensuring the safety and security of both crewed and uncrewed aviation.

Eligible Applicant Types: The raw content does not explicitly list the eligible applicant types. However, based on the program's focus on research and innovation actions (RIA), innovation actions (IA), and coordination and support actions (CSA), it can be inferred that eligible applicants may include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other organizations capable of conducting research and development activities in the relevant areas. The mention of "state drones" suggests that governmental bodies and agencies could also be eligible.

Funding Type: The primary funding mechanism is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant. The call also includes Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Innovation Actions (IA), and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), all of which are types of grants.

Consortium Requirement: A collaboration agreement is required, suggesting that a consortium of multiple applicants is preferred or possibly required.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The raw content mentions "non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding" but indicates that some of these countries have made provisions for funding their participants in Horizon Europe projects. This suggests that the primary geographic eligibility is for EU and associated countries, with potential eligibility for specific non-EU countries under certain conditions.

Target Sector: The program targets the air traffic management (ATM) and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) or drone sectors, specifically focusing on U-space, which is the set of services and specific procedures designed to ensure the safe and efficient operation of drones. It also touches upon innovative air mobility (IAM).

Mentioned Countries: The raw content does not explicitly mention specific countries. However, it refers to the European Union (EU) and non-EU/non-Associated Countries.

Project Stage: The program targets projects at various stages, including research, development, and innovation. The focus on innovation actions suggests an emphasis on projects that are closer to demonstration and deployment, while the research and innovation actions cover earlier stages of research and development.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call. The following ranges are specified:
HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA1-1: €4,000,000 to €10,000,000
HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA2-1: €2,000,000 to €7,000,000
HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA3-1: €9,000,000 to €31,000,000
HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA3-2: €5,000,000 to €10,000,000
HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA4-1: €5,000,000 to €12,000,000
HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA4-2: €1,000,000 to €3,000,000
HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA5-1, WA5-2, WA5-3: €3,000,000 to €6,000,000
HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA6-1, WA6-2, WA6-3: €2,000,000 to €5,000,000
HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA7-1: €1,000,000 to €2,000,000
HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA7-2: €500,000 to €1,000,000

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 to cover eligible costs.

Application Stages: The application process is single-stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned in the raw content.

Co-funding Requirement: A funding rate of 70% applies to all beneficiaries, suggesting that co-funding of 30% is required from the applicant or other sources.

Summary: This is a Horizon Europe funding opportunity under the Digital European Sky Industrial Research 02 call, managed by the SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking. It aims to advance U-space, focusing on integrating drones into controlled airspace and enhancing U-space services. The call is structured around several work areas (WA1 to WA7), each with specific research and innovation needs related to drone operations, air traffic management, and U-space infrastructure. Eligible applicants include a variety of entities such as universities, research institutes, SMEs, and governmental bodies, primarily from the EU and associated countries, though some non-EU countries may also be eligible. The funding is provided as lump sum grants, with a 70% funding rate, implying a 30% co-funding requirement. A collaboration agreement is required, indicating that projects should be carried out by consortia. The application process is single-stage, with a deadline of September 16, 2025. The call targets projects at various stages of maturity, from research to innovation actions, with a maximum project duration of 36 months. The overall goal is to ensure the safe, efficient, and sustainable integration of drones into the European airspace, aligning with the European ATM Master Plan.