Icing in the context of sustainable aviation

The Horizon Europe Programme includes a call for proposals on the topic of icing in the context of sustainable aviation, specifically designated as HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-15. This initiative is categorized as a Research and Innovation Action, with an opening date of September 16, 2025, and a submission deadline of January 20, 2026. The funding mechanism is defined as a lump sum grant, with a total budget allocation of €4 million for this specific topic. The program aims to support projects that advance research and innovation in addressing the challenges associated with aircraft icing, particularly in light of climate change and the aviation industry's ongoing shift towards cleaner operations.

The primary focus areas for research and innovation include developing compliant certification means for future sustainable aviation concepts, exploring the impact of climate change on icing environments, and creating new technologies for ice detection and protection. Proposals are expected to generate scientific knowledge for developing prototypes of ice detection and protection systems, with an emphasis on improving safety and performance in aviation.

Eligible participants include research institutions, universities, small and medium-sized enterprises, and large companies within the aviation sector. While a consortium is not explicitly required, collaboration is encouraged, particularly with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and relevant national authorities.

The targeted project stage is Technology Readiness Levels 3 to 5, indicating that projects should focus on experimental proof of concept through to technology validation. The funding opportunities range based on the scope of the specific topic, with the goal of awarding a minimum of one grant.

This call also underscores the significance of collaboration, specifically with entities like EASA, to ensure that projects align with rulemaking actions concerning aircraft icing and related safety protocols. The proposal submission process will follow a single-stage model, with a focus on key evaluation criteria including technical excellence, impact, and implementation quality.

Potential applicants are strongly advised to consult the Horizon Europe Programme Guide and detailed annexes for comprehensive eligibility criteria, application guidelines, and necessary documentation, while also utilizing resources for partner searches to enhance their proposals.

The Horizon Europe Programme includes a call for proposals related to icing in the context of sustainable aviation, specifically topic HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-15. This is a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA) with a single-stage deadline model. The planned opening date is 16 September 2025, and the deadline for submission is 20 January 2026 at 17:00:00 Brussels time. The type of Model Grant Agreement is HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS]. The budget for this specific topic is 4,000,000 EUR for the year 2025, and the indicative number of grants to be awarded is 1.

The expected outcome of this research is to generate scientific expertise for developing means of compliance for the certification of icing systems, and to generate scientific knowledge for developing new prototypes of ice detection and protection. The scope of the research includes three principal areas:

1. Research and Innovation (R&I) to prepare for the development of means of compliance for certification of future sustainable aviation concepts, including:
 * Development of reliable numerical tools for validating designs against icing environments (Appendix C, O, P and snow), including ground anti-icing fluids.
 * Development of Supercooled Large Drop (SLD) Testing Capabilities, such as icing wind tunnel tests or ice tankers, and generation of flight-testing open datasets for validation of modelling and tunnel testing.
 * Development of European Ice Crystal test Capability (for engine/air data probe).
 * Development of Falling / Blowing Snow Testing Capability.

2. R&I on the icing environment to assess the impact of climate change effects on certification icing environments. This includes assessing the use of specific models for predicting icing conditions, such as those addressing cloud micro-physics for the formation of ice crystals and supercooled water droplets, which can be coupled to climate models like General Circulation Models.

3. R&I related to new technologies for ice detection and protection, including:
 * Ice crystal and SLDs Ice Detection systems to optimise Ice crystals protection or support the detect and exit the SLD appendix O or a portion of the appendix O conditions.
 * High Efficiency/Low Energy protection: New ice protection technology for cleaner aviation with more electric airplanes, including more effective and with less energy, active, passive and hybrid technologies (e.g., low ice-adhesion durable coatings and including new air mobility products (e.g., low speed propeller icing concerns)).
 * Dissimilar means for Air data (angle of attack (AOA)/Speed) measurement and insensitive to icing threat.
 * Enhanced aircraft performance and in particular ice protection health monitoring by improving the ice protection system monitoring coverage based on smart systems capable to monitor a large number of aircraft parameters.

This research is linked to several ongoing rulemaking actions of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), including: RES.0010 Ice Crystal Detection, RES.0017 Icing hazard linked to super cooled large droplets (SLD), RES.0014 Air-data enhanced fault detection and diagnosis, RMT.0196 Update of the flight simulation training device requirements, and RMT.0118 Analysis of on-ground wing contamination effect on take-off performance degradation.

The call emphasizes the need for close cooperation with EASA and other national aviation authorities during project implementation.

General conditions for participation include:

1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limits and layout are described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form.
2. Eligible Countries are 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.
3. Other Eligible Conditions are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. Submission and evaluation processes are detailed in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is also in Annex F.
6. Legal and financial set-up: Eligible costs will be in the form of a lump sum, as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021.

Specific conditions include using the standard application form (HE RIA, IA) and evaluation form templates, with guidance provided by the HE Programme Guide and Lump Sum MGA. Call-specific instructions, a detailed budget table (HE LS), and guidance on lump sums are also available.

Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2025, HE Framework Programme 2021/695, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, and various guidance documents and regulations related to Horizon Europe.

Potential applicants are encouraged to use the Partner Search tool to find partner organizations and to contact the Research Enquiry Service or National Contact Points for assistance.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call focuses on advancing research and innovation in aircraft icing, particularly in the context of sustainable aviation. It seeks to address challenges posed by climate change and the need for safer, more efficient aircraft designs. The call encourages projects that develop new technologies for ice detection and protection, improve means of compliance for certification, and assess the impact of climate change on icing environments. The funding is provided as a lump sum, and applicants should carefully review all guidelines and conditions outlined in the call documents.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, given the nature of Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Innovation Actions (IA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), eligible applicants could include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other organizations capable of conducting research and innovation activities. The mention of LEAR appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment suggests that a wide range of legal entities can apply, provided they meet the eligibility criteria outlined in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide and related annexes.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a lump sum grant, as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme. This is further specified as HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS].

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, the encouragement of partner searches and the scope of the research areas suggest that consortia are likely to be more competitive, especially for larger projects.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The primary geographic eligibility is for EU member states and associated countries, as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. However, the text also mentions that a number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries have made specific provisions for funding their participants in Horizon Europe projects, as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Target Sector: The primary target sector is aviation, with a specific focus on sustainable aviation and addressing the challenges of aircraft icing. This includes research and innovation related to: means of compliance for certification of future sustainable aviation concepts, icing environment assessment considering climate change effects, and new technologies for ice detection and protection. The call falls under Cluster 5 of Horizon Europe, which covers Climate, Energy and Mobility.

Mentioned Countries: The text refers to EU member states and non-EU/non-Associated Countries that have specific provisions for funding participants in Horizon Europe projects. No specific countries are named, but the geographic scope includes the EU and potentially other countries associated with or having agreements with the Horizon Europe program.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of projects for this opportunity is Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 3-5. This indicates that the projects should be at the stage of technology validation in a laboratory or simulated environment, up to technology demonstration in a relevant environment.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call. Based on the budget overview, the indicative funding ranges are:
HORIZON-IA: around EUR 4,000,000 to EUR 11,000,000, with some topics reaching EUR 24,000,000
HORIZON-RIA: around EUR 4,000,000 to EUR 10,000,000, with one topic at EUR 30,000,000
HORIZON-CSA: around EUR 1,500,000 to EUR 3,500,000
There is also one topic with a funding range of EUR 7,000,000 to EUR 8,000,000.

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

Nature of Support: The 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, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight. For example, topics with larger budgets (e.g., EUR 24,000,000 or EUR 30,000,000) tend to have an indicative number of 2-3 grants, while smaller topics (e.g., EUR 1,500,000) typically have only 1 grant. The actual success rate will depend on the number and quality of proposals received.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement. As Horizon Europe primarily provides grants, co-funding is generally not mandatory but can strengthen a proposal.

Summary: This Horizon Europe Cluster 5 call focuses on "Icing in the context of sustainable aviation." It seeks to fund research and innovation projects that address the challenges of aircraft icing, particularly in light of climate change and the aviation industry's push towards cleaner, more sustainable aircraft. The call is structured around three main areas: developing means of compliance for certification of future sustainable aviation concepts, researching the impact of climate change on icing environments, and creating new technologies for ice detection and protection. Projects should aim to advance technologies from TRL 3 to 5. Funding is provided as lump sum grants, and while the call is open to entities from EU member states and associated countries, non-EU/non-associated countries may also be eligible under specific provisions. The call encourages collaboration with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and national aviation authorities. The application process is single-stage, with a deadline of January 20, 2026. The indicative budget and number of grants vary by topic, ranging from EUR 1,500,000 to EUR 30,000,000, with a corresponding number of 1 to 3 grants per topic. Applicants are encouraged to consult the Horizon Europe Programme Guide and related annexes for detailed eligibility criteria and application guidelines.