Superconducting motor windings for a fully electric hydrogen fuel cell powered aircraft

Clean Aviation Call 04 HORIZON-JU funds development and TRL5 demonstration of superconducting AC motor windings for fully electric hydrogen fuel cell aircraft, focusing on reliability, performance and integration into cryogenic electric propulsion. The action is a HORIZON-JU-RIA with a maximum EU contribution of €5,000,000 per project, funding rate up to 100% of eligible costs. Submission is single-stage via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal with deadline 19 May 2026, 17:00 Brussels time. Eligible applicants include legal entities from EU Member States and Horizon Europe associated countries, typically in consortia meeting Horizon Europe consortium rules.

Funding Opportunity Overview

Topic

Superconducting motor windings for a fully electric hydrogen fuel cell powered aircraft

Aim: develop and demonstrate a superconducting AC motor winding to TRL5 for a fully electric hydrogen fuel cell powered aircraft, proving reliability and performance to enable compact, efficient cryogenic electric propulsion systems.

Type of action:HORIZON-JU-RIA Research and Innovation Action (Clean Aviation CfP 04). Single-stage submission; project templates available on the Funding & Tenders Portal ¹.

1. 1Who can apply: legal entities established in eligible Member States and Horizon Europe associated countries; consortia required where specified in the call documents.
2. 2What it funds: R&I activities to reach TRL5 for superconducting AC motor winding and system-level demonstrations in relevant cryogenic propulsion environments.
3. 3Grant modality: budget-based Horizon JU action (HORIZON-AG), standard Horizon rules on reporting, audits and IP apply.

Indicative budget and scale:The Clean Aviation CfP 04 package shows an indicative total contributions envelope across topics of approximately €329 500 000 for the call; topic-specific funding per grant is set in the call documents and during evaluation ¹.

Key admin points: use the Portal application form and templates; comply with admissibility and eligibility rules in the Work Programme General Annexes; proposals must respect page limits and include the mandatory financial annexes when the submission system opens.

Footnotes

1. 1Full topic description, submission templates, work programme annexes and Q&A are published on the Funding & Tenders Portal topic page: Funding & Tenders Portal.

Funding Opportunity Overview

Programme: Horizon Europe – Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking (CAJU) CfP 04 (HORIZON-JU-Clean-Aviation-2026-01). Topic: HORIZON-JU Superconducting motor windings for a fully electric hydrogen fuel cell powered aircraft. Type of action: HORIZON-JU-RIA (Research and Innovation Action). Model Grant Agreement: HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based (HORIZON-AG). Call status: Forthcoming. Planned opening date: 31 March 2026. Deadline: 19 May 2026, 17:00:00 Brussels time. Deadline model: single-stage. Call portal: EU Funding & Tenders Portal: Topic Page ¹.

Topic Focus and Expected Outcomes

This topic targets the development and demonstration at TRL 5 of a superconducting alternating current motor winding suitable for a fully electric hydrogen fuel cell powered aircraft. The aim is to demonstrate reliability and performance to enable more efficient, compact, and scalable cryogenic electric propulsion systems. Technology scope includes, but is not limited to: high-temperature superconducting (HTS) windings; AC machine winding topologies optimised for cryogenic operation; insulation systems and materials compatible with cryogenic temperatures; integration aspects with hydrogen fuel cell systems and cryogenic cooling loops; reliability and lifetime assessment under aviation-relevant operating profiles; verification and validation in a relevant environment (TRL 5) focusing on performance, efficiency, power density, thermal management, and scalability to aircraft propulsion use-cases.

Key Dates and Call Structure

• Call opening: 31 March 2026
• Submission deadline: 19 May 2026, 17:00 Brussels time
• Submission: single-stage
• Evaluation to grant agreement signature indicative timeline: ~5 months to evaluation results; ~8 months to grant agreement signature (Horizon Europe General Annex F)

Budgetary Context

Total indicative budget for Clean Aviation CfP 04 (all topics combined): €329,500,000 (budget year 2026). The topic-specific budget and indicative number of grants are not specified on the call page at publication time. Funding rate for HORIZON-JU-RIA: up to 100% of eligible costs. The grant follows the budget-based HORIZON Action Grant model with the no-profit rule applicable and standard Horizon Europe eligibility of costs and audit provisions.

Eligibility and Participation

Eligible Applicant Types

Eligible applicants are those admissible under Horizon Europe rules: any legal entity (public or private), including (indicatively) startups, SMEs, large enterprises, universities, research organisations, non-profits, NGOs, and public bodies. International European research organisations may also participate. Applicants must have the operational and financial capacity as per Horizon Europe General Annexes B and C.

Consortium Requirement

By default under Horizon Europe, RIA proposals are collaborative and require at least three independent legal entities, each established in a different EU Member State or Associated Country (General Annex B consortium composition rules). However, the Clean Aviation JU provides a derogation mechanism: where justified at topic level, a single legal entity established in an EU Member State or Associated Country may be eligible to participate (CAJU rules for submission, evaluation, selection, award and review). Applicants should check the final topic text at call opening to confirm if the derogation applies to this specific FTA topic.

Financial Support and Co-funding

Funding Type: Grant. Funding Rate: up to 100% of eligible costs for RIA. Co-funding: not required for eligible costs within the funding rate; any ineligible or non-eligible expenses must be covered by the beneficiaries. No-profit rule applies at final payment (revenues reduce the grant pro-rata where applicable under Horizon Europe operating rules).

Scope of Beneficiary Eligibility (Geographic)

Applicants must comply with Horizon Europe eligible country rules (General Annex B). Funding is open to:

• EU Member States (including their outermost regions).
• Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to EU Member States.
• Associated Countries to Horizon Europe (e.g., Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Iceland, Israel, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Kingdom; association conditions apply).
• Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) listed in the Horizon Europe General Annexes may be eligible for funding as specified there.
• Entities established in Russia, Belarus, and non-government-controlled territories of Ukraine are not eligible to participate in any capacity in Horizon Europe (exceptions may be granted only case-by-case for justified reasons).
• Entities subject to EU restrictive measures are not eligible in any capacity.

Note: Restrictions on participation for Innovation Actions by entities established in China do not apply to RIAs; 5G supplier restrictions are not applicable to this topic. Applicants must still ensure compliance with all other Horizon Europe programme restrictions.

Target Sector and Technology Areas

• Aviation and Aerospace
• Hydrogen technologies for aviation
• Electric propulsion and powertrain
• Superconductivity, cryogenics
• Advanced materials and insulation systems
• Energy systems integration (fuel cell – propulsion)
• Environmental performance and efficiency in aviation

Technology Readiness and Project Stage

Expected TRL: technology validated in relevant environment (TRL 5) by the end of the project. Projects are expected to execute development, integration, and validation activities to reach and demonstrate TRL 5 for superconducting AC motor windings in conditions representative of aviation applications (including cryogenic operation and interfaces to hydrogen fuel cell systems).

Evaluation and Award

Award criteria follow Horizon Europe General Annex D and CAJU-specific guidance: Excellence; Impact; Quality and efficiency of the implementation (standard RIA weighting; Innovation Actions have a different impact weighting not applicable here). Scoring from 0 to 5 with thresholds per criterion and overall threshold (General Annex D). CAJU FTA-specific evaluation uses the “Evaluation Form CAJU Fast Track Activities (FTA)”. The single-stage evaluation typically comprises individual expert evaluation, consensus, Topic Panel Review, and, if applicable, a Call Panel cross-review. Hearings may be organised during consensus if needed. The indicative timeline is about 5 months from deadline to information on outcome and about 8 months to grant agreement signing (General Annex F). External experts are selected from the Horizon Europe expert database; conflict of interest and ethics rules strictly apply.

Application Process and Templates

• Submission is electronic via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal; paper submissions are not accepted.
• Single-stage proposal: Part A administrative forms plus Part B technical description (page limit per the Part B template in the Submission System; Horizon Europe full application limit is typically 45 pages unless specified otherwise).
• Admissibility, eligibility, and legal/financial capacity checks apply per the Horizon Europe General Annexes.
• Proposal templates and guidance will be available in the Submission System at call opening; pre-publication templates and supporting documents are available on the call page, including: 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 forms; CA JU Model Consortium Agreement.
• Evaluation form templates: standard Horizon Europe RIA/IA/CSA forms; CAJU-specific Evaluation Form for FTA applies to this topic.
• Model Grant Agreements (HORIZON-AG) and the EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement apply.

Special Arrangements and Useful Instruments

• EASA services: A Clean Aviation service contract template exists for the provision of services by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to projects. If invoked by the call or needed by the consortium, EASA may advise on compliance with aviation safety, interoperability, and environmental standards. Such services are contracted and charged according to the EASA fees and charges regulation. Costs to beneficiaries can be eligible under Article 6.2.C.3 Other goods, works and services in the HORIZON-AG, provided they are necessary, actually incurred, and properly recorded.
• CAJU may request cooperation/linked actions to foster synergies across topics and ensure an integrated programme approach. Model Cooperation/Collaboration Agreements are available.
• Partner search functionality on the Funding & Tenders Portal is available; LEARs, Account Administrators, self-registrants, and users with public profiles may post requests.

Eligible Costs and Grant Management (Horizon Europe rules)

• Eligible direct costs include personnel, subcontracting, purchase of goods/works/services (e.g., travel and subsistence, equipment depreciation, consumables), and other specific categories where applicable under the Model Grant Agreement.
• Indirect costs: 25% flat-rate of eligible direct costs, excluding certain categories (e.g., subcontracting).
• Ethics and security: Projects must comply with applicable EU/national ethics requirements; ethics screening/assessment may set ethics requirements as contractual obligations. Security appraisal applies if classified/sensitive information is involved.
• Open science: obligations on publications, data management (FAIR), and, where applicable, additional open science practices per Horizon Europe rules.
• Gender equality plan requirement applies to certain categories of organisations from MS/AC and must be in place at grant signature.
• Financial viability checks: normally on coordinators for requested EU contribution ≥ €500,000 (public bodies and international organisations exempt).
• Payments: pre-financing, interim (if any), and final payments per the grant agreement; Mutual Insurance Mechanism retention applies in Horizon Europe. No-profit rule applies at closure.

Admissibility and Eligibility Highlights

• Proposals must be complete, submitted before deadline, and use official forms.
• Page limits apply to Part B; excess pages are made invisible to evaluators after deadline.
• Projects must be exclusively for civil applications.
• Activities excluded from funding (e.g., certain human embryo activities) must not be included.
• Financial support to third parties (cascade funding) is generally not foreseen unless explicitly allowed; if allowed, €60,000 per third party maximum unless otherwise stated in the topic/call conditions and properly justified.

Required Deliverables and TRL Expectations

Consortia should plan coherent Work Packages leading to validation of a superconducting AC motor winding in a relevant environment (TRL 5). Expected deliverables typically include engineering design documentation, manufacturing and integration plans for cryogenic HTS windings, verification and validation test plans and reports at relevant environment, safety and reliability assessments, interfaces with hydrogen fuel cell systems and cryogenic cooling, and analysis of scalability and efficiency benefits for aircraft propulsion use-cases. A comprehensive exploitation, dissemination and communication plan is required, including IPR strategy and plans for further maturation beyond TRL 5.

Templates: Application Structure (indicative, based on Horizon Europe RIA Part B)

1. 1Excellence: Objectives; relation to the work programme; ambition and innovation beyond state of the art; soundness of methodology, including consideration of sex/gender dimension where relevant; open science practices.
2. 2Impact: Credibility of pathways to outcomes/impacts; measures to maximise impact (dissemination, exploitation, communication), including IPR and data management; barriers/risks and mitigation; liaisons/standardisation if relevant.
3. 3Quality and Efficiency of Implementation: Work plan structure (work packages, deliverables, milestones); capacity of participants and consortium as a whole; resources and budget; risk management; project management structures; if applicable, EASA interaction and certification-readiness activities.
4. 4Ethics: Ethics self-assessment and, where necessary, supporting documents.
5. 5Security: If relevant, security issues and mitigation (SEN/EUCI handling).

Categorisation and Structured Information

Eligible Applicant Types:Startup; SME; large enterprise; university; research institute; nonprofit; NGO; public body/government; international European research organisations; other legally established entities as per Horizon Europe eligibility rules.

Funding Type:Grant (HORIZON-JU-RIA, up to 100% funding of eligible costs).

Consortium Requirement:Typically a consortium of at least three independent legal entities from different EU Member States or Associated Countries (Horizon Europe General Annex B). Clean Aviation JU may allow a single legal entity (derogation) where justified at topic level; applicants must verify at call opening whether the derogation applies to this FTA topic.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):EU Member States; OCTs; Associated Countries; and, where applicable under Annex B, certain low- and middle-income countries. Exclusions apply for entities in Russia, Belarus, and non-government-controlled territories of Ukraine; entities under EU restrictive measures are ineligible.

Target Sector:Aviation/aerospace; hydrogen and fuel cell systems; electric propulsion; superconductivity and cryogenics; advanced materials; energy systems integration.

Mentioned Countries/Regions:EU Member States; OCTs (e.g., Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Territories, Greenland, New Caledonia, Saba, Saint Barthélemy, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten, St. Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna); Associated Countries (e.g., Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Iceland, Israel, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Kingdom); Low- and middle-income countries listed in Horizon Europe General Annex B. Participation prohibitions for Russia, Belarus, and non-government-controlled territories of Ukraine.

Project Stage:Development and validation leading to demonstration in a relevant environment at TRL 5 for superconducting AC motor windings.

Funding Amount:Total call budget across topics: €329,500,000 (2026). Topic-specific budget is not specified on the call page at this time.

Application Type:Open call, single-stage submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Nature of Support:Financial grant (money). Non-financial services are not inherent to the grant, but applicants may optionally contract services (e.g., EASA advisory services) with associated eligible costs under other goods, works, and services.

Application Stages:1 stage (single-stage submission). Evaluation comprises multiple internal phases (individual evaluation, consensus group, Topic Panel Review, optional Call Panel Review).

Success Rates:Not specified for this call/topic.

Co-funding Requirement:No co-funding requirement for eligible costs within the 100% RIA funding rate. Beneficiaries must cover any ineligible costs and ensure no-profit at project end.

How to Prepare and Submit

1. 1Register or validate your organisation on the Participant Register and obtain a PIC.
2. 2Consult the call topic page and download the latest templates and guidance (Part A and Part B, budget tables, detailed WP forms, in-kind contribution forms, model agreements).
3. 3Draft the proposal following the Horizon Europe Part B structure, adhering to page limits.
4. 4Use the CAJU FTA evaluation form as a mock evaluation checklist to self-assess strengths and gaps.
5. 5Submit via the Submission System ahead of the deadline; monitor the Topic Q&As and updates on the call page regularly.

Compliance, Ethics, and Standards

Projects must address ethics and, where applicable, security aspects. For clinical studies templates are available but generally not relevant for this aviation hardware topic. Where appropriate, consortia are encouraged to address standardisation pathways, regulatory aspects (including early consultation with EASA if engaging through the service contract), and environmental performance metrics aligned with Clean Aviation SRIA objectives.

Support and Contacts

• Online Manual and Horizon Europe Programme Guide for procedural and policy guidance.
• National Contact Points (NCPs) for tailored support.
• Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) with focus on SMEs.
• IPR Helpdesk; CEN-CENELEC and ETSI Research Helpdesks for standardisation advice.
• IT Helpdesk for technical submission issues.

General Summary

This Clean Aviation RIA topic seeks to mature and validate superconducting AC motor windings to TRL 5 for application in fully electric hydrogen fuel cell powered aircraft. The emphasis is on demonstrating reliability and performance under cryogenic conditions, enabling compact, efficient and scalable electric propulsion. Proposals should bring strong integration of superconducting technologies with cryogenic thermal management and fuel-cell-based power systems, and deliver verification in relevant environments. Funding is provided under Horizon Europe with up to 100% reimbursement of eligible costs. Standard Horizon Europe rules on eligibility, admissibility, evaluation, and grant management apply, with Clean Aviation-specific evaluation templates and potential cooperation mechanisms. Applicants submit a single-stage proposal via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal by 19 May 2026. Consortia typically comprise at least three independent legal entities from different EU or Associated Countries, although Clean Aviation may permit a single legal entity derogation if explicitly allowed at topic level. The call is part of a €329.5 million envelope for Clean Aviation CfP 04. Projects should present credible pathways to TRL 5 validation, robust implementation and risk management, and clear exploitation and dissemination plans, contributing to the Clean Aviation SRIA objective of climate-neutral aviation through cryogenic electric propulsion advances.

Footnotes

1. 1Primary topic page: Superconducting motor windings for a fully electric hydrogen fuel cell powered aircraft. Clean Aviation rules for submission, evaluation, selection, award and review: CAJU Rules (PDF). Horizon Europe General Annexes: HE WP General Annexes 2023–2025. Model Grant Agreement and AGA (Annotated): HE Unit MGA EU Grants AGA (via Portal). EASA service contract template for Clean Aviation projects: EASA Service Contract Template.

Superconducting Motor Windings for a Fully Electric Hydrogen Fuel Cell Powered Aircraft

Opportunity Overview

This funding opportunity under Clean Aviation Call for Proposals 04 HORIZON-JU supports the development and demonstration of a superconducting alternating current motor winding at Technology Readiness Level 5 (TRL5) for a fully electric hydrogen fuel cell powered aircraft. The objective is to demonstrate reliability and performance, enabling more efficient, compact, and scalable cryogenic electric propulsion systems. Full details are in the topic description document published with the call.

Key Dates:Planned opening date: 31 March 2026. Deadline: 19 May 2026, 17:00 Brussels time. Single-stage submission.

Funding Details

This is a HORIZON-JU-RIA (Research and Innovation Action) under the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking. The total call budget is €329,500,000 across 18 topics. For this specific topic, the maximum EU contribution per project is €5,000,000, with up to 1 project expected. Up to 2 projects may be funded across related FTA topics. Funding rate is 100% of eligible costs for RIA actions.

Eligibility and Who Can Apply

Eligible applicants include legal entities from EU Member States, associated countries (e.g., Iceland, Norway, UK, Israel), and low/middle-income countries. Consortia must include at least three independent legal entities from different countries, with at least one from an EU Member State. Affiliated entities are eligible. Non-EU entities from certain countries may participate as associated partners without funding. Private sector, academia, and research organisations are encouraged.

Admissibility and Eligibility Conditions

• Proposal page limits and layout per Horizon Europe General Annexes A and E.
• Eligible countries per Annex B.
• Financial and operational capacity per Annex C.
• Evaluation criteria per Annex D (excellence, impact, implementation).
• Specific Clean Aviation rules apply.

Technical Scope and Expected Outcomes

Projects must advance superconducting motor windings to TRL5 through development and demonstration. Focus on reliability, performance, and integration into cryogenic electric propulsion for hydrogen fuel cell aircraft. Alignment with Clean Aviation SRIA and high-level objectives is required. Synergies with other CAJU projects and EASA certification pathways are encouraged.

Technology Readiness and Certification

Target TRL5 demonstration. CRL4 expected for critical technologies, with roadmap to CRL6 at propulsion system level. Collaboration with EASA via Clean Aviation contract template for certification advice.

Application Process and Evaluation

Single-stage submission via EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Templates available now; submission system opens late March 2026. Evaluation uses CAJU Fast Track Activities (FTA) template: excellence (threshold 3/5), impact (threshold 3/5), implementation (threshold 3/5), overall threshold 10/15. Indicative timeline: evaluation results ~5 months post-deadline, grant signature ~8 months.

Required Documents

• Proposal Application Form.
• Financial annexes (budget per period, work package descriptions, cost breakdowns).
• CAJU Model Consortium Agreement.
• Ethics self-assessment.
• Gender equality plan (if applicable).

Key Considerations for Applicants

• Maximum EU contribution: €5M per project.
• Consortia encouraged with industry, academia, and RTOs.
• Check topic updates and Q&A (releases: 17 Feb and 17 Apr 2026).
• Partner search available on portal.
• EASA collaboration possible via specific contract template.
• Synergies with other CAJU topics (e.g., HPA, FTA) prioritised.

Support Resources:Portal Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network. Apply via EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Legal and Financial Framework

HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based (HORIZON-AG). Model Grant Agreement (MGA) applies. No-profit rule. Detailed rules in Horizon Europe General Annexes and CAJU Work Programme 2026-27.

Footnotes

1. 1Sources: EU Funding & Tenders Portal topic page, Clean Aviation Call 4 documents, DevelopmentAid listing. Check portal for updates as call opens in March 2026.