S3
SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking

Digital flight rules

Funds research designing a new digital flight-rules concept for certified crewed and uncrewed aircraft.

ClosedSESAR 3 Joint UndertakingEU

The SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking, operating under Horizon Europe, funds one Research and Innovation Action for this topic as a lump-sum grant, with a EUR 500,000–1,000,000 EU contribution and a maximum project duration of 30 months. Proposals go through the standard single-stage EU Funding & Tenders Portal process, and winners must proactively share results with the other grants funded under the same…

This call funds research into a new "digital flight rules" concept that would complement existing visual and instrument flight rules, using certified on-board systems and cooperative surveillance instead of out-the-window vigilance. It wants proposals to build on prior SESAR research on IFR-RPAS integration and analyse how ICAO Annex II and Annex XI would need to evolve to support the concept, including for both crewed and uncrewed aircraft. It also wants an assessment of how other ICAO documents and the human-operator role would need to change to support a highly automated air traffic management environment.

CycleiHow often this grant runs - e.g. annually, on a rolling basis, or a one-off call.No fixed schedule
Next deadlineiThe next date applications are due. Rolling means you can apply any time.-
Decision timeiTypical time from the deadline to the funder's decision.-
Project durationiHow long the funded work is expected to run.1–30 months
Award typeiThe form of funding - grant, equity, loan, tax credit, etc.Grant
Match fundingiThe share of project costs you must cover yourself. 0% = fully funded.-
Funding pooliThe total budget available across all awards in this round.-

Sign up free to see the funding breakdown

Sign up free to see the industries in scope

Sign up free to see the full eligibility

Sign up free to see how to apply

Sign up free to see the timeline

Sign up free to see where teams trip up

Guides for this application

All guides β†’
S3
Closed

Airborne capabilities for supporting reducing ATM environmental footprint

πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡ΊSESAR 3 JU Β· European Union

Funds research on climate-optimised flight trajectories, wake-energy retrieval and geometric altimetry to cut aviation's footprint.

AerospaceClimate Tech
€3M – €6M
S3
Closed

ATM impact on climate change

πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡ΊSESAR 3 JU Β· European Union

Funds research into how air traffic management affects noise, air quality and the climate.

AerospaceClimate Tech+1
€500K – €1M
S3
Closed

Fast-track Enabling innovative air mobility (IAM) / Vertical take-off and landing capable aircraft (VCA) (crewed and uncrewed) operations

πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡ΊSESAR 3 JU Β· European Union

Funds innovation projects on vertiport management, automated flight and IFR procedures for crewed and uncrewed air taxis.

AerospaceRobotics+1
€2M – €5M
S3
Closed

Fast-track Extending U-space eco-system

πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡ΊSESAR 3 JU Β· European Union

Funds innovation projects building 5G-based communication, navigation and surveillance capabilities for drones and vertiports.

AerospaceIoT & Edge+1
€2M – €5M
S3
Closed

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

πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡ΊSESAR 3 JU Β· European Union

Funds innovation projects building advanced drone traffic-management services for shared airspace with crewed aircraft.

AerospaceIoT & Edge+1
€2M – €5M
S3
Closed

Fundamental research for other topics

πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡ΊSESAR 3 JU Β· European Union

Funds curiosity-driven, TRL0 fundamental research on air traffic management ideas outside the other listed priorities.

AerospaceAI+1
€500K – €1M