S3
SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking

Airborne capabilities for supporting reducing ATM environmental footprint

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

ClosedSESAR 3 Joint UndertakingEU

This Horizon Europe topic sits inside SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking's Digital European Sky call and funds one Research and Innovation Action. The topic carries a budget of EUR 30,000,000, and the EU contribution to the winning project is a lump sum of between EUR 3,000,000 and 6,000,000, covering 70% of eligible costs for every beneficiary regardless of legal status — the rest is on the participants. …

This call funds research on airborne technology and operational concepts that reduce aviation's environmental footprint, including trajectory planning that accounts for both CO2 and non-CO2 climate effects, and wake energy retrieval where aircraft fly close behind another to cut fuel burn. It also wants work on environmentally friendly terminal-area operations, voluntary climate-driven flight profiles for individual airlines, and extending geometric (satellite-based) altimetry to replace barometric altitude measurement for smoother, more efficient descents. Proposals should integrate flight management system, electronic flight bag and air traffic control updates rather than just modelling.

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.1–36 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.30%
Funding pooliThe total budget available across all awards in this round.€30M

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Closed

ATM impact on climate change

🇪🇺SESAR 3 JU · European Union

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

AerospaceClimate Tech+1
€500K – €1M
S3
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Digital flight rules

🇪🇺SESAR 3 JU · European Union

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

AerospaceMobility
€500K – €1M
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Fast-track Enabling innovative air mobility (IAM) / Vertical take-off and landing capable aircraft (VCA) (crewed and uncrewed) operations

🇪🇺SESAR 3 JU · European Union

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

AerospaceRobotics+1
€2M – €5M
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Fast-track Extending U-space eco-system

🇪🇺SESAR 3 JU · European Union

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

AerospaceIoT & Edge+1
€2M – €5M
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Fast-track U3 U-space advanced services and CNS capabilities

🇪🇺SESAR 3 JU · European Union

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

AerospaceIoT & Edge+1
€2M – €5M
S3
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Fundamental research for other topics

🇪🇺SESAR 3 JU · European Union

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

AerospaceAI+1
€500K – €1M