Funding Innovative Air Mobility (IAM) projects in Europe can be achieved through various channels, including public funding coming from the European Union (EU) grants. Funding can also come from national and regional funding, apart from private investments, and other financial instruments at hand.
What this article includes
It provides an overview under these sections of the two major public European funding programs that support emerging projects in a range of strategically vital areas for Europe.
- Horizon Europe funds – general overview
- Horizon Europe - Concrete funding for IAM
- More information on Horizon Europe
- EDF - European Defence Funds 2024
- EDF - concrete funding
- More information about EDF
- General steps for application and management – both Horizon Europe and EDF grants
By considering these possibilities, different IAM stakeholders can secure the necessary resources to advance their innovative transportation solutions.
Understanding European grants
After reading the article you will have an overall background on the scope of the European grant programs, how to get more information, the general timeline for application or more information, and the budget of the upcoming funding opportunities. Readers will also become familiar with the approximate steps involved in the preparation, submission, signature, and follow-up of the grant agreement.
Horizon Europe funds – general overview
What is Horizon Europe?
- Horizon Europe is the EU’s key funding program for research and innovation. With an overall planned budget of 95.5 billion EUR between 2021 – 2027, it is the largest-ever funding allocation program by the European Union. 12,9 billion EUR are destined in 2024 alone.
- The program facilitates collaboration and strengthens the impact of research and innovation in developing, supporting, and implementing EU policies while tackling these global challenges.
- These challenges include: tackling climate change, helping to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, and boosting the EU’s competitiveness and growth.
- Under these overarching areas, it could specifically support IAM projects through various calls for proposals in fields such as smart mobility, digital innovation, and green technologies.
- Horizon Europe supports the creation and better dispersing of excellent knowledge and technologies.
View general presentation of Horizon Europe in English and other languages.
Who can apply to Horizon Europe?
Legal entities from the EU and associated countries can participate.
Any type of organisation can apply for Horizon Europe funding as long as they have the operational and financial capacity to carry out the tasks that are proposed.
Horizon Europe - Concrete funding for IAM
Horizon Europe – Pillar II
- Horizon funds are organised into three main pillars, with Pillar II focusing on Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness.
- Cluster 5, within Pillar II, is specifically dedicated to "Climate, Energy and Mobility".
Cluster 5: Climate, energy and mobility - Funding and Support
Under this cluster, Horizon Europe provides funding opportunities supporting collaborative research and innovation projects that contribute to achieving the climate resilience, clean energy, and smart mobility goals set by the EU.
Two Specific calls under Cluster 5
1. Effects of disruptive changes in transport: towards resilient, safe, and energy-efficient mobility. (HORIZON-CL5-2024-D6-01-11)
Deadline for applications from 7 May to 5 September 2024
Budget EUR 7 million. Two proposals expected amounting to EUR 3 / 3.5 million
Objective: The objective of this call is to support research and innovation projects that address the effects of disruptive changes in transport systems.
Main focus areas:
- Resilience in Transport Systems: Research on how transport systems can become more resilient to disruptive changes, including extreme weather events, technological disruptions, and societal changes.
- Safety in Transport: Projects aiming to improve the safety of transport systems, vehicles, and infrastructure, particularly in the context of disruptive changes such as the introduction of new technologies and mobility solutions.
- Energy Efficiency in Mobility: Research and innovation efforts to enhance the energy efficiency of transport modes and infrastructure, including the development of sustainable fuels, electrification, and energy management solutions.
Key Topics and Activities
- Understanding the impacts of disruptive changes (technological, societal, regulatory) on transport systems.
- Developing new approaches, technologies, and strategies to increase resilience, safety, and energy efficiency in transport.
- Evaluating the socio-economic impacts of disruptive changes and identifying opportunities for sustainable and inclusive mobility solutions.
2. Optimising multimodal network and traffic management, harnessing data from infrastructures, mobility of passengers and freight transport. (HORIZON-CL5-2024-D6-01-06)
Budget: 10 million EUR, 2 specific projects
Objective: The objective of this call is to support research and innovation projects that optimise multimodal traffic management systems in new forms of mobility.
Main focus areas
- Multimodal Network Optimization: Research on optimizing multimodal transport networks to improve efficiency, reliability, and sustainability. This includes integrating different transport modes (e.g., road, rail, waterways, air) and improving connectivity.
- Traffic Management: Projects aiming to enhance traffic management systems using data-driven approaches. This includes real-time traffic monitoring, predictive analytics, and intelligent transportation systems (ITS).
- Data Utilization from Infrastructures: Utilizing data from transport infrastructures (e.g., sensors, smart devices, IoT) to optimize network and traffic management. This may involve data integration, interoperability, and data analytics for decision-making.
- Mobility of Passengers and Freight Transport: Improving the mobility of both passengers and freight transport through innovative solutions. This includes optimizing logistics, last-mile delivery, and passenger transport services.
Key Topics and Activities
- Developing and testing innovative technologies and tools for multimodal transport and traffic management.
- Integrating data from different transport infrastructures and sources to improve mobility.
- Enhancing the resilience and sustainability of transport networks and services.
- Addressing the environmental impacts of transport and promoting clean and energy-efficient solutions.
More information on Horizon Europe
CINEA
For the management of the funds, you can also check the European Climate, Infrastructure, and Environment Executive Agency - CINEA. They are responsible for the Horizon Europe funding.
More specific guidance on Horizon Europe
- General key information
- Video: Lump Sum Funding in Horizon Europe: How does it work? How to write a proposal?
- EU Funding & Tenders Portal
- About Horizon Europe
- Horizon Europe Programme Guide
- Funding & Tenders Portal Manual
- Second Horizon Europe strategic plan 2025-2027
European Defence Agency (EDA)
EDF - European Defence Funds 2024
To combine all UAS-related projects that aim at providing UAS Enablers for Safe Airspace Integration in the European Sky, the European Defence Agency (EDA) launched a tender campaign.
The aim is to support the progress of safe airspace integration of UAS, both low-level to high-altitude operations.
EDF concrete funding
There are four Lots under EDF
Lot 1: UAS Single European Sky Experimental Integration
Max. estimated budget: 5 Million EUR
Scope
In a drive to elevate the capabilities of European-made low-cost small and tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for precision navigation, the new project focuses on two key objectives.
- Firstly, it seeks to enhance its operational resilience in challenging environments for safe airspace integration – specifically environments with limited or denied GNSS access and potential electronic jamming threats.
- Secondly, the project will leverage recent breakthroughs in EU space-based services alongside onboard sensor fusion powered by artificial intelligence. This integration aims to achieve unwavering navigation accuracy regardless of spectrum availability, demonstrably validating its effectiveness through real-world proof-of-concept and demonstration phases.
The successful development of these advanced navigation capabilities for UAS aims to ensure their safe integration into the airspace.
Lot 2: Risk Assessment for UAS operations
Max. estimated budget: 400,000.00 EUR
Scope
The objective of this lot is to expand the current online tool supporting the MIL-UAS-SPECIFIC methodology (see EDA webpage https://eda.europa.eu/mil-uas-specific-study) to automatize most of the risk assessment process by leveraging the – regularly updated - MIL-UAS-SPECIFIC methodology or any other harmonised Risk assessment methodology accepted by the military (e.g., SORA).
The current online tool will become a “networking/connecting” online tool, with selectable Risk assessment methodologies running back office, including a selectable accepted risk level for the UAS operations to cover operations in peace, crisis, and war times.
Lot 3: Higher Airspace Operations study
Max. estimated budget: 800,000.00 EUR
Scope
Over the last few years, Higher Airspace Operations (HAO) have been in the spotlight. The upcoming EASA regulatory work requires that the civil-military aspects be included.
The objective is to clarify specific civil-military aspects in the domain of HAO to:
- Analyse the security risks posed by HAO;
- Address potential challenges to avoid any adverse impact on national security and defense capabilities with an EU approach;
- Ensure military access to higher airspace. Take advantage of all opportunities, particularly those offered by the civil-military collaboration make the most of the identified synergies.
Lot 4: Consultancy services for needs assessment, market research and consultation, analysis of the state-of-the-art
Max. estimated budget: 200,000.00 EUR
Scope
This project aims to bridge the gap by assessing the specific needs of military UAS users and leveraging the dual use of UAS technology towards a safe integration into European airspace. It has three key objectives:
- to understand end-user needs for safe airspace UAS integration.
- to evaluate technologies for enhanced UAS integration, including the market research and analysis of state-of-the-art current conspicuity, ATM, and positioning technologies within the EU market, that can enable safe UAS integration;
- proposal of way forward and consultation for future projects.
Timeline for EDF
Maximum of 4 years with annual Specific Contracts each.
More information about EDF
- EU tenders 2024
- Funding & Tenders Portal
The official portal for EDF call topics and submission guidelines is the European Commission's Funding & Tenders portal. - EDF Work Programme 2024 Factsheet
This provides an overview of the EDF's work programme, organized around six thematic calls and two dedicated to SMEs, comprising a total of 32 topics.
General steps for application and management – both Horizon Europe and EDF grants
The steps outlined here below represent a guide for organizations looking to apply for these funding grant opportunities. Here’s a breakdown of the process:
1. Before the award decision
Identify Funding Opportunities:
- Horizon Europe: Visit the Horizon Europe portal and browse the funding opportunities. You can use the Funding & Tenders Portal to search for calls that match your research and innovation needs.
- EDF: Visit the European Defence Fund page on the Funding & Tenders Portal to find open calls for proposals. EDF publishes annual work programs that outline the funding opportunities available.
Check Eligibility:
Ensure your organisation meets the eligibility criteria for the specific call you are interested in. Eligibility can vary depending on the type of action, the nature of your organisation, and is based in an EU member state or an associated country and forming a consortium with partners from different countries.
Form a Consortium:
For the great majority of Horizon Europe and all EDF calls, you will need to form a consortium with other organisations from different EU member states or associated countries (for EDF calls at least three independent legal entities). This typically includes universities, research institutions, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and other relevant stakeholders, including industrial companies.
Prepare the Proposal:
Develop a comprehensive project proposal. This includes a detailed description of the project objectives, methodology, impact, and the roles of each partner.
Ensure that your proposal addresses the specific requirements and evaluation criteria of the call.
Submit the Proposal:
Use the online submission system on the Funding & Tenders Portal to submit your proposal before the deadline. This normally includes:
- Project Objectives and Scope: Clearly define what the project aims to achieve.
- Consortium Details: Describe the roles and expertise of each partner.
- Work Plan: Outline the project activities, milestones, and deliverables.
- Budget: Provide a detailed budget breakdown.
- Impact: Explain the expected impact on several areas such as capabilities, competitiveness, etc.
You will need to register your organisation and provide all necessary administrative and financial information beforehand.
2. Evaluation Process:
After submission, your proposal will undergo an evaluation process conducted by independent experts. They will assess the proposal based on relevance to the general funding theme, excellence, impact, and quality and efficiency of the implementation.
3. After the award decision:
Grant Agreement:
If your proposal is successful, you will be invited to enter into what is called a “grant agreement” with the European Commission or the relevant funding body. This agreement will outline the terms and conditions of the funding as well as project implementation requirements.
Project Implementation:
Once the grant agreement is signed, you can begin the implementation of your project according to the agreed work plan. Ensure compliance with the grant agreement rules, i.e. all reporting and financial requirements set out by Horizon Europe or EDF.
Monitoring and Reporting:
Throughout the project duration, you will be required to monitor progress and submit periodic reports. This includes technical reports and financial statements to demonstrate that the project is on track and that funds are being used appropriately.
Final Report and Dissemination:
At the end of the project, submit a final report detailing the outcomes and impacts. Disseminate the results as required by the grant agreement to maximize the visibility and impact of your research and innovation efforts to ensure the broader community benefits from the findings.