Demonstration of a hydrogen distribution system for a direct hydrogen combustion propulsion aircraft

Overview

Funding for the development and on-ground demonstration of a hydrogen distribution and conditioning system for direct hydrogen combustion propulsion aircraft, targeting critical components at Technology Readiness Levels 4 to 6.

Who Can Apply

Consortia of legal entities established in eligible countries, including industry, research organizations, and academia. Single applicants are not permitted.

Funding Details

• Maximum grant amount: 60,000,000 EUR
• Funding rate and co-funding requirements are specified in the Clean Aviation Work Programme and Horizon Europe General Annexes.

What Is Funded

• Development and demonstration of hydrogen distribution and conditioning systems, from tank interface to combustor.
• Critical components such as high-pressure hydrogen pumps (targeting TRL5).
• On-ground demonstration of the fuel distribution system (targeting TRL4).
• Scaled-on-ground demonstration of engine thrust control functions.

Technology / Maturity Requirements

• Projects must target TRL 4 to 6.
• Demonstration of critical components at TRL5 and system-level demonstration at TRL4.

Key Dates

• Open date: 2026-03-30
• Deadline: 2026-05-18

Application Process (High-Level)

• Single-stage submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal.
• Proposal templates and financial annexes will be available in the submission system by late March 2026.
• Evaluation follows Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking (CA JU) specific procedures for Innovation Actions (IA).

Geographic Scope & Language

• Eligible countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, United Kingdom, Switzerland.
• Application language: English.