Grantia

Demonstration of an integrated hydrogen fuel system for a fully electric hydrogen fuel cell powered aircraft

Development and on-ground demonstration of an integrated hydrogen fuel system for fully electric hydrogen fuel cell-powered aircraft, targeting critical distribution and conditioning components at TRL 4-6. Intended for consortia or organizations advancing hydrogen propulsion in aviation.

Details

Agency

EU Commission

Status

Open

Language

English

Funding Type

Grant

Funding Amount

Up to 60.0M €

Deadline

2026-05-19

Open Date

2026-03-31

Overview

Development and on-ground demonstration of an integrated hydrogen fuel system for fully electric hydrogen fuel cell-powered aircraft, targeting critical distribution and conditioning components at TRL 4-6. Intended for consortia or organizations advancing hydrogen propulsion in aviation.

Who Can Apply

Consortia or legal entities established in eligible countries, including EU member states, associated countries (e.g., Norway, Iceland, UK, Switzerland), and select non-EU/non-associated countries with specific funding provisions. Public and private entities, including SMEs, research institutions, and industry partners, may participate.

Funding Details

  • Maximum grant amount: €60,000,000
  • Funding rate: Not specified (refer to Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes for applicable rates)
  • Co-funding: Not explicitly stated; standard Horizon Europe rules likely apply.

What Is Funded

  • Development and demonstration of an integrated hydrogen fuel system, including:
- Hydrogen tank pressure management system - Hydrogen distribution and conditioning system
  • On-ground demonstration of the integrated fuel distribution system (targeting TRL 4)
  • Critical distribution and conditioning components (targeting TRL 5)

Technology / Maturity Requirements

  • Technology Readiness Level (TRL): Proposals must target TRL 4 (on-ground demonstration of integrated system) and TRL 5 (demonstration of critical components).

Key Dates

  • Call opens: 2026-03-30
  • Application deadline: 2026-05-18T22:00:00Z
  • Q&A releases:
- First version: 2026-02-17 - Second version: 2026-04-17

Application Process (High-Level)

  • Single-stage submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal.
  • Proposal templates and financial annexes will be available upon call opening (late March 2026).
  • Evaluation follows Horizon Europe and Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking (CA JU) criteria, with specific evaluation forms for large-scale innovation actions.

Post-Award Obligations

  • Reporting and dissemination requirements as per Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and CA JU rules.
  • Compliance with Clean Aviation contract templates and potential involvement of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

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.

Notes

  • Proposals must adhere to page limits and layout specified in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
  • Consortia must use the CA JU Model Consortium Agreement.
  • Updates to call documents will be posted on the Funding & Tenders Portal under "Topic Updates." Applicants are advised to monitor the Q&A releases for clarifications.