Hydrogen powered aircraft concepts and key technologies integration and impact assessment

Overview

Funding for the integration and performance assessment of hydrogen-powered aircraft concepts, including fuel cell and direct combustion propulsion systems, targeting aviation industry stakeholders and research consortia advancing zero-emission flight technologies.

Who Can Apply

Consortia of legal entities established in eligible countries, including private companies, research organizations, universities, and public bodies. Single applicants are not permitted.

Funding Details

• Maximum grant amount: 60,000,000 EUR
• Funding rate: Not specified (refer to Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes for applicable rates)
• Co-funding requirements: Not explicitly stated

What Is Funded

• Integration of hydrogen fuel cell and direct hydrogen combustion propulsion systems into aircraft concepts
• Coordination of key technology projects to demonstrate viability at TRL 4
• Performance, emissions, and maturity assessments of hydrogen-powered aircraft
• Alignment with Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking (CAJU) Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA)

Technology / Maturity Requirements

• Target Technology Readiness Level (TRL): 4 to 6

Key Dates

• Open date: 2026-03-30
• Deadline: 2026-05-18T22:00:00Z

Application Process (High-Level)

• Single-stage submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal
• Proposal templates and financial annexes available on the portal by mid-March 2026
• Mandatory use of Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking (CAJU) proposal templates

Post-Award Obligations

• Signing of a Cooperation Agreement to facilitate information exchange among CAJU-funded projects
• Compliance with reporting and dissemination requirements outlined in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes

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 formatting rules specified in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes
• Applicants must demonstrate financial and operational capacity
• Updates to call documents may be published; applicants should monitor the Funding & Tenders Portal and Clean Aviation JU website
• Two Q&A releases planned: 2026-02-17 and 2026-04-17