Clean Aviation's Call 4 for Proposals is scheduled to open on 17 February 2026, offering up to €329.5 million in EU funding, with an estimated total research effort of € 824 million, including in-kind contributions from participating entities. This major funding opportunity supports disruptive projects aimed at decarbonising aviation while fostering EU competitiveness and industrial leadership, addressing the urgent need to develop breakthrough technologies that enable climate-neutral aviation by 2050 without compromising Europe's strategic position in global aerospace markets.

Clean Aviation, the European public-private partnership established under Horizon Europe with a total budget exceeding €4 billion, continues its mission to transform European aviation through collaborative research and innovation. Building on the legacy of Clean Sky 1 and Clean Sky 2 programmes, the partnership brings together nearly 1,000 entities from across Europe to develop technologies targeting minimum 30% greenhouse gas emission reductions, with 80–100% CO₂ reduction achievable through integration of Sustainable Aviation Fuels or hydrogen for new aircraft entering service by 2035.

• Call 4 allocates funding across five strategic areas: €130 million for ultra-efficient short-medium range aircraft architectures, €101 million for hydrogen-powered aircraft architectures, €40 million for ultra-efficient regional aircraft architectures, €40 million for Fast-track Areas, and €18.5 million for transverse activities, ensuring comprehensive coverage of critical technology development needs.
• The call reintroduces funding for hydrogen-related technologies after their exclusion from Call 3, aiming to mature these technologies whilst strengthening the European industrial base regarding the hydrogen ecosystem and supply chain capabilities essential for next-generation zero-emission aviation.
• New eligibility requirements mandate minimum 15% funding allocation per project proposal to small and medium-sized enterprises, research and technology organisations, and universities for large-size topics, significantly strengthening participation of these entities critical to innovation ecosystems and ensuring broader geographic and institutional engagement.

This call advances technologies supporting aircraft concepts outlined in Clean Aviation's Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda, addressing the full spectrum of aviation decarbonisation challenges from incremental efficiency improvements to revolutionary hydrogen propulsion systems. The focus on ultra-efficient short-medium range aircraft targets the segment responsible for the majority of European aviation emissions, whilst regional aircraft innovations ensure smaller communities maintain connectivity through sustainable means. Combined with transverse activities addressing cross-cutting challenges such as certification, standardisation, and systems integration, Call 4 provides comprehensive support for the entire aviation innovation ecosystem necessary to achieve climate-neutral flight by 2050.

Source: https://www.clean-aviation.eu/eu3295-million-in-eu-funding-clean-aviation-announces-its-call-4-for-proposals