PPPA-2026-Game-Changing Innovation for European Launch Solutions

Expected Outcome:

The aim is to spur interest, incite new collaborations, incentivize change, attract new dynamic innovators to the area, mobilise additional private investment for innovation, generate solutions and encourage an EU innovative access to space ecosystem, while developing or opening markets in new areas.

Through the award of Grants, it is expected to deliver new solutions to the challenge of resilient and competitive EU access to space.

Objective:

The action intends to support EU entities to develop game-changing innovations that have the potential to revolutionise the future of access to space and improve the competitiveness of the European space industry by focusing on ambitious innovations which are not yet available and go beyond the state of the art for access to space in the EU.

A game-changing innovation is typically defined as a radical breakthrough that transforms an industry or market. It introduces a new way of thinking or working that displaces existing practices and technologies. This type of innovation creates new markets, disrupts existing ones thereby unlocking new opportunities for growth, profitability, and competitiveness, giving innovators a significant advantage over their competitors.

With this action, the EU would like to bring about novel ways to improve the competitiveness of the overall European space industry, in particular for the preparation of the next generation of innovative solutions for cheaper, more sustainable, agile and resilient access to space.

Scope:

The call will fund activities to support the development (from mid maturity) of some game-changing innovations for European launch solutions from a scope that was identified considering the outcome of the previous prize action (PPPA-2025-LAUNCHERS-INNOVATIONS).

These should address launcher propulsion systems, related subsystems and composing materials from one of the following areas, which should be clearly identified in the proposal text:

1. Staged combustion engine,
2. Hybrid propulsion,
3. Aerospike engine,
4. Autophage propulsion.

The starting maturity is expected to be between TRL3 and TRL6.

These game-changing innovations must have a disruptive potential and positive and credible impact on the access to space competitiveness and EU strategic autonomy.

The innovations are expected to target an operational capacity (i.e. qualification of the innovation or first use in a launcher) at the latest in 2035. Proposals shall provide a preliminary technology development plan in this respect.

The applications for the above-mentioned system can target engines of various thrust levels, typically for low-thrust levels (<200 kN), for medium or high-thrust levels. The proposals should explain how the engineering of the engines fit within the technical roadmaps and future exploitation and commercial plans.

Proposals are expected to address the performance of the targeted system, for instance in terms of: Specific Impulse, Thrust-to-Weight Ratio, Chamber pressure as well as environmental, manufacturing, operability indicators.

Proposed activities can be complementary to relevant national or other activities at European level. Complementary activities should be clearly identified, described and the proposal should report how the complementarity is ensured.

To achieve the non-dependence objective, applicants are expected to include a dedicated proposal’s paragraph covering:

• The description of the technology and/or technology processes and high-level breakdown of the space EEE component supply chain to be used. Applicants should demonstrate that the supply chain and final product are free of any legal export restrictions or limitations, such as those established in the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) or equivalent instruments applicable in other non-EU jurisdictions. Applicants shall also report, in a dedicated subsection, if and which part of the supply chain is affected by non-EU export controls such as the Export Administration regulation (EAR) i.e. EAR99.
• The description of the suitable technology development process that has been identified and set up within the consortium for avoiding export restrictions of non-EU states and assess vulnerabilities of the supply chain.