Advanced border surveillance and situational awareness

The Horizon Europe initiative presents a funding opportunity titled HORIZON-CL3-2026-01-BM-01, focusing on advanced border surveillance and situational awareness. This program aims to enhance the operational security of EU external borders by supporting the development and demonstration of innovative technologies.

Eligible applicants include research organizations, universities, small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), large enterprises, technology providers, public authorities, and non-profit organizations involved in civil security. A critical requirement is that at least two Border or Coast Guard Authorities from different EU Member States or Associated countries must participate in each consortium, emphasizing practitioner involvement.

The funding is structured as a lump sum grant, providing a maximum of €6 million per project, with an overall budget of €12 million for this specific call. A total of approximately two projects are anticipated to receive funding. The call will open on May 6, 2026, with a submission deadline set for November 5, 2026. A single-stage application process requires full proposals to be submitted electronically through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal without prior expressions of interest or concept notes.

Projects should address civil security challenges, particularly focusing on innovative solutions for border management, including advanced surveillance systems, irregular migration management, maritime security, and crime prevention. Solutions are expected to integrate with existing systems, such as the European Border Surveillance System (EUROSUR) and Common Information Sharing Environment (CISE). Additionally, projects should prioritize fundamental rights protections, energy efficiency, and the modular scalability of technology.

Geographically, the program covers all EU member states and Associated countries while specifically excluding entities controlled by China. Furthermore, proposals are encouraged to include the use of satellite-based systems like Copernicus or Galileo.

The call reflects the EU's commitment to bolstering border security in light of evolving threats, including trafficking and smuggling facilitated by technological advancements. It emphasizes the importance of enhancing cross-border cooperation among member states to ensure effective and respectful border management practices.

In essence, this funding initiative represents a strategic investment in the future of European border security, seeking to merge cutting-edge technology development with practical applications in border management while upholding EU values and principles.

This EU funding opportunity, under the Horizon Europe program, aims to improve border surveillance and situational awareness capabilities. The call, Civil Security for Society 2026 (HORIZON-CL3-2026-01), focuses on developing innovative solutions for land and sea borders. The goal is to enhance detection, search, rescue, and recovery operations, particularly in challenging geographical and meteorological conditions. The call emphasizes the need to address potential future challenges, including large-scale movements of people, instrumentalisation of migration, and the use of unmanned vehicles for illicit activities.

The expected outcomes of projects funded under this topic include:

Improved detection, localization, characterization, and neutralisation of unmanned vehicles involved in trafficking or smuggling.
Enhanced border situational awareness, especially during large-scale movements of people.
Better safeguarding of fundamental rights through improved situational awareness.
Reliable and redundant detection and reaction capacities.

The scope of the projects should include:

Developing solutions that improve the efficiency and reaction time of border operations.
Promoting cross-border cooperation through innovative border management solutions and demonstration testbeds.
Creating solutions that surpass the current state-of-the-art, with measurable improvements in detection range, accuracy, response time, automation, and system resilience.
Safeguarding fundamental rights and EU values, with an inclusive approach.
Ensuring modular and scalable solutions that cater to regional specificities.
Ensuring compatibility and integration with the European Border Surveillance System (EUROSUR) and other information-sharing environments like the Common Information Sharing Environment (CISE).
Demonstrating cost reduction and energy efficiency in border surveillance operations.
Addressing the priorities of the European Border and Coast Guard (ECBG) and Frontex, including alignment with the EBCG Capability Roadmap.
Including a mid-term deliverable with an assessment by relevant security practitioners.

The general conditions for this funding opportunity include:

Admissibility conditions related to proposal page limits and layout, as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form.
Eligible countries as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries.
Other eligibility conditions, including restrictions on entities controlled by China and requirements for the active involvement of at least 2 Border or Coast Guard Authorities from different EU Member States or Associated countries.
Requirements for the use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS for projects using satellite-based data and services.
Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria as described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Evaluation and award criteria, submission and evaluation processes, and indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement as described in Annex D and Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
Legal and financial set-up of the grants, including provisions for transfer of ownership and exclusive licensing of results, and the use of lump sum contributions for eligible costs.

Specific conditions for this topic are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreements are available in the Submission System.

Additional documents include:

HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 (General Introduction, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, Research Infrastructures, Health, Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society, Civil Security for Society, Digital, Industry and Space, Climate, Energy and Mobility, Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment, European Innovation Ecosystems, Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area, Missions, New European Bauhaus Facility, Horizontal Activities, General Annexes).
EIC Work Programme 2026.
ERC Work Programme 2026.
HE Programme Guide.
HE Framework Programme 2021/695.
HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764.
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509.
Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme.
Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment.
EU Grants AGA Annotated Model Grant Agreement.
Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual.
Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions.
Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

The budget overview for the call in 2026 includes various topics with different types of actions (Innovation Actions, Research and Innovation Actions, Coordination and Support Actions, Pre-commercial Procurement, Public Procurement of Innovative Solutions) and indicative grant amounts. The opening date for the single-stage submissions is planned for 06 May 2026, with a deadline of 05 November 2026.

This funding opportunity seeks to bolster the EU's border security by fostering innovation in surveillance technologies and promoting collaboration among border authorities and research institutions. It aims to address current and future challenges related to border management, including irregular migration and the use of advanced technologies by criminal organizations, while upholding fundamental rights and EU values. The call encourages the development of cost-effective, energy-efficient, and scalable solutions that can be integrated into existing European border management systems.

In essence, this call is a strategic investment in the future of European border security, aiming to create a more resilient, efficient, and rights-respecting border management system through research, innovation, and collaboration. It is an opportunity for organizations to contribute to the development and deployment of cutting-edge technologies and strategies that will help safeguard the EU's borders while upholding its values and principles.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but based on the context, they likely include research institutes, universities, SMEs, large enterprises, and Border or Coast Guard Authorities from EU Member States or Associated countries. The requirement for active involvement of at least 2 Border or Coast Guard Authorities suggests that government and public sector entities are also key eligible applicants.

Funding Type: The primary funding mechanism is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, under the Horizon Europe Programme. There are also mentions of Pre-commercial Procurement (PCP) and Public Procurement of Innovative Solutions (PPI), which are procurement mechanisms.

Consortium Requirement: A consortium is required, as evidenced by the condition that "This topic requires the active involvement, as beneficiaries, of at least 2 Border or Coast Guard Authorities from at least 2 different EU Member States or Associated countries."

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States and Associated countries. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries may also be eligible if they have specific provisions for funding participation in Horizon Europe projects.

Target Sector: The program targets the civil security sector, specifically focusing on advanced border surveillance and situational awareness. This includes technologies and solutions related to: detection, localization, characterization, and neutralisation of unmanned vehicles; border situational awareness; search and rescue operations; European Border and Coast Guard priorities; European Border Surveillance System (EUROSUR); and Common Information Sharing Environment (CISE).

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity explicitly mentions EU Member States and Associated countries as being eligible. It also indirectly mentions China due to restrictions on entities controlled by China.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project is innovation actions, research and innovation actions, pre-commercial procurement and public procurement of innovative solutions, suggesting a focus on development, validation, demonstration, and potentially commercialization or scale-up.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call, ranging from €1,330,000 to €12,000,000.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant.

Application Stages: The application process appears to be a single-stage process.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants is provided for each topic, allowing for a rough estimation based on the number of expected proposals.

Co-funding Requirement: The need for co-funding is not explicitly stated, but Horizon Europe projects often require some level of co-funding, which can be determined by consulting the Horizon Europe Programme Guide and call-specific instructions.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, under the Civil Security for Society program, aims to improve advanced border surveillance and situational awareness capabilities. It seeks innovative solutions for detecting and neutralizing unmanned vehicles, enhancing border awareness during large-scale movements of people, and improving search and rescue operations. The call requires a consortium of applicants, including at least two Border or Coast Guard Authorities from different EU Member States or Associated countries. Funding is provided as lump sum grants, with varying amounts depending on the specific topic, and the application process involves a single-stage submission. The call targets the civil security sector and emphasizes the importance of addressing the priorities of the European Border and Coast Guard, integrating with existing systems like EUROSUR and CISE, and safeguarding fundamental rights.