Electoral integrity in the digital context

The Horizon Europe call HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-08 focuses on enhancing electoral integrity in the digital age. It falls under the Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society program with a budget of €12 million, expecting to fund three projects. The funding model is a lump sum grant, providing between €3.5 million and €4 million per project. The call opens on May 12, 2026, and all proposals must be submitted by September 23, 2026.

Eligible applicants include research institutions, universities, small and medium-sized enterprises, large organizations, government entities, civil society groups, and media platforms. A multi-stakeholder consortium is mandatory, and while the European Union and Associated Countries are the primary beneficiaries, there may be limited participation from non-EU countries under specific conditions.

The selected projects should investigate the effects of digital technologies, including AI and social media, on electoral processes. This includes addressing challenges like disinformation, foreign interference, and cybersecurity risks to voting systems. The research aims to develop tools and guidelines that bolster election integrity and promote transparency in political advertising, focusing on collaborative outcomes.

The application process entails a single-stage submission and evaluation, with no co-funding requirements, though grantees must demonstrate operational capacity. Outcomes should equip policymakers with the knowledge and standards needed for legislation, and enhance the accountability of digital political campaigns.

The success rate is anticipated to be low due to high competition, reflecting general trends within Horizon Europe funding initiatives. This call emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach, merging technical, social sciences, and humanities research to address complex electoral integrity challenges.

This is a Horizon Europe call, specifically HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-08, focusing on electoral integrity in the digital context. It falls under the Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society 2026 call (HORIZON-CL2-2026-01). The action type is HORIZON-RIA (Research and Innovation Actions) with a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] Model Grant Agreement. The deadline model is single-stage. The planned opening date is 12 May 2026, and the deadline is 23 September 2026 at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of funded projects are:

1 EU, national, and local policymakers will have the necessary knowledge to develop election regulations, standards, and tools that address the use of digital technologies in elections and political campaigns, ensuring their integrity, inclusiveness, accessibility, fairness, transparency, and security.
2 Organizations involved in electoral processes will develop and implement guidelines for the responsible use of digital technologies in elections and political campaigns, aligned with EU and national regulations.
3 Enhanced transparency and accountability in AI-powered political campaigns, achieved through requirements for AI system audits, data disclosure, transparency regarding algorithms and sources of Large Language Models (LLMs), and responsible AI development.

The scope of the projects should address the challenges to electoral processes in Europe due to the digital age, including disinformation, foreign interference, and manipulation of public opinion via social media and AI-powered tools. Research should examine the effects of digital technologies on public opinion and governance, investigate ethical AI, transparent political advertising, and tools to counter misinformation, disinformation, and foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI). It should explore the potential of digital technologies to transform and improve democratic processes, investigate multi-stakeholder approaches, and strengthen traditional and new media to enhance electoral resilience.

Proposals should investigate the risks new technologies pose to democratic integrity, particularly through the manipulation of public opinion and electoral processes, and explore ways to mitigate these threats. They are also encouraged to examine how AI-generated content across media influences public opinion, social narratives, gender stereotypes, and civic engagement. Strategies for implementing appropriate cryptographic measures, including approaches based on post-quantum cryptography, are also encouraged.

Proposals should consider ongoing political and strategic initiatives such as the Political Advertising Regulation, the AI Act, the Digital Services Act (DSA) election guidelines, the Commission’s 2023 Recommendation on inclusive and resilient elections, and the Code of Conduct on Disinformation.

The ultimate goal is to understand how to create robust and resilient electoral systems that can meet the challenges of the digital age, ensure the safety and integrity of electoral processes, and promote free, fair, inclusive, accessible and transparent elections. This includes investigating the risks of cyberattacks and foreign interference, developing strategies to enhance voting system security and promote election transparency, developing early warning systems, effective debunking strategies, and accountability measures for platforms.

Research should have an interdisciplinary approach (including SSH disciplines) and bring together a diverse range of stakeholders, including electoral authorities, national authorities, civil society organizations, new and traditional media, and digital platforms.

Projects may also focus on how FIMI can influence political discourse via digital platforms, particularly during electoral periods, including in ways that undermine the rights of women, LGBTIQ people, persons with disabilities and other underrepresented groups. This also involves examining the safety of electoral processes, protecting the integrity of elections, and maintaining public trust in the democratic process, with a particular focus on ensuring the safety and security of political candidates, especially women and LGBTIQ people and other members of minority groups, from violence, intimidation, and harassment.

Proposals are encouraged to identify other EU-funded projects related to electoral integrity and complementary funding schemes, such as the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme and the Digital Europe Programme, and to explore potential collaboration opportunities with them.

Applicants may consider the participation of the Joint Research Centre (JRC) to leverage its scientific and technical capabilities, including its expertise in digital technologies, data science, and cybersecurity.

The general conditions include:

1 Admissibility Conditions: The proposal page limit for Part B of the Research and Innovation (RIA) application using lump sum is 50 pages. A detailed budget table must be submitted using the template in the Submission System.
2 Eligible Countries: As described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
3 Other Eligible Conditions: The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a member of the consortium with zero funding or as an associated partner but will not participate in the preparation and submission of the proposal.
4 Financial and operational capacity and exclusion: As described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5a Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds: As described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5b Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes: As described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
5c Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement: As described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
6 Legal and financial set-up of the grants: Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021. The granting authority may object to a transfer of ownership or exclusive licensing of results up to 4 years after the end of the action.

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

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA) information includes:

Application form templates: Available in the Submission System (Standard application form (HE RIA, IA)).
Evaluation form templates: Will be used with necessary adaptations (Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA)).
Guidance: HE Programme Guide.
Model Grant Agreements (MGA): Lump Sum MGA.
Call-specific instructions: Detailed budget table (HE LS), Guidance: "Lump sums - what do I need to know?".

Additional documents include:

HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1 General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 5 Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15 General Annexes
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 indicates that for the HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-08 topic, which is a HORIZON-RIA (Research and Innovation Actions), the budget is 12,000,000 EUR. The contributions are expected to be between 3,500,000 to 4,000,000 EUR, and the indicative number of grants is 3.

There are partner search announcements available for collaboration on this topic. The submission system is planned to open on 12 May 2026.

This Horizon Europe call aims to address the challenges that digital technologies pose to the integrity of electoral processes in Europe. It seeks to fund research and innovation actions that will provide policymakers and organizations involved in elections with the knowledge, guidelines, and tools necessary to ensure fair, inclusive, transparent, and secure elections in the digital age. The call encourages interdisciplinary approaches and collaboration among various stakeholders, including researchers, policymakers, electoral authorities, civil society organizations, and media platforms. The ultimate goal is to create robust and resilient electoral systems that can withstand cyberattacks, foreign interference, and the spread of disinformation, while also promoting ethical AI and accountability in political campaigns.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types include electoral authorities, national authorities with responsibilities in electoral matters, civil society organisations, new and traditional media, and digital platforms. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) can also participate as a member of the consortium. Other types of applicants are not explicitly excluded, so universities, research institutes, nonprofits, and NGOs could also potentially be eligible if they can contribute to the expected outcomes and scope of the projects.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, under the Horizon Europe Programme. There are different types of actions that can be funded: Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Innovation Actions (IA), and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA).

Consortium Requirement: A consortium is required, as evidenced by the encouragement of interdisciplinary approaches and the need to bring together a diverse range of stakeholders. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as member of the consortium selected for funding as a beneficiary with zero funding, or as an associated partner.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The primary geographic focus is on Europe, as the challenges to electoral processes are specifically mentioned in the context of Europe. However, non-EU/non-Associated Countries may also be eligible for funding if they have made specific provisions, as detailed in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Target Sector: The program targets multiple sectors, including democracy, digital technologies, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, media, and political advertising. It also touches upon social sciences and humanities (SSH) disciplines due to the interdisciplinary approach required.

Mentioned Countries: Russia is explicitly mentioned as an example of a country involved in foreign interference. Other third countries are also mentioned in the context of foreign interference. The primary geographic focus is on Europe.

Project Stage: The project stage varies depending on the type of action. Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) suggest projects in the research, development, and validation stages. Innovation Actions (IA) imply projects in the demonstration and potentially commercialization stages. Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) are more focused on networking, coordination, and dissemination activities.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic and type of action. The indicative contributions and number of grants for each topic are listed in the Budget overview section. The contributions range from around 3,000,000 EUR to 6,000,000 EUR, with total topic budgets ranging from 3,500,000 EUR to 16,000,000 EUR.

Application Type: The application type is a single-stage call, meaning applicants submit a full proposal by the deadline.

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

Application Stages: The application process is a single-stage process.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight into the potential success rate.

Co-funding Requirement: The need for co-funding is not explicitly mentioned.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call focuses on addressing the challenges to electoral integrity in the digital age, particularly in Europe. It seeks to fund projects that can develop solutions to counter disinformation, foreign interference, and the misuse of AI in elections and political campaigns. The call encourages interdisciplinary research and collaboration among various stakeholders, including policymakers, electoral authorities, civil society organizations, media outlets, and digital platforms. The funding is provided as lump sum grants, and the projects can range from research and innovation actions to innovation actions and coordination and support actions. The call aims to enhance the resilience of electoral systems, promote transparency and accountability in digital political campaigns, and ensure free, fair, inclusive, accessible, and transparent elections in the digital era. The call is structured around several specific topics related to democracy, heritage, and transformations, each with its own budget and expected number of funded projects.