Enhancing preparedness for large-scale cross-border disasters

The EU funding opportunity HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-DRS-04 aims to enhance preparedness for large-scale cross-border disasters. This initiative falls under the Horizon Europe Programme and focuses specifically on Innovation Actions with a Lump Sum Grant model, providing funding to support the development and validation of advanced training methodologies that utilize technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and Digital Twins. The goal is to improve the response capabilities of emergency management personnel by allowing them to engage in immersive training experiences that simulate complex disaster scenarios.

Eligible applicants include a diverse range of organizations including research institutions, universities, small and medium enterprises, public authorities, and non-governmental organizations located in the EU and associated countries. A crucial requirement mandates that at least three authorities responsible for disaster risk or crisis communication from at least three different EU Member States or Associated Countries must actively participate in the project.

The total budget available for this call is €8 million, with expectations to fund two projects at €4 million each. The application process is a single-stage call, with proposals submitted by November 4, 2027. The projects will focus on various aspects of disaster management, including the development of realistic crisis simulation models, improving knowledge-sharing mechanisms, and considering factors such as gender sensitivity, ethical compliance, and stakeholder engagement.

The opportunity allows for flexible financial arrangements under the lump sum grant structure and does not impose mandatory co-funding requirements; however, participants are encouraged to commit resources and expertise where applicable. The competitive nature of this funding means that only a few projects will be selected, making the expected success rate substantially lower than the typical range for Horizon Europe programs.

The timeline for application submission begins on May 5, 2027, emphasizing the urgency and importance of collaborative efforts in crisis management and disaster preparedness. Proposals must also address how their innovations can be operationalized and integrated into existing EU disaster management strategies.

In summary, this funding opportunity represents a significant investment in enhancing Europe’s response capabilities for disasters through innovative technology and cross-border cooperation, aligning closely with EU disaster risk reduction policies and the overall aim of improving public safety across Member States.

This EU funding opportunity focuses on enhancing preparedness for large-scale, cross-border disasters. It falls under the Horizon Europe Programme, specifically the Civil Security for Society 2027 call (HORIZON-CL3-2027-01). The type of action is HORIZON-IA (Innovation Actions), utilizing a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] Model Grant Agreement. It is a forthcoming, single-stage application process with a planned opening date of 05 May 2027 and a deadline of 04 November 2027 at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The primary objective is to improve the readiness and response capabilities of disaster responders and emergency management personnel through immersive, technology-driven training experiences that replicate complex disaster scenarios. The scope involves leveraging advanced training methodologies, including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) simulations, and Digital Twins.

Expected outcomes include:

Utilization of virtual and augmented reality training to simulate large-scale and transboundary disasters, improving disaster management’s readiness and response capabilities.
Development of diverse crisis scenarios using VR/AR technology, providing immersive, practical training experiences for emergency personnel, responders and decision makers.
Strengthened ability of responders and decision-makers to manage large-scale, cross-border disaster scenarios through advanced, technology-driven training programs.
Improved knowledge/experience-sharing from past emergencies to cope with future emergencies, also strengthening trans-national knowledge and data exchange among EU countries as well as from early warning to early action.

The scope of the proposals should include:

Developing and validating innovative VR/AR-based crisis simulation models that accurately depict diverse large-scale disaster situations, including transboundary hazards such as wildfires, floods, earthquakes, and industrial accidents.
Incorporating near real-time data, AI-driven scenario adaptation, and multi-user interaction capabilities to ensure realistic, high-impact training exercises.
Giving special attention to the interoperability of these training platforms, allowing emergency services from different regions and countries to collaborate in joint preparedness exercises.
Taking into account gender-sensitive approaches to improve crisis simulations by considering diverse needs and experiences.
Exploring how digital training environments can enhance situational awareness, decision-making, and coordination among disaster management and relevant authorities.
Integrating gamification techniques, AI-driven coaching systems, and real-time performance assessment to maximize learning outcomes and adaptation to evolving crisis scenarios.
Focusing on strengthening knowledge and experience-sharing mechanisms across EU member states by developing transnational training frameworks and crisis management protocols, in coordination with the UCPM Training Programme.
Establishing digital platforms and collaborative networks to facilitate the exchange of lessons learned from past emergencies, fostering continuous improvement in disaster response strategies.
Conducting a stakeholder or market analysis and a roadmap or plan for uptake of the developed methodologies, findings, and technologies to the industry, the research and innovation community, and/or the relevant authorities.
Addressing ethical, legal, and social aspects related to the use of immersive training technologies, ensuring compliance with data protection regulations and maximizing public trust in the adoption of these tools.
Ensuring the security of the tools, including appropriate measures for resilience against emerging cryptographic threats.
Aligning with existing EU disaster risk reduction policies and international best practices to ensure the practical applicability and scalability of the developed solutions.
Analysing capacity gaps of the UCPM and finding synergies with projects from operational grants, such as the Knowledge for Action in Prevention & Preparedness (KAPP).
Leveraging data and services available through European Research Infrastructures federated under the European Open Science Cloud, Copernicus, Destination Earth as well as data from relevant Data Spaces.
Ensuring that the data produced in the context of this topic is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable).

The general conditions for this funding opportunity include:

Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit 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 as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
Other Eligible Conditions: Restrictions on entities controlled by China, restrictions for the protection of European communication networks, and exceptional eligibility for relevant international organizations.
Additional Eligibility Criteria: Active involvement, as beneficiaries, of at least 3 authorities in charge of disaster risk or crisis communication from at least 3 different EU Member States or Associated Countries. Applicants must provide information about security practitioners in the application form. If projects use satellite-based data, beneficiaries must use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS.
Financial and operational capacity and exclusion as described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Evaluation and award criteria, submission and evaluation processes, and indicative timeline 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: The granting authority may object to a transfer of ownership or exclusive licensing of results for up to 4 years after the action's end. Eligible costs will be in the form of a lump sum.

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

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA) templates are available in the Submission System.

Additional documents include:

HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2023–2025 – 2. Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 3. Research Infrastructures
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 4. Health
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 5. Culture, creativity and inclusive society
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 6. Civil Security for Society
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 7. Digital, Industry and Space
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 8. Climate, Energy and Mobility
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 9. Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 10. European Innovation Ecosystems (EIE)
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 11. Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 12. Missions
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 13. New European Bauhaus Facility (NEB)
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 14. General Annexes
HE Main Work Programme 2023–2025 – 13. General Annexes
EIC Work Programme 2025
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 Civil Security for Society 2027 call includes various topics with different budget allocations and indicative numbers of grants. The opening date is planned for 05 May 2027, with a deadline of 04 November 2027.

Partner search announcements are available for those seeking collaboration on this topic.

This funding opportunity aims to enhance Europe's disaster preparedness by developing and implementing advanced training solutions using VR/AR and Digital Twins. It seeks to create realistic, interoperable training platforms that improve the skills and coordination of emergency responders across EU member states, ultimately leading to more effective disaster management and increased public safety. The focus is on innovation, collaboration, and the practical application of cutting-edge technologies to address the challenges of large-scale, cross-border disasters.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types include authorities in charge of disaster risk or crisis communication, public bodies operating at the national level with legally defined responsibilities in disaster risk management, national civil protection authorities, and other institutions with a formal mandate to design, coordinate, or implement disaster risk prevention, preparedness, response or crisis communication measures. Relevant international organisations with headquarters in a Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country are exceptionally eligible. Entities established in an eligible country but directly or indirectly controlled by China or by a legal entity established in China are not eligible. A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Innovation Action (HORIZON-IA) or a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA), HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA) and HORIZON Pre-commercial Procurement (HORIZON-PCP) under the Horizon Europe Programme. Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires a consortium. Specifically, it requires the active involvement, as beneficiaries, of at least 3 authorities in charge of disaster risk or crisis communication from at least 3 different EU Member States or Associated Countries.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries. Relevant international organisations with headquarters in a Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country are exceptionally eligible for funding. A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Target Sector: The target sector is civil security, specifically focusing on disaster risk management, crisis communication, and emergency response. It also involves the use of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), Digital Twins, and artificial intelligence (AI) for training and simulation purposes. Other sectors include ICT, space, security/cybersecurity, and innovation.

Mentioned Countries: EU Member States, Horizon Europe Associated Countries, China (indirectly, due to eligibility restrictions).

Project Stage: The project stage includes development and validation of innovative VR/AR-based crisis simulation models, which suggests a development and validation stage. The call also aims to improve existing knowledge and experience-sharing mechanisms, which implies a demonstration and implementation stage.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call, ranging from EUR 2,000,000 to EUR 14,000,000. The indicative number of grants per topic also varies.

Application Type: The application type is a single-stage call.

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 per topic is provided, allowing for an estimation of the competition level.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding requirements are not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, Civil Security for Society 2027, focuses on enhancing preparedness for large-scale, cross-border disasters through the use of advanced training methodologies, particularly virtual and augmented reality simulations and Digital Twins. The call aims to improve the readiness and response capabilities of disaster responders and emergency management personnel by providing immersive, technology-driven training experiences. Projects should develop and validate innovative VR/AR-based crisis simulation models, strengthen knowledge and experience-sharing mechanisms, and address ethical, legal, and social aspects related to the use of immersive training technologies. The call requires the active involvement of at least 3 authorities in charge of disaster risk or crisis communication from different EU Member States or Associated Countries. Funding is provided as a lump sum grant, and the application process is a single-stage process. The call is structured into several topics, each with a specific budget and indicative number of grants, ranging from EUR 2,000,000 to EUR 14,000,000 per topic. The planned opening date is 05 May 2027, and the deadline for submission is 04 November 2027.