Full Scale Exercises

The UCPM-2026-KAPP-EX is a funding opportunity from the EU, specifically under the Union Civil Protection Mechanism, with a total budget of €4.5 million aimed at strengthening civil protection preparedness and response across Europe through large-scale, multi-national disaster simulation exercises. Eligible applicants include public and private entities from EU Member States and UCPM Participating States, organized as multi-country consortia. Each consortium must have at least one legal entity with civil protection or disaster risk management authority competences.

The grant operates on a reimbursement basis, covering actual eligible costs instead of fixed sums. A consortium of multiple applicants is mandatory, emphasizing a multi-national project structure aimed at enhancing cooperation among Member States. The program focuses on emergency preparedness and response, specifically targeting the prevention and preparedness phases of the disaster risk management cycle. It addresses various disaster types, including extreme weather events, industrial risks, and health-related emergencies, while integrating themes like climate adaptation and resilience.

Projects are expected to design, plan, conduct, and evaluate full-scale field exercises lasting at least 36 hours, preceded by command post exercises. The application process is single-stage, with an opening date of February 3, 2026, and a submission deadline of May 19, 2026. The EU provides 90% funding, requiring beneficiaries to secure 10% co-funding from other sources.

The opportunity is designed to create a testing and learning environment for civil protection actors, ensuring simulations are based on realistic risk assessments and linked to the activation of the UCPM mechanism. The focus is on generating practical lessons and improving emergency response capabilities, contributing to a strategic investment in European disaster resilience.

The EU's Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) is offering project grants under the call Knowledge for Action in Prevention and Preparedness (UCPM-2026-KAPP-EX). This initiative, classified as a UCPM Project Grant (UCPM-PJG) with a UCPM Action Grant Budget-Based [UCPM-AG] model, aims to bolster civil protection preparedness and response capabilities across Member States and Participating States. The core objective is to establish a testing environment and facilitate learning for all entities engaged in civil protection assistance interventions through full-scale exercises.

The call emphasizes scenarios grounded in risk assessments, encompassing a wide array of potential disasters, including but not limited to extreme weather events, wildfires, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, industrial risks, critical infrastructure disruptions, marine pollution incidents, epidemic/health risks, CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear) threats, and multi-sectorial emergencies. Furthermore, the call encourages the integration of cross-cutting issues such as gender equality, considerations for age and persons with disabilities, human rights, environmental sustainability, green economic practices, digitalization, infrastructure resilience, and the protection of cultural heritage.

Funded projects will involve beneficiaries in the design, planning, execution, and self-evaluation of full-scale exercise projects within Member States. These projects must incorporate realistic and challenging scenarios based on risk assessments, robust management and control structures, activation of the Mechanism, deployment of EU Civil Protection Teams and assets from the European Civil Protection Pool (ECPP), utilization of the Common Emergency Communication and Information System (CECIS), effective information exchange, involvement of national operational structures, adherence to EU Host Nation Support guidelines, engagement of EU observers, thorough evaluation processes, and measures to ensure EU visibility.

The scope of this call extends to projects focused on the design, planning, preparation, implementation, conduct, and evaluation of diverse civil protection activities, culminating in a full-scale exercise within a multi-national context. The envisioned scenarios should mirror the conditions necessitating the activation of the Mechanism, addressing both the primary theme and relevant cross-cutting issues.

The UCPM's overarching goal is to enhance cooperation among Member States and Participating States in civil protection, streamlining coordination to improve the effectiveness of disaster prevention, preparedness, and response efforts. The Mechanism is available to any country worldwide facing overwhelming disasters. By consolidating the civil protection resources of Member States and Participating States, the Mechanism seeks to improve the protection of people, the natural and cultural environment, and property.

Admissibility conditions require adherence to proposal page limits and layout guidelines, as detailed in section 5 of the call document and Part B of the Application Form within the Submission System. Eligibility criteria for countries are outlined in section 6 of the call document, along with other eligibility conditions. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are specified in section 7 of the call document. Submission and evaluation processes are described in section 8 of the call document and the Online Manual, while award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are detailed in section 9 of the call document. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is provided in section 4 of the call document, and the legal and financial setup of the grants is described in section 10 of the call document.

Key documents for applicants include the Call Document, the Technical Guide for UCPM Full-Scale Exercises, application form templates (including the Standard Application Form for UCPM Prevention and Preparedness and a Detailed Budget Table), a Letter of Support template, and Model Grant Agreements (UCPM MGA). Additional resources include UCPM Work Programmes, UCPM Decision 1313/2013, EU Financial Regulation 2018/1046, rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment, the EU Grants AGA (Annotated Model Grant Agreement), the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions, and the Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

The total budget allocated to the UCPM-2026-KAPP-EX UCPM Project Grants is 4,500,000 EUR. The call follows a single-stage submission process, with the planned opening date on February 3, 2026, and a deadline of May 19, 2026, at 17:00 Brussels time.

The Funding & Tenders Portal facilitates partner searches, allowing LEARs, Account Administrators, self-registrants, and users with active public Person profiles to publish partner requests. The submission system is scheduled to open on the date specified in the topic header.

For non-IT related inquiries, applicants can contact ECHO-CP-KAPP@ec.europa.eu. For technical questions regarding the Portal Submission System, applicants can contact the IT Helpdesk. Additional support resources include the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ and the Online Manual.

In summary, this UCPM call aims to enhance disaster preparedness and response within EU Member States and Participating States through the funding of full-scale civil protection exercises. These exercises should be realistic, multi-national, and based on thorough risk assessments, addressing a wide range of potential disasters and incorporating cross-cutting issues. The call provides detailed guidelines and resources to support applicants in designing and implementing effective exercise projects that contribute to the overall strengthening of the European civil protection system.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, based on the context of civil protection and the nature of the projects, it can be inferred that eligible applicants could include entities involved in civil protection activities within Member States/Participating States of the Mechanism. This may encompass government agencies, public organizations, research institutions, NGOs, and other relevant bodies with expertise in disaster management and emergency response.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a UCPM Project Grant (UCPM-PJG). The type of Model Grant Agreement (MGA) is a UCPM Action Grant Budget-Based [UCPM-AG].

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required. However, the call supports "exercise projects aiming to design, plan, prepare, implement, conduct and evaluate different civil protection activities including a full-scale exercise in a multi-national scenario," which suggests that a consortium of multiple applicants is possible and perhaps even preferred, given the multinational aspect.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is focused on Member States/Participating States of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM).

Target Sector: The target sector is civil protection, with a focus on disaster preparedness and response. The call addresses a wide range of potential disasters, including extreme weather, wildfires, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, industrial risks, critical infrastructure disruption, marine pollution, epidemic/health risks, CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear), and multi-sectorial emergencies.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the call is targeted towards Member States/Participating States of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM).

Project Stage: The project stage is focused on the design, planning, preparation, implementation, conduct, and evaluation of full-scale exercises. This suggests a focus on development, validation, and demonstration stages, moving towards practical application and improvement of existing civil protection mechanisms.

Funding Amount: The budget for the topic UCPM-2026-KAPP-EX - UCPM-PJG UCPM Project Grants is EUR 4,500,000.

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

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant to design, plan, conduct, and self-evaluate a full-scale exercise project.

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

Success Rates: The indicative number of grants is not specified in the provided text. Therefore, the success rate cannot be determined.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This opportunity is a call for proposals under the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) program, specifically the Knowledge for Action in Prevention and Preparedness (UCPM-2026-KAPP-EX) call. It aims to improve civil protection preparedness and response to all kinds of disasters within UCPM Member States/Participating States through the design, planning, execution, and self-evaluation of full-scale exercises. The call provides grant funding, with a total budget of EUR 4,500,000 available for UCPM Project Grants (UCPM-PJG). The application process is a single-stage process with a planned opening date of February 3, 2026, and a deadline of May 19, 2026. The exercises should be based on risk assessments and can cover a wide range of disaster scenarios, including natural disasters, industrial accidents, and health emergencies. Cross-cutting issues such as gender, human rights, and environmental sustainability are also encouraged to be considered. The call is open to entities involved in civil protection activities within UCPM Member States/Participating States, and the projects should include elements such as realistic scenarios, management structures, activation of the Mechanism, deployment of civil protection teams, use of communication systems, information exchange, involvement of national structures, EU observer participation, evaluation, and EU visibility. The ultimate goal is to strengthen cooperation and improve the effectiveness of disaster prevention, preparedness, and response within the UCPM framework.