Knowledge for Action in Prevention and Preparedness (KAPP)

The Knowledge for Action in Prevention and Preparedness (KAPP) UCPM-2026 call funds multi-country prevention and preparedness projects with a total budget of €10,600,000 and EU contributions of €400,000 to €1,000,000 per project, covering up to 90% of eligible costs. Proposals must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal by 19 May 2026 and consortia must include at least three beneficiaries from three different eligible states with at least one civil protection or disaster risk management public authority. Eligible activities address one or more priorities: increasing population risk awareness and preparedness, strengthening early warning to early action pathways (including encouraged use of AI/ML), and reinforcing institutional civil protection capacity through knowledge, procedures and training. The call requires a 24-month maximum project duration, mandatory deliverables and KPIs, open access to project data via the UCP Knowledge Network, and evaluation against Relevance, Quality and Impact with strict thresholds.

Knowledge for Action in Prevention and Preparedness (KAPP) — Call overview

What it funds

Co‑financing for prevention and preparedness projects under the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM). Projects must address one or more priorities: 1) increasing public risk awareness and preparedness; 2) strengthening early warning to early action (including use of AI/ML and links to wildfire analysis); 3) strengthening institutional civil protection/DRM capacity, knowledge transfer and preparedness-by-design. Outputs include guidance, training modules, tools, protocols, pilot tests and dissemination for UCPM uptake.

Total and per-project funding:Indicative call budget €10,600,000. Maximum EU contribution per project €1,000,000; minimum grant award may be €400,000. Funding rate up to 90% of eligible costs. Project duration normally up to 24 months ¹.

Who can apply

Legal entities (public or private) established in eligible countries: EU Member States, UCPM Participating States and listed IPA/ENP countries; international organisations may participate. Proposals must be submitted by a consortium of at least three beneficiaries from three different eligible states. The coordinator must be established in a UCPM Member/Participating State. At least one civil protection or DRM public administration (national/regional/local authority of population >30,000 or equivalent) must be involved in the consortium.

Eligibility and administrative highlights

1. 1Call type: UCPM Project Grants (UCPM-PJG), budget-based action grant; single-stage submission.
2. 2Opening date: 18 February 2026. Deadline (Brussels time): 19 May 2026, 17:00.
3. 3Project start: normally after grant signature; fixed start date cannot be later than 1 April 2027 unless agreed; maximum duration 24 months.
4. 4Consortium requirements: minimum 3 beneficiaries from 3 eligible countries; affiliated entities do not count toward the minimum.
5. 5Mandatory documents at submission: Part A (online), Part B (technical PDF from template), detailed budget table, CVs, list of previous projects, letter(s) of support from competent national civil protection authority for each country receiving grant, KPI annex, and other call annexes.
6. 6Costs: mix of actual costs and unit/flat-rate elements per Grant Agreement rules; VAT not eligible; specific unit cost rules apply for personnel, travel and other items.
7. 7Evaluation: scored on Relevance, Quality and Impact (overall pass threshold 70/100); award decisions follow ranking and portfolio balance.

Practical notes & contacts

Submit electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Proposals limited to 50 pages (Part B) plus annexes; use the Portal application templates. Financial capacity and legal entity checks apply during grant preparation; prefinancing normally paid after entry into force (may require guarantee). For technical or policy questions contact ECHO-CP-KAPP@ec.europa.eu. Portal help and submission support available via the Funding & Tenders Portal helpdesk.

Key dates:Call opening 18 February 2026 — Submission deadline 19 May 2026 17:00 Brussels time. Indicative evaluation timetable: May–September 2026; information on results October 2026; grant agreement signature from February 2027.

Where to read full call conditions

Full call documentation, templates, MGA and detailed rules are on the Funding & Tenders Portal topic page for UCPM-2026. See the call document and annexes for complete eligibility, cost rules, mandatory deliverables and reporting requirements Call page Call document (PDF) Model Grant Agreement & templates. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1See Call document section 3 (Available budget), section 4 (Timetable and deadlines) and section 10 (Form of grant, funding rate and maximum grant amount) for official amounts, ceilings and timing.

Knowledge for Action in Prevention and Preparedness (KAPP) — UCPM-2026-KAPP-PVPP

Programme: Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM). Type of action: UCPM-PJG UCPM Project Grants. Model Grant Agreement: UCPM Action Grant Budget-Based [UCPM-AG]. Managing authority: European Commission, DG ECHO. Opening date: 18 February 2026. Deadline: 19 May 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time. Call budget: €10,600,000. Single-stage submission and evaluation. Topic page: apply via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal.

Scope and Objectives:The KAPP call funds prevention and preparedness projects that strengthen cooperation among UCPM countries and with third countries to prevent natural and human-induced disasters and to enhance institutional and individual preparedness capacity. It supports Union disaster resilience goals and the Preparedness Union Strategy by fostering multi-hazard, cross-border, and cross-sector initiatives, the uptake of science and innovation including AI, and the systemic relevance of civil protection actions.

Priorities and Eligible Activities

Priority 1: Increasing risk awareness and preparedness of the population

Focus: Raise risk awareness and preparedness across society; improve evidence-based risk information and communication; target the general public as well as vulnerable groups and persons with disabilities; promote self-protection, readiness, and proactive engagement; counter disinformation and information manipulation in disaster risk management (DRM).

• Activities: Development and dissemination of multi-risk awareness methodologies; public risk information and education; tools, trainings, and guidelines for risk awareness; campaigns including social media and interactive tools; initiatives against DRM disinformation.
• Expected outcomes: Increased household and personal preparedness; improved sharing of risk information; stronger community engagement; enhanced availability of tools and guidelines; more able citizens to detect and resist disinformation.

Priority 2: Enhancing from early warning to early action

Focus: Strengthen the pathway from hazard forecasting to decision-making and public warning; adapt warning protocols to operational needs; integrate multi-hazard early warning with decision support for authorities and citizens; promote new technologies including Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning; link forecasting tools with wildfire behaviour analysis for operations.

• Activities: Improving hazard monitoring, forecasting and prediction systems; procedures for information exchange with ERCC and integration of Copernicus Emergency Management System; user manuals co-developed by end users; standards and protocols for warnings; crisis communication and public warning tools, including multi-lingual and accessible formats; guidance for an all-of-society early warning approach.
• Expected outcomes: Better multi-country early warning and linkages with ERCC/CEMS; stronger integration of early warnings into decision-making; improved public understanding of warnings; enhanced tools and guidelines for risk communication; improved consideration of community needs and behaviour.

Priority 3: Ensuring a robust civil protection system by strengthening institutional capacity

Focus: Reinforce DRM and civil protection institutions to prepare for complex, concurrent or prolonged disasters; embed preparedness-by-design across policies and investments; integrate lessons learned; facilitate the uptake of research, innovation and AI-based tools; build skills, knowledge, procedures and tools; reduce environmental impacts of DRM operations.

• Activities: Guidance, SOP templates, surveys; training modules and VET offerings; exchanges, mobility, coaching and mentorship; development, testing and uptake support for technologies and IT tools; workshops, seminars, conferences; small-scale exercises and simulations; tools for EU Host Nation Support implementation; tools for effective stockpiling principles.
• Expected outcomes: Systematic integration of lessons learned; strengthened multi-level culture of prevention and preparedness; broadened stakeholder integration; enhanced cooperation, coordination, interoperability and knowledge exchange; improved transfer of innovation into DRM operations; capacity building for critical and emerging risks; improved rapid response teams or modules.

Eligibility and Consortium

• Eligible applicants: Legal entities, public or private, established in eligible countries (see Beneficiary Scope). International organisations are eligible but cannot act as lead and do not count towards the minimum consortium composition. Natural persons are not eligible, except self-employed with no separate legal personality.
• Mandatory consortium: At least three beneficiaries from three different eligible states. The coordinator must be from an EU Member State or UCPM Participating State. The consortium must include at least one civil protection or DRM public administration organisation (beneficiary or associated partner) at national, regional or local level with 30,000+ inhabitants. Affiliated entities do not count toward the minimum.
• End-user involvement: Strongly recommended in design and implementation; may include DRM authorities at all levels, civil society organisations, private sector and other stakeholders.
• International organisations: Eligible to participate in cooperation with EU and UCPM Participating State entities; cannot be the lead and do not count for the minimum eligible entities.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility)

Applicants must be established in one of the following eligible countries. Activities must take place in eligible countries; conducting activities elsewhere must be duly justified.

• EU Member States, including Overseas Countries and Territories
• UCPM Participating States: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Türkiye, Ukraine
• Instrument for Pre-Accession beneficiary not participating in UCPM: Kosovo
• European Neighbourhood Policy countries not participating in UCPM: East (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia; note: EC financial assistance directly benefiting Georgian authorities is suspended; Georgian civil society and non-state actors remain eligible), and South (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia)

Funding and Financial Setup

• Call budget: €10,600,000
• EU contribution per project: up to €1,000,000; minimum grant €400,000
• Funding rate: up to 90 percent of eligible costs; at least 10 percent co-funding required from applicants or other sources
• Indirect costs: 7 percent flat rate of eligible direct costs (categories A to C, excluding volunteers and any exempted categories)
• VAT: Not eligible
• Grant form: Budget-based grant with actual costs and possible unit cost and flat-rate elements per MGA
• No financial support to third parties is allowed
• Profit rule: Grants may not produce a profit; for-profit organisations must declare revenues; profits will be deducted
• Prefinancing: Normally 70 percent after grant signature; final balance after project end
• Project duration: Up to 24 months; start date normally post-signature and no later than 1 April 2027 unless otherwise agreed during grant preparation

Application and Evaluation

• Submission: Single-stage electronic submission via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal
• Opening: 18 February 2026; Deadline: 19 May 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time
• Mandatory annexes: Detailed budget table (excel template); CVs of core project team; activity reports of last year for all participants except specified public bodies and international organisations; list of key projects in last 4 years; KPI annex with targets; letters of support from the competent national civil protection authority for each country of beneficiaries and affiliated entities receiving EU grant funds, unless the participant is that national authority itself or an international organisation
• Technical scope compliance: Research alone is not eligible; where applicable as follow-up to Horizon Europe, TRL must be at least 6 at application
• Non-eligible activities: Development of standalone online platforms duplicating the UCP Knowledge Network tools; full-scale exercises under this topic (apply to UCPM-2026-KAPP-EX); financial support to third parties
• Horizontal principles: Greening of civil protection operations; gender balance; inclusion and accessibility for vulnerable groups and persons with disabilities; encouraged use of AI with attention to explainability, trust, and compliance with the AI Act
• Open data: Data acquired or developed must be made available open source and free of charge to end users

Evaluation Criteria, Scoring and Thresholds

• Relevance (max 40, min pass 30): alignment with call objectives, needs analysis, end-user involvement, complementarity and EU added value, climate actions, coherent KPIs
• Quality (max 30, min pass 20): concept and methodology, consortium set-up and capacity, project and consortium management, risk management, cost effectiveness and sound financial management
• Impact (max 30, min pass 20): target groups and effects, ambition and potential for broader policy and investment uptake, communication and dissemination quality, sustainability and continuation, replicability
• Overall threshold: 70 points out of 100; all individual sub-criteria minimums and per-criterion minimums must be met
• Tiebreakers: Priority to higher Relevance, then Impact, then Quality; further portfolio considerations for balanced geographical/thematic coverage may apply

Mandatory Work Packages, Deliverables and Reporting

• Work packages: WP1 Project management; WP2 Dissemination and visibility; add technical WPs per activities and expected results
• Mandatory deliverables: Progress report at month 9 for all projects; for projects 20 months or over, an additional progress report at month 17; mapping of relevant UCPM initiatives and potential synergies within first 6 months; dissemination plan with end-user and stakeholder analysis in the first half of the project; KPI deliverable with realised indicator values in the last month of the project; executive summaries in English for non-English or sensitive deliverables; at least five high-quality photos or visuals; project results snapshot uploaded to the UCP Knowledge Network; layman report
• Dissemination levels: Public and sensitive only; majority of deliverables expected to be public
• Consortium agreement: Mandatory
• Use of UCP Knowledge Network: Foresee establishing or linking to a community of practice; plan for sustainability and long-term availability of outputs through UCPKN

Key Dates and Timeline

Administrative and Legal Requirements

• Admissibility: Part B page limit 50 pages excluding annexes; use the official templates in the Submission System
• Legal entity validation: All beneficiaries and affiliated entities must register in the Participant Register and pass validation prior to grant signature
• Financial capacity: Assessed for beneficiaries unless exempted; measures may include guarantees or instalment prefinancing
• Operational capacity: Assessed via staff profiles, participant descriptions, activity reports, and track record; public bodies, Member State organisations, and international organisations are exempt from operational capacity check
• Exclusion: Applicants in exclusion situations are not eligible
• Cost eligibility: Personnel, subcontracting, travel and subsistence (unit or actual per Decision C(2021)35), equipment depreciation (full-cost exceptions may apply only if specified; default for this call is depreciation), other goods and services; no VAT eligible; indirect cost 7 percent
• Reporting and payments: Prefinancing normally 70 percent; periodic reporting per grant data sheet; payment of balance at project end; prefinancing guarantees may be requested
• Letters of support: National civil protection or maritime competent authority letters are required for each beneficiary and affiliated entity receiving funds, except when the applicant is the national authority itself or an international organisation. Use the dedicated template in the Submission System

Categorisation and Structured Information

Eligible Applicant Types:Public authorities at national, regional, and local levels; universities and higher education institutions; research and technology organisations; nonprofits and NGOs including civil society organisations; SMEs and large enterprises where relevant to DRM and civil protection; international organisations; public-private partnerships; EGTCs; associations and interest groupings; self-employed sole traders without separate legal personality. EU bodies cannot be beneficiaries, with the exception of the European Commission Joint Research Centre.

Funding Type:Grant under the Union Civil Protection Mechanism. Budget-based action grant with actual costs and simplified cost options per the UCPM Model Grant Agreement.

Consortium Requirement:Consortium required. Minimum three beneficiaries from three different eligible states. Coordinator must be from an EU Member State or UCPM Participating State. At least one civil protection or DRM public administration organisation must be included as a beneficiary or associated partner. International organisations cannot coordinate and do not count toward the minimum.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):EU Member States including OCTs; UCPM Participating States: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Türkiye, Ukraine; IPA beneficiary not participating in UCPM: Kosovo; ENP East: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia with limitations for authorities; ENP South: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia.

Target Sector:Civil protection and disaster risk management; environment and climate adaptation; emergency management and preparedness; public risk communication; early warning systems; wildfires and natural hazards; CBRN and industrial risks; ICT and digital solutions including AI and machine learning; stockpiling and logistics; training and education for DRM.

Mentioned Countries:EU Member States; Albania; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Iceland; Moldova; Montenegro; North Macedonia; Norway; Serbia; Türkiye; Ukraine; Kosovo; Armenia; Azerbaijan; Georgia; Algeria; Egypt; Israel; Jordan; Lebanon; Libya; Morocco; Palestine; Tunisia.

Project Stage:Preparedness, capacity building, development and validation of tools and protocols, demonstration and pilot training, operationalisation and uptake. Research-only projects are not eligible. For Horizon Europe follow-ups, TRL 6 or higher at application.

Funding Amount:Total call budget €10.6 million. Per project EU contribution up to €1,000,000 with a minimum of €400,000. Co-funding rate up to 90 percent.

Application Type:Open call, single-stage. Electronic submission only via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal.

Nature of Support:Financial support as grant funding. Non-financial support through dissemination via the UCP Knowledge Network tools and communities of practice is expected but not a substitute for funding.

Application Stages:1 stage: single submission and single-step evaluation.

Success Rates:Indicative benchmark from the 2025 KAPP call: 92 proposals submitted, 14 projects awarded for approximately €12 million. This suggests an approximate success rate around 15 percent, subject to thematic and portfolio considerations in each year.

Co-funding Requirement:Yes. EU funding can cover up to 90 percent of eligible costs; at least 10 percent must be co-funded by applicants or other sources. Projects cannot generate profit; revenues reduce the final grant amount.

Templates and Application Structure

• Application Form Part A: Administrative data of participants; summary budget; declarations.
• Application Form Part B: Technical description in the official template from the Portal. Main sections include: 1. Relevance (Background and general objectives; Needs analysis and specific objectives with outcomes, outputs, indicators; Complementarity and innovation; Geographic focus; EU added value); 2. Quality (Concept and methodology; Consortium set-up; Project teams; Management and decision-making; Quality assurance and M&E; Cost-effectiveness and financial management; Risk management); 3. Impact (Impact and ambition; Communication, dissemination and visibility; Sustainability and continuation); 4. Workplan, work packages, activities, resources and timing (WP1 Project management; WP2 Dissemination and visibility; technical WPs; milestones and deliverables; timetable; subcontracting and equipment sections).
• Mandatory Annexes: Detailed budget table; CVs of key staff; previous year activity reports where applicable; list of previous projects (last 4 years); annex of common KPIs with targets; letters of support from competent national civil protection authorities for each country where beneficiaries or affiliated entities receive EU funds.
• Reference Documents: Call document; UCPM Model Grant Agreement; EU Grants AGA Annotated Model Grant Agreement; UCPM Work Programmes; UCPM Decision 1313/2013; EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509; Rules for Legal Entity Validation and Financial Capacity; Online Manual.

Compulsory Letter of Support content outline:Competent authority identification; department; contact person; legal address and contact; confirmation of support; consistency with national policies and needs; confirmation on participation as beneficiary where applicable; for full-scale exercises only a specific clause applies, not relevant under this topic; authorised signature and date. Use the official template and assemble all country letters into a single file for upload.

Contacts and Submission

• Submission: EU Funding and Tenders Portal topic page for UCPM-2026 EU Funding & Tenders Portal Topic
• Call documents and annexes: Available via the same topic page including application templates and the UCPM MGA
• Helpdesk: IT issues via the Portal IT Helpdesk; non-IT questions to ECHO-CP-KAPP@ec.europa.eu
• Partner search: Available via Portal partner search tools with LEAR or account roles

Comprehensive Summary

The KAPP Prevention and Preparedness call UCPM-2026 is a Union Civil Protection Mechanism grant opportunity to co-finance high-impact prevention and preparedness projects that strengthen cooperation among eligible countries and institutions across the disaster risk management cycle. Applicants select one or more of three priorities: raising population risk awareness and preparedness; enhancing the pathway from early warning to early action; and reinforcing civil protection systems by building institutional capacity. The call emphasises multi-hazard, cross-border and cross-sector approaches, operational relevance and uptake, and integration of research and innovation outcomes, including explainable and trustworthy AI solutions aligned with the AI Act. Projects must involve end-users and demonstrate synergies with past or ongoing UCPM and EU initiatives, make their data accessible open source and free of charge, and plan for long-term sustainability through the Union Civil Protection Knowledge Network. Consortia must comprise at least three beneficiaries from three eligible states, be led by an EU or UCPM Participating State entity, and include at least one civil protection or DRM public administration entity as beneficiary or associated partner. Funding covers up to 90 percent of eligible costs with a cap of €1 million per project and a typical 24-month duration. Proposals are submitted in a single stage via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal using the official templates, with mandatory annexes including national civil protection letters of support and KPI targets. Evaluation focuses on relevance, quality, and impact with strict thresholds, and prioritises operational utility, dissemination, sustainability, and replication potential across the UCPM community. Overall, KAPP PVPP is designed to turn knowledge into action by scaling evidence-based risk communication, strengthening early warning-to-action pathways, and embedding preparedness-by-design and innovation into Europe’s civil protection systems.

Footnotes

1. 1Official call fiche and full call document: UCPM-2026-KAPP-PVPP Topic Page. Model templates and MGA available in the Call documents and annexes section on the same page.

Knowledge for Action in Prevention and Preparedness (KAPP) 2026 Call for Proposals - Comprehensive Funding Analysis

Funding Opportunity Overview

The Knowledge for Action in Prevention and Preparedness (KAPP) is a flagship call under the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) that supports multi-country partnership projects strengthening cooperation on disaster prevention, preparedness, and full-scale field exercises. The call aims to enhance systemic relevance of the UCPM and support implementation of Union disaster resilience goals and the Preparedness Union Strategy through knowledge exchange, capacity building, and operational procedures development.

Call Identification and Timeline

Call Reference:UCPM-2026 (Prevention and Preparedness topic)

Call Opening Date:18 February 2026

Submission Deadline:19 May 2026 at 17:00 CET (Brussels time)

Evaluation Period:May to September 2026

Evaluation Results Announcement:October 2026

Grant Agreement Signature:February 2027 (expected)

Funding Budget and Amounts

Total Available Budget:€10,600,000

Maximum EU Contribution per Project:€1,000,000

Minimum Grant Amount:€400,000

Maximum Funding Rate:90 percent of eligible costs

Budget Flexibility:Budget transfers between participants and budget categories are allowed without amendment if they do not imply substantive changes to the action description. No flexibility caps apply.

Project Duration and Implementation

Standard Project Duration:Maximum 24 months

Project Starting Date:Normally the first day of the month following grant agreement entry into force, with possibility for fixed dates up to 1 April 2027 if duly justified

Extensions:Only possible exceptionally through amendment for duly justified reasons

Eligible Applicants and Geographic Scope

Eligible Countries for Beneficiaries

• All 27 European Union Member States including overseas countries and territories
• UCPM Participating States: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Türkiye, and Ukraine
• Instrument for Pre-Accession beneficiary countries: Kosovo
• European Neighbourhood Policy countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia (East) and Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia (South)
• International organizations (unrestricted by geographic criteria)

Eligible Entity Types

Applicants must be legal entities (public or private bodies) established in eligible countries. Natural persons are not eligible except self-employed persons where the company has no separate legal personality. Entities without legal personality may participate if their representatives can undertake legal obligations and offer equivalent guarantees for EU financial interests protection.

Non-Eligible Entities

• EU bodies (except European Commission Joint Research Centre in specific cases)
• Entities subject to EU restrictive measures under Article 29 TEU and Article 215 TFEU
• Entities subject to EU conditionality measures under Regulation 2020/2092 (currently Hungarian public interest trusts)

Consortium Composition Requirements

Minimum Consortium Structure:At least 3 beneficiaries from a minimum of 3 different eligible states

Project Coordinator:Must be an entity from a UCPM Member State or UCPM Participating State

Civil Protection Authority Requirement:Consortium must include at least one civil protection or DRM public administration organisation (national, regional, or local authority with 30,000+ inhabitants population) as beneficiary or associated partner

International Organisation Participation:International organizations may participate as beneficiaries but cannot act as lead consortium partner and their participation does not count towards minimum entity requirements

Affiliated Entities:Do not count towards minimum consortium composition requirements but must comply with all eligibility conditions

Thematic Priorities and Scope

Priority 1: Increasing Risk Awareness and Preparedness of the Population

Projects should enhance risk awareness, understanding, and preparedness of the population through evidence-based risk information and communication, targeted education activities, and development of tools for awareness-raising. Activities must address vulnerable groups and persons with disabilities and focus on building a culture of risk prevention and preparedness at citizen level. Proposals aiming to fight disinformation and information manipulation in the DRM domain are eligible. This priority correlates with Union disaster resilience goal No. 2: Prepare - Increasing risk awareness and preparedness of the population.

Priority 2: Enhancing from Early Warning to Early Action

Projects should strengthen understanding between forecasting institutions and public authorities at various levels (national, regional, local) to enable rapid action through public warning mechanisms. Proposals must demonstrate clear gaps or build on previous efforts. Joint capacity building activities of forecasting organisations, public administration, critical infrastructure managers, and other relevant organisations are key. Proposals promoting new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, or linking forecasting tools with wildfire behaviour analysis are encouraged. This priority correlates with Union disaster resilience goal No. 3: Alert - Enhancing early warning.

Priority 3: Ensuring a Robust Civil Protection System by Strengthening Institutional Capacity

Projects should strengthen institutional capacity of civil protection and DRM authorities to effectively prepare for future disasters and embed the preparedness-by-design principle. Focus should lie on expanding knowledge, skills, procedures, and tools at organisational level. Activities may include gathering knowledge and good practices from DRM stakeholders, integrating research input into knowledge sharing, elaborating methodologies for skill transfer, and integrating lessons learnt from recent emergencies. A whole-of-society approach should be applied with cooperation between public bodies, private sector, communities, and other stakeholders.

Eligible Activities and Outputs

Under Priority 1, eligible activities include developing risk awareness raising methodologies, compiling good practices, creating awareness campaigns and educational products using multiple media formats, establishing awareness platforms and events, and creating training modules for individuals and households. Under Priority 2, eligible activities focus on adapting warning protocols, strengthening public warning systems, and implementing technologies for better early warning integration. Under Priority 3, eligible activities include guidance material development, Standard Operating Procedure templates, trainings for DRM practitioners, exposure visits, developing IT tools, workshops and conferences, small-scale exercises and simulations, and developing tools for effective application of stockpiling principles.

Non-Eligible Activities

• Standalone online platforms (projects must use existing UCPKN platform features and avoid replication)
• Full-scale exercises (should apply through separate UCPM-2026-KAPP-EX call)
• Financial support to third parties
• Activities inconsistent with EU policy interests and priorities (environment, social, security, industrial and trade policy)

Horizontal Principles and Special Considerations

Climate and Environment:Proposals must include measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or contribute to climate change adaptation (e.g., reducing travels, paper-free conferences)

Artificial Intelligence:Use and operationalisation of AI solutions is encouraged as a tool (not standalone solution). When proposed, emphasis on operational uptake, explainability, and trustability by end-users is required. Solutions must anticipate developments regarding the AI Act and ensure compliance upon full entry into force.

Gender Balance and Social Inclusion:Proposals should highlight contribution to gender balance and equality in implementation and outputs, and consider needs and perspectives of vulnerable groups and persons with disabilities

End-User Involvement:Active involvement of end-users (DRM authorities at various levels, civil society organisations, private companies, other stakeholders) in proposal conception and implementation is recommended

Knowledge Exchange Platform:Proposals should establish or link to a community of practice in the Union Civil Protection Knowledge Network (UCPKN) related to the proposal's central subject. Sustainability and long-term availability of project results through UCPKN should be integral to proposal design.

Application Requirements and Admissibility Conditions

Submission Format and Process

Proposals must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal Submission System. Paper submissions are not accepted. Proposals comprise two parts: Part A (administrative information, filled directly online) and Part B (technical description, max 50 pages excluding annexes, downloaded template to be completed and uploaded as PDF).

Mandatory Supporting Documents

• Detailed budget table in mandatory Excel template
• CVs of core project team members
• Annual activity reports for last year (if applicable based on beneficiary type)
• List of previous key projects (last 4 years)
• Letters of support from competent national civil protection authorities of each partner country (mandatory for all non-authority beneficiaries)
• Annex of key performance indicators (KPIs) with targets for relevant indicators
• Model Grant Agreement (MGA)

Page Limits:Part B limited to maximum 50 pages (excess pages will not be considered by evaluators)

Maximum Funding Request:Proposals requesting more than €1,000,000 as EU contribution are not admissible

Financial and Operational Capacity Requirements

Financial Capacity Assessment

Applicants must demonstrate stable and sufficient resources to implement projects successfully. Financial capacity checks are performed on basis of documents uploaded in Participant Register (profit and loss accounts, balance sheets, audit reports, business plans, etc.). The analysis uses neutral financial indicators and considers dependency on EU funding, deficit, and revenue history. Checks are normally performed for all beneficiaries except public bodies and international organisations, and when individual requested grant amount does not exceed €60,000. If financial capacity is deemed unsatisfactory, the Commission may require further information, enhanced financial responsibility regimes, prefinancing guarantees, prefinancing in instalments, or request beneficiary replacement.

Operational Capacity Assessment

Applicants must demonstrate know-how, qualifications, and resources to implement projects, including sufficient experience in comparable projects. Assessment is based on staff qualifications and experience, consortium composition, activity reports, and previous project lists. Public bodies, Member State organisations, and international organisations are exempted from operational capacity checks. Positive evaluation on award criterion Quality implies operational capacity sufficiency.

Exclusion Criteria

Applicants subject to EU exclusion decisions or in exclusion situations cannot participate. Exclusion situations include bankruptcy or winding up, breach of tax or social security obligations, grave professional misconduct, fraud, corruption, links to criminal organisations, money laundering, terrorism-related crimes, child labour or human trafficking, significant deficiencies in complying with EU contract obligations, guilt of irregularities under Article 1(2) of EU Regulation 2988/95, and creation under different jurisdiction to circumvent legal obligations. Additionally, applicants that misrepresented information required for participation or were involved in call preparation causing distortion of competition will be rejected.

Evaluation and Award Procedure

Evaluation Process

Proposals follow single-stage submission and one-step evaluation procedure. An evaluation committee assesses all applications, first checking formal requirements (admissibility and eligibility). Admissible and eligible proposals are evaluated against operational capacity and award criteria, then ranked by scores. The granting authority will inform all applicants of evaluation results.

Award Criteria and Scoring

Pass Requirements:Proposals must simultaneously meet three requirements: reach minimum pass score per award sub-criteria (50% rounded), reach minimum pass score per award criterion (30/40 and 20/30 points respectively), and achieve at least 70 points overall. Only proposals passing all three thresholds will be considered for funding.

Tiebreaker Priority:For proposals with equal scores, priority is determined by Relevance score, then Impact score, then Quality score. If equal, further prioritisation considers overall project portfolio for positive synergies or other call-related objectives.

Grant Agreement and Financial Provisions

Grant Type and Form

Grants are budget-based mixed actual cost action grants, reimbursing only eligible types of costs actually incurred. The grant form combines actual costs with unit costs and flat-rate elements.

Eligible Cost Categories

• Personnel costs: employees, natural persons under direct contract, seconded persons, SME owners, volunteers
• Subcontracting costs: implementation of action tasks by third parties
• Purchase costs: travel and subsistence (unit or actual costs), equipment (depreciation only), other goods/works/services
• Other cost categories: civil protection intervention unit costs
• Indirect costs: 7 percent flat-rate of eligible direct costs (categories A-C, except volunteer costs)

Ineligible Costs:VAT (always), return on capital and dividends, debt and debt service, provisions for future losses, interest, currency losses, excessive expenditure, costs under grant suspension, costs declared under other EU grants (except Synergy actions or combined operating grants properly documented), staff costs for normal administration activities, EU institution staff costs

Payment Schedule

Initial Prefinancing:Normally 70 percent of maximum grant amount, paid 30 days from grant agreement entry into force or when financial guarantee provided (whichever is latest)

Additional Prefinancing:If applicable, requested through additional prefinancing report with 60-day submission deadline after reporting period end

Interim Payments:For projects 20+ months with interim reporting at month 9 and 17; interim payments capped at 90 percent of maximum grant amount

Final Payment:Calculated after submission of final periodic report, with 90-day payment deadline from report receipt

Prefinancing Guarantees

Guarantees may be required during grant preparation phase if financial capacity is deemed unsatisfactory. Guarantees must be issued by approved banks or financial institutions in euro and be equal to or lower than prefinancing amount. Bank guarantees are released at grant end per grant agreement conditions. Guarantees are not formally linked to individual consortium members.

Reporting and Certificates

Projects must submit continuous technical and financial reporting via the Portal. Certificates on Financial Statements (CFS) are required when requested EU contribution at interim or final payment is €325,000 or more. Financial statements must show eligible costs by budget category and include revenue information. Beneficiaries must confirm completeness, reliability, and eligibility of declared costs and demonstrate supporting documentation availability.

Mandatory Deliverables and Project Management

Mandatory Work Packages

• WP1: Project Management (coordination, monitoring, evaluation, financial management, progress reports, cross-cutting activities)
• WP2: Dissemination and Visibility

Mandatory Deliverables (All Projects)

• Progress reports at month 9 and month 17 (for projects 20+ months)
• Mapping of relevant initiatives within UCPM including synergy evaluation (within first 6 months)
• Dissemination plan with end-user and stakeholder analysis (first half of project)
• Key Performance Indicators deliverable with realised values (last month of project)
• Executive summaries in English of important non-English or sensitive deliverables
• Minimum 5 high-quality photographs or visuals for publication
• Project results snapshot uploaded to UCPKN platform
• Layman report summarising achievements and long-term benefits

Dissemination Levels:Only Public and Sensitive dissemination levels permitted; majority of deliverables must be public

Data Access and Intellectual Property

Open Access Requirement:Data acquired or developed by projects must be made available to end-users open source and free of charge

Intellectual Property Rights:The granting authority does not obtain ownership of results but has royalty-free, non-exclusive irrevocable licence for policy, information, communication, dissemination and publicity purposes, including rights to edit, translate, distribute, archive, and sub-license to third parties

Background Access:Beneficiaries must give each other and other participants access to background identified as needed for action implementation, subject to third-party rights

Visibility and Communication Requirements

All communication and dissemination activities must acknowledge EU support and display the European flag emblem and funding statement. The emblem must remain distinct, separate, and at least as prominent as other logos. All communication must use factually accurate information and include disclaimer: Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them.

Key Deadlines and Important Dates ¹

Submission Instructions and Support

Submission System:EU Funding and Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System (accessible via Topic page in Calls for Proposals section)

Pre-Submission Requirements:All beneficiaries must create EU Login account and register organisations in Participant Register before proposal submission to receive 9-digit participant identification code (PIC)

Paper Submissions:NOT accepted; all submissions must be electronic

Contact for Non-IT Questions:ECHO-CP-P&P@ec.europa.eu (send 7 days before deadline maximum)

IT Helpdesk Contact:Available for technical issues, forgotten passwords, access rights; use IT Helpdesk webform

Critical Success Factors for Strong Applications

• Clear demonstration of needs analysis with evidence and data, involving end-users not in consortium
• Well-justified consortium with meaningful contributions from each member, showing clear added value beyond consortium participants
• Mapping of relevant past and present initiatives with explicit synergy strategies; adequate justification if no prior initiatives identified
• Strong cost-effectiveness narrative explaining budget allocation relative to expected results
• Comprehensive sustainability and continuation plan ensuring results remain accessible after project end
• Detailed communication, dissemination and visibility strategy with specific target groups and channels identified
• Integration of horizontal principles (climate adaptation, gender balance, vulnerable groups inclusion, AI if applicable)
• Realistic work packages with logical connection between activities, deliverables, and expected outcomes
• Effective risk management strategy identifying critical risks with likelihood and impact assessment
• Strong alignment with UCPM disaster resilience goals and Preparedness Union Strategy objectives
• End-user and stakeholder engagement plan demonstrating capacity to incorporate results

Footnotes

1. 1All dates are indicative based on call document version 1.0 published 4 February 2026. Applicants must verify exact dates on EU Funding and Tenders Portal before submission.