National Contact Points (NCPs) in the field of security and cybersecurity fostering the links with National Community building for Safe, Secure and Resilient Societies

This Horizon Europe grant opportunity targets National Contact Points (NCPs) focused on civil security and cybersecurity under the call HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-SSRI-01. It aims to foster collaboration among NCPs and enhance their services to build safer, more secure, and resilient societies. The funding type is a grant categorized as a Coordination and Support Action (HORIZON-CSA) with a total budget of EUR 3,000,000. The single-stage application process is scheduled to open on June 12, 2025, and close on November 12, 2025.

The key objectives include improving the quality of NCP services, standardizing transnational cooperation, and increasing collaboration with EU and national initiatives. It seeks to provide evidence-based feedback to support EU-funded security research, systematically assess stakeholders' needs, and raise awareness about EU funding opportunities. The initiative also aims to reduce geographical fragmentation in the civil security sector by connecting various NCPs and regional players.

Eligible applicants must be officially nominated NCPs by EU Member States or Associated Countries. Each project should include a consortium comprised of both experienced and less experienced NCPs to enhance the quality of cooperation. The project duration is recommended to be three years.

In addition to funding NCP activities and providing support to third parties, the grant will promote innovation uptake through financial means, striving to develop a sustainable cooperation model beyond the project's lifecycle. Successful proposals are expected to contribute to the broader goals of Horizon Europe Cluster 3 by increasing awareness of funding opportunities and sharing best practices among NCPs. The overall aim is to enhance the effectiveness of security research and innovation initiatives within the EU framework, thereby addressing national security challenges collaboratively.

This EU grant opportunity focuses on National Contact Points (NCPs) in the field of security and cybersecurity, aiming to foster links with National Community building for Safe, Secure and Resilient Societies. The call falls under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program, specifically the Civil Security for Society (HORIZON-CL3-2025-01) call. The type of action is HORIZON-CSA, which stands for HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions, utilizing a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] Model Grant Agreement.

The call is forthcoming with a single-stage deadline model. The planned opening date is 12 June 2025, and the deadline for submission is 12 November 2025 at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of this grant are multifaceted:

Improved and professionalized NCP service: This includes enhancing the knowledge, experience, and skills of NCPs across Europe to simplify access to Horizon Europe calls, lower entry barriers for newcomers, and improve the quality of submitted proposals.

Harmonized trans-national cooperation: The grant aims to foster better cooperation between NCPs and support national communities for research and innovation in security, enabling them to gather input from practitioners and industrial partners to address capability needs.

Increased cooperation with EU initiatives: The grant seeks to increase cooperation between NCPs and national initiatives, as well as EU initiatives like CERIS (Community for European Research and Innovation for Security).

Evidence-based feedback for EU-funded security research: The grant aims to enable periodic and timely feedback to support EU-funded security research programming by seamlessly integrating national, regional, and local dimensions of security Research and Innovation into the EU picture.

Systematic needs assessment: The grant aims to systematically assess the needs of stakeholders in security areas and increase the visibility of capability needs, gaps, and technology solutions identified by national, regional, and local communities.

Improved awareness of EU funding opportunities: The grant aims to enhance awareness of EU funding opportunities relevant to civil security research and innovation.

Increased awareness of innovation uptake: The grant aims to improve awareness of success stories related to innovation uptake resulting from the participation of national players in EU-funded security research projects.

Reduced geographical fragmentation: The grant aims to reduce geographical fragmentation within the civil security research and innovation community by fostering cooperation between various national initiatives and stakeholders from the security ecosystem in different Member States and Associated Countries.

The scope of the grant involves several key activities:

Supporting NCPs: NCPs are crucial support structures for implementing Framework Programmes, providing information and advice to applicants and beneficiaries throughout the project lifecycle.

Sharing best practices: The grant supports NCPs in sharing best practices to improve their services.

Enhancing visibility: The grant aims to increase the visibility of different perspectives from Security Research and Innovation (R&I) stakeholders and break down geographical silos by aggregating knowledge from EU Member States and regions.

Addressing geographic fragmentation: The grant acknowledges the fragmentation in the security sector and seeks to aggregate knowledge from Member States and Associated countries to create a comprehensive European picture.

Strengthening links with CERIS: The grant promotes cooperation with national stakeholders and stronger links with CERIS to gain a better understanding of EU security needs and solutions, capitalize on funding opportunities, and showcase research project results.

Linking NCPs with national communities: Proposals should connect NCPs with existing or emerging national communities for research and innovation to identify capability gaps, solutions, and research needs at various levels, integrating them into the EU picture with CERIS.

Sharing research opportunities: The collaboration will help NCPs share research opportunities from national programmes with the broader security research community.

Improving visibility of national players: The grant will improve the visibility of results achieved by national players in research projects, especially those leading to deployed solutions or having strong potential for uptake.

Promoting innovation uptake: The grant will support the promotion of innovation uptake through financial pathways and opportunities, emphasizing EU Home Affairs funds and the European Regional Development Fund.

Developing a cooperation model: Beneficiaries should develop a cooperation model for national research and innovation communities that extends beyond the project's lifetime and is independent of EU security research funding.

Contributing to Programme objectives: The successful proposal will contribute to the Programme’s objectives, raise awareness of Horizon Europe Cluster 3, and facilitate trans-national cooperation between NCPs to share good practices and improve support for applicants.

Linking widening countries: Proposals should connect potential participants from widening countries with emerging consortia in the Cluster “Civil Security for Society”.

Organizing matchmaking activities: The network should organize matchmaking activities according to Annex IV of the NCP Minimum Standards and Guiding Principles.

Considering National Coordination Centres: Proposals should consider support activities for coordination between the beneficiary (NCP) and the respective National Coordination Centre within relevant Member States.

Ensuring representation: The project consortium should include a mix of experienced and less experienced NCPs.

The recommended project duration is 3 years.

The general conditions for this grant include:

Admissibility Conditions: The proposal's page limit and layout must adhere to Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form.

Eligible Countries: Eligibility is determined by 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: Applicants must be Horizon Europe national support structures (National Contact Points - NCPs) responsible for Cluster 3 and officially nominated by an EU Member State or Associated Country, as described in the Work Programme 2025 – 6. Civil Security for Society.

Financial and operational capacity and exclusion: Applicants must meet the criteria outlined in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Evaluation and award: The granting authority can fund a maximum of one project, following the criteria in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Submission and evaluation processes: These processes are detailed in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.

Indicative timeline: The timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Legal and financial set-up: Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties in the form of prizes or grants, with a maximum amount of EUR 60,000 per third party, as described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

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

The application and evaluation forms, as well as the model grant agreement (MGA), are available in the Submission System. The standard application form is HE CSA, and the evaluation form is the standard HE CSA form.

Additional guidance and documents include:

HE Programme Guide

HE MGA

Call-specific instructions

Information on financial support to third parties (HE)

Information on Security Practitioners Template

HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 1. General Introduction

HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 6. Civil Security for Society

HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 14. 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 for the call in 2025 includes various topics with their respective budget allocations, stages, opening and deadline dates, contributions, and indicative number of grants.

The following topics are listed:

HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-BM-01 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of EUR 10,000,000, single-stage, opening on 2025-06-12 and closing on 2025-11-12, with an indicative number of grants around 3.

HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-BM-02 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of EUR 9,000,000, single-stage, opening on 2025-06-12 and closing on 2025-11-12, with an indicative number of grants around 3.

HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-BM-03 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of EUR 9,000,000, single-stage, opening on 2025-06-12 and closing on 2025-11-12, with an indicative number of grants around 3.

HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-DRS-01 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of EUR 12,000,000, single-stage, opening on 2025-06-12 and closing on 2025-11-12, with an indicative number of grants around 3.

HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-DRS-02 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of EUR 10,500,000, single-stage, opening on 2025-06-12 and closing on 2025-11-12, with an indicative number of grants around 3.

HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-DRS-03 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of EUR 13,500,000, single-stage, opening on 2025-06-12 and closing on 2025-11-12, with an indicative number of grants around 3.

HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-DRS-04 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of EUR 5,000,000, single-stage, opening on 2025-06-12 and closing on 2025-11-12, with an indicative number of grants around 1.

HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-FCT-01 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of EUR 18,000,000, single-stage, opening on 2025-06-12 and closing on 2025-11-12, with an indicative number of grants around 6.

HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-FCT-02 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of EUR 12,000,000, single-stage, opening on 2025-06-12 and closing on 2025-11-12, with an indicative number of grants around 4.

HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-FCT-03 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of EUR 7,500,000, single-stage, opening on 2025-06-12 and closing on 2025-11-12, with an indicative number of grants around 2.

HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-FCT-04 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of EUR 6,000,000, single-stage, opening on 2025-06-12 and closing on 2025-11-12, with an indicative number of grants around 1.

HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-INFRA-01 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of EUR 15,000,000, single-stage, opening on 2025-06-12 and closing on 2025-11-12, with an indicative number of grants around 3.

HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-INFRA-02 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of EUR 7,000,000, single-stage, opening on 2025-06-12 and closing on 2025-11-12, with an indicative number of grants around 2.

HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-SSRI-01 - HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions with a budget of EUR 3,000,000, single-stage, opening on 2025-06-12 and closing on 2025-11-12, with an indicative number of grants around 1.

HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-SSRI-02 - HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions with a budget of EUR 5,000,000, single-stage, opening on 2025-06-12 and closing on 2025-11-12, with an indicative number of grants around 1.

HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-SSRI-03 - HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions with a budget of EUR 2,000,000, single-stage, opening on 2025-06-12 and closing on 2025-11-12, with an indicative number of grants around 2.

HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-SSRI-04 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of EUR 3,000,000, single-stage, opening on 2025-06-12 and closing on 2025-11-12, with an indicative number of grants around 2.

HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-SSRI-05 - HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of EUR 3,000,000, single-stage, opening on 2025-06-12 and closing on 2025-11-12, with an indicative number of grants around 1.

HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-SSRI-06 - HORIZON-PCP HORIZON Pre-commercial Procurement with a budget of EUR 5,500,000, single-stage, opening on 2025-06-12 and closing on 2025-11-12, with an indicative number of grants around 1.

There are opportunities for partner searches, and the submission system is planned to open on the date stated on the topic header.

In summary, this Horizon Europe grant opportunity aims to enhance the effectiveness and collaboration of National Contact Points (NCPs) in security and cybersecurity. It seeks to improve the quality of support provided to applicants, foster transnational cooperation, integrate national and EU security initiatives, and reduce geographical fragmentation in the security research and innovation landscape. The grant targets Horizon Europe national support structures (National Contact Points - NCPs), responsible for Cluster 3 and officially nominated to the European Commission from an EU Member State or an Associated Country. The call encourages projects that facilitate transnational cooperation, share best practices, and raise awareness of EU funding opportunities, ultimately contributing to a safer, more secure, and resilient society. The total budget allocated to the different topics is substantial, offering a wide range of opportunities for various types of actions, including innovation actions, research and innovation actions, coordination and support actions, and pre-commercial procurement.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicants are Horizon Europe national support structures, specifically National Contact Points (NCPs) responsible for Cluster 3, officially nominated by an EU Member State or an Associated Country.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Coordination and Support Action (HORIZON-CSA) with a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] model grant agreement.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires a consortium. The project consortium should have a good representation of experienced and less experienced NCPs.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States and Associated Countries. The text also mentions widening countries and non-EU/non-Associated Countries, with specific provisions for funding participants from the latter as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Target Sector: The program targets the civil security sector, specifically focusing on fostering links with national communities for building safe, secure, and resilient societies. It also involves cybersecurity.

Mentioned Countries: EU Member States, Associated Countries, widening countries, non-EU/non-Associated Countries.

Project Stage: The project stage is focused on coordination and support actions, aiming to improve existing structures and foster collaboration, rather than on basic research or early-stage development.

Funding Amount: The budget for the specific topic HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-SSRI-01 is EUR 3,000,000. The indicative number of grants for this topic is around 1. Other topics listed have varying budgets and indicative numbers of grants.

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 grant. Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties in the form of prizes or grants, up to a maximum of EUR 60,000 per third party.

Application Stages: The application process consists of a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly stated, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight into the potential success rate, which is variable depending on the topic.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call, specifically topic HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-SSRI-01, aims to improve the network of National Contact Points (NCPs) for civil security and cybersecurity across EU Member States and Associated Countries. The goal is to enhance the quality, consistency, and transnational cooperation of NCP services, making it easier for potential applicants, especially newcomers, to access Horizon Europe funding. The projects should foster links between NCPs and national research and innovation communities, integrate national security dimensions into the EU framework, and promote the uptake of innovative security solutions. Eligible applicants are Horizon Europe national support structures (NCPs) officially nominated by their respective countries. The funding mechanism is a Coordination and Support Action (CSA) grant, with a budget of EUR 3,000,000 for the SSRI-01 topic, and the application process involves a single submission stage with a deadline of November 12, 2025. The initiative seeks to reduce geographical fragmentation within the security research and innovation landscape and increase the visibility of EU funding opportunities and success stories in the civil security domain. The recommended project duration is 3 years.