Online harms detection and investigation tools using a short development cycle model

The Horizon Europe call, specifically under the Civil Security for Society 2027 program, focuses on developing online harms detection and investigation tools. This initiative is structured as a Horizon Innovation Action, classified as a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant. This funding opportunity opens on May 5, 2027, with a submission deadline of November 4, 2027.

Eligible applicants must form a consortium that includes at least three Police Authorities from three different EU Member States or Associated Countries. This collaborative approach ensures that diverse perspectives inform the development of the tools aimed at combating online harms, such as identity theft, disinformation, deepfakes, and phishing.

The total budget for the specific project topic, HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-FCT-01, is approximately €7.833 million, with expectations for only one funded project under this call. The project requires an agile development methodology that emphasizes rapid adaptation to emerging online threats.

The funding structure operates as a lump sum grant, which simplifies financial management for beneficiaries. The project duration is a minimum of 48 months, allowing ample time for development, testing, and validation. Applicants must provide a detailed proposal that includes plans for engagement with Europol's Innovation Lab and, if relevant, the EU Drugs Agency, particularly for drug-related issues.

Success rates for this call are not explicitly stated, but due to the competitive nature with potentially multiple applications for a single funding opportunity, applicants should anticipate lower success rates. Co-funding requirements are implied, with a typical reimbursement rate of 70% for eligible costs, suggesting that organizations should plan for financially contributing the remaining 30%.

The overarching objectives of the call include creating flexible and modular tools that can be continuously updated based on the latest trends in online harms, enhancing the collaboration among stakeholders to foster effective and user-friendly solutions for law enforcement across Europe.

This Horizon Europe call represents a strategic investment aimed at enhancing civil security through innovation, addressing the pressing need for effective tools to manage and combat various forms of online abuse and threats.

This is a Horizon Europe (HORIZON) call under the Civil Security for Society 2027 program (HORIZON-CL3-2027-01). The topic is "Online harms detection and investigation tools using a short development cycle model" (HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-FCT-01). It is a HORIZON Innovation Action (HORIZON-IA) with a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] type of Model Grant Agreement (MGA).

The call follows a single-stage deadline model. The planned opening date is 05 May 2027, and the deadline date is 04 November 2027 at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of the project are:

1.  Police Authorities in Europe benefit from a rapid deployment of targeted detection and investigation tools and related training materials, specifically tailored to counter current, foreseeable, and emerging online harms at the outset of each development cycle.
2.  Police Authorities in Europe are provided with a flexible framework for adaptation via creation of a modular toolset that allows for the incorporation of new functionalities and updates based on the latest trends and threats in online harms.
3.  Enhanced European stakeholder collaboration through facilitation of partnerships among researchers, policymakers, and Police Authorities in Europe to ensure that tools are not only effective but also user-friendly, legally and ethically sound.

The scope of the project is to develop detection and investigation tools that employ short development cycle models to address online harms. This approach emphasizes agility and responsiveness, ensuring that tools can quickly adapt to emerging online threats, such as identity theft, disinformation, deepfakes, spoofing, phishing, digital violence, or tools for early detection and real-time monitoring and risk assessment that can identify potential fraudulent sales (“online payment fraud”) before they occur.

The topic welcomes innovative ideas focused on creating efficient detection and investigation tools to combat varying forms of online harms, which should be selected at the beginning of every new development cycle, in agreement with all stakeholders involved in the consortia, especially including concrete needs of Police Authorities. The emphasis on short development cycles allows proposals to remain dynamic, responsive to the fast-paced nature of online threats, and capable of addressing both established issues and new challenges as they arise. Proposals should focus on the iterative process of tool development, integrating feedback from Police Authorities to ensure continuous improvement and relevance in combating online harms. Ultimately, the goal is to foster a proactive and effective response to safeguarding online spaces for all users, regardless of their gender identity or expression.

Proposals are expected to provide ideas on how they would engage with the Europol Innovation Lab during the lifetime of the project. Furthermore, if the proposals concern drug-related issues, they are expected to engage with the EU Drugs Agency during the lifetime of the project, including validating the outcomes. For aspects of training of Police Authorities, cooperation of successful proposals with CEPOL is expected, provided that the Agency opts out from applying for funding. To ensure the active involvement of and timely feedback from relevant security practitioners, proposals should plan a mid-term deliverable consisting in the assessment of the project’s mid-term outcomes, performed by the practitioners involved in the project. Finally, proposals are expected to address all applicable considerations expressed in the Introduction of the Fighting Crime and Terrorism Destination. The project should have a minimum estimated duration of 48 months.

The general conditions include:

1.  Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.
2.  Eligible Countries described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries are available in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
3.  Other Eligible Conditions:
 *  Active involvement, as beneficiaries, of at least 3 Police Authorities from at least 3 different EU Member States or Associated Countries. Applicants must fill in the table “Information about security practitioners” in the application form.
 *  Entities established in an eligible country but directly or indirectly controlled by China or by a legal entity established in China are not eligible.
 *  Subject to restrictions for the protection of European communication networks.
 *  If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS.
4.  Financial and operational capacity and exclusion described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5.  Evaluation and award:
 *  Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
 *  Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
 *  Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
6.  Legal and financial set-up of the grants: The granting authority may object to a transfer of ownership or exclusive licensing of results up to 4 years after the end of the action, as set out in Annex 5. Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021.

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

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

*  Application form templates are available in the Submission System.
*  Evaluation form templates will be used with the necessary adaptations.
*  Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide.
*  Model Grant Agreements (MGA) include HE MGA, HE Unit MGA, Lump Sum MGA, Operating Grants MGA, and Framework Partnership Agreement FPA.
*  Call-specific instructions, a detailed budget table (HE LS), information on financial support to third parties (HE), information on clinical studies (HE), and guidance on lump sums are available.

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 call in 2027 includes several topics:

*  HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-BM-01: EUR 8,000,000, indicative number of grants: 2
*  HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-BM-02: EUR 8,000,000, indicative number of grants: 2
*  HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-BM-03: EUR 14,000,000, indicative number of grants: 4
*  HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-DRS-01: EUR 7,670,000, indicative number of grants: 2
*  HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-DRS-02: EUR 6,000,000, indicative number of grants: 2
*  HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-DRS-03: EUR 9,000,000, indicative number of grants: 3
*  HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-DRS-04: EUR 8,000,000, indicative number of grants: 2
*  HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-FCT-01: EUR 7,833,000, indicative number of grants: 1
*  HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-FCT-02: EUR 6,000,000, indicative number of grants: 2
*  HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-FCT-03: EUR 6,000,000, indicative number of grants: 2
*  HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-FCT-04: EUR 9,000,000, indicative number of grants: 2
*  HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-FCT-05: EUR 8,000,000, indicative number of grants: 2
*  HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-INFRA-01: EUR 12,000,000, indicative number of grants: 2
*  HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-INFRA-02: EUR 7,670,000, indicative number of grants: 2
*  HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-SSRI-01: EUR 4,500,000, indicative number of grants: 3
*  HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-SSRI-02: EUR 2,000,000, indicative number of grants: 2
*  HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-SSRI-03: EUR 5,830,000, indicative number of grants: 1

Partner search announcements are available for collaboration on this topic. The submission system is planned to be opened on the date stated on the topic header.

This Horizon Europe call aims to fund projects that develop innovative and rapidly adaptable detection and investigation tools to combat online harms. The focus is on creating solutions that can quickly respond to emerging threats and are tailored to the needs of European Police Authorities. The projects should foster collaboration among researchers, policymakers, and law enforcement to ensure the tools are effective, user-friendly, and ethically sound, ultimately contributing to a safer online environment for all citizens. The call encourages the use of short development cycles and continuous feedback from practitioners to ensure the tools remain relevant and effective against evolving cyber threats.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but based on the requirements and the nature of Horizon Europe, eligible applicants could include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and Police Authorities. The requirement for active involvement of Police Authorities as beneficiaries suggests that they are key eligible applicants. Other public authorities and possibly NGOs could also be eligible.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, as indicated by the type of Model Grant Agreement (MGA) being HORIZON-AG-LS. There are also HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA), HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA), HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA) and HORIZON Pre-commercial Procurement (HORIZON-PCP).

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires a consortium. The text explicitly states that the topic welcomes innovative ideas focused on creating efficient detection and investigation tools to combat varying forms of online harms, which should be selected at the beginning of every new development cycle, in agreement with all stakeholders involved in the consortia, especially including concrete needs of Police Authorities. Also, the active involvement, as beneficiaries, of at least 3 Police Authorities from at least 3 different EU Member States or Associated Countries is required.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States and Associated Countries. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries may also be eligible if they have made specific provisions for funding their participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Target Sector: The target sector is security/cybersecurity, specifically focusing on civil security for society. The program targets the development of detection and investigation tools to combat online harms, including identity theft, disinformation, deepfakes, spoofing, phishing, and digital violence. It also touches on areas like artificial intelligence and software services, given the nature of detection and investigation tools.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity mentions EU Member States and Associated Countries generally. It also refers to non-EU/non-Associated Countries that have specific provisions for funding participation in Horizon Europe. China is mentioned as a country whose entities controlled by it are not eligible.

Project Stage: The project stage is primarily development and innovation, with a focus on creating and deploying targeted detection and investigation tools. The emphasis on short development cycle models suggests a need for agility and responsiveness, indicating that projects should be at a stage where they can be rapidly adapted and improved.

Funding Amount: The funding amount varies depending on the specific topic within the call. The budget overview provides a list of topics with their respective budgets and indicative number of grants. For example, HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-FCT-01 has a budget of EUR 7,833,000 and an indicative number of 1 grant, while HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-BM-03 has a budget of EUR 14,000,000 and an indicative number of 4 grants. The funding ranges from around EUR 1,000,000 to EUR 7,833,000 per grant.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a single-stage submission process.

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

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

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight. For instance, a topic with a budget of EUR 7,833,000 and an indicative number of 1 grant suggests a highly competitive process.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement. However, Horizon Europe projects often encourage or require some form of co-funding, which would be detailed in the specific call conditions.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, under the Civil Security for Society program, seeks proposals for developing innovative detection and investigation tools to combat online harms. The focus is on creating agile and responsive tools that can adapt to emerging threats through short development cycles and continuous feedback from Police Authorities. Consortia must include at least three Police Authorities from different EU Member States or Associated Countries. The funding is provided as a lump sum grant, and the application process is a single-stage open call. The program aims to enhance European stakeholder collaboration and provide Police Authorities with effective, user-friendly, and legally sound tools to safeguard online spaces. The indicative budget and number of grants vary by topic, with funding ranging from approximately EUR 1,000,000 to EUR 7,833,000 per grant. The call encourages engagement with Europol Innovation Lab and, for drug-related issues, with the EU Drugs Agency. The minimum project duration is 48 months.