Open topic for role of the human factor for the resilience of critical infrastructures

The EU funding opportunity HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-INFRA-02 aims to enhance the resilience of critical infrastructures by focusing on the human factor in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. This grant falls under the Horizon Europe program, specifically within the Civil Security for Society call, which promotes collaborative research and innovation actions.

Eligible applicants include a diverse range of organizations, such as research institutions, universities, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and critical infrastructure operators, as well as national or regional authorities responsible for critical infrastructure resilience. The application process requires the formation of a consortium with at least three relevant practitioners from three different EU Member States or Associated Countries.

The funding provided is primarily through grants, with a total budget of 7 million EUR available for this opportunity. The expected funding per project is estimated at around 3.5 million EUR. The call features a single-stage submission model, with the application window opening on 12 June 2025 and closing on 12 November 2025.

Projects funded under this call are expected to deliver enhanced resilience against natural hazards, intentional and accidental human actions, including cyber attacks. Key objectives involve improving the understanding of the human element in critical infrastructure resilience, increasing tools for risk assessment, enhancing post-incident investigation capabilities, developing innovative systems for tackling insider threats, and creating training curricula for infrastructure operators and responders.

The grant emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach that integrates social sciences and humanities (SSH) with technical expertise, ensuring that solutions address both technological and societal dimensions. Proposals must demonstrate practical relevance and are encouraged to include a mid-term deliverable assessing the project's outcomes by security practitioners. Coordination among projects is also encouraged to avoid duplication and enhance impact.

There is no direct co-funding requirement, though third-party financial support may be facilitated. Success rates for grant applications may vary, similar to other Horizon Europe calls, typically estimated between 10 to 39 percent. Admissibility conditions and detailed eligibility criteria are specified in the grant documentation, and funding policies are governed by Horizon Europe's guidelines.

This call represents a significant opportunity for stakeholders in critical infrastructure, seeking to foster collaboration, innovation, and strategic development towards improved resilience across Europe.

The EU Funding Opportunity HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-INFRA-02 focuses on the role of the human factor in enhancing the resilience of critical infrastructures. It falls under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program, specifically the Civil Security for Society (HORIZON-CL3-2025-01) call. This is a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA) with a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] type of Model Grant Agreement (MGA).

The call follows 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 projects funded under this topic include: Increased resilience of critical infrastructure to natural hazards, intentional and accidental harmful human actions, including cyber attacks; Improved understanding among infrastructure operators and authorities regarding the human factor in critical entities resilience; Enhanced access to risk and threat assessment, and forecasting for infrastructure operators and authorities; Increased post-incident investigation capabilities contributing to better crisis prevention; Effective tackling of insider threats through innovative and cost-efficient systems for background checks that comply with privacy regulations; Development of training curricula for infrastructure operators, authorities, and/or first responders.

The scope of this funding opportunity is broad, inviting proposals that address new challenges, develop innovative solutions, or strengthen capabilities to tackle existing challenges, all while considering the human factor in the resilience of critical infrastructures. The emphasis is on the human-dependent abilities of critical infrastructure to cope with adverse events, including preparation, impact absorption, recovery time reduction, and adaptation to reduce future exposure and vulnerabilities.

To ensure practical relevance, proposals should include a mid-term deliverable consisting of an assessment of the project's mid-term outcomes by relevant security practitioners. The activities should address both technological and societal dimensions in a balanced manner, requiring the effective contribution of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines and experts. Coordination among successful proposals is encouraged to avoid duplication, exploit complementarities, and increase impact, including coordination with projects funded under HORIZON-CL3-2025-INFRA-01-01.

Regarding admissibility conditions, proposal page limits and layout are described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, and in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System. Eligible countries are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries outlined in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Other eligibility conditions include restrictions for the protection of European communication networks and the requirement for involvement as beneficiaries of at least 3 relevant practitioners from at least 3 different EU Member States or Associated Countries. These practitioners should represent critical infrastructure operators, national or regional authorities responsible for critical infrastructure resilience, civil protection authorities, law enforcement, or private companies delivering security for critical infrastructure. Applicants must provide information about these security practitioners in the application form. If projects utilize satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation, and/or related timing data and services, they must use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS.

Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes. Evaluation and award criteria, submission and evaluation processes, and the indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement are detailed in Annexes D, F, and F respectively, as well as in the Online Manual. The legal and financial setup of the grants is described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Application and evaluation forms, along with the Model Grant Agreement (MGA), are available in the Submission System. Additional documents include the 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, the 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, and the Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

The budget overview indicates that the HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-INFRA-02 topic has a budget of 7,000,000 EUR for the year 2025. It is a single-stage application process with a planned opening date of 12 June 2025 and a deadline of 12 November 2025. The indicative number of grants to be awarded is around 2, with an estimated contribution of 3,500,000 EUR per grant.

This funding opportunity aims to bolster the security and resilience of critical infrastructure by addressing the human element. It seeks innovative solutions that consider both technological and societal dimensions, emphasizing the importance of human capabilities in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from adverse events. By fostering collaboration between researchers, security practitioners, and infrastructure operators, the program aims to develop practical tools, training, and strategies that enhance the protection of vital assets and the communities they serve. The call encourages a multidisciplinary approach, integrating expertise from various fields, including social sciences, to achieve meaningful and lasting improvements in critical infrastructure resilience across Europe.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but the call targets critical infrastructure operators, national or regional authorities responsible for critical infrastructure resilience, civil protection authorities, law enforcement, and private companies delivering security for critical infrastructure. The call requires the involvement of at least 3 relevant practitioners from at least 3 different EU Member States or Associated Countries as beneficiaries. This suggests that a range of organizations, including public and private entities, are eligible, provided they can demonstrate relevant expertise and involvement of the required practitioners.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG]. The call includes 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, as it mandates the involvement of at least 3 relevant practitioners from at least 3 different EU Member States or Associated Countries as beneficiaries. This implies that a single applicant is not sufficient, and a collaborative effort is necessary.

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 specific provisions for funding their participants in Horizon Europe projects, as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Target Sector: The target sector is civil security, specifically focusing on the resilience of critical infrastructures. This includes areas such as natural hazards, cyber attacks, human actions, risk and threat assessment, post-incident investigation, insider threats, and training for infrastructure operators and first responders. The program also emphasizes the human factor in infrastructure resilience and requires the involvement of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity explicitly mentions EU Member States and Associated Countries. It also refers to non-EU/non-Associated Countries that have specific provisions for funding their participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Project Stage: The project stage is variable, encompassing both research and innovation actions. This suggests that projects can range from development and validation to demonstration and implementation, depending on the specific focus of the proposal. The call includes HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) and HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA).

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call. The indicative budget overview provides the following ranges:
Under €50k: None
€50k–€200k: None
€200k–€1M: HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-SSRI-03 (around €1M)
€1M–€5M: HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-BM-02, HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-BM-03, HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-DRS-01, HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-DRS-02, HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-DRS-03, HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-FCT-02, HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-FCT-03, HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-INFRA-02, HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-SSRI-01, HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-SSRI-02, HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-SSRI-04, HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-SSRI-05
Over €5M: HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-BM-01, HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-DRS-04, HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-FCT-01, HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-FCT-04, HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-INFRA-01, HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-SSRI-06

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a single-stage submission process. The submission system is planned to be opened on 12 June 2025, and the deadline for submission is 12 November 2025.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant to support their research and innovation activities.

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

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic is provided, which can be used to estimate the potential success rate based on the expected number of applications.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required. However, Horizon Europe grants typically fund a significant portion of the project costs, implying that co-funding may not be mandatory but could strengthen the proposal.

This Horizon Europe call, under the Civil Security for Society program, aims to enhance the resilience of critical infrastructures by addressing new challenges and developing innovative solutions that consider the human factor. The call invites proposals that strengthen the capabilities of critical infrastructures to prepare for, absorb the impact of, reduce the recovery time from, and adapt to adverse events. The emphasis is on the human-dependent abilities of these infrastructures. The call requires a consortium of applicants, including at least three relevant practitioners from different EU Member States or Associated Countries, such as critical infrastructure operators, national or regional authorities, civil protection authorities, law enforcement, or private security companies. The funding is provided as a grant, with varying amounts depending on the specific topic, ranging from around €1 million to over €5 million. The application process is a single-stage open call, with the submission deadline on 12 November 2025. The call seeks projects that address both technological and societal dimensions, requiring the involvement of SSH disciplines and experts. The expected outcomes include more resilient critical infrastructure, a better understanding of the human factor in resilience, improved risk and threat assessment, increased post-incident investigation capabilities, effective tackling of insider threats, and the development of training curricula for infrastructure operators and first responders. The call also encourages coordination among successful proposals to avoid duplication and exploit complementarities. The call is structured around several topics, each with its own budget and indicative number of grants, spanning HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), HORIZON Innovation Actions (IA), HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) and HORIZON Pre-commercial Procurement (PCP).