Open Topic on advanced protective gear optimized for CBRN-E (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives) environments and new generation ...

The Horizon Europe call HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-DRS-01 is focused on developing advanced protective gear optimized for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRN-E) environments and new smart equipment for disaster responders. It is part of the Civil Security for Society 2027 program, with an opening date planned for May 5, 2027, and a submission deadline of November 4, 2027. The budget for this initiative totals €7,670,000, with an expectation to award two grants of €3,835,000 each.

This opportunity targets diverse applicant types, including research organizations, universities, small and medium-sized enterprises, large companies, and public-private partnerships. At least two training centers and two practitioners must be involved from different EU Member States or Associated Countries, promoting cross-border collaboration and user-centric innovation.

Projects should aim to enhance the safety and operational efficiency of disaster responders by creating lighter and more comfortable protective gear equipped with built-in sensors, GPS, and health monitoring technologies. The development will focus on integrating advanced materials and automation technologies for better hazard detection and communication.

Eligible applicants must conduct stakeholder analyses and develop uptake plans for the technologies created. The call emphasizes the importance of aligning proposals with existing frameworks and strategies, including the European Civil Protection Pool and rescEU strategic reserve, to ensure comprehensive disaster response capability.

The application process is a single-stage submission, requiring fully developed proposals without preliminary evaluations. Co-funding is not explicitly required, and funding will be awarded as a lump sum, simplifying fiscal management for beneficiaries.

In summary, this call encourages innovative projects that bridge the gap between advanced research and practical application in disaster response, ensuring that the resulting protective gear meets rigorous safety standards while improving operational effectiveness.

This is a Horizon Europe call, specifically HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-DRS-01, under the Civil Security for Society 2027 program. It is a Horizon Innovation Action (HORIZON-IA) with a single stage deadline. The planned opening date is 05 May 2027, and the deadline is 04 November 2027 at 17:00:00 Brussels time. The Model Grant Agreement type is HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS]. The budget for this topic is 7,670,000 EUR, and the indicative number of grants is 2, with contributions of around 3,835,000 EUR each.

The expected outcomes of the projects funded under this topic include: development of advanced protective gear for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRN-E) environments; creation of innovative smart protective equipment for disaster responders, incorporating advanced technologies to enhance safety and operational efficiency; and improvement of protective solutions to ensure the safety and effectiveness of disaster responders operating in hazardous and high-risk environments.

The scope of this topic is to advance the development of protective gear specifically designed for optimal performance in CBRN-E environments and to create a new generation of smart protective equipment for disaster responders. Projects should focus on innovative materials, technologies, and design features that enhance the protective capabilities of gear used in high-risk, hazardous environments, ensuring the safety and well-being of disaster responders with an inclusive and user-centric approach. The integration of advanced technologies will be crucial to enhancing the operational efficiency and effectiveness of the equipment.

Projects should conduct a stakeholder or market analysis and a roadmap or plan for uptake of the developed methodologies, findings, and technologies to the industry, the research and innovation community, and/or the relevant authorities. The current response capacities of the European Civil Protection Pool and the rescEU strategic reserve should be taken into account in the roadmap to ensure a needs-based approach.

Proposals should build upon existing research outputs, specifically under other Horizon Europe Cluster 4, and technologies to create smart, adaptive protective solutions that respond dynamically to evolving threats in CBRN-E scenarios. This includes the incorporation of features similar to automated hazard detection, environmental monitoring, and advanced communication systems to provide real-time situational awareness. The new gear should meet rigorous safety standards while improving the comfort, mobility, and usability of responders, enabling better performance and faster decision-making in demanding environments.

Proposals should focus on providing comprehensive solutions that combine robust protection, operational support, and data-driven insights, ensuring a holistic approach to safety. Collaboration between research institutions, manufacturers, and end-users will be essential to ensure that the resulting products meet the practical requirements of practitioners in the field. The Preparedness Union Strategy is a key document in this regard. Analysing the capacity gaps of the UCPM as well as finding synergies with the rescEU strategic reserve and projects from operational grants, such as the Knowledge for Action in Prevention & Preparedness (KAPP), is recommended.

The general conditions include:

1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout are 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 are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific provisions exist for non-EU/non-Associated Countries.

3. Other Eligible Conditions:
 *  Active involvement, as beneficiaries, of at least 2 Training Centres located in EU Member States or Associated Countries. Training centers are defined as national, regional or local infrastructures, generally ruled by governments or professional organizations, aiming at training practitioners (first responders, civil protection units etc.) in near-real operational crisis situations.
 *  Active involvement, as beneficiaries, of at least 2 practitioners involved in training, validation and testing of CBRN-E tools and technologies from at least 2 EU Member States or Associated Countries.
 *  Applicants must fill in the table “Information about security practitioners” in the application form with all the requested information, following the template provided in the submission IT tool.
 *  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 (other data and services may additionally be used).

4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion are 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.
 *  The 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, up to 4 years after the end of the action, object to a transfer of ownership or to the exclusive licensing of results, as set out in the specific provision of Annex 5.
 *  Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community.
 *  Further details are described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes and the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA) are available in the Submission System. A variety of standard application forms and evaluation forms are listed, along with guidance documents and model grant agreements.

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, and Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

This Horizon Europe call focuses on developing advanced protective gear and smart equipment for disaster responders, particularly in CBRN-E environments. It seeks innovative solutions using advanced materials and technologies to enhance the safety, comfort, and efficiency of responders. The call emphasizes collaboration between research institutions, manufacturers, and end-users, and requires the active involvement of training centers and practitioners. The goal is to create comprehensive, robust, and user-centric protective solutions that improve situational awareness and decision-making in hazardous environments, ultimately contributing to the safety and well-being of disaster responders. The funding is provided as a lump sum, and the call aligns with the Preparedness Union Strategy, encouraging synergies with existing initiatives and reserves.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly defined in the provided text. However, based on the nature of Horizon Europe calls and the emphasis on collaboration, it can be inferred that eligible applicants may include research institutions, universities, manufacturers, industries, and end-users, including security practitioners and training centers. The call requires the active involvement, as beneficiaries, of at least 2 Training Centres located in EU Member States or Associated Countries, and at least 2 practitioners involved in training, validation and testing of CBRN-E tools and technologies from at least 2 EU Member States or Associated Countries.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, under the HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) funding scheme. There are also HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA) and HORIZON Pre-commercial Procurement (HORIZON-PCP).

Consortium Requirement: The call requires the active involvement, as beneficiaries, of at least 2 Training Centres and at least 2 practitioners, implying a consortium of multiple applicants 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 in Horizon Europe projects.

Target Sector: The program targets the civil security sector, specifically focusing on the development of advanced protective gear and smart protective equipment for disaster responders in Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRN-E) environments. It also touches upon innovative materials, advanced technologies, hazard detection, environmental monitoring, and communication systems.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity explicitly mentions EU Member States and Associated Countries as locations for the required training centers and practitioners. It also refers to non-EU/non-Associated Countries that may have specific funding provisions.

Project Stage: The project stage is geared towards innovation actions, implying a focus on development, demonstration, and validation of technologies, rather than basic research. The call also mentions building upon existing research outputs, suggesting a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 4 or higher.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call, ranging from €2,000,000 to €14,000,000. The indicative number of grants per topic also varies.

Application Type: The application type is a single-stage call, meaning applicants submit a full proposal at once.

Nature of Support: 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 per topic is provided, allowing for an estimation based on the expected number of applications.

Co-funding Requirement: The need for co-funding is not explicitly stated. However, Horizon Europe Innovation Actions typically fund up to 100% of the eligible costs, so co-funding may not be mandatory but could strengthen a proposal.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, under the Civil Security for Society program, aims to foster the development and deployment of advanced protective gear and smart equipment for disaster responders, particularly in CBRN-E environments. It seeks to improve the safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of disaster response through innovative materials, technologies, and designs. The call encourages collaboration between research institutions, manufacturers, and end-users from EU Member States and Associated Countries. The funding is provided as a lump sum grant, and the application process involves a single-stage submission. The call emphasizes the importance of stakeholder analysis, market uptake, and alignment with existing European civil protection strategies and resources. Applicants must involve at least two training centers and two practitioners from EU Member States or Associated Countries as beneficiaries in their projects. The call is structured around several specific topics, each with its own budget and expected number of grants, ranging from research and innovation actions to pre-commercial procurement.