Open topic on enhanced prevention, detection and deterrence of societal issues related to various forms of crime

The HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-FCT-03 grant opportunity, titled "Open topic on enhanced prevention, detection and deterrence of societal issues related to various forms of crime," invites applications under the Civil Security for Society 2027 initiative, opening on May 5, 2027, and closing on November 4, 2027. The total budget for this call is €6 million, with an expected funding of around €3 million per project, targeting a total of two projects.

Eligible applicants include research organizations, universities, companies, and must consist of at least two Police Authorities and two Civil Society Organizations from at least three different EU Member States or Associated Countries, indicating a mandatory consortium approach. This funding mechanism is structured as lump sum grants under the Research and Innovation Actions category, allowing simplified cost reporting.

The opportunity specifically focuses on sectors such as security, crime prevention, police training, and civil engagement, addressing challenges connected to various forms of crime, including violent radicalization and terrorism. It underscores the integration of Social Sciences and Humanities to explore both technological and societal aspects of crime.

The application method is a single-stage submission process, where proposals must effectively outline their approach to the research, development, validation, and demonstration of innovative solutions. Financial support will also include non-monetary services and mandatory collaborations with relevant EU organizations like Europol and CEPOL.

While co-funding is not explicitly required from all applicants, beneficiaries must allocate a portion of EU funding for Financial Support to Third Parties, typically ranging from 5% to 20%.

Given the competitive nature of this call, success rates may range from 10% to 39%, aligning with typical Horizon Europe opportunities. The call aims to foster collaborative efforts that enhance crime prevention and security measures across Europe, promoting innovation while ensuring citizen safety and rights.

This is a summary of multiple Horizon Europe calls for proposals under the Civil Security for Society program in 2027 (HORIZON-CL3-2027-01). The calls are single-stage, meaning there is only one submission deadline. The planned opening date for submissions is May 5, 2027, and the deadline for submission is November 4, 2027, at 17:00 Brussels time. The grants will be awarded as HORIZON Lump Sum Grants.

The specific topics and their respective budgets and indicative number of grants are as follows:

HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-BM-01: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, Budget: 8,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2, Contribution per grant around 4,000,000 EUR.
HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-BM-02: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, Budget: 8,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2, Contribution per grant around 4,000,000 EUR.
HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-BM-03: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, Budget: 14,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 4, Contribution per grant around 3,500,000 EUR.
HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-DRS-01: HORIZON Innovation Actions, Budget: 7,670,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2, Contribution per grant around 3,835,000 EUR.
HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-DRS-02: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, Budget: 6,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2, Contribution per grant around 3,000,000 EUR.
HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-DRS-03: HORIZON Innovation Actions, Budget: 9,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 3, Contribution per grant around 3,000,000 EUR.
HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-DRS-04: HORIZON Innovation Actions, Budget: 8,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2, Contribution per grant around 4,000,000 EUR.
HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-FCT-01: HORIZON Innovation Actions, Budget: 7,833,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 1, Contribution per grant around 7,833,000 EUR.
HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-FCT-02: HORIZON Innovation Actions, Budget: 6,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2, Contribution per grant around 3,000,000 EUR.
HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-FCT-03: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, Budget: 6,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2, Contribution per grant around 3,000,000 EUR.
HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-FCT-04: HORIZON Innovation Actions, Budget: 9,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2, Contribution per grant around 4,500,000 EUR.
HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-FCT-05: HORIZON Innovation Actions, Budget: 8,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2, Contribution per grant around 4,000,000 EUR.
HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-INFRA-01: HORIZON Innovation Actions, Budget: 12,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2, Contribution per grant around 6,000,000 EUR.
HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-INFRA-02: HORIZON Innovation Actions, Budget: 7,670,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2, Contribution per grant around 3,835,000 EUR.
HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-SSRI-01: HORIZON Innovation Actions, Budget: 4,500,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 3, Contribution per grant around 1,500,000 EUR.
HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-SSRI-02: HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions, Budget: 2,000,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 2, Contribution per grant around 1,000,000 EUR.
HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-SSRI-03: HORIZON Pre-commercial Procurement, Budget: 5,830,000 EUR, Indicative number of grants: 1, Contribution per grant around 5,830,000 EUR.

The overarching goal of these calls is to enhance the prevention, detection, and deterrence of societal issues related to various forms of crime, including terrorism and radicalization. The projects are expected to contribute to improved tools, skills, methodologies, and training for security practitioners, a better understanding of the cultural and societal aspects of crime, evidence-based support for policymakers, and an enhanced perception by citizens of Europe as an area of freedom, justice, security, and respect for human rights.

The scope of the calls is broad, welcoming proposals that address existing and upcoming challenges in fighting crimes deeply rooted in cultural and/or societal factors. Projects should convincingly explain how they will demonstrate, test, or validate developed tools and solutions, and delineate plans for future uptake and upscaling at national and EU levels. Where relevant, proposals should build on or complement previous research from Horizon Framework Programmes.

Specific requirements include:

Active involvement of at least 2 Police Authorities and 2 Civil Society Organisations (or Non-Governmental Organisations) from at least 3 different EU Member States or Associated Countries as beneficiaries.
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.
Proposals should plan activities opting for Financial Support to Third Parties, with 5% to 20% of the EU funding potentially allocated for this purpose, up to EUR 60,000 per third party.
A mid-term deliverable consisting of an assessment of the project’s mid-term outcomes, performed by the practitioners involved in the project.
Effective contribution of SSH disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts, institutions, and relevant SSH expertise.

Applicants are encouraged to engage with Europol Innovation Lab, the EU Drugs Agency, CEPOL, and the EU Knowledge Hub on prevention of radicalisation, as relevant to their project's focus.

The general conditions for admissibility, eligibility, financial and operational capacity, exclusion, evaluation, award, and legal and financial set-up are described in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum.

In summary, this funding opportunity aims to foster research and innovation in civil security, with a focus on addressing the cultural and societal dimensions of crime and terrorism, and promoting collaboration between researchers, security practitioners, and policymakers. It seeks to develop practical tools, methodologies, and training programs that can be effectively implemented to enhance security and protect citizens' rights in Europe.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types include Police Authorities, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs). The call requires the active involvement, as beneficiaries, of at least 2 Police Authorities and at least 2 Civil Society Organisations (or Non-Governmental Organisations) from at least 3 different EU Member States or Associated Countries.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, under the HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) and HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA). There are also HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA) and HORIZON Pre-commercial Procurement (HORIZON-PCP). Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum. Beneficiaries must provide financial support to third parties, and this support can only be provided in the form of grants.

Consortium Requirement: A consortium of multiple applicants is required. The call specifies the need for active involvement, as beneficiaries, of at least 2 Police Authorities and at least 2 Civil Society Organisations (or Non-Governmental Organisations) from at least 3 different EU Member States or Associated Countries.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States and Associated Countries. A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Target Sector: The target sector is civil security, specifically focusing on fighting crime and terrorism, including addressing challenges deeply rooted in cultural and/or societal factors. The program also targets innovation in tools, skills, methodologies, and training curricula for security practitioners.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity explicitly mentions EU Member States and Associated Countries as locations from which the Police Authorities and Civil Society Organizations must originate. It also refers to non-EU/non-Associated Countries that may have specific provisions for funding participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Project Stage: The project stage appears to be geared towards demonstration, testing, validation of developed tools and solutions, and delineating plans for future uptake and upscaling at national and EU level. The call also encourages building on or complementing previous research.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call, ranging from EUR 2,000,000 to EUR 14,000,000. The indicative number of grants per topic also varies. The maximum amount to be granted to each third party is EUR 60,000.

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. They are also expected to provide financial support to third parties in the form of grants, with a maximum amount of EUR 60,000 per third party.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly stated, but the indicative number of grants per topic is provided, allowing for an estimation of the competition level.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not explicitly state a co-funding requirement from the applicant.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, "Civil Security for Society 2027," focuses on addressing challenges in fighting crime and terrorism, particularly those rooted in cultural and societal factors. It seeks to improve tools, skills, methodologies, and training for security practitioners, enhance understanding of crime and radicalization, and provide evidence-based support for policymakers. The call requires consortia to include at least 2 Police Authorities and 2 Civil Society Organisations from at least 3 different EU Member States or Associated Countries. Funding is provided as lump sum grants, with beneficiaries expected to provide financial support to third parties. The call aims to enhance citizen perception of Europe as an area of freedom, justice, and security. The application process is a single-stage open call, and the indicative number of grants varies by topic.