Open topic on Improving disaster risk management and governance to ensure self-sufficiency and sustainability of operations in support of enhanced resilience

The EU funding opportunity, titled "Open topic on Improving disaster risk management and governance to ensure self-sufficiency and sustainability of operations in support of enhanced resilience," is part of the Horizon Europe program under the action type HORIZON-RIA (Research and Innovation Actions). The funding is structured as a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant. The application process is a single-stage open call with a submission deadline set for November 12, 2025.

The goal of this funding initiative is to enhance understanding of disaster impacts and improve early warning systems while fostering resilience in emergency services related to both natural and human-made threats, including Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive (CBRN-E) incidents. Proposals should focus on improving risk governance, adapting emergency systems for disaster prevention, and promoting co-development through societal involvement. Successful projects are expected to engage regional and local authorities, disaster management authorities, and volunteer organizations, emphasizing the necessity of forming consortia with these entities from at least three different EU Member States or Associated Countries.

Funding amounts are indicative, with a total budget for this call of €10,500,000, expected to support about three grants. Proposals should effectively build on existing research and avoid duplication, positioning themselves to address new challenges or solutions in disaster risk management. The call encourages participation from legal entities in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Central Asia.

The overarching framework aims to align with the EU’s Preparedness Union Strategy, adhering to a "whole-of-government" and "whole-of-society" approach. The proposals will be evaluated based on specific criteria outlined in the Horizon Europe Work Programme, with a focus on innovative management approaches, demonstration of solutions, and involvement of Social Sciences and Humanities disciplines.

Overall, this funding opportunity seeks to strengthen disaster resilience through collaborative and innovative research, addressing pressing challenges in disaster risk management and governance while encouraging active participation from a broad spectrum of stakeholders.

The EU funding opportunity is HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-DRS-02, titled "Open topic on Improving disaster risk management and governance to ensure self-sufficiency and sustainability of operations in support of enhanced resilience." It falls under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program, specifically the Civil Security for Society (HORIZON-CL3-2025-01) call.

The action type is HORIZON-RIA (Research and Innovation Actions), utilizing a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] Model Grant Agreement (MGA). This is a forthcoming opportunity with a single-stage deadline model. The planned opening date is June 12, 2025, and the deadline for submission is November 12, 2025, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcome of the projects funded under this topic is a better understanding of the impact of disasters and crises, improved early warnings, and long-term planning related to natural causes or human-made threats (including Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosive (CBRN-E)) on risk governance. This includes emergency services, regional and/or local authorities, and citizen volunteers, with the goal of improved adaptation and resilience of emergency systems for disaster prevention and preparedness, especially in multi-risk environments with cascading disasters.

The scope of the funding opportunity includes:

Improved risk governance, adaptation, and resilience through inclusive and innovative risk and resilience management approaches.
Implementation of policies at various levels (international to regional/local) and strategies for understanding impacts and enhancing risk preparedness and adaptation.
Co-development and enablement through all-of-society engagement and participation to strengthen resilience among authorities, decision-makers, private actors, intermediary actors, volunteers, citizens, and the most vulnerable.
Supporting the EU Preparedness Union Strategy, which follows whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches, and adhering to recommendations from the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO).
Addressing new, upcoming, or unforeseen challenges and/or creative or disruptive solutions for an enhanced understanding of impacts of disasters and crises linked to natural or human-made causes on risk governance and improved resilience of emergency systems, that are not covered by topics of Horizon Europe Calls Disaster-Resilient Society 2023-2024. If they related to some of the topics covered by Horizon Europe Calls Disaster-Resilient Society 2021-2022, the proposals should convincingly explain how they will build on and not duplicate them.
Proposals are expected to address one of the following options:

Option a: Enhanced impact forecasting and early warning systems, understanding of climate / weather extreme events and geohazards and adaptation of emergency systems for disaster prevention and preparedness.
Option b: Enhanced impact forecasting and understanding of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosive (CBRN-E) threats and adaptation of emergency systems for disaster prevention preparedness and response (including medical countermeasures). Projects do not need to address all elements of CBRN-E.
Projects should plan demonstration, testing, or validation of developed tools and solutions, and outline plans for future uptake and upscaling at national and EU levels. They should also consider and build upon previous research, avoiding duplication. Coordination among successful proposals is expected to avoid duplication and exploit complementarities.

Funded proposals are expected to engage with volunteers' organizations, regional and/or local authorities, and disaster management authorities, including validating outcomes. A mid-term deliverable is required, consisting of an assessment of the project’s mid-term outcomes performed by practitioners involved in the project.

Legal entities from Latin America and Caribbean (LAC), African, and Central Asian countries are encouraged to participate.

The topic requires the effective contribution of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts and institutions.

The general conditions include:

Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form.
Eligible Countries: Described in 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: Legal entities from LAC and Central Asian Countries are exceptionally eligible. Additional eligibility conditions include the active involvement, as beneficiaries, of at least 2 Regional and/or Local Authorities, 1 disaster management authority, and 1 Volunteers Organisation from at least 3 different EU Member States or Associated Countries. If projects use satellite data, they must use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS.
Financial and operational capacity and exclusion: Described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. Grants will be awarded to applications based on ranking and to ensure a balanced portfolio, considering the two options in the scope.
Submission and evaluation processes: Described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement: Described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Legal and financial set-up of the grants: Eligible costs will be in 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, including a standard application form (HE RIA, IA).
Evaluation form templates will be used with necessary adaptations, including a standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA).
Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide.
Model Grant Agreements (MGA) include the Lump Sum MGA.
Call-specific instructions include a detailed budget table (HE LS) and guidance on lump sums.
An Information on Security Practitioners Template is provided.

Additional documents include:

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 indicates that the total budget for HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-DRS-02 is 10,500,000 EUR, with an indicative number of 3 grants to be awarded.

There are 29 partner search announcements available.

The submission system is planned to open on the date stated on the topic header.

Support and guidance are available through the Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk, and the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment.

In summary, this Horizon Europe funding opportunity aims to improve disaster risk management and governance by supporting research and innovation actions that enhance understanding of disaster impacts, improve early warning systems, and strengthen the resilience of emergency systems. The call encourages proposals that address new challenges and offer creative solutions, with a focus on engaging diverse stakeholders and promoting the uptake of innovations in the Disaster Risk Reduction community. The funding is provided as a lump sum, and successful projects are expected to contribute to the EU Preparedness Union Strategy. The call is open to a wide range of participants, including those from non-EU countries, and emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and the involvement of practitioners.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly defined in the provided text. However, based on the context of Horizon Europe and the types of activities described (research, innovation, coordination), eligible applicants could include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, regional and local authorities, disaster management authorities, volunteer organizations, and other legal entities capable of conducting research and innovation activities. The call specifically mentions the need for involvement of regional/local authorities, disaster management authorities, and volunteer organizations, suggesting these are key eligible participants.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant. The call also mentions pre-commercial procurement (PCP) as a type of action for one of the topics. The other actions are Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Innovation Actions (IA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA).

Consortium Requirement: A consortium is required. The call specifies the need for active involvement, as beneficiaries, of at least 2 Regional and/or Local Authorities, 1 disaster management authority, and 1 Volunteers Organisation from at least 3 different EU Member States or Associated Countries. This clearly indicates that a single applicant is not sufficient and a consortium is necessary.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The primary geographic eligibility focuses on EU Member States and Associated Countries. However, legal entities established in LAC (Latin America and Caribbean), African, and Central Asian countries are also exceptionally eligible for Union funding due to the scope of the topic.

Target Sector: The program targets the civil security sector, specifically focusing on disaster risk management and governance. This includes improving risk governance, adaptation, and resilience to disasters and crises, enhancing impact forecasting and early warning systems, and understanding threats related to natural and human-made causes, including Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosive (CBRN-E) threats. The program also emphasizes the importance of social sciences and humanities (SSH) disciplines.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity details mention EU Member States, Associated Countries, Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) countries, African countries, and Central Asian countries.

Project Stage: The project stage varies depending on the specific type of action. Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) suggest projects in the research, development, and validation stages. Innovation Actions (IA) imply projects in the demonstration, and potentially commercialization or scale-up stages. The call also mentions the need for demonstration, testing, or validation of developed tools and solutions, indicating a focus on projects beyond the initial idea or research phase. Pre-commercial Procurement (PCP) actions are for projects that are in the demonstration phase.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call. The indicative budget overview provides the following ranges:
HORIZON Innovation Actions: EUR 3,000,000 to EUR 15,000,000
HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions: EUR 7,000,000 to EUR 18,000,000
HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions: EUR 2,000,000 to EUR 5,000,000
HORIZON Pre-commercial Procurement: EUR 5,500,000

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 lump sum grant.

Application Stages: The application process is single-stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly stated, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight. For example, a topic with a budget of EUR 10,500,000 and an indicative number of 3 grants suggests an average grant size of EUR 3,500,000. The actual success rate would depend on the number of proposals received and their quality.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement. However, Horizon Europe grants often have a co-funding element, though this is not detailed in the provided text.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, under the Civil Security for Society program, aims to improve disaster risk management and governance. It seeks to enhance the understanding of disaster impacts, improve early warning systems, and strengthen the resilience of emergency systems. The call is structured around several specific topics, each with its own budget and focus, ranging from innovation actions to research and innovation actions and coordination and support actions. Eligible applicants must form a consortium including regional/local authorities, disaster management authorities, and volunteer organizations from multiple EU or associated countries. The call encourages participation from entities in Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, and Central Asia. Projects should address challenges related to natural and human-made disasters, including CBRN threats, and contribute to the EU Preparedness Union Strategy. Funding is provided as a lump sum, and the application process is a single-stage open call. The call emphasizes the importance of demonstration, testing, validation, and the effective contribution of SSH disciplines.