Open topic on increasing security of citizens against terrorism, including in public spaces

The Horizon Europe funding opportunity, known as HORIZON-CL3, is focused on enhancing the security of European citizens against terrorism, particularly in public spaces. This initiative seeks innovative projects that can effectively address emerging challenges related to crime and terrorism. The call is open to a range of eligible applicants, including research organizations, universities, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), large enterprises, police authorities, and other relevant security practitioners. A key requirement is that proposals must involve a consortium consisting of at least three police authorities from three different EU Member States or Associated Countries, ensuring a collaborative approach to tackling security issues. The funding type is a grant, specifically structured as a lump-sum under the Horizon Innovation Actions framework. The expected funding for each project is approximately €4.5 million, with a total budget of around €9 million allocated for this call. Projects should focus on the innovation stage, emphasizing demonstration, testing, and validation of developed tools and solutions. Submissions must be a complete proposal made during a single-stage application process, with a planned opening date of May 5, 2027, and a deadline for proposals by November 4, 2027. Successful projects aim to enhance the effectiveness of police authorities and improve cross-border cooperation and comprehensive training programs that align with fundamental rights and data protection principles. The opportunity encourages the integration of gender considerations in research efforts where relevant and provides pathways for future deployment and scaling of successful approaches at both national and EU levels. The nature of support involves direct financial contributions through predefined lump-sum grants, facilitating straightforward financial management for beneficiaries. The call notably excludes entities controlled by China from participation and specifies that collaboration with agencies such as Europol and CEPOL may occur to support validation and training objectives. Overall, this funding opportunity presents a strategic initiative for advancing civil security practices across Europe, fostering innovation among various stakeholders to better prepare for and respond to terrorism-related challenges in society.

This EU funding opportunity is part of the Horizon Europe program, specifically under the Civil Security for Society call in 2027. The topic, HORIZON-CL3, focuses on an open topic for increasing the security of citizens against terrorism, including in public spaces. It is a Horizon Innovation Action (HORIZON-IA) with a lump sum grant type (HORIZON-AG-LS). The call is forthcoming with a single-stage deadline model. The planned opening date is May 5, 2027, and the deadline for submission is November 4, 2027, at 17:00:00 Brussels time. The expected outcomes of projects funded under this topic include: Enhanced ability of Police Authorities in Europe and other relevant security practitioners to identify and prevent emergent challenges in terrorism-related issues. Harmonized and modern tools and procedures for Police Authorities and security practitioners to counter terrorism, compliant with data protection and fundamental rights legislation. Improved cooperation between Police Authorities, security practitioners, and international actors in tackling terrorism. Training curricula for Police Authorities and security practitioners to improve countering of terrorism. The scope of the call is broad, welcoming proposals that address new, upcoming, or unforeseen challenges and/or creative or disruptive solutions for increasing the security of European citizens against terrorism, including in public spaces. These solutions should not be covered by other topics in the Horizon Europe Calls Fighting Crime and Terrorism from 2021 to 2027. Proposals should convincingly explain how they will plan and/or carry out demonstration, testing, or validation of developed tools and solutions. The integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content should be addressed only if relevant to the objectives of the research effort. Proposals should delineate plans for future uptake and upscaling at national and EU levels. Research proposals should consider and not duplicate previous research, including research by other Framework Programmes’ projects. Coordination among successful proposals is encouraged to avoid duplication and exploit complementarities. Proposals addressing issues within Europol's mandate are expected to engage with the Europol Innovation Lab. For training aspects of Police Authorities, cooperation with CEPOL is expected, provided that the Agency opts out from applying for funding. A mid-term deliverable consisting of an assessment of the project’s mid-term outcomes by involved practitioners is required. Proposals are expected to address all applicable considerations expressed in the Introduction of the Fighting Crime and Terrorism Destination. The general conditions for this call include: Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limits 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. Eligible Countries: Described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific provisions may apply to non-EU/non-Associated Countries. Other Eligible Conditions: Active involvement, as beneficiaries, of at least 3 Police Authorities from at least 3 different EU Member States or Associated Countries is required. Applicants must provide information about security practitioners in the application form. Entities controlled by China are not eligible. Restrictions apply for the protection of European communication networks. Projects using satellite data 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. Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. Legal and financial set-up of the grants: The granting authority may object to a transfer of ownership or exclusive licensing of results for up to 4 years after the action's end. Eligible costs will be in the form of a lump sum. Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA) templates are available in the Submission System. A variety of standard application forms are listed, including those for HE RIA, IA, CSA, RI, PCP, PPI, COFUND, FPA, MSCA PF/DN/SE/COFUND, ERC STG/COG/ADG/POC/SYG, and EIC PATHFINDER CHALLENGES/OPEN/TRANSITION/STEP, as well as EIC Accelerator proposals. Standard evaluation forms are also listed for various action types. Guidance documents include the HE Programme Guide, Model Grant Agreements (HE MGA, HE Unit MGA, Lump Sum MGA, Operating Grants MGA, 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. Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme for 2025 and 2023-2025, 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, 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, and the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Terms and Conditions, and Privacy Statement. The budget overview lists various topics under the call, including HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-BM-01, HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-BM-02, HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-BM-03, HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-DRS-01, HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-DRS-02, HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-DRS-03, HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-DRS-04, HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-FCT-01, HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-FCT-02, HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-FCT-03, HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-FCT-05, HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-INFRA-01, HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-INFRA-02, HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-SSRI-01, HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-SSRI-02 and HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-SSRI-03. Each topic specifies the type of action, budget, stage (single-stage), opening and deadline dates, estimated contribution, and indicative number of grants. Partner search announcements are available for those seeking collaborators. The submission system is planned to open on the date stated on the topic header. General FAQs and support resources are provided for applicants. In summary, this Horizon Europe call seeks innovative projects that address emerging challenges in fighting terrorism and enhancing the security of European citizens. It encourages collaboration between police authorities, security practitioners, and other relevant stakeholders to develop and implement effective tools, procedures, and training programs. The call emphasizes the importance of considering gender dimensions, ensuring compliance with data protection and fundamental rights, and promoting the uptake and upscaling of project results at national and EU levels. The funding is provided as a lump sum, and applicants are encouraged to consult the various guidance documents and support resources available on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but based on the requirements, eligible applicants likely include: Police Authorities (defined as public authorities explicitly designated by national law for the prevention, detection, and/or investigation of terrorist offences or other criminal offences, specifically excluding police academies, forensic institutes, training facilities as well as border and customs authorities), Research institutes, Universities, SMEs, Large Enterprises, and other relevant security practitioners. Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, under the HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) and 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 opportunity requires a consortium, as it mandates the active involvement, as beneficiaries, of at least 3 Police Authorities 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. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries may also be eligible if they have made specific provisions for funding their participants in Horizon Europe projects, as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. Target Sector: The program targets the Civil Security for Society sector, specifically focusing on fighting crime and terrorism, including increasing security of European citizens against terrorism, including in public spaces. It also involves areas such as law enforcement, security technology, training, and innovation in security practices. Mentioned Countries: The opportunity 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. China is explicitly mentioned as a country whose controlled entities are ineligible. Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project includes demonstration, testing, and validation of developed tools and solutions. It also involves planning for future uptake and upscaling at national and EU level, suggesting projects should be at least at the development and validation stages, potentially moving towards demonstration and commercialization. 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. HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-BM-01: €8,000,000 (around €4,000,000 per grant, 2 grants) HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-BM-02: €8,000,000 (around €4,000,000 per grant, 2 grants) HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-BM-03: €14,000,000 (around €3,500,000 per grant, 4 grants) HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-DRS-01: €7,670,000 (around €3,835,000 per grant, 2 grants) HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-DRS-02: €6,000,000 (around €3,000,000 per grant, 2 grants) HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-DRS-03: €9,000,000 (around €3,000,000 per grant, 3 grants) HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-DRS-04: €8,000,000 (around €4,000,000 per grant, 2 grants) HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-FCT-01: €7,833,000 (around €7,833,000 per grant, 1 grant) HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-FCT-02: €6,000,000 (around €3,000,000 per grant, 2 grants) HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-FCT-03: €6,000,000 (around €3,000,000 per grant, 2 grants) HORIZON-CL3: €9,000,000 (around €4,500,000 per grant, 2 grants) HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-FCT-05: €8,000,000 (around €4,000,000 per grant, 2 grants) HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-INFRA-01: €12,000,000 (around €6,000,000 per grant, 2 grants) HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-INFRA-02: €7,670,000 (around €3,835,000 per grant, 2 grants) HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-SSRI-01: €4,500,000 (around €1,500,000 per grant, 3 grants) HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-SSRI-02: €2,000,000 (around €1,000,000 per grant, 2 grants) HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-SSRI-03: €5,830,000 (around €5,830,000 per grant, 1 grant) 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 lump sum contributions to cover eligible costs. Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage, where applicants submit a complete proposal for evaluation. Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants per topic provides some context. Co-funding Requirement: The need for co-funding is not explicitly stated, but applicants should refer to Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes and the specific topic description in the Work Programme for detailed financial conditions. Summary: This Horizon Europe call, Civil Security for Society 2027, focuses on enhancing the security of European citizens against terrorism, including in public spaces. It is an open topic call, inviting proposals that address new, upcoming, or unforeseen challenges and/or creative or disruptive solutions not covered by previous calls. The call aims to improve the ability of Police Authorities and other security practitioners to identify and prevent terrorism-related issues, develop harmonized tools and procedures, enhance cooperation, and provide training curricula. Eligible applicants include a consortium of multiple partners, including at least 3 Police Authorities from different EU Member States or Associated Countries. The funding is provided as a lump sum grant, and the application process involves a single stage. The call encourages projects that demonstrate, test, and validate developed tools and solutions, and plan for future uptake and upscaling at national and EU level. The call also emphasizes coordination among successful proposals and engagement with the Europol Innovation Lab and CEPOL.