Prevention and mitigation of misuse of synthetic biology for bioterrorism purposes

The European Union's grant opportunity, titled HORIZON-CL3-2026-01-FCT-06, focuses on the prevention and mitigation of the misuse of synthetic biology for bioterrorism purposes. It is part of the Horizon Europe program, specifically under the Civil Security for Society cluster, with a total budget of 3 million euros aimed at funding one research project. The primary financial mechanism is a Horizon Lump Sum Grant, simplifying financial management for beneficiaries.

Eligibility extends to a diverse range of applicants, including research institutions, universities, biotech companies, SMEs, and public organizations, provided they can form consortia that include partners from various sectors and disciplines. This consortium participation is mandatory, with an emphasis on bringing together expertise from research, security, and policy making. Geographic eligibility primarily targets EU member states and associated countries, although non-EU entities may participate under specific provisions.

The call emphasizes a research and innovation action model, requiring projects to be at research or early-stage innovation development. The application process is a single-stage one, with a submission window opening on May 6, 2026, and closing on November 5, 2026. Proposals should focus on understanding bioterrorism threats, identifying monitoring needs, and establishing regulatory frameworks. The expected outcomes include increased awareness and understanding among policymakers, researchers, and security practitioners regarding the implications of synthetic biology in bioterrorism.

In terms of support, beneficiaries receive the lump sum grant aimed at civilian applications while benefiting from access to partnerships with entities like the Europol Innovation Lab and the EU Drugs Agency. There is no explicit co-funding requirement; however, leveraging additional funding sources from other EU instruments is encouraged to enhance proposal competitiveness.

Success rates for this opportunity are likely to be low due to the competitive nature of Horizon Europe grants, with an estimated success rate below 10%. Proposals must align with the objectives of improving European security against bioterrorism, particularly through a comprehensive understanding of risks associated with advancements in synthetic biology. The overall goal of this funding is to create innovative approaches and policies for effective prevention and response strategies in the context of potential bioterrorist threats.

This EU funding opportunity, HORIZON-CL3-2026-01-FCT-06, focuses on the prevention and mitigation of the misuse of synthetic biology for bioterrorism purposes. It falls under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program, specifically the Civil Security for Society 2026 call (HORIZON-CL3-2026-01). The action type is a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA), utilizing a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] model grant agreement.

The call is forthcoming with a single-stage deadline model. The planned opening date is 06 May 2026, and the deadline for submission is 05 November 2026 at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of this funding opportunity are:

Increased understanding among European policymakers, the research community, biotech companies, and relevant security practitioners regarding the threat of bioterrorism and synthetic biology. This includes a thorough and lawful analysis of what needs to be monitored and regulated, and how.

Increased awareness within the related scientific community about how research in synthetic biology can be used for malicious purposes.

The scope of the projects should address the rising threat of bioterrorism, which is driven by scientific advancements making synthetic biology, genetic engineering, related commercial services, and public databases more accessible. The proliferation of do-it-yourself biohacking and community laboratories, including gene editing and sequencing technology, along with the dropping costs of equipment and increased simplicity of use, may inadvertently facilitate knowledge and skills dissemination about biological threats and open new pathways for bioterrorism.

Projects should address the challenges in detection, particularly the lengthy incubation periods of biological agents, and underscore the urgent need for improved identification technologies to allow for timely intervention and reduce potential mass casualties, considering both characterization through advanced tools by expert labs and simple deployable methods.

Given that properly weaponized biological agents can be more lethal than nuclear weapons, their cross-border implications warrant focused attention. Recent incidents involving biotoxins across various European countries illustrate the feasibility of biological attacks. The increasing weaponisation of drones highlights an alarming trend that could extend to biological agents, further complicating threat landscapes. The potential economic and social consequences of biological attacks necessitate robust prevention and preparedness measures to mitigate overwhelming impacts on healthcare systems and society at large.

Proposals are expected to address, in a lawful manner, the emerging threats of bioterrorism in Europe, particularly in the context of synthetic biology. Recognizing bioterrorism as a low-probability but high-impact event, consortia should review current and future risks, flag areas requiring reinforced monitoring, as well as identify missing regulatory frameworks necessary for ensuring public security and safety. Furthermore, proposals should bring together diverse consortia to enhance our understanding, prevention, preparedness, and response to bioterrorism and create a comprehensive approach to this pressing issue.

Coordination among the successful proposals from this topic should be envisaged to avoid duplication and to exploit complementarities as well as opportunities for increased impact. In this topic the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content should be addressed only if relevant in relation to the objectives of the research effort.

Proposals funded under this topic are expected to provide ideas on how they would engage with the Europol Innovation Lab during the lifetime of the project. Similarly, if the proposals concern drug-related issues, they are expected to engage with the EU Drugs Agency during the lifetime of the project, including validating the outcomes.

Finally, 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 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.

Eligible Countries: Described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific provisions may exist for non-EU/non-Associated Countries, as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Other Eligible Conditions: 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.

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. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Legal and financial set-up of the grants: The granting authority may object to a transfer of ownership or exclusive licensing of results up to 4 years after the action's end, as per Annex 5. 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) information is available, with application form templates accessible in the Submission System. Standard application forms for various action types (HE RIA, IA, CSA, RI, PCP, PPI, COFUND, FPA, MSCA, ERC, EIC) are listed. Evaluation form templates will be used with necessary adaptations. 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), and call-specific instructions.

Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 sections, EIC Work Programme 2026, 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 lump sum contributions, Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment, EU Grants AGA, Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, and related terms and conditions and privacy statements.

The budget overview lists various topics under the Civil Security for Society 2026 call, including HORIZON-CL3-2026-01-FCT-06, which has a budget of 3,000,000 EUR and aims to award around 1 grant. The opening date is 2026-05-06, and the deadline is 2026-11-05.

Partner search announcements are available, and LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests on the portal.

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

General FAQs and support resources are available, including 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, ETSI Research Helpdesk, the European Charter for Researchers, and Partner Search tools.

This funding opportunity aims to address the growing threat of bioterrorism, particularly in light of advancements in synthetic biology and related fields. It seeks to foster a deeper understanding of these threats among policymakers and the scientific community, promote responsible research practices, and develop effective prevention and response strategies. By encouraging collaboration and innovation, this call aims to strengthen Europe's civil security and protect its citizens from the potential misuse of synthetic biology for malicious purposes. The call is structured as a Research and Innovation Action, suggesting a focus on developing new knowledge and innovative solutions to combat bioterrorism. The lump sum funding model simplifies the financial management of projects, allowing researchers to focus on achieving the desired outcomes.

Eligible Applicant Types: The call is open to diverse consortia, which implies that a variety of applicant types are eligible, including but not limited to research institutions, universities, biotech companies, security practitioners, and policymakers. The emphasis on bringing together diverse consortia suggests that the program is open to a wide range of organizations, including possibly SMEs, large enterprises, and NGOs, provided they can contribute to the understanding, prevention, preparedness, and response to bioterrorism.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, as indicated by the type of MGA (Model Grant Agreement) being HORIZON-AG-LS. Additionally, the call includes HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA), HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA), HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA), HORIZON Pre-commercial Procurement (HORIZON-PCP), and HORIZON Public Procurement of Innovative Solutions (HORIZON-PPI).

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires a consortium of multiple applicants. The call explicitly states that "proposals should bring together diverse consortia" to address the issue of bioterrorism.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is focused on Europe, as the proposals are expected to address the emerging threats of bioterrorism in Europe. While non-EU/non-Associated Countries may have specific provisions for funding, the primary focus is on European entities.

Target Sector: The program targets the following sectors: Civil Security, Fighting Crime and Terrorism, Synthetic Biology, Genetic Engineering, Health, Biotechnology, Security, Research, Innovation, and Policy Making. It aims to bridge the gap between scientific advancements and security practices, focusing on the prevention and mitigation of bioterrorism.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity mentions "various European countries" in the context of incidents involving biotoxins. It also refers to "non-EU and non-associated countries ('third-countries')" regarding National Contact Points. Therefore, the countries explicitly mentioned are EU member states and non-EU associated countries.

Project Stage: The project stage varies depending on the specific action type. HORIZON-RIA (Research and Innovation Actions) suggests projects in the research, development, and validation stages. HORIZON-IA (Innovation Actions) indicates projects in the demonstration and commercialization stages. HORIZON-CSA (Coordination and Support Actions) implies projects in the research and coordination stages. HORIZON-PCP (Pre-commercial Procurement) suggests projects in the development and validation stages. HORIZON-PPI (Public Procurement of Innovative Solutions) indicates projects in the commercialization and scale-up stages.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic and action type, ranging from €1,330,000 for Coordination and Support Actions to €12,000,000 for Innovation Actions. The indicative number of grants for each topic also varies, with some topics expected to fund one project and others expected to fund two.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a single-stage submission process. The planned opening date is 06 May 2026, and the deadline for submission is 05 November 2026.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of lump sum grants to support research and innovation actions, innovation actions, coordination and support actions, pre-commercial procurement, and public procurement of innovative solutions.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage, as indicated by the "single-stage" deadline model.

Success Rates: The success rates cannot be determined from the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required.

This Horizon Europe call, under the Civil Security for Society program, aims to address the rising threat of bioterrorism, particularly concerning the misuse of synthetic biology. It seeks to enhance the understanding of this threat among policymakers, researchers, and security practitioners, while also raising awareness within the scientific community about the potential for malicious use of synthetic biology research. The call encourages diverse consortia to come together and propose projects that review current and future risks, identify monitoring needs, and suggest necessary regulatory frameworks. The funding is provided as lump sum grants, and the call encompasses various action types, including research and innovation actions, innovation actions, coordination and support actions, pre-commercial procurement, and public procurement of innovative solutions. The projects are expected to engage with the Europol Innovation Lab and the EU Drugs Agency, where relevant, to validate outcomes and ensure alignment with European security priorities. The ultimate goal is to create a comprehensive approach to prevent, prepare for, and respond to bioterrorism in Europe.