Public procurement of innovation for security

HORIZON-CL3-2026-01-SSRI-03 is a Horizon Europe initiative focused on Public Procurement of Innovative Solutions (PPI) aimed at enhancing civil security through the procurement of innovative technologies. The project necessitates a consortium comprising a minimum of three security practitioners and three public procurers, with participants required from at least three different EU Member States or Associated Countries. Eligible applicant types include public authorities and practitioners from the security sector, with the possibility for one organization to serve both roles. The initiative targets solutions addressing emerging threats such as post-quantum cryptography and aims to facilitate the commercialization of technologies that have been partially demonstrated but are not widely adopted.

The total budget for the call is set at €2,000,000, with approximately one grant expected to be awarded. The application process opens on May 6, 2026, with a submission deadline of November 5, 2026. The funding primarily supports costs associated with the procurement process, market consultations, pilot implementations, and project coordination. While specific success rates are not disclosed, the nature of PPI likely results in a selective funding ratio reflecting competitive conditions.

This initiative encourages the collaboration of public sector procurers and private sector vendors, aiming to accelerate the transition of innovations into operational deployment within public authorities. The grant is designed not only to reduce the commercialization gap but also to strengthen technological sovereignty and secure innovative solutions in the European civil security landscape.

Overall, the aim is to deploy innovative civil security technologies effectively, encourage market dynamics, and maintain a key role in addressing evolving security challenges across Europe.

This is a Horizon Europe Public Procurement of Innovative Solutions (PPI) initiative, specifically topic HORIZON-CL3-2026-01-SSRI-03, aimed at boosting the adoption of innovative civil security solutions. The call falls under the broader Civil Security for Society 2026 call (HORIZON-CL3-2026-01) within the Horizon Europe program. The total budget for this specific topic is 2,000,000 EUR, and it is expected that one grant will be awarded. The call follows a single-stage submission process, with the planned opening date on 06 May 2026 and a deadline of 05 November 2026 at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of projects funded under this initiative include:

Last mile support to previous pre-commercial procurement (PCP) actions.
Development and deployment of innovative security solutions to address emerging threats, including post-quantum cryptography to counter emerging quantum threats, improving the effectiveness and efficiency of public security services.
Implementation of pilot projects and real-world testing, ensuring scalability and contributing to innovative security technologies.

The scope of the initiative focuses on civil security solutions that have been partially demonstrated but not yet widely adopted. These solutions should:

Demonstrate clear market potential.
Be new to the procurers, their market segment, or the internal EU market.
Be relevant to procurers across EU Member States and/or Associated Countries.
Address critical challenges in civil security.
Align with market readiness criteria.
Meet requirements for sustainability (both operational and environmental), interoperability, and adaptability.
Be commercially viable.
Have residual market risks, such as not yet being produced in large quantities or at market-ready quality and pricing.

The initiative aims to scale, refine, or deploy partially successful solutions in new environments to meet mass-market standards. It aligns with Horizon Europe’s objective of fostering the early adoption of innovations critical to improving civil security across Europe.

Open market consultations with potential tenderers and end-users will be conducted to identify gaps between procurement needs and industry developments. Feedback from these consultations will inform the PPI tender specifications. Market readiness can be verified through conformity testing, certification, or quality labelling. Evaluation criteria will be based on best-value-for-money rather than solely on the lowest price.

PPI contract notices will be published EU-wide, with offers evaluated on objective criteria. Functional/performance-based specifications will define the challenges, and procurement will avoid conflicts of interest. Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) distribution will be clearly outlined in the PPI call for tenders.

The initiative aims to enable the European civil security sector to address emerging threats, contribute to the EU’s goals of technological sovereignty and market innovation, and allow public authorities to remain at the forefront of addressing evolving risks and threats. It will also catalyse innovation, drive competition, and reduce the time needed to bring concepts to market. Proposals should address considerations in the Introduction of the Strengthened Security Research and Innovation Destination.

The general conditions for participation include:

Admissibility conditions related to proposal page limits 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 as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries outlined in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
Other eligibility conditions, including restrictions for the protection of European communication networks and the following additional criteria:
Participation of at least 3 practitioners and 3 public procurers as beneficiaries from at least 3 different EU Member States or Associated Countries. One organization can act as both practitioner and public procurer.
Among the public procurers, at least two must be independent legal entities that are public procurers, each established in a different Member State or Associated Country, with at least one established in a Member State.
For participants with practitioner status, applicants must complete the table “Information about security practitioners” in the application form.
If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS.
Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria as described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Evaluation and award criteria, scoring, and thresholds as described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Submission and evaluation processes as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Legal and financial set-up of the grants, including provisions for transfer of ownership or exclusive licensing of results, eligibility of PCP/PPI procurement costs, and specific conditions for actions with PCP/PPI procurements in section H of the General Annexes.
Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA) details are available in the Submission System.

Additional documents include:

HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – General Introduction, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), Research Infrastructures, Health, Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society, Civil Security for Society, Digital, Industry and Space, Climate, Energy and Mobility, Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment, European Innovation Ecosystems (EIE), Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area, Missions, New European Bauhaus Facility (NEB), Horizontal Activities, and General Annexes.
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.
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 lists various topics under the Civil Security for Society 2026 call, including HORIZON-CL3-2026-01-SSRI-03, with its specific budget and indicative number of grants.

Partner search announcements are available for those seeking collaborators. The submission system is planned to open on 06 May 2026.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to foster the adoption of innovative civil security solutions by providing funding for public procurement of solutions that are nearly market-ready. It seeks to bridge the gap between research and deployment, enabling the European civil security sector to address emerging threats effectively and contribute to the EU's broader goals of technological leadership and security. The call requires consortia to include practitioners and public procurers from multiple EU member states or associated countries, ensuring that the developed solutions meet real-world needs and are widely applicable across Europe. The initiative emphasizes open market consultations, best-value-for-money evaluations, and clear guidelines for intellectual property rights to promote innovation and competition in the civil security sector.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types for this opportunity include practitioners and public procurers from EU Member States or Associated Countries. One organization can act as both a practitioner and a public procurer. Among the public procurers, a minimum of two must be independent legal entities that are public procurers, each established in a different Member State or Associated Country, with at least one of them established in a Member State. NGOs that provide similar services of public interest as public procurers are also eligible. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries may also have specific provisions for funding.

Funding Type: The funding type is a Public Procurement of Innovative Solutions (PPI), which falls under the broader category of a grant, specifically a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG].

Consortium Requirement: This opportunity requires a consortium. Specifically, it mandates the participation, as beneficiaries, of at least 3 practitioners and 3 public procurers.

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, with a focus on innovative solutions to address emerging threats, including post-quantum cryptography.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity explicitly mentions EU Member States and Associated Countries. It also refers to non-EU/non-Associated Countries that may have specific funding provisions.

Project Stage: The project stage targets solutions that have been partially demonstrated on a small scale and are nearly or already available in small quantities but have not yet been widely adopted or produced at scale. The focus is on scaling, refinement, or deployment in new environments to meet mass-market price/quality standards.

Funding Amount: The budget for the HORIZON-CL3-2026-01-SSRI-03 topic is EUR 2,000,000, with an indicative number of 1 grant to be awarded.

Application Type: The application type is a single-stage open call.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money to fund the public procurement of innovative solutions.

Application Stages: The application process is a single-stage process.

Success Rates: The success rate is not explicitly stated, but the indicative number of grants suggests a competitive process.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call, HORIZON-CL3-2026-01-SSRI-03, focuses on Public Procurement of Innovative Solutions (PPI) within the civil security sector. It aims to foster the adoption of innovative solutions that address emerging threats and improve public security services across EU Member States and Associated Countries. The call specifically targets solutions that have already been partially demonstrated but require scaling and refinement to reach mass-market readiness.

To be eligible, consortia must include at least 3 practitioners and 3 public procurers from at least 3 different EU Member States or Associated Countries, with specific requirements for the public procurers' legal status and location. The call emphasizes open market consultations, objective evaluation criteria, and fair distribution of Intellectual Property Rights. The total budget for this topic is EUR 2,000,000, with an expected single grant to be awarded. The application process is a single-stage submission, with a deadline of November 5, 2026. This initiative aims to enable the European civil security sector to address emerging threats, while contributing to the EU’s broader goals of technological sovereignty and market innovation.