Technical Assistance for Disaster Risk Management (Track 1)

The Technical Assistance for Disaster Risk Management (Track 1) under the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM-2026-TRACK1) is a funding opportunity designed for national disaster risk management authorities in EU Member States and UCPM participating states. The program aims to strengthen disaster preparedness and prevention capabilities through a budget-based action grant mechanism. The EU will co-finance projects up to 95% of the total budget, with a maximum contribution of €750,000 per project.

The total budget for this initiative is €6 million for the year 2026, allowing for approximately eight projects to receive funding, based on typical funding ranges evidenced in previous projects. Eligible activities focus on the development and enhancement of disaster risk management frameworks, including feasibility studies, policy proposals, risk assessment methodologies, and early warning systems. Projects may target areas such as crisis management, public awareness, and community resilience related to climate hazards.

Applicants can submit proposals as individual entities, although collaboration with partner organizations within proposals is permitted. The program specifically targets national authorities, but details about regional or sub-national eligibility can be confirmed in the official call documents. The call opened on January 20, 2026, with a submission deadline of April 21, 2026.

Applications must be submitted through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and follow a single-stage evaluation process. While the success rates for this specific funding round are not provided, similar EU funding mechanisms typically see success rates of between 10% to 40%. For applicants, a minimum of 5% co-funding is necessary, emphasizing the importance of providing supplementary resources alongside the EU grant.

In summary, the UCPM-2026-TRACK1 program represents a significant opportunity for enhancing disaster risk management capabilities across Europe, supporting innovative approaches to challenges posed by natural hazards, and promoting resilience in disaster response and preparedness strategies among member states.

The EU funding opportunity is the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) Call UCPM-2026-TRACK1, focusing on Technical Assistance for Disaster Risk Management (Track 1). The type of action is UCPM Project Grants (UCPM-PJG), with the Model Grant Agreement (MGA) being the UCPM Action Grant Budget-Based [UCPM-AG]. The call is currently open for submission.

The deadline for submission is April 21, 2026, at 17:00:00 Brussels time. The call is a single-stage submission process, and the opening date was January 20, 2026.

The total budget allocated to the topic UCPM-2026-TRACK1 UCPM-PJG UCPM Project Grants is 6,000,000 EUR for the year 2026.

The admissibility conditions include proposal page limits and layout, which are described in section 5 of the call document and Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System. Eligible countries are detailed in section 6 of the call document, and other eligible conditions are also described in section 6. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are outlined in section 7 of the call document.

The evaluation and award process involves submission and evaluation processes (described in section 8 of the call document and the Online Manual), award criteria, scoring, and thresholds (described in section 9 of the call document), and an indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement (described in section 4 of the call document). The legal and financial setup of the grants is described in section 10 of the call document.

Key documents for the application include the Call document, the Standard application form (UCPM Prevention and Preparedness) available in the Submission System, a Detailed budget table (UCPM), and a Letter of support (UCPM). The Model Grant Agreement (MGA) is the UCPM MGA. Additional documents include the UCPM Work Programmes, UCPM Decision 1313/2013, EU Financial Regulation 2018/1046, 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, and Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

There are partner search announcements available, where LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests.

For help related to this call, applicants can contact ECHO-CP-P&P@ec.europa.eu for non-IT related questions. Individual questions on the Portal Submission System should be directed to the IT Helpdesk. Applicants are encouraged to read all provisions carefully before preparing their application.

The EU Funding Opportunity UCPM-2026-TRACK1 is a call for UCPM Project Grants aimed at providing technical assistance for disaster risk management. With a budget of 6 million EUR, the call seeks proposals that align with the Union Civil Protection Mechanism. The application process involves a single-stage submission with a deadline in April 2026. Applicants need to adhere to specific admissibility criteria, including page limits and eligibility of participating countries. The evaluation process will consider the quality of the proposal, its impact, and the efficiency of the proposed activities. Successful projects will be funded under the UCPM Action Grant Budget-Based model. The call encourages collaboration and provides resources for finding partners. The Funding & Tenders Portal and associated documents provide comprehensive guidance for applicants.

Eligible Applicant Types: The provided text does not explicitly list the eligible applicant types. However, it mentions "LEARs, Account Administrators or self-registrants," suggesting that legal entities with established accounts in the Funding & Tenders Portal are likely eligible. The reference to "any user having an active public Person profile" might also indicate eligibility for individuals, but this requires further clarification from the call documents.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a "UCPM Project Grant" (UCPM-PJG) and a "UCPM Action Grant Budget-Based [UCPM-AG]".

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required. However, the presence of a "Partner search announcements" section and the ability for LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants to publish partner requests suggests that collaborative projects involving multiple partners are possible and potentially encouraged. The call is open for single or multiple applicants.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The text refers to the "Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM)," which implies that eligible applicants should be from countries participating in the UCPM. The specific geographic eligibility is detailed in section 6 of the call document, which is not provided in the scraped content.

Target Sector: The target sector is Disaster Risk Management, specifically within the framework of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM). The call focuses on "Prevention and Preparedness" activities related to civil protection.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned in the provided text. The relevant region is the European Union, as the Union Civil Protection Mechanism is an EU initiative.

Project Stage: The project stage is not explicitly defined, but the focus on "Prevention and Preparedness" suggests that the call supports projects in the development, validation, and demonstration stages. The call aims to fund projects that enhance disaster risk management capabilities.

Funding Amount: The total budget for the topic UCPM-2026-TRACK1 - UCPM-PJG UCPM Project Grants is EUR 6,000,000. The indicative number of grants is not specified in the provided text.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, as indicated by "Open For Submission" and the availability of the "Electronic Submission Service." The deadline model is single-stage.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of grants to support their projects.

Application Stages: The application process is single-stage, as indicated by "Deadline model single-stage."

Success Rates: The success rates are not mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention whether co-funding is required. This information is likely detailed in the call document.

Summary:

This is a call for proposals under the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) program, specifically targeting "Prevention and Preparedness" activities in Disaster Risk Management. The call, UCPM-2026-TRACK1, aims to fund "UCPM Project Grants" (UCPM-PJG) with a total budget of EUR 6,000,000. The call is a single-stage open call, with the submission deadline on April 21, 2026. Eligible applicants are likely legal entities with established accounts in the Funding & Tenders Portal, and potentially individuals with active public Person profiles. While not explicitly stated, collaborative projects are encouraged. The geographic eligibility is tied to countries participating in the UCPM, with details available in section 6 of the call document. Applicants should consult the call document and related annexes for detailed information on admissibility conditions, eligible countries, evaluation criteria, and the legal and financial setup of the grants. The application must be submitted electronically through the Funding & Tenders Portal. The call aims to support projects in the development, validation, and demonstration stages, enhancing disaster risk management capabilities within the UCPM framework.