Uptake Acceleration Services

The "Uptake Acceleration Services" grant under Horizon Europe, specifically topic HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-SSRI-02, aims to facilitate the uptake of innovations related to security. This call is structured as a Coordination and Support Action (CSA) and is classified as a grant with a total budget of EUR 5,000,000. The application process is a single-stage, with the planned opening date on June 12, 2025, and the deadline set for November 12, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time.

Eligible applicants are primarily consortia that include small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), start-ups, research institutions, and at least two Research and Technology Organizations as beneficiaries. The program aims to enhance cooperation among various entities in the security ecosystem, facilitating improved technology transfer from research to the market.

Geographic eligibility extends to EU member states and associated countries, accommodating specific provisions for non-EU participants. The focus of this grant is on enhancing the commercial adoption of security innovations, emphasizing sectors such as civil security, technology commercialization, and research innovation.

Projects funded under this grant are expected to provide various support services, including market research, technology validation assistance, lab testing support, and guidance in funding and procurement. The projects should also identify options for sustaining these services beyond the funding period.

Estimates suggest that projects will focus on innovations at Technology Readiness Levels 2-4, moving towards validation and demonstration. The expected success rates for proposals are not explicitly stated, but resources indicate a typical range between 10% and 39% for competitive Horizon Europe calls.

There is no specific co-funding requirement outlined for this grant, but previous experience in technology development and security innovation is expected from applicants.

A significant emphasis is placed on building sustainable support mechanisms and ensuring that the services offered can continue to support the security sector once the funding period concludes. The ultimate objective is to enhance the capacity of SMEs and start-ups in the security market while fostering greater collaboration between research and practice in the field of security, thereby contributing to a more secured society.

This is a Horizon Europe (HORIZON) call under the Civil Security for Society (HORIZON-CL3-2025-01) program. The topic is Uptake Acceleration Services, specifically HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-SSRI-02. It is a HORIZON Coordination and Support Action (HORIZON-CSA) with a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] Model Grant Agreement. The deadline model is single-stage. The planned opening date is 12 June 2025, and the deadline date is 12 November 2025 at 17:00:00 Brussels time. The budget for this topic is 5,000,000 EUR for the year 2025, and the indicative number of grants is 1.

The expected outcomes of projects are to offer advanced services on innovation uptake to the security community, provide a self-sustained mechanism for advanced advisory and support services to act as a market catalyst and accelerate the uptake of innovation for security, enhance cooperation between research institutions, smaller private research agencies, security practitioners, Start-ups and SMEs to support innovation uptake, strengthen the technology transfer from research to the market and strengthen the security ecosystem, and support Start-ups and SME to reach the security market and strengthen the capacity of security practitioners to uptake innovative tools from the security market.

The scope of the topic is to address the challenges in market uptake and deployment of innovation by security practitioners. The EU-funded security research ecosystem has changed the traditional relationship between practitioners and solution providers. The awareness of security needs and solutions has been steadily growing at all levels during the last years, with EU funded security research and innovation projects playing a pivotal role. The topic aims to promote models and methods for transferring research to the market to support SMEs and start-ups, as well as practitioners, in finding avenues for innovation uptake. The services should be delivered to SMEs/Start-ups and Practitioners, with both Supply-oriented Services and Demand-oriented services. Some services could be open for the whole community (e.g., material online) and examples of good practices, whereas others would be provided upon specific request by an entity (on demand services). On demand services may be linked to other EU-funded actions but should not cover activities already funded from those in order to avoid double funding.

Applicants should be able to demonstrate a proven experience in technology development and innovation in the area of security and deep knowledge on the security ecosystem. Successful candidates should be able to provide services such as funding and procurement guidance, market research / competitive landscaping / Marketplaces / Market surveys/consultations, proof of concept development (for TRL 2-4), funding and tendering observatory, investor search / venture building, technology validation support, lab testing support (i.e., Readiness assessment, Artificial Intelligence act compliance, Machine Learning security, Ethical Legal and Societal assessment, High Performance Computing capabilities, Synthetic data generation, Access to Datasets, stress testing etc.), and tech and/or entrepreneurial skills development (training).

The proposals should outline the methods and processes by which they intend to decide which organisations they provide support to, respecting principles such as transparency, equal treatment, non-discrimination between organisations and effectiveness (impact). The project should provide suggestions for such methods and processes as deliverable to be approved by the European Commission. The applicants submitting the proposals have to ensure sufficient representativeness of the communities of interest (including, but not only, geographical representativeness) and a balanced coverage in terms of knowledge and skills of the different knowledge domains required to face the challenge, including security operations, technologies, research & innovation, industry, market, etc. The applying consortia need to demonstrate that the project beneficiaries guarantee the expertise required to steer the project activities in all the knowledge domains to ensure the success of the action. The work of the partners has to be supported by solid and recognised tools and methods, also accompanied by the required expertise to put them in practice.

Proposals should take into account the work initiated by the Networks of Practitioners funded under H2020 Secure Societies work programmes and the ongoing work of Knowledge Networks. Proposals should build to the extent possible on the outcomes of previous initiatives that foster innovation uptake (e.g., iProcureNet, Multirate, etc). In addition, existing initiatives like Horizon Booster, EACTDA and EAFIP have some components which could be used by the successful project and to be adapted in the area of security.

The project has to identify and describe options for the sustainability of the services beyond the project lifetime, including the setting up of a permanent scheme which will continue to offer the proposed services to the community as a self-sustainable mechanism. 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. The project should have a maximum estimated duration of 5 years. The provision of financial support to third parties in the form of grants is optional.

The admissibility conditions include those described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. Proposal page limits and layout are described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System. Eligible countries are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. 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. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Other eligible conditions include participation as beneficiaries of at least 2 Research and Technology Organisations. This is described in the Work Programme 2025 – 6. Civil Security for Society. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes. Evaluation and 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 allow beneficiaries to provide financial support to third parties in the form of prizes/grants. The maximum amount to be granted to each third party is EUR 60 000. This is described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application form templates are available in the Submission System, including the standard application form (HE CSA). Evaluation form templates will be used with the necessary adaptations, including the standard evaluation form (HE CSA). Guidance is available in the HE Programme Guide. Model Grant Agreements (MGA) include the HE MGA. Call-specific instructions include information on financial support to third parties (HE) and the Information on Security Practitioners Template.

Additional documents include the 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, 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 — Annotated Model Grant Agreement, Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions, and the Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

There are 24 partner search announcements available. The submission system is planned to be opened on the date stated on the topic header. There are 0 item(s) found in Topic Q&As.

This Horizon Europe call aims to improve the uptake of innovative security solutions by providing support and guidance to SMEs, start-ups, and security practitioners. It seeks to bridge the gap between research and the market by offering services that facilitate the transfer of knowledge and technology, ultimately strengthening the European security ecosystem. The call encourages collaboration between research organisations and industry, and emphasizes the need for sustainable, self-sufficient mechanisms to ensure the long-term availability of these support services. The goal is to make EU-funded security research more impactful and accessible to those who need it most, fostering a more secure and resilient society.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types include research institutions, smaller private research agencies, security practitioners, Start-ups, and SMEs. The call specifically targets entities within the security ecosystem. A minimum requirement is the participation of at least 2 Research and Technology Organisations as beneficiaries.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] under the HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA). There is also the possibility to provide financial support to third parties in the form of prizes/grants.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires a consortium of multiple applicants. Participation as beneficiaries of at least 2 Research and Technology Organisations is mandatory.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU member states and associated countries, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-associated countries. Further details can be found in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Target Sector: The target sector is civil security, with a focus on strengthening the technology transfer from research to the market and supporting the security ecosystem. This includes security operations, technologies, research & innovation, industry, and market.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity is open to 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.

Project Stage: The project stage targets innovation uptake, specifically strengthening the technology transfer from research to the market. Proof of concept development for TRL 2-4 is mentioned as a possible service to be provided.

Funding Amount: The budget for the topic HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-SSRI-02 is EUR 5,000,000. The indicative number of grants is 1, suggesting a funding amount of around EUR 5,000,000 per grant. Other topics in the call have different budgets and indicative numbers of grants.

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

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant. They will also provide non-monetary services to third parties, such as funding and procurement guidance, market research, technology validation support, lab testing support, and tech/entrepreneurial skills development. Beneficiaries may also provide financial support to third parties in the form of prizes/grants, up to EUR 60,000 per third party.

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

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly stated, but can be inferred from the budget overview, which provides the indicative number of grants for each topic.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not explicitly state a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call, under the Civil Security for Society program, aims to enhance the uptake of innovation stemming from EU-funded security research. The call, specifically topic HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-SSRI-02, seeks to fund projects that offer advanced services on innovation uptake to the security community, provide a self-sustained mechanism for advisory and support services, act as a market catalyst, and accelerate the uptake of innovation for security. The projects should enhance cooperation between research institutions, smaller private research agencies, security practitioners, Start-ups, and SMEs to support innovation uptake, strengthen technology transfer from research to the market, and strengthen the security ecosystem. Eligible applicants include consortia with proven experience in technology development and innovation in the area of security, with a minimum requirement of participation as beneficiaries of at least 2 Research and Technology Organisations. The funding type is a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] under the HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA), with a budget of EUR 5,000,000 for topic HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-SSRI-02 and an indicative number of 1 grant. The call follows a single-stage application process with a planned opening date of 12 June 2025 and a deadline of 12 November 2025. The geographic eligibility includes EU member states and associated countries, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-associated countries. The selected projects are expected to provide services such as funding and procurement guidance, market research, technology validation support, lab testing support, and tech/entrepreneurial skills development. The projects should also identify options for the sustainability of the services beyond the project lifetime. The maximum estimated duration of the project is 5 years.