Development of ecosystem and next-generation capabilities for a secured European Critical Communication System in civil security
Develop secure, interoperable next-gen communication systems for EU civil security with post-quantum cryptography and advanced device capabilities.
This call funds projects to create a secure, resilient communication ecosystem for European civil security. It focuses on next-generation devices and systems that work even without cellular networks. Projects should ensure interoperability, high security, and meet the needs of first responders.
Likely relevant for
- Security technology developers
- Communication system integrators
- First responder organizations
- Research institutions in cybersecurity and communication
- Technology providers for emergency services
Project signals
What it funds
- Development of integrated secure and resilient communication systems for civil security operations in Europe
- Advancement of next-generation communication capabilities including post-quantum cryptography
- Creation of specialized, ruggedized communication devices with hands-free and augmented reality features
- Ensuring interoperability with EU Critical Communication System and 3GPP MCX standards
- Support for standardisation processes relevant to secure communication technologies
Expected outcomes
- An integrated ecosystem for secure communication supporting civil security across Europe
- Robust, scalable, and interoperable communication systems for critical civil security functions
- Mission-critical devices enabling communication without cellular infrastructure
- Enhanced situational awareness through wearable sensors and augmented reality
- Secure data exchange and authentication using state-of-the-art cryptographic protocols
Who can apply / participate
- Research organisations
- Industry including SMEs and large enterprises
- First responder organisations (mandatory participation)
- Public bodies
- Higher education institutions
- At least 3 first responder organisations must be active beneficiaries
- Consortium must comply with Horizon Europe eligibility and exclusion criteria
- Participants must be from eligible EU or associated countries
- Entities controlled by China or Chinese legal entities are excluded
- Active involvement of minimum 3 first responder organisations required
- Use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS data mandatory if satellite-based services are used
- Compliance with security sensitive information handling provisions
- Specific consortium size limits
- Exact funding rates
Must check before shortlisting
- Eligibility of participant countries and restrictions on entities controlled by China
- Requirement for at least 3 first responder organizations as beneficiaries
- Compliance with security sensitive information handling provisions
- Alignment with TRL 6-8 technology readiness level
Money
The expected EU contribution for this Innovation Action is approximately EUR 3 million for 2026 under a lump sum grant model.
- Maximum EU contribution — 3000000EURLump sum grant for the entire project duration
Application notes
- Single-stage submission model. Proposals must follow page limits and layout as per Horizon Europe General Annexes and Application Form guidelines.
- Proposal must comply with admissibility conditions in Annex A and E of Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes
- Applicants must fill in 'Information about security practitioners' table for first responder organisations
- Use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS data mandatory if satellite-based services are used
- Security sensitive results handling as per General Annexes section B
- Prepare proposal following Part B of the Application Form layout
- Ensure inclusion of at least 3 first responder organisations with required information
- Submit proposal via the Funding & Tenders Portal before deadline
- Follow evaluation criteria and award procedures described in Annex D and F
- Entities controlled by China or Chinese legal entities are not eligible
- Projects may involve classified or security sensitive information
- Granting authority may object to transfer of ownership or exclusive licensing up to 4 years after project end
Derived from official EU Funding portal source · updated 2 Jul 2026, 09:20 UTC. Use this as a shortlisting aid; the official call text remains authoritative.
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These funding calls are closely related and may be worth considering as part of the same funding landscape.
Official source text
Fine print from the EU source record. Expand when you need the original wording.
Topic description
Expected Outcome: Project results are expected to contribute to some or all of the following expected outcomes: Creation of an integrated ecosystem for secure and resilient communication systems to support civil security operations across Europe; Advancement of next-generation capabilities, ensuring robust, scalable, and interoperable communication systems for critical civil security functions relevant for the future EU Critical Communication System (EUCCS). Scope: The European Union Critical Communication System (EUCCS) is a flagship initiative aiming at gradual development of a unified, secure, and interoperable communication infrastructure to support critical public safety and civil security operations across Europe. Aims to provide law enforcement, first responders, emergency services, and other critical sectors with reliable, real-time communication capabilities, even in challenging or high-risk environments. This topic aims to streamline the creation of an integrated ecosystem for secure and resilient communication systems that support civil security operations across Europe. It aims to advance next-generation capabilities, ensuring robust, scalable, and interoperable communication systems tailored to the critical civil security functions that will be required for the future EUCCS, taking into consideration the ongoing migration of the EU towards post-quantum cryptography. The action funded under this topic will develop secure communication devices and applications that meet the unique needs of practitioners across various disciplines. These solutions will go beyond current technologies, enabling specialized, ruggedized devices that support hands-free capabilities, including wearable sensors, haptics, and augmented reality to enhance situational awareness. Devices will be designed to ensure communication in environments lacking cellular infrastructure and will be built with high standards of security, including addressing cryptographic security via post-quantum cryptography, and trustworthiness while also ensuring an inclusive and gender-sensitive approach to meet the diverse needs of all users. The action funded under this topic should support relevant standardisation processes where possible. The solutions should be mission-critical, offering high availability, resilience, data exchange and authentication both secured via state-of-the-art post-quantum cryptographic protocols, even in areas with limited or no commercial network coverage. They must be fully compatible with the EUCCS, leveraging 3GPP Mission Critical Services (MCX) and open APIs to create a versatile and interoperable ecosystem. By working closely with first responders and utilizing open platforms, the project will ensure that the developed solutions address the specific operational needs of responders, facilitating effective cross-agency and pan-European collaboration. Finally, proposals are expected to address all applicable considerations expressed in the Introduction of the Strengthened Security Research and Innovation Destination. Technology Readiness Level - Technology readiness level expected from completed projects Activities are expected to achieve TRL 6-8 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.
Conditions and documents
General conditions
1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout
2. Eligible Countries
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.
3. Other Eligible Conditions
In line with the “restriction on control in innovation actions in critical technology areas” delineated in General Annex B of the General Annexes, entities established in an eligible country but which are directly or indirectly controlled by China or by a legal entity established in China are not eligible to participate in the action.
Subject to restrictions for the protection of European communication networks.
The following additional eligibility criteria apply:
This topic requires the active involvement, as beneficiaries, of at least 3 first responders’ organisations. For these participants, applicants must fill in the table “Information about security practitioners” in the application form with all the requested information, following the template provided in the submission IT tool.
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 (other data and services may additionally be used).
described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion
described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds
are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes
are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement
described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants
The granting authority may, up to 4 years after the end of the action, object to a transfer of ownership or to the exclusive licensing of results, as set out in the specific provision of Annex 5.
Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025) [[This decision is available on the Funding and Tenders Portal, in the reference documents section for Horizon Europe, under ‘Simplified costs decisions’ or through this link: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/ls-decision_he_en.pdf]].
described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Specific conditions
described in the [specific topic of the Work Programme]
Some activities resulting from this topic may involve using classified background and/or producing of security sensitive results (EUCI and SEN). Please refer to the related provisions in section B Security — EU classified and sensitive information of the General Annexes.
Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA):
Application form templates — the application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System
Standard application form (HE RIA, IA)
Evaluation form templates — will be used with the necessary adaptations
Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA)
Model Grant Agreements (MGA)
Call-specific instructions
Additional documents:
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 6. Civil Security for Society
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes
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
Support information
Online Manual is your guide on the procedures from proposal submission to managing your grant. Horizon Europe Programme Guide contains the detailed guidance to the structure, budget and political priorities of Horizon Europe. Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ – find the answers to most frequently asked questions on submission of proposals, evaluation and grant management. Research Enquiry Service – ask questions about any aspect of European research in general and the EU Research Framework Programmes in particular. National Contact Points (NCPs) – get guidance, practical information and assistance on participation in Horizon Europe. There are also NCPs in many non-EU and non-associated countries (‘third-countries’). Enterprise Europe Network – contact your EEN national contact for advice to businesses with special focus on SMEs. The support includes guidance on the EU research funding. IT Helpdesk – contact the Funding & Tenders Portal IT helpdesk for questions such as forgotten passwords, access rights and roles, technical aspects of submission of proposals, etc. European IPR Helpdesk assists you on intellectual property issues. CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk – the European Standards Organisations advise you how to tackle standardisation in your project proposal. The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment – consult the general principles and requirements specifying the roles, responsibilities and entitlements of researchers, employers and funders of researchers. Partner Search help you find a partner organisation for your proposal.
Raw budget overview
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