HORIZON-CL3-2027-01-BM-01

Open topic on research and innovation for effective management of EU external borders that promotes fundamental rights and EU values

Status
forthcoming
Programme
Horizon Europe (HORIZON)
Action type
HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions
Opens
5 May 2027
Deadline
4 Nov 2027
Fetched
15 Jul 2026, 07:18 UTC
Plain-language summary

Research and innovation for effective EU external border management promoting fundamental rights and EU values.

This call funds research projects to improve EU external border management. It focuses on protecting fundamental rights of EU citizens and third-country nationals. Projects should develop and test new technologies and solutions for border surveillance, checks, customs, and security.

Likely relevant for

  • Border and coastguard authorities
  • Customs authorities
  • Security technology developers
  • Human rights organizations
  • Research institutions in security and border management

Project signals

Focus on border surveillance and checksDevelopment of technology solutions for maritime and aviation securityDemonstration and validation of tools at TRL 4-5Inclusion of intersectional perspectives in project design

What it funds

  • Research and innovation addressing new or unforeseen challenges in EU external border management
  • Development and testing of knowledge and technology solutions for border surveillance, border checks, customs, supply chain security, maritime and aviation security
  • Solutions that protect and promote fundamental rights of EU citizens and third-country nationals and uphold EU values
  • Demonstration, testing and validation of developed tools and solutions with intersectional perspectives considered

Expected outcomes

  • Improved border management solutions that protect and promote fundamental rights and EU values
  • Validated tools and technologies at TRL 4-5 ready for follow-up research or uptake at national and EU levels

Who can apply / participate

  • Border, Coast Guard or Customs Authorities
  • Research organizations
  • Industry and technology developers
  • Public bodies
  • At least 2 Border, Coast Guard or Customs Authorities from different EU Member States or Associated countries must be involved as beneficiaries
  • Participants from EU Member States and Associated countries
  • Non-EU/non-Associated countries may participate subject to specific provisions
  • Active involvement of at least 2 Border, Coast Guard or Customs Authorities from different EU or Associated countries is mandatory
  • Use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS data required if satellite-based earth observation or positioning data is used
  • Specific consortium size limits not stated
  • Exact funding rates and budget caps per participant must be checked in call documents

Must check before shortlisting

  • Eligibility requires at least 2 Border, Coast Guard or Customs Authorities from different EU or Associated countries
  • Check specific eligibility and consortium rules in Annex B and call conditions
  • Confirm ability to use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS data if applicable

Money

The call expects to fund 2 projects with a total budget of approximately 8 million EUR in 2027. Each project may receive around 4 million EUR.

  • Total budget for this topic in 2027 — 8000000EUR
    Expected to fund 2 projects with minimum and maximum contribution of 4 million EUR each

Application notes

  • Single-stage submission model.
  • Proposal page limits and layout as per Annex A and E of Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes
  • Eligibility conditions detailed in Annex B
  • Financial and operational capacity requirements in Annex C
  • Evaluation criteria and process in Annex D and F
  • Use of lump sum funding as per Decision of 7 July 2021
  • Prepare proposal following specific application form in Submission System
  • Ensure inclusion of required Border, Coast Guard or Customs Authorities participants
  • Fill in eligibility information about practitioners as per template
  • Plan demonstration, testing and validation activities with intersectional perspectives
  • Submit proposal by deadline 4 November 2027
  • Some activities may involve classified or security sensitive information requiring compliance with EU classified information rules
  • Active involvement of at least 2 Border, Coast Guard or Customs Authorities from different EU or Associated countries is mandatory
  • Use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS data is required if satellite-based data is used

Derived from official EU Funding portal source · updated 22 Jun 2026, 15:00 UTC. Use this as a shortlisting aid; the official call text remains authoritative.

Related calls

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 the following expected outcome: Improved border management solutions that protect and promote fundamental rights of both EU citizens and Third Country Nationals. Scope: Under this Open topic, proposals are welcome to address new, upcoming or unforeseen challenges and/or creative or disruptive solutions that are not covered by the other topics of this Destination in 2026 and 2027. In particular, this topic will fund research projects that explore, develop and test knowledge and technology solutions in the areas of border surveillance, border checks, customs and supply chain security, and civilian maritime and aviation security border management that protect and promote fundamental rights of both EU citizens and Third Country Nationals, and EU values. Adapted to the nature, scope, type and target TRL of proposed projects, proposals should convincingly explain how they will plan and/or carry out demonstration, testing and validation of developed tools and solutions. Proposals should be convincing in explaining the methods they intend to use for demonstrating, testing and validating the proposed tools and solutions ensuring that the intersectional perspectives of diverse groups, including gender, sex, age, disabilities, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation and migrant status are integrated and considered. Proposals should also delineate the plans to develop possible future follow-up research and development and/or uptake, upscaling and/or application and use at national and EU level as possible next steps after the research project. Research proposals should consider, build on if appropriate and not duplicate previous research, including but is not limited to research by other Framework Programmes’ projects. null Activities are expected to achieve TRL 4-5 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.

Conditions and documents

General conditions

1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout

described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.

DELETE ME Please add hyperlinks as embedded links where needed (underscored text). Send the call document through the document publication form to receive the hyperlink within 2 business days max. DELETE ME

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

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 2 Border, Coast Guard or Customs Authorities from at least 2 different EU Member States or Associated countries. For these participants, applicants must fill in the table “Eligibility information about 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)

Standard application form (HE RIA IA Stage 1) 

Standard application form (HE RIA IA Stage 1 BLIND)

Standard application form (HE CSA) 

Standard application form (HE CSA Stage 1) 

Standard application form (HE CSA Stage 1 BLIND)

Standard application form (HE RI) 

Standard application form (HE PCP) 

Standard application form (HE PPI) 

Standard application form (HE COFUND) 

Standard application form (HE FPA) 

Standard application form (HE MSCA PF) 

Standard application form (HE MSCA DN) 

Standard application form (HE MSCA SE) 

Standard application form (HE MSCA COFUND) 

Standard application form (HE MSCA COFUND CE)

Standard application form (HE ERC STG) 

Standard application form (HE ERC COG) 

Standard application form (HE ERC ADG) 

Standard application form (HE ERC POC) 

Standard application form (HE ERC SYG) 

Standard application form (HE EIC PATHFINDER CHALLENGES) 

Standard application form (HE EIC PATHFINDER OPEN) 

Standard application form (HE EIC TRANSITION) 

Standard application form (HE EIC STEP)

Standard application form (HE EIC Accelerator stage 2 - full proposal)

Standard application form (HE EIC Accelerator stage 1 - short proposal)

Evaluation form templates — will be used with the necessary adaptations 

Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA) 

Standard evaluation form (HE CSA) 

Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA and CSA Stage 1) 

Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA and CSA Stage 1 BLIND)

Standard evaluation form (HE PCP PPI) 

Standard evaluation form (HE COFUND) 

Standard evaluation form (HE FPA) 

Standard evaluation form (HE MSCA) 

Standard evaluation form (HE EIC PATHFINDER CHALLENGES) 

Standard evaluation form (HE EIC PATHFINDER OPEN) 

Standard evaluation form (HE EIC TRANSITION) 

Standard evaluation form (HE EIC Accelerator stage 1 - short proposal) 

Standard evaluation form (HE EIC Accelerator stage 2 - full proposal) 

Guidance

HE Programme Guide 

Model Grant Agreements (MGA)

HE MGA 

HE Unit MGA 

Lump Sum MGA 

Operating Grants MGA 

Framework Partnership Agreement FPA 

Call-specific instructions 

Detailed budget table (HE LS) 

Information on financial support to third parties (HE) 

Information on clinical studies (HE) 

Guidance: "Lump sums - what do I need to know?"

Additional documents:

HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 1. General Introduction

HE Main Work Programme 2023–2025 – 2. Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 3. Research Infrastructures

HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 4. Health

HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 5. Culture, creativity and inclusive society

HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 6. Civil Security for Society

HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 7. Digital, Industry and Space

HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 8. Climate, Energy and Mobility

HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 9. Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment

HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 10. European Innovation Ecosystems (EIE)

HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 11. Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area

HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 12. Missions

HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 13. New European Bauhaus Facility (NEB)

HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 14. General Annexes

HE Main Work Programme 2023–2025 – 13. General Annexes

EIC Work Programme 2025

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

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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