Open topic on increasing security of citizens against terrorism, including in public spaces
Innovation actions to enhance European police capabilities against terrorism, focusing on new challenges and public space security.
This call invites proposals to develop innovative solutions to increase security against terrorism in Europe, including public spaces. Projects should involve police authorities from at least three EU or associated countries. The goal is to improve tools, cooperation, and training for law enforcement to tackle emerging terrorism threats.
Likely relevant for
- Police authorities
- Security technology developers
- Research institutions in security and counter-terrorism
- Public safety agencies
Project signals
What it funds
- Innovative solutions addressing new or unforeseen terrorism security challenges in Europe
- Tools and procedures for police authorities to counter terrorism
- Demonstration, testing, and validation of developed tools
- Training curricula development for law enforcement
- Cooperation frameworks among European and international security actors
Expected outcomes
- Enhanced ability of police authorities to identify and prevent terrorism threats
- Availability of harmonized, modern tools and procedures compliant with EU legislation
- Improved cooperation between police authorities and international actors
- Training curricula for improved counter-terrorism capabilities
Who can apply / participate
- Police authorities as legally designated by national law
- Research organizations
- Innovation entities
- Security practitioners
- Must include at least 3 police authorities from 3 different EU Member States or Associated Countries
- Police authorities exclude police academies, forensic institutes, training facilities, border and customs authorities
- Entities controlled by China are not eligible
- Use of Copernicus/Galileo data mandatory if satellite data used
- Participants must be from EU Member States or Associated Countries
- Non-EU/non-associated countries may have specific funding provisions
- Active involvement of police authorities as beneficiaries is mandatory
- Compliance with EU data protection and fundamental rights required
- Security sensitive information provisions apply
- Exact funding rates and maximum budgets per participant
- Detailed consortium size limits
Must check before shortlisting
- Eligibility of police authorities as defined by national law
- Compliance with restrictions on entities controlled by China
- Use of Copernicus/Galileo data if applicable
- Specific consortium composition and documentation requirements
Money
Estimated budget for this topic is around EUR 9 million for 2 expected grants in 2027 under Horizon Innovation Actions.
- Total budget for 2027 — 9000000EURFor 2 expected grants, each with a max contribution of EUR 4.5 million
Application notes
- Single-stage submission model.
- Proposal page limits and layout as per Horizon Europe General Annexes and Application Form.
- Active involvement of at least 3 police authorities from 3 different EU/Associated countries required.
- Compliance with restrictions on entities controlled by China.
- Use of Copernicus/Galileo data mandatory if satellite data used.
- Security sensitive information provisions apply.
- Prepare proposal following Horizon Europe guidelines and templates.
- Include detailed information about police authorities involved.
- Plan mid-term assessment by security practitioners.
- Engage with Europol Innovation Lab and CEPOL if applicable.
- Submit proposal by deadline 4 November 2027.
- Police authorities must be legally designated for terrorism prevention/detection/investigation.
- Police academies, forensic institutes, training facilities, border/customs authorities excluded as police authorities.
- Entities controlled by China are ineligible.
- Projects may involve classified or security sensitive information.
Derived from official EU Funding portal source · updated 22 Jun 2026, 15:05 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 some or all of the following expected outcomes: Enhanced ability of Police Authorities in Europe and other relevant security practitioners to identify and prevent emergent challenges in the terrorism-related issue under consideration; Harmonised and modern tools as well as procedures are available for Police Authorities in Europe and other relevant security practitioners to counter the terrorism-related problem under consideration, in full compliance with applicable legislation on protection of personal data and protection of fundamental rights; Improved cooperation between Police Authorities in Europe and other relevant security practitioners, as well as with international actors, in tackling the problem in question; Training curricula are available for Police Authorities in Europe and other relevant security practitioners for an improved countering of the terrorism-related problem under consideration. Scope: Under the Open Topic, proposals are welcome to address new, upcoming or unforeseen challenges and/or creative or disruptive solutions for increasing security of European citizens against terrorism, including in public spaces, that are not covered by the other topics of Horizon Europe Calls Fighting Crime and Terrorism 2021-2022, Fighting Crime and Terrorism 2023-2024, Fighting Crime and Terrorism 2025 and Fighting Crime and Terrorism 2026-2027. Adapted to the nature, scope and type of proposed projects, proposals should convincingly explain how they will plan and/or carry out demonstration, testing or validation of developed tools and solutions. 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. Proposals should also delineate the plans to develop possible future uptake and upscaling at national and EU level for possible next steps after the research project. Research proposals should consider, build on if appropriate and not duplicate previous research, including but not limited to research by other Framework Programmes’ projects. Coordination among the successful proposals from this topic should be envisaged to avoid duplication and to exploit complementarities as well as opportunities for increased impact. The proposals funded under this topic that concern issues which are within the mandate of Europol [1] are expected to engage with the Europol Innovation Lab during the lifetime of the project, including validating the outcomes, with the aim of facilitating future uptake of innovations for the law enforcement community. For aspects of training of Police Authorities, cooperation of successful proposals with CEPOL is expected, provided that the Agency opts out from applying for funding. To ensure the active involvement of and timely feedback from relevant security practitioners, proposals should plan a mid-term deliverable consisting in the assessment of the project’s mid-term outcomes, performed by the practitioners involved in the project. Finally, proposals are expected to address all applicable considerations expressed in the Introduction of the Fighting Crime and Terrorism Destination. null Activities are expected to achieve TRL 6-8 by the end of the project – see General Annex B. [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32016R0794 (Annex I).
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
The following additional eligibility conditions apply:
This topic requires the active involvement, as beneficiaries, of at least 3 Police Authorities[[In the context of this Destination, ‘Police Authorities’ means public authorities explicitly designated by national law, or other entities legally mandated by the competent national authority, for the prevention, detection and/or investigation of terrorist offences or other criminal offences, specifically excluding police academies, forensic institutes, training facilities as well as border and customs authorities.]] from at least 3 different EU Member States or Associated Countries. 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.
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.
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
Model Grant Agreements (MGA)
Framework Partnership Agreement FPA
Call-specific instructions
Information on financial support to third parties (HE)
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 – 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
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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