Enhancing physical protection of critical infrastructures
Innovation Actions to enhance physical protection and resilience of critical infrastructures against emerging threats and technologies.
This call seeks projects that improve physical security of critical infrastructures. It focuses on new threats from emerging technologies and operational challenges. Projects should develop tools, training, and innovative solutions to increase resilience and safety.
Likely relevant for
- Critical infrastructure operators
- Security technology developers
- Civil protection authorities
- Law enforcement agencies
- Research organizations in security and resilience
- Training providers for security personnel
Project signals
What it funds
- Development of advanced physical protection measures for critical infrastructures
- Assessment tools for physical risks and hazards
- Innovative perimeter security, access control, and surveillance systems
- Operational procedures including incident management and training
- Nature-based and security-by-design solutions respecting biodiversity
- Consideration of supply chain interdependencies in physical protection
Expected outcomes
- Improved risk and hazard assessment capabilities for operators and authorities
- Enhanced security systems coping with emerging technology threats
- Development of improved operational procedures and training curricula
- Innovative resilience solutions using inclusive and nature-based approaches
Who can apply / participate
- Research organizations
- Industry partners
- Critical infrastructure operators
- Authorities responsible for critical infrastructure resilience
- Civil protection authorities
- Law enforcement agencies
- Private security companies
- At least 3 relevant practitioners from EU Member States or Associated Countries must be involved
- Practitioners should represent critical infrastructure operators, authorities, civil protection, law enforcement, or private security
- Eligible countries as per Horizon Europe Annex B
- Restrictions on entities controlled by China or related legal entities
- Use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS data mandatory if satellite data/services are used
- Compliance with security sensitive information provisions (EUCI and SEN)
- Specific consortium size limits
- Exact funding rates
Must check before shortlisting
- Eligibility of participant countries and entities
- Requirement for at least 3 relevant practitioners from EU/Associated countries
- Use of Copernicus/Galileo data if applicable
- Compliance with security sensitive information provisions
Money
Total budget around €12 million for 2 expected grants under Innovation Actions in 2027.
- Minimum contribution per grant — 6000000EURExpected 2 grants with lump sum funding
- Total budget for this topic — 12000000EURFor the year 2027
Application notes
- Single-stage submission model.
- Proposal page limits and layout as per Annex A and E of Horizon Europe 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
- Security provisions for classified and sensitive information (EUCI and SEN)
- Prepare proposal following specific topic and General Annexes guidance
- Include at least 3 relevant practitioners from eligible countries
- Fill in 'Information about security practitioners' table in application form
- Use Copernicus/Galileo data if applicable
- Submit proposal by deadline 4 November 2027
- Entities controlled by China or related legal entities are not eligible
- Security sensitive results may require compliance with EU classified information rules
- Coordination with related projects is encouraged to avoid duplication
Derived from official EU Funding portal source · updated 22 Jun 2026, 15:06 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 outcomes: Critical infrastructure operators and authorities have improved physical risks and hazards assessment capabilities; Perimeter security, access control, surveillance systems, remote sensors and other systems used by or relevant to critical infrastructure operators are capable of coping with threats from misuse of new and emerging technologies; Improved operational procedures, including incidents management and training curricula, are developed; Innovative solutions for critical infrastructure resilience are being developed, utilising recent advancements in spatial planning, security-by-design, preparedness-by-design and nature-based solutions using an inclusive approach that address diverse needs. Scope: Physical protection of critical infrastructure should keep up its advancement to match risks and hazards stemming from malicious use of new and emerging technologies, and evolving operational environment, as well as improve its safety and security measures against knowns and emerging threats. Following this approach entities providing essential services should reduce their vulnerability, among others, to threats from improvised explosive devices, ramming attacks, sabotage, uncooperative and hostile unmanned platforms including swarm robotics, penetration of access points by unauthorised individuals and vehicles, unauthorised access to hazardous material storage, removal of critical components, or deterioration of critical infrastructure due to age, inadequate design or changed operational conditions, including climate. Proposals submitted under this topic should identify and analyse possible new challenges for the physical security of the critical entities and develop adequate tools, recommendations, manuals and training programmes for relevant operators and authorities. Where relevant for their scope proposals should utilise the nature-based solutions and respect principles of biodiversity. Furthermore, solutions should take into account interdependencies in the context of supply chains and their impact on physical protection. Coordination among the successful proposals from this topic and projects funded under HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-INFRA-01: Open topic for improved preparedness for, response to and recovery from large-scale disruptions of critical infrastructures and HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-INFRA-02: Open topic for role of the human factor for resilience of European critical entities , should be envisaged in order to avoid duplication, share resources and exploit complementarities and opportunities for increased impact. 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. null Activities are expected to achieve TRL 6-7 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.
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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 conditions apply:
This topic requires involvement as beneficiaries of at least 3 relevant practitioners from EU Member States or Associated Countries. Depending on the specific proposal submitted, these practitioners should represent one or several of the following portfolios:
- critical infrastructure operator,
- authority responsible for critical infrastructure resilience,
- civil protection authority,
- law enforcement or private companies providing security for critical infrastructure.
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)
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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