Funding programme

‍Horizon Europe is the European Union’s main funding programme for research and innovation.

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Call overview

This call aims to develop innovative tools, methodologies, and societal insights that strengthen the prevention, detection, and deterrence of crime, terrorism, and radicalisation.

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Expected Outcome

Project results are expected to contribute to some or all of the following expected outcomes:

• Improved, modern, uniform and validated tools, skills or methodologies as well as innovative training curricula for security practitioners (Police Authorities, Non-Governmental Organisations, Civil Society Organisations) in Europe, to prevent, detect and deter criminal or terrorist offences, taking into account all applicable legislation and fundamental rights;
• Enhanced understanding of the cultural and societal aspects of crime or terrorism/radicalisation, as well as on the key challenges related to combating them;
• Evidence-based support to policymakers on shaping and tuning of regulation related to crime or terrorism/radicalisation;
• Enhanced perception by citizens that Europe is an area of freedom, security and justice, fully respecting privacy and human rights, thanks to, e.g., innovative awareness-raising campaigns explaining to citizens the key and evolving mechanisms of crime or terrorism/radicalisation, and how to protect against them.

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Scope

Under the open topic, proposals are welcome to address new, upcoming or unforeseen challenges and/or creative or disruptive solutions for improving the prevention, detection and deterrence of various forms of crime or terrorism/radicalisation through an enhanced understanding of the related societal issues. These challenges and/or solutions should not be covered by topics of Horizon Europe Calls Fighting Crime and Terrorism 2023-2024. If they relate to some of the topics covered by Horizon Europe Calls Fighting Crime and Terrorism 2021-2022, the proposals should convincingly explain how they will build on and not duplicate them. The same applies regarding Horizon Europe projects under the calls HORIZON-CL2-2022-DEMOCRACY-01-05: Evolution of political extremism, and HORIZON-CL2-2024-DEMOCRACY-01-05: Gender-roles in extremist movements.

Proposals are expected to address one of the following options:

Option a: societal issues related to crime;

Option b: societal issues related to terrorism and radicalisation.

Adapted to the nature, scope and type of proposed projects, proposals should also convincingly explain how they will plan and/or carry out demonstration, testing or validation of developed tools and solutions. Furthermore, proposals should outline the plans to develop possible future uptake and upscaling at national and EU level for possible next steps once the project is finalised. Proposals should also 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. Similarly, if the proposals concern drug-related issues, they are expected to engage with the EU Drugs Agency during the lifetime of the project, including validating the outcomes.

If the funded proposal concerns radicalisation, the consortium is encouraged to liaise with the EU Knowledge Hub on prevention of radicalisation with the aim of facilitating the streamlining of their priorities and the dissemination of their results.

To ensure the active involvement of and timely feedback from relevant security practitioners, i.e., Police Authorities and Non-Governmental Organisations / Civil Society Organisations, 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.

Activities proposed within this topic should address both technological and societal dimensions of the tackled challenge in a balanced way. This topic requires the effective contribution of SSH disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts, institutions as well as the inclusion of relevant SSH expertise, in order to produce meaningful and significant effects enhancing the societal impact of the related innovation activities.

Proposals should plan their activities opting for the Financial Support to Third Parties in order to provide financial support to practitioners (Police Authorities and/or Non-Governmental Organisations/Civil Society Organisations) for expanding the proposed work in terms of additional user groups, complementary assessments, technology- or methodology-testing activities. From 5% up to 20% of the EU funding requested by the proposal may be allocated to the purpose of financial support to third parties.

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Eligibility

To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the following countries:

• the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions;
• the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States;
• countries associated to Horizon Europe;
• low- and middle-income countries.

See specifics in the General Annexes document, page 9.

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Consortium composition

Only legal entities forming a consortium are eligible to participate in actions provided that the consortium includes, as beneficiaries, three legal entities independent from each other and each established in a different country as follows:

• at least one independent legal entity established in a Member State; and
• at least two other independent legal entities, each established in different Member States or Associated Countries.

This topic requires the active involvement, as beneficiaries, of at least 1 Police Authority and at least 1 Civil Society Organisation, CSO (or Non-Governmental Organisation, NGO) from at least 2 different EU Member States or Associated Countries.

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Budget

The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 12.00 million.

The Commission estimates that an EU contribution of around EUR 3.00 million per project would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately.

Beneficiaries must provide financial support to third parties in the form of grants. The maximum amount to be granted to each third party is EUR 60 000 to support effective collaboration and/or coordination with additional relevant national Police Authorities and/or CSOs/NGOs from EU Member States or Associated Countries.