Topic updates

11 December 2025
A total of 153 proposals have been submitted in response to the Destination - Better protect the EU and its citizens against Crime and Terrorism. The number of proposals for each topic is shown below including the indicative budget of the topics for 2025:

- HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-FCT-01: 69 proposals (indicative budget: 18.00 M€) Indicative number of projects expected to be funded: 6

The evaluation of the proposals started in December 2025 and will be closed by mid-February 2026. Applicants will be informed on the outcome of the evaluations by the end of March 2026.

08 July 2025
Guidance for applicants - Clarifications on the topic related additional eligibility conditions

General information:

With reference to the topic related additional eligibility conditions, please note that it is full responsibility of the applicants to explain and justify how each project beneficiary fulfil the additional eligibility conditions. We invite you to fill in the Annex “Information about security practitioners” in the application form with all the requested information, by using the template provided in the submission IT tool.

Open topic on modern information and forensic evidence analysis and on frontline policing

TOPIC ID: HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-FCT-01

Type of grant: Call for proposals

General information

Programme:

Call: Civil Security for Society (HORIZON-CL3-2025-01)

Type of action: HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions

Type of MGA: HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG]

Status: Forthcoming

Deadline model: single-stage

Planned Opening Date: 12 June 2025

Deadline dates: 12 November 2025 17:00 (Brussels time)

Topic description

Expected Outcome:

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

• Modern, uniform and validated tools, skills, methodologies and innovative training curricula for security practitioners (Police Authorities and forensic institutes in Europe) to prevent, detect and investigate criminal and terrorist offences, including the lawful court-proof collection of crime evidence;
• Improved mechanisms for cross-border information exchange in the fight against crime and terrorism, taking into account all applicable legislation and fundamental rights;
• Evidence-based support to policy-makers on shaping and tuning of regulation related to modern information analysis, forensic evidence analysis or frontline policing.

Scope:

Under the open topic, proposals are welcome to address new, upcoming or unforeseen challenges and/or creative or disruptive solutions for improving modern information and forensic evidence analysis or frontline policing, that are not 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 explain how they will build on and not duplicate them.

Proposals are expected to address one of the following options:

Option a: tackling advanced technology challenges;

Option b: modern forensics analysis using new and emerging technologies;

Option c: modernisation of frontline policing.

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. For Option b), the active involvement, as beneficiaries, of forensic institutes from EU Member States or Associated Countries is recommended.

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.

In order to ensure project impact and the active involvement of and timely feedback from relevant security practitioners, i.e., Police Authorities and/or forensic institutes, 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.

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.

[1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32016R0794 (Annex I)

Start submission

The submission system is planned to be opened on the date stated on the topic header.

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Please read carefully all provisions below before the preparation of your application.

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.

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