Topic updates

11 December 2025
A total of 51 proposals have been submitted in response to the Destination - Effective management of EU external borders. The number of proposals for each topic is shown below including the indicative budget of the topics for 2025:

- HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-BM-03: 13 proposals (indicative budget: 9.00 M€) Indicative number of projects expected to be funded: 3

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.

Clarifications on the type of practitioners:

Customs Authority: In the context of the Work Programme, Customs Authorities are meant as the competent authorities designated by the EU Member States (or Associated Countries) in accordance with their national law responsible for the administration and enforcement of customs laws and regulations.

Open topic on better customs and supply chain security

TOPIC ID: HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-BM-03

Type of grant: Call for proposals

General information

Programme:

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

Type of action: HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions

Type of MGA: HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS]

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 the following expected outcome(s):

• Improved customs and supply chain security though better prevention, detection, deterrence, anti-tampering and/or fight of illegal activities involving flows of goods across EU external borders and through the supply chain, and/or through better interoperability, minimising disruption to trade flows.

Scope:

Under this topic, proposals are welcome to address new, upcoming or unforeseen challenges and/or creative or disruptive solutions for improving capabilities of practitioners for the security of customs and the supply chain. Contexts and scenarios in Europe’s border regions that may in the future be impacted by geopolitical instabilities, tensions from outside the EU or impact on the environment, and need sustained and improved surveillance and reaction capabilities, could be particularly considered. If they relate to some of the topics covered by Horizon Europe Calls Effective Management of EU External Borders 2021-2022 or 2023-2024, the proposals should convincingly explain how they will build on and not duplicate them.

Proposals may also address capabilities related to possible future detection of threats in the flow of goods and/or in the supply chain in a flexible, rapid, relocatable way. Detection capabilities could target one or more type(s) of dangerous, illicit and/or illegal goods or materials, including illicit drugs and their precursors, illegally traded species covered by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) considering the European Deforestation Free Products Regulation, contraband, chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRN-E) threats and/or various modi operandi related to cross-border trafficking, including involving cargo.

Projects should integrate aspects of:

• perspectives of safeguarding and promoting human rights, developing solutions that contribute to those safeguarding and promotion;
• inputs from human rights, law and ethical perspectives, as well as the consideration and views of individuals and society, as appropriate; proposals can engage with citizens and civil society for wider input and support;
• aspects of cybersecurity of the technology proposed, and the protection of communication systems and networks involved in the solutions, if and as relevant.

Proposals that include solutions and/or methods that would contribute to a lower environmental impact and footprint, better cost-efficiency, better energy-efficiency, and/or better operational autonomy of the capabilities and solutions in this topic, would be welcome.

Depending on the particular scope of the proposal, participation of Police Authorities, Border and/or Coast Guards is welcome.

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.

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 plan their activities opting for the financial support to third parties in order to provide financial support to additional (i.e., beyond those partners in the Consortium) practitioners (i.e., authorities with competences of Customs) to engage during the project for additional piloting, testing and/or validation of technologies or methods. 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.

Proposals must clearly describe the objectives and the expected results to be obtained, including the elements listed in the application template. Proposals are also expected to describe the methods and processes relevant to comply with the general eligibility conditions for financial support to third parties set out in General Annex B and to demonstrate effectiveness (impact).

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.

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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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