Crime prevention approaches, online and off-line, tackling the nexus between addictions and crime
Horizon Europe · Grant topic
Summary
A Polish company can use this call for R&D.
Funds collaborative research on addiction-related crime prevention, including innovative solutions and training, with mandatory police and civil society participation.
- Who can apply
- Companies can lead: SME, large company, startup, research org, university, NGO, public body.
- Amount
- €3M per projectTotal budget €6,000,000
- Deadline
- 05 Nov 2026 01:00 CETin 12 days
- Status
- Openopened 6 May 2026
Machine-classified from the call text; check eligibility at the source.
Description
Expected Outcome:
Project results are expected to contribute to some or all of the following expected outcomes:
• Improved understanding of links between addictions and crime, including drivers of criminality;
• Innovative and effective solutions, including training curricula, for Police Authorities in Europe and relevant Civil Society Organisations (or Non-Governmental Organisations) to prevent addictions and related crimes, with a special attention to young people at risk;
• Evidence-based support to modernising European criminal justice system’s approach when dealing with addiction-related offenses;
• Novel approaches of collaboration between different stakeholders, primarily Police Authorities in Europe and Civil Society Organisations (or Non-Governmental Organisations), to increase communities’ addiction resilience, security and safety.
Scope:
A close and complex relationship exists between addictions, such as gambling, drug or alcohol use, and crime (e.g., criminals are often under the influence of drugs while committing crimes, gamblers or drug users commit crimes to pay for their debts or drugs). In this topic, successful proposals are expected to analyse the specific nexus between addictions and crime, with the aim of developing related modern methodologies and tools for prevention of not only addictions but also crimes related to them, both offline and online, while respecting the fundamental rights of the communities concerned and using of non-stigmatising language. Novel approaches of collaboration between different community stakeholders, from Police Authorities, civil society, national and local entities, private actors, trained psychologists, are expected to be developed as well, with the aim of increasing communities’ addiction resilience, security and safety. An emphasis of the work should be on young people at risk, the criminal justice system, drivers of criminality and pathways from committing a petty crime because of addiction to progressively getting involved in organised crime. Activities proposed within this topic should address the issue from various angles, combining both social research with technological development and applications in a logical manner.
Therefore, this topic requires the effective contribution of Social Sciences and Humanities (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 research activities. Also, incorporating a gender-sensitive approach will allow to better understand the relationships between addiction, crime, and gender, leading to more effective interventions that address the specific needs of men, women, and marginalized groups.
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. 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.
Furthermore, proposals funded under this topic are expected to provide ideas on how they would engage with the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) during the lifetime of the project, including validating the outcomes, with the aim of facilitating future uptake of innovations. 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. Finally, proposals are expected to address all applicable considerations expressed in the Introduction of the Fighting Crime and Terrorism Destination.
Technology Readiness Level - Technology readiness level expected from completed projects
Activities are expected to achieve TRL 5 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.
Who can apply, in detail
- Applicant types
- SME, Large company, Startup, Research org, University, NGO, Public body
- Purpose
- Research and innovation
- R&D relevance
- 3 of 3
- Poland eligible
- Yes
- Country limit
- —
- Region
- Any
- Consortium
- Required
- Readiness level (TRL)
- 5
- Topics
- Addiction-related crime
- Crime prevention
- Police training
- Community resilience
Machine-classified from the call text; check eligibility at the source. 23 Oct 2026
Conditions
Typed facts extracted from the source documents by Scindu's grant-data review. Each value keeps its own conditions. Unknown means unstated, not zero or unlimited.
- Applicant type
- The topic refers applicants to General Annex B. Unless a specific topic condition provides otherwise, a consortium must include three independent legal-entity beneficiaries established in different countries: at least one in an EU Member State and two others in different EU Member States or Associated Countries. Affiliated entities do not count toward that minimum. This is the general default; topic-specific exceptions and full applicant eligibility remain to be checked.
- Eligible project scope
- Type of Action: Research and Innovation Actions.
- Other condition
- The General Annexes state that for lump-sum and unit grants, the funding rate is already applied in the methodology used to fix the amounts and is not shown in the grant agreement. The action-type maximum rate below is therefore a general Horizon Europe ceiling, not an additional calculation to apply to this topic’s fixed lump-sum amount.
- Partner requirement
- This topic requires the active involvement, as beneficiaries, of at least 2 Police Authorities and at least 2 Civil Society Organisations (or Non-Governmental Organisations) from at least 3 different EU Member States or Associated Countries.
- Technology readiness level at end, maximum
- 5 TRL
Expected technology readiness level by project end; this describes project outcomes, not applicant eligibility or a hiring condition.
- Technology readiness level at end, minimum
- 5 TRL
Expected technology readiness level by project end; this describes project outcomes, not applicant eligibility or a hiring condition.
Amounts and costs
- Indicative budget
- €6,000,000
Topic budget as stated in the portal's budget table. Lump-sum and per-project limits are in the call conditions.
- Eligible cost
- The topic specifically adopts a Horizon Europe lump-sum grant. The applicable Lump Sum MGA treats the grant as a contribution for completion of work packages; eligibility depends on the amounts in Annex 2 and proper completion/implementation (or results achieved) during the action period. This is not reimbursement of each beneficiary’s actual payroll or service invoices, and does not establish a salary entitlement.
- Eligible cost
- For project-based Horizon Europe lump sums, the 2026 Commission guidance requires realistic estimates per cost category, beneficiary/affiliated entity and work package. Personnel-cost estimates are permitted only for cost items that would qualify under the corresponding actual-cost eligibility rules, and must follow normal practice, be reasonable, and be necessary and in line with proposed activities. These are inputs for the fixed lump-sum estimate; actual payroll is not separately reimbursed or reported as a claim under the lump-sum grant.
- Eligible cost
- For the applicable lump-sum model, the contribution is set out in the grant agreement Annex 2 and broken down by participant and work package; payment eligibility is tied to work-package completion and proper implementation or achieved results during the action period, as stated in the agreement. Actual underlying payroll or subcontract cost is not reimbursed invoice-by-invoice under this form.
- Funding intensity, maximum
- 100 percent of eligible costs
General Annex maximum for RIA action type; funding rate is fixed in the grant agreement, may differ under specific topic conditions, and because this topic uses lump sum the rate is already applied in amount methodology. This is an action-type ceiling, not an independently payable addition to the expected contribution.
- Expected project funding, up to
- €3,000,000
Indicative expected EU contribution per project stated as around EUR 3 million; this is an estimate, not a minimum, maximum, or binding per-project cap. Applicants may request a different amount.
- Expected project funding, from
- €3,000,000
Indicative expected EU contribution per project stated as around EUR 3 million; this is an estimate, not a minimum, maximum, or binding per-project cap. Applicants may request a different amount.
- Topic allocation
- €6,000,000
Indicative total topic allocation stated as an amount in EUR million in the call overview; it is distinct from the expected EU contribution per project. Allocation scope: per topic.
Personnel and services
Other role
Staff cost the grant can fund
Natural persons working under a direct contract other than an employment contract may be included as personnel cost estimates only when assigned to the action, working under conditions similar to an employee, and the result belongs to the beneficiary (unless otherwise agreed). The estimate follows actual-cost eligibility; no role or pay rate is specified.
Other role
Staff cost the grant can fund
Costs for employees under an employment contract or equivalent appointing act and assigned to the action; any estimated amount is only a budget input subject to the call’s lump-sum methodology and applicable actual-cost eligibility rules. This is not a prescribed job, required hire, headcount or salary rate.
Other role
Staff cost the grant can fund
Seconded-person personnel cost estimates are conditional on assignment to the action, employee-like working conditions and ownership of the work result by the beneficiary (unless otherwise agreed), and must correspond to actual costs and not differ significantly from comparable employee tasks. This cost category does not prescribe a job or salary.
Other role
Staff cost the grant can fund
The work of an SME owner or natural person beneficiary who receives no salary may be declared as personnel costs only if general eligibility conditions are met and the amount is calculated as a unit cost under Annex 2a. No hourly/monthly amount is asserted here.
Source documents
- Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027, Civil Security for Society, Part 6
- Horizon Europe General Annexes 2026-2027
- EU Grants: Horizon Europe MGA — Multi & Mono, V1.2, 01.06.2026
- EU Grants: How to manage your lump sum grants, V1.5, 01.06.2026
- EU Grants: Programme Lump Sum MGA — Multi & Mono, V1.0, 01.11.2024
Call facts
- Opens
- 6 May 2026
- Deadline model
- Single-stage
- Programme
- Horizon Europe · 2021 - 2027
- Call
- HORIZON-CL3-2026-01 · Civil Security for Society 2026
- Types of action
- HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions
- Keywords
- Civil Society Organisations
- Crime
- addiction
- communities
- justice
- off-line
- online
- police
- safety
- security
- training
- Source
- ec.europa.eu
- Checked
- 23 Oct 2026
- Portal updated
- 23 Oct 2026
- Review status
- Partial review
- Reviewed
- 23 Oct 2026
This is a summary of the source page, not the official text. Eligibility, conditions and the submission system are at the source.