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Enhancing the security of citizens against terrorism and lone-actor violence in confined spaces such as schools

Horizon Europe · Grant topic

HORIZON-CL3-2026-01-FCT-05

Summary

A Polish company can use this call for R&D.

Funds innovative security solutions against terrorism and lone-actor violence in schools and other confined spaces, requiring police and civil society partners.

Who can apply
Companies can lead: SME, large company, startup, research org, university, NGO, public body.
Amount
€4.8M per projectTotal budget €9,670,000
Deadline
05 Nov 2026 01:00 CETin 12 days
Status
Openopened 6 May 2026
Open on the portalRegister to keep this call

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:

• Increased understanding of policymakers and relevant security practitioners of the phenomenon of terrorism and lone-actor violence towards citizens in confined places such as schools, in the European context;

• Terrorist and lone-actor attacks to citizens in confined places such as schools, are prevented in Europe by, e.g., detecting and tackling early signs of isolation and radicalisation, as well as the promotion of a secure and inclusive environment;

• European schools and other confined places, e.g., places of worship, public administration or other buildings accessible to the public, are provided with state-of-the-art means of ensuring their security;

• Cooperation between Police Authorities in Europe and relevant staff (in schools, public administration, etc.) is improved.

Scope:

Citizens in European schools and other confined spaces (e.g., places of worship, public administration and other buildings accessible to the public) increasingly face various forms of terrorism and lone-actor violence. This topic aims at providing such places with solutions for ensuring civil security (of pupils, school staff, administrative workers, citizens at large) via exploring various societal and technological means of preventing such threats, with full respect of fundamental rights, such as rights to privacy and the protection of personal data. Based on a thorough analysis of the phenomenon under consideration in the European context, proposals should look into methodologies of catching and tackling early signs of terrorist threats, isolation and radicalisation, taking into account the social and cultural factors that may influence an individual's vulnerability to radicalisation, such as gender roles and stereotypes. Proposals should also consider how these factors may impact the effectiveness of prevention programmes and of addressing them by, e.g., creating appropriate programmes, including by modernising approaches for prevention of terrorist and lone actor attacks. Means for raising awareness (possibly training) of the relevant staff (school staff, employees in public administration, etc., in function of the building under consideration) regarding existing risks and for keeping them up to date on security matters should be tackled and designed to be inclusive and effective for diverse groups. Ways of improving cooperation between the relevant staff and Police Authorities in this context should be analysed too. Proposed solutions should be affordable to public schools and other structures accessible to the public that are usually more limited in funding. Proposals are invited from consortia involving Police Authorities and other relevant security practitioners, Civil Society Organisations, Non-Governmental Organisations, and the appropriate balance of IT specialists, psychologists, sociologists, etc. 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. 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 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.

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 outcomes developed by EU-funded projects, such as the ones under HORIZON-CL3-2024-FCT-01-04 and HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-DEMOCRACY-05, and not duplicate previous research. 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. 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. 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 6-8 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)
6-8
Topics
  • Counterterrorism
  • School security
  • Lone-actor violence
  • Radicalisation prevention

Machine-classified from the call text; check eligibility at the source. 23 Oct 2026

Conditions6

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: 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 3 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
8 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
6 TRL

Expected technology readiness level by project end; this describes project outcomes, not applicant eligibility or a hiring condition.

Amounts and costs8
Indicative budget
€9,670,000

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 per beneficiary

General Annex allows a rate of up to 100% for non-profit legal entities in Innovation Actions. The rate is fixed in the grant agreement and for this topic’s lump-sum form is already applied in the amount methodology; this does not add a second payment rate.

Funding intensity, maximum
70 percent of eligible costs per beneficiary

General Annex maximum for Innovation Actions is 70% for beneficiaries other than non-profit legal entities. The rate is fixed in the grant agreement and for this topic’s lump-sum form is already applied in the amount methodology; this does not add a second payment rate.

Expected project funding, up to
€4,835,000

Indicative expected EU contribution per project stated as around EUR 4.835 million; this is an estimate, not a minimum, maximum, or binding per-project cap. Applicants may request a different amount.

Expected project funding, from
€4,835,000

Indicative expected EU contribution per project stated as around EUR 4.835 million; this is an estimate, not a minimum, maximum, or binding per-project cap. Applicants may request a different amount.

Topic allocation
€9,670,000

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 services4

  • 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 documents5
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 Innovation Actions
Keywords
  • crime
  • one-actor violence
  • police
  • practitioners
  • radicalisation
  • school
  • security
  • terrorism
  • terrorist
  • violence
  • worship
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.