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Reliability of age assessment methods in the context of security and border management

Horizon Europe · Grant topic

HORIZON-CL3-2026-01-BM-03

Summary

Not an R&D call a Polish company can use, by Scindu's rule.

Funds coordination and support on reliable age assessment and minor protection, involving at least two border or coast guard authorities.

Who can apply
Companies can lead: SME, large company, startup, research org, university, NGO, public body.
Amount
€1.3M per projectTotal budget €1,330,000
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:

• Improved protection of minors, including by more reliable age assessments and by minimising the use of intrusive age assessment methods;

• Improved adaptation, preparedness and cooperation of authorities in the fight against human trafficking;

• Expanded European-based knowledge on reliability, accuracy and effectiveness of age assessment methods.

Scope:

Many unaccompanied children and young persons arriving at the external EU borders and seeking asylum, lack official documents showing their identity and age. Age assessment methods are important as they contribute to the determination of, for example, where an individual will be initially housed and what services, supports, and legal processes they will receive to ensure protection and, if applicable, child protection.

In other cases, minors are victim of trafficking of human beings (THB) criminal activities, either across the EU external borders, or within the EU borders. In other cases again, age assessment methods are necessary for law enforcement investigations on protecting children, forensic investigation, and/or the identification of victims.

No age assessment method can offer a 100% reliability. Different approaches have different sensitivity and specificity, and different sample sizes and representativeness, and some approaches are based on a non-European knowledge base. Furthermore, there is considerable variation in methods of age assessment. Methods may use approaches as diverse as interviews, psychological assessments and other holistic approaches; medical approaches such as X-rays, CT scans, DNA methylation, dental observation, or other analyses; other approaches such as image analysis; and they may use or not artificial intelligence (AI) for data analysis.

EU regulations, and guidelines by the European Union Asylum Agency (EUAA)[[EASO Age assessment practices in EU+ countries: updated findings (europa.eu) https://euaa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/EASO_Age_assessment_practices_updated.pdf[]], include safeguards and recommendations, such as that the least invasive methods should be used, and that medical methods should be used as a last resort. Further studies, reports or documents have also been elaborated by the European Migration Network[1], European networks of security practitioners for innovation, as well as at national level. The action funded by this topic should also consider these, as well as previous research, including but not limited to research by other relevant EU Framework Programmes projects.

This Coordination and Support Action should not develop methods or technologies of age assessment. Rather, it will analyse, including with practitioners, the current and potential methods for age assessment. It should assess and compare scientific reliability, sensitivity and specificity of different methods, as well as their potential risks for fundamental rights and how to minimize them.

While the research results would not imply any legislative or policy decision on age assessment methods, the research will develop evidence-based results on options for more (compared to the state-of-the-art) appropriate models of age assessment methods that protect fundamental rights, ensuring the use of an inclusive approach that addresses diverse needs. The results of research funded by this topic will contribute to capabilities for better identification of children and minors in the migratory, security, border management and other contexts, following the principles of the EU Strategy on the rights of the child[2]. They will also contribute to the exchange of practices among European authorities.

Synergies with other Horizon Europe Cluster 3 Destinations, such as “Better protect the EU and its citizens against Crime and Terrorism” and “Disaster-Resilient Society for Europe”, as well as with Destinations of Horizon Europe Cluster 2 “Inclusive Society”.

[1] https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/networks/european-migration-network-emn_en

[2] COM(2021) 142 final.

Who can apply, in detail
Applicant types
SME, Large company, Startup, Research org, University, NGO, Public body
Purpose
Other
R&D relevance
1 of 3
Poland eligible
Yes
Country limit
Mandatory border or coast guard partners from at least two EU Member States or Associated Countries.
Region
Any
Consortium
Required
Readiness level (TRL)
—
Topics
  • Age assessment
  • Border management
  • Child protection
  • Human trafficking prevention

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

Conditions4

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. For Coordination and Support Actions, applications may be submitted by one or more legal entities, which may be established in an EU Member State, Associated Country or, exceptionally and if the topic provides for it, another third country. Topic-specific conditions may add requirements; applicant eligibility is only partially reviewed.
Eligible project scope
Type of Action: Coordination and Support 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 Border or Coast Guard Authorities from at least 2 different EU Member States or Associated Countries.
Amounts and costs7
Indicative budget
€1,330,000

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 CSA 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
€1,330,000

Indicative expected EU contribution per project stated as around EUR 1.33 million; this is an estimate, not a minimum, maximum, or binding per-project cap. Applicants may request a different amount.

Expected project funding, from
€1,330,000

Indicative expected EU contribution per project stated as around EUR 1.33 million; this is an estimate, not a minimum, maximum, or binding per-project cap. Applicants may request a different amount.

Topic allocation
€1,330,000

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 Coordination and Support Actions
Keywords
  • age assessment
  • border management
  • borders
  • minors
  • preparedness
  • protection
  • security
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.