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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant aims to significantly improve customs and supply chain security in Europe. It seeks to fund innovative solutions that help prevent, detect, deter, and combat illegal activities involving goods moving across EU external borders and through the supply chain. A core objective is to enhance interoperability while minimizing disruptions to trade flows. This opportunity is sector-specific, targeting the security, customs, and supply chain management fields. It's designed for consortia that include key public authorities. The geographic scope covers EU Member States and Associated Countries, with a particular focus on Europe's border regions. Key filtering criteria for potential applicants are the mandatory inclusion of Customs Authorities, the focus on security and supply chain innovation, and the requirement for a multi-country consortium. This grant is part of the Horizon Europe 2025 Work Programme, suggesting similar opportunities may recur.

Financial Structure

This grant utilizes a lump sum funding mechanism, which means payments are linked to the successful completion of specific work packages, rather than detailed cost reporting. This significantly simplifies financial management for beneficiaries.

Grant Amounts:
- The total budget allocated for this specific topic is EUR 9,000,000, intended to fund approximately 3 grants.
- Each successful grant proposal is expected to receive a contribution of EUR 3,000,000.
Currency: All financial figures are in EUR.
Eligible Costs (within lump sum): The lump sum contribution covers a broad range of costs that would typically be eligible under an actual cost grant. This includes personnel costs (employees, direct contractors, seconded persons, SME owners), subcontracting costs, purchase costs (travel, equipment, goods, services), financial support to third parties, internally invoiced goods and services, and costs for transnational or virtual access to research infrastructure. Indirect costs (calculated at a 25% flat rate) are already integrated into the lump sum amount.
Co-financing: While no specific percentage is set, the co-financing principle applies. Your proposal must demonstrate that the 'total estimated costs of the action is greater than the estimated Union contributions'.
Financial Support to Third Parties: A key feature of this grant is the requirement to provide financial support to additional practitioners (i.e., other Customs Authorities) beyond your core consortium partners. This support is intended for activities like piloting, testing, and validation.
- The maximum amount you can grant to each individual third party is EUR 100,000.
- You can allocate between 5% and 20% of your total requested EU funding to this purpose.
Payment Schedule: Payments are released based on the successful implementation of specified work packages. Pre-financing follows standard Horizon Europe rules. There is no obligation to document incurred costs, as the focus is on the technical delivery of outputs.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for this grant, your consortium must meet several hard, non-negotiable criteria:

Consortium Composition: It is mandatory for the consortium to include at least two Customs Authorities from at least two different EU Member States or Associated Countries. A 'Customs Authority' is defined as the competent authority 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.
Practitioner Information: All applicants must complete the Annex 'Information about security practitioners' in the application form, using the template provided in the submission IT tool, to justify how each project beneficiary fulfils the additional eligibility conditions.
Geographic Eligibility: Organizations from EU Member States and countries formally associated with Horizon Europe are eligible to receive funding. This includes entities from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden, as well as specific Associated Countries.
Satellite Data Usage: If your project involves the use of satellite-based Earth observation, positioning, navigation, and/or related timing data and services, it is mandatory that beneficiaries utilize Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS. Other data and services may be used in addition.
Communication Network Protection: Projects are subject to restrictions aimed at protecting European communication networks.

Application Process

Applying for this grant involves a single-stage submission process through the European Commission's Funding & Tenders Portal.

Submission Deadline: The absolute deadline for submitting your proposal is 2025-11-12 at 00:00:00+0000.
Submission Opening Date: The submission session for this topic opened on 2025-06-12.
Required Documentation and Materials:
- You must submit a standard application form (specifically, Part B, which details your proposal).
- A mandatory Annex titled 'Information about security practitioners' must be completed. This requires you to use a specific template provided within the submission IT tool, detailing how each project beneficiary fulfills the additional eligibility conditions related to security practitioners.
- A detailed budget table (HE LS) is required to calculate the lump sum contribution for your project.
Submission Format and Platform: All applications must be submitted electronically via the Electronic Submission Service accessible through the Funding & Tenders Portal.
Support Available: A wide range of support is available to applicants:
- Online Manual: A comprehensive guide covering procedures from proposal submission to grant management.
- Horizon Europe Programme Guide: Provides detailed guidance on the programme structure, budget, and political priorities.
- Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ: Answers to frequently asked questions on submission, evaluation, and grant management.
- Research Enquiry Service: For general inquiries about European research and EU Research Framework Programmes.
- National Contact Points (NCPs): Offer guidance, practical information, and assistance on participation in Horizon Europe, available in EU and many non-EU countries.
- Enterprise Europe Network: Provides advice for businesses, particularly SMEs, including guidance on EU research funding.
- IT Helpdesk: For technical assistance with the Funding & Tenders Portal, login issues, and submission processes.
- European IPR Helpdesk: Assists with intellectual property issues.
- CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk: Advise on standardisation aspects in project proposals.
- The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct: Outline general principles and requirements for researchers, employers, and funders.
- Partner Search: A tool to help find partner organizations for your consortium.
Project Implementation and Reporting: Your project plan should include a mid-term deliverable consisting of an assessment of the project's mid-term outcomes, to be performed by the practitioners involved in the project. Since funding is lump sum based, financial reporting on incurred costs is not required; instead, monitoring and evaluation will focus on the technical implementation and the achievement of work package conditions.

Evaluation Criteria

Applications for this grant will be evaluated based on standard Horizon Europe criteria (Excellence, Impact, and Quality and Efficiency of Implementation), with specific emphasis on the following:

Innovation and Creativity: Proposals should address 'new, upcoming or unforeseen challenges' and/or present 'creative or disruptive solutions' for improving customs and supply chain security. If your proposed solution relates to previous Horizon Europe calls (e.g., 'Effective Management of EU External Borders'), you must convincingly explain how your proposal builds upon, rather than duplicates, those efforts.
Impact Expectations: Projects are expected to demonstrate a clear contribution to improved customs and supply chain security through enhanced prevention, detection, deterrence, anti-tampering measures, and the fight against illegal activities. This also includes fostering better interoperability and minimizing disruption to trade flows.
Cross-Cutting Themes Integration: Evaluators will look for the effective integration of:
- Human Rights, Law, and Ethics: Your solutions must integrate perspectives on safeguarding and promoting human rights, and considering human rights, law, and ethical considerations. Engagement with citizens and civil society for broader input and support is welcome.
- Cybersecurity: If relevant to your solution, aspects of cybersecurity for the technology proposed and the protection of communication systems and networks involved must be addressed.
- Sustainability and Efficiency: Proposals that contribute to a 'lower environmental impact and footprint', 'better cost-efficiency', 'better energy-efficiency', and/or 'better operational autonomy' of capabilities and solutions are particularly welcome.
- Gender Dimension: The integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content should be addressed only if relevant to the objectives of your research effort.
Budget Assessment: Experts with financial expertise will rigorously check your detailed budget estimate. This involves assessing the proposed resources and the allocation of lump sum shares against relevant benchmarks (like market prices, statistical data, or historical data) to ensure they are appropriate for achieving the outlined activities and expected outputs.

Compliance & Special Requirements

This grant carries specific compliance obligations and unique features:

Regulatory Compliance: Your project must comply with general Horizon Europe regulations. Additionally, it is specifically 'subject to restrictions for the protection of European communication networks'.
Data Protection and Privacy: While not explicitly detailed, the requirement to protect communication systems and networks implies adherence to relevant data protection and privacy regulations.
Environmental Compliance: Proposals that demonstrate a contribution to a 'lower environmental impact and footprint' are particularly welcomed.
Ethical Standards: There is a strong emphasis on integrating 'human rights, law and ethical perspectives' into your solutions. Consideration of and engagement with individuals and society, including citizens and civil society, are encouraged.
Intellectual Property (IP): General Horizon Europe IP policies apply, although specific details are not provided within the grant text.
Technical Specifications: Cybersecurity of the proposed technology and the protection of communication systems and networks involved in the solutions are critical considerations, where relevant.
Risk Management: While specific risk management plans are not outlined, the lump sum funding model shifts the focus of checks, reviews, and audits from financial compliance to the technical implementation of the action and the fulfilment of work package conditions. If conditions for payment are not met, the granting authority can recover undue payments.
Unique Aspects and Opportunities:
- Mandatory Practitioner Involvement: A distinct and non-negotiable requirement is the active involvement, as beneficiaries, of at least two Customs Authorities from at least two different EU Member States or Associated Countries.
- Financial Support to Third Parties: Projects are expected to use a portion of their EU funding (5% to 20%, up to EUR 100,000 per third party) to provide financial support to additional Customs Authorities. This is intended to facilitate extensive piloting, testing, and validation activities.
- Lump Sum Funding: This funding model aims to simplify administration by paying based on completed work packages rather than actual costs. This means less financial reporting burden but a higher emphasis on clear deliverables and technical progress.
- Strategic Preferences: Proposals that foster 'better cost-efficiency', 'better energy-efficiency', and/or 'better operational autonomy' of capabilities and solutions are highly valued.
Cross-cutting Considerations: The 'gender dimension' (sex and gender analysis) should be addressed in the research and innovation content only if relevant to the specific objectives of your project.
Industry-Specific Compliance: As the grant targets customs and security, compliance with sector-specific regulations and standards related to border management and illegal goods is implicitly required.

Grant Details