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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant, an Innovation Action within the Horizon Europe framework, aims to significantly improve the security of EU external borders and maritime environments. It seeks novel and disruptive technological and operational solutions to enhance surveillance, real-time situational awareness, and rapid response capabilities. The core objective is to tackle challenges like illegal trafficking, irregular migration, natural disasters, piracy, and potential terrorist attacks in these critical areas. This is a SECTOR-SPECIFIC grant, primarily targeting organizations involved in civil security, border management, and maritime operations. The specific target recipients are Border or Coast Guard Authorities from EU Member States or Associated Countries, which must be actively involved as beneficiaries. Other security practitioners like Police and Customs Authorities are also welcome to participate. Its geographic scope is focused on EU external borders and maritime surrounding areas, including pre-frontier regions that might be impacted by geopolitical instabilities. This grant is part of an ongoing program within Horizon Europe, suggesting it's a recurring funding area.

Financial Structure

This grant utilizes a lump sum contribution model, simplifying financial management by paying based on the completion of work packages rather than incurred costs.

Budget per Grant: The target grant has an estimated budget of 3,333,333 EUR per grant, with three grants expected to be awarded under this topic, leading to a total topic budget of 10,000,000 EUR.
Payment Mechanism: Payments are released when the corresponding work packages are properly implemented and conditions are met, as defined in the grant agreement's Annex 1. Payments do not depend on the actual costs incurred by beneficiaries.
Eligible Costs: The lump sum is calculated based on estimated direct and indirect project costs that would typically be eligible under Horizon Europe rules. These categories include:
- Personnel costs: Employees, contractors, seconded persons, SME owners.
- Subcontracting costs.
- Purchase costs: Travel, subsistence, equipment (depreciation or full capitalized), other goods, works, and services.
- Other cost categories: Financial support to third parties, internally invoiced goods/services, access to research infrastructure, and PCP/PPI procurement costs.
Indirect Costs: A flat rate of 25% for indirect costs is applied to qualifying direct cost categories when estimating the lump sum, aligning with general Horizon Europe rules.
Co-financing Principle: The proposal's total estimated costs must be greater than the requested Union contribution, demonstrating adherence to the co-financing principle.
Financial Reporting: Beneficiaries are not required to report actual costs to the granting authority, but they must comply with their national accounting rules. Financial checks will focus on the technical implementation of work packages.
Mutual Insurance Mechanism: Between 5% and 8% of the total lump sum is retained as a contribution to the Mutual Insurance Mechanism.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for this grant, your project must meet the following mandatory criteria:

Consortium Requirement: The project proposal must include at least two Border or Coast Guard Authorities from at least two different EU Member States or Associated Countries as active beneficiaries. These authorities are defined as competent bodies designated by national law to perform civilian border management and maritime security tasks.
Geographic Origin: All participating organizations must be established in EU Member States or Associated Countries.
Security Practitioner Information: For all Border or Coast Guard Authorities (and any other involved security practitioners like Police or Customs), applicants must complete a specific 'Information about security practitioners' annex within the application form.
Satellite Data Usage (if applicable): If your project involves satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation, or related timing data and services, you must utilize Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS data/services. Other data sources can be used additionally.
Organizational Type: While the mandatory participants are public authorities (Border/Coast Guard), other types of organizations such as companies (including SMEs and larger enterprises), research institutions, and potentially NGOs involved in security technology or operations are likely eligible to join the consortium as beneficiaries.
Technical Expertise: Projects should demonstrate the necessary technical expertise to develop and implement advanced security technologies, including but not limited to sensing, autonomous platforms, data processing, robotics, computing technologies, and decision-support systems.
Capacity: Projects are expected to propose solutions that are modular and scalable to address diverse regional and challenge-specific needs.

Application Process

Applying for this grant involves a single-stage submission process through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Application Deadline: The submission deadline for proposals is 2025-11-12 at 00:00:00 UTC+0000.
Submission Platform: Applications must be submitted via the Electronic Submission Service on the Funding & Tenders Portal.
Required Documentation:
- A standard application form (specific to Horizon Europe Innovation Actions) is used, available in the Submission System.
- Applicants must complete an Annex 'Information about security practitioners' within the application form, following a template provided in the submission IT tool, detailing the mandatory Border/Coast Guard Authorities and any other security practitioners.
- Proposals require a detailed budget breakdown per work package and per beneficiary, using templates published by the granting authority, even though payments are lump sum based.
Application Guidance: Comprehensive guidance is available through the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, the Horizon Europe Programme Guide, the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, and specific 'Lump sums - what do I need to know?' guidance.
Project Timeline & Deliverables: Projects are expected to have a well-defined implementation timeline. A specific mid-term deliverable is required, consisting of an assessment of the project's mid-term outcomes performed by the involved security practitioners. This ensures active involvement and timely feedback from end-users.

Evaluation Criteria

Applications for this grant will be evaluated based on their ability to deliver against the following key criteria, focusing heavily on innovation and practical impact:

Impact on Security: The primary measure is the contribution to improved security of EU external borders and maritime environments against various threats (trafficking, irregular migration, disasters, piracy, terrorism, cyber/hybrid threats). This includes enhancing surveillance, real-time situational awareness, and reaction capabilities.
Decision-Making Improvement: Projects should demonstrably lead to improved decision-making processes and capabilities for assessing, confirming, and responding to distress situations at sea and on land, allowing for quicker and more effective responses.
Innovation and Novelty: Proposals should present new, upcoming, unforeseen, creative, or disruptive solutions for improving border surveillance and maritime security capabilities. Projects should clearly explain how they build upon, and do not duplicate, previous work.
Technological Advancement: The proposed solutions should leverage advanced technologies such as sensing (tactical, operational, strategic levels), autonomous platforms (aerial, ground, surface, underwater), interconnectivity of sensors and platforms, automated data fusion, data processing, image/signal analysis, robotics, computing technologies (edge/cloud), and decision-support systems/human-machine interfaces.
Societal and Ethical Considerations: Projects must integrate perspectives on safeguarding and promoting human rights (including gender equality), incorporate inputs from law and ethical perspectives, and consider views of individuals and society. Engagement with civil society organizations for wider input and support is encouraged.
Cybersecurity: The proposal should address the cybersecurity aspects of the proposed technology and ensure the protection of communication systems and networks involved in the solutions.
Sustainability and Efficiency: Proposals that contribute to a lower environmental impact and footprint, better cost-efficiency, improved energy-efficiency, and/or greater operational autonomy of the capabilities and solutions are highly desirable.
Operational Relevance and Practitioner Involvement: The active involvement of relevant security practitioners (especially Border/Coast Guard Authorities) is crucial. Projects must plan a mid-term deliverable involving an assessment of project outcomes by these practitioners to ensure timely feedback and practical applicability.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Applicants must adhere to general Horizon Europe compliance standards and specific requirements for this topic:

Regulatory Compliance: All projects must comply with the general conditions outlined in Annex A, Annex B (Eligible Countries), Annex C (Financial and operational capacity and exclusion), Annex D (Award criteria), Annex E (Proposal page limit and layout), Annex F (Submission and evaluation processes, indicative timeline), and Annex G (Legal and financial set-up) of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Lump Sum Specifics: The grant operates under a lump sum funding model. This means payments are contingent on the successful completion of specific work packages, not on the reporting of actual costs. Financial checks will prioritize technical implementation and fulfilment of work package conditions.
Data Protection and Privacy: While not explicitly detailed for this topic, general EU regulations on data protection and privacy (e.g., GDPR) apply to all projects handling personal or sensitive data.
Environmental Considerations: Proposals demonstrating solutions with lower environmental impact and footprint are particularly welcome.
Ethical Standards: Projects must integrate ethical perspectives, safeguarding human rights, and considering societal views. Compliance with ethical standards and research integrity is mandatory.
Intellectual Property (IP): General Horizon Europe IP policies apply, focusing on dissemination and exploitation of results and proper management of intellectual property, although specific policies for this grant are not detailed.
Security and Data Protection: If relevant, the project must address the cybersecurity of the proposed technology and ensure the protection of communication systems and networks involved.
Use of EU Space Infrastructure: Mandatory use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS for projects involving satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation, or timing data/services.
No Double Financing: The financial structure is designed to prevent double financing by assessing estimated costs and the Union contribution. Controls are in place at various stages to ensure this.
Risk Management: While not explicitly detailed, given the nature of border and maritime security, proposals should implicitly address risk management for both the project and the solutions developed.

Grant Details