European Commission logo
Horizon Europe Cluster 3 — Civil Security & Disaster Resilience

Horizon Civil Security: Disruptive Tech Innovation

Funds two €1.5M projects that take an early-stage security technology and prove it works with the practitioners and public authorities who'd use it.

OpenEuropean CommissionEU

Most early-stage security technology never makes it out of the lab. It solves a real problem on paper, but nobody has tested it with the police, fire crews, border guards, or other agencies who'd actually use it — so it stalls at a low readiness level and never reaches the field. This topic exists to close that gap.

It's an 'open' topic, which means the work programme doesn't fix which technology…

Moving a disruptive, early-stage security technology from below TRL 4 to a tested TRL 4-5, so it's ready for real-world civil security use. The work programme doesn't fix which technology — any disruptive innovation qualifies if it improves preparedness, response, or risk mitigation for civil security threats, validated together with security practitioners, public authorities, and researchers.

CycleiHow often this grant runs - e.g. annually, on a rolling basis, or a one-off call.Annual
Next deadlineiThe next date applications are due. Rolling means you can apply any time.5 Nov 2026
Decision timeiTypical time from the deadline to the funder's decision.22 weeks
Project durationiHow long the funded work is expected to run.-
Award typeiThe form of funding - grant, equity, loan, tax credit, etc.Grant
Match fundingiThe share of project costs you must cover yourself. 0% = fully funded.0%
Funding pooliThe total budget available across all awards in this round.€3M

Sign up free to see the funding breakdown

Sign up free to see the industries in scope

Sign up free to see the full eligibility

Sign up free to see how to apply

Sign up free to see what you submit

Sign up free to see how they score you

Sign up free to see the timeline

Sign up free to see where teams trip up

Guides for this application

All guides →

More from European Commission

All grants from this funder →
European Commission logo
Open

Digital Europe Programme

🇪🇺European Commission · European Union

Funds Europe-wide digital capability development in AI, cybersecurity, semiconductors, hardware, and IoT.

AICybersecurity+3
Oct'26
European Commission logo
Open

Crime prevention approaches, online and off-line, tackling the nexus between addictions and crime

🇪🇺European Commission · European Union

Funds research and pilot collaboration between police authorities and civil-society groups to prevent addiction-linked crime across the EU.

€3MNov'26
European Commission logo
Open

Horizon Border Security: Accessible Travel Facilitation

🇪🇺European Commission · European Union

Funds two €4M border-crossing tech projects, run with Border or Coast Guard Authorities, built for travelers with disabilities or low digital skills.

DefenseAI
€4MNov'26
European Commission logo
Open

Horizon Border Security: Age Assessment Reliability

🇪🇺European Commission · European Union

Funds a €1.33M project, run with border and coast guard authorities, that compares how reliable different ways of estimating a young migrant's age really are.

Defense
€1.3MNov'26
European Commission logo
Open

Horizon Border Security: Surveillance & Drone Detection

🇪🇺European Commission · European Union

Funds two €6M projects that build border detection and surveillance tech, run jointly with national Border and Coast Guard authorities.

DefenseIoT & Edge
€6MNov'26
European Commission logo
Open

Horizon Civil Security: Bioterrorism Prevention

🇪🇺European Commission · European Union

Funds a €3M project that reviews how synthetic biology could be misused for bioterrorism and pinpoints where monitoring and regulation fall short.

Synthetic BiologyDefense
€3MNov'26