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Horizon-CL3-2025: Civil Security funding and future outlook
Horizon-CL3-2025 – Civil Security for Society: overview of the 2025 funding landscape and insights for 2026-2027.
The 2025 work programme of the Civil Security for Society cluster under Horizon Europe comes at a critical time: as Europe faces the convergence of geopolitical conflict, natural and human-caused disasters, and rapidly evolving cyber threats, the EU is reaffirming its commitment to civil security research and innovation. Cluster 3 provides a structured and policy-driven investment framework to develop capabilities that protect citizens, infrastructure, and democratic values and support law enforcement authorities and civil protection works — with a clear focus on enhancing resilience, readiness, and response capacity across the Union.
A Capability-Driven Security Programme
With a total indicative budget of €156 million (with additional 90.55 million for cybersecurity), the 2025 call opened on 12 June 2025 and will close on 12 November 2025, offering research and innovation actors a significant opportunity to engage in capability-driven projects with high societal relevance. Cluster 3 addresses areas ranging from terrorism and border control to infrastructure protection, disaster response, and cybersecurity. To achieve this, close collaboration is needed. Researchers, practitioners, industry, and civil society must work together. This ensures that funded innovations address real operational needs. They also respond to the challenges security operators and experts face.
Many topics include a mid-term assessment of project outcomes. These are carried out by the practitioners involved. This reinforces the programme’s focus on practical relevance and early validation.
The Cluster 3 work programme is structured around six thematic Destinations.
Destination 1: Better Protect the EU and Its Citizens Against Crime and Terrorism (FCT)
Indicative budget: €43.5 million
This Destination focuses on crime prevention, modern policing, criminal intelligence, radicalisation, and protecting vulnerable groups. Topics:
→ [RIA – 3 million/project – 6 projects funded] Aims to develop next-generation forensic and data analysis tools for police authorities, including real-time and mobile applications.
→ [RIA – 3 million/project – 4 projects funded] Focuses on the social and psychological roots of criminal behaviour and radicalisation, and tools for awareness and prevention.
→ [IA – 3.75 million/project – 2 projects funded] Supports innovative tools to map and disrupt organised crime networks, including trafficking and money laundering.
→ [IA – 6 million/project – 1 project funded] Funds technologies and education campaigns for mine clearance in civil zones, with a required partnership with Ukrainian demining actors.
Destination 2: Effective Management of EU External Borders (BM)
Indicative budget: €28 million
This Destination targets better border surveillance, secure customs processes, and seamless yet secure travel across EU external borders. Topics:
HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-BM-01: Open topic on efficient border surveillance and maritime security
→ [IA – 3.33 million/project – 3 projects funded] Seeks integrated surveillance systems (air, land, sea) including AI, space data, and situational awareness platforms.
HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-BM-02: Open topic on secured and facilitated crossing of external borders
→ [RIA – 3 million/project – 3 projects funded] Supports tools for identity verification, biometric systems, and smoother border procedures, while ensuring security and privacy.
HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-BM-03: Open topic on better customs and supply chain security
→ [IA – 3 million/project – 3 project funded] Funds innovations to detect illicit goods and improve the security of logistics and customs operations across EU borders.
Destination 3: Resilient Infrastructure (INFRA)
Indicative budget: €22 million
INFRA focuses on protecting critical infrastructure from disruptions—whether natural, cyber, or hybrid—and ensuring continuity of services.
→ [IA – 5 million/project – 3 projects funded]Encourages integrated technical and operational solutions for infrastructure resilience, including predictive analytics and contingency planning.
→ [RIA – 3.5 million/project – 2 projects funded] Explores how training, stress management, and organisational behaviour can enhance crisis response and recovery.
Destination 4: Disaster-Resilient Society for Europe (DRS)
Indicative budget: €41 million
This Destination addresses all phases of disaster risk management—from preparedness and public engagement to response technologies and recovery.
→ [RIA – 4 million/project – 3 projects funded] Supports citizen-driven initiatives, education tools, and local engagement strategies for risk prevention.
→ [RIA – 10.5 million/project – 3 projects funded] Funds governance models and tools to support efficient, scalable and sustainable disaster response systems.
→ [IA – 4.5 million/project – 3 projects funded] Focuses on validating technologies (e.g., sensors, drones, early warning systems) for complex, cross-border emergencies.
→ [IA – 5 million/project – 1 projects funded] Supports robotics, drones, and autonomous platforms designed for use in extreme or hostile environments.
Destination 5: Strengthened Security Research and Innovation (SSRI)
Indicative budget: €28 million
SSRI serves as the enabling Destination—supporting knowledge sharing, uptake acceleration, and innovation procurement to boost market deployment. Topics:
→ [IA – 3.33 million/project – 3 projects funded] Aims to strengthen coordination and awareness-raising activities across national R&I ecosystems.
HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-SSRI-02: Uptake Acceleration Services
→ [IA – 3.33 million/project – 3 projects funded] Funds support services to help R&I results move from lab to market, including mentoring, IPR management and pilot planning.
→ [IA – 3.33 million/project – 3 projects funded] Prepares the ground for future PCP projects through scoping, requirements analysis and stakeholder engagement.
HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-SSRI-04: Accelerating uptake through open proposals for advanced SME innovation
→ [IA – 3.33 million/project – 3 projects funded] Open to SMEs with near-to-market solutions in security innovation, encouraging fast-track uptake.
HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-SSRI-05: Data repository for security research and innovation
→ [IA – 3.33 million/project – 3 projects funded] Establishes shared data infrastructure to facilitate future collaborative research and validation.
→ [IA – 3.33 million/project – 3 projects funded] Full PCP call to co-develop and test innovative solutions with public buyers based on real operational needs.
Destination 6: Increased Cybersecurity (CS)
Indicative budget: €90.55 million
Managed by the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC), this Destination aims to strengthen Europe’s digital resilience by investing in cybersecurity R&I, with emphasis on AI, privacy-preserving tools, and post-quantum cryptography. Topics:
HORIZON-CL3-2025-02-CS-ECCC-01: Generative AI for Cybersecurity applications
→ [RIA – 12/14 million/project – 3 projects funded] Develops AI-based tools for cyber threat detection, prediction, and response.
HORIZON-CL3-2025-02-CS-ECCC-02: New advanced tools and processes for Operational Cybersecurity
→ [IA – 4.5/6 million/project – 4 projects funded] Funds practical tools for Security Operations Centres (SOCs) and cyber incident response.
HORIZON-CL3-2025-02-CS-ECCC-03: Privacy Enhancing Technologies
→ [RIA – 3/4 million/project – 3 projects funded] Supports innovation in cryptographic and privacy-first technologies for secure data use.
HORIZON-CL3-2025-02-CS-ECCC-04: Security evaluations of Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) primitives
→ [RIA – 2/3 million/project – 2 projects funded] Encourages testing and validation of emerging quantum-safe algorithms.
HORIZON-CL3-2025-02-CS-ECCC-05: Security of implementations of PQC algorithms
→ [RIA – 2/3 million/project – 2 projects funded] Targets side-channel protection and secure integration of PQC into systems.
HORIZON-CL3-2025-02-CS-ECCC-06: Integration of PQC algorithms into high-level protocols
→ [RIA – 2/3 million/project – 2 projects funded] Focuses on adapting cryptographic protocols to support PQC across digital infrastructure.
Here to help. Strategy for applicants
The 2025 Cluster 3 programme offers a compelling opportunity for R&I consortia. Specifically, it is ideal for those able to combine technological innovation with societal impact and operational relevance. To maximise your chances of success, consider the following actions:
– Firstly, involve practitioners from the very beginning. This includes, in particular, police, border, civil protection, or customs authorities.
– Secondly, ensure your proposal aligns with key EU strategies, such as the Counter-Terrorism Agenda or the EU Border Management roadmap.
– Thirdly, demonstrate a clear path to uptake. This should cover adoption, scalability, and long-term impact.
– Furthermore, integrate cross-border cooperation and SSH (social sciences and humanities) when required.
If you are planning to coordinate or join a proposal, now is the time to act. Start identifying partners, define the added value of your solution, and align your concept with the Destination priorities.
At Zabala Innovation, we are ready to provide you with practical help and tailored advice. Feel free to contact us to learn more!
Looking ahead: What to expect in 2026–2027
According to the draft version of the CL3 Work Programme for 2026–2027 (not yet official), the overall structure is expected to remain largely the same. In particular, the six existing Destinations will continue without change, maintaining their capability-based logic and framework.
However, the content will be adapted to address new and emerging threats. These include lone-actor violence, the misuse of synthetic biology, and online harms.
In addition, the programme will reflect shifting operational realities. These involve, for example, new forms of radicalisation, evolving technology misuse, and security risks driven by climate change.
Moreover, some broader evolutions are already becoming visible:
- Stronger policy alignment: the draft explicitly references horizontal EU strategies such as the Internal Security Strategy, the Preparedness Union Strategy, and frameworks for protecting democracy and institutional resilience.
- A greater focus on societal resilience and support for vulnerable and marginalised groups is embedded across the Destinations, responding to the broader goal of “protecting democracy” and building inclusive, trusted security solutions.
- Climate change and environmental threats are increasingly framed as security challenges. For example, the FCT Destination foresees a topic on “Impact of climate change on law enforcement,” while disaster resilience topics promote multi-hazard and climate-adaptive planning.
- Cybersecurity topics continue to be managed indirectly by the ECCC — highlighting continuity in governance for that Destination.
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