Filter Search for grants
Call Navigation
Deadline expired
The deadline for this call has expired.
Call key data
Accelerating uptake through open proposals for advanced SME innovation
Call number
HORIZON-CL3-2024-SSRI-01-02
deadlines
Opening
27.06.2024
Deadline
20.11.2024 17:00
Funding rate
70% (NPO:100%)
Call budget
€ 6,000,000.00
Estimated EU contribution per project
€ 1,500,000.00
Link to the call
Link to the submission
Call content
short description
Knowing that SMEs require additional support to reach the security buyers and that the collaboration opportunities offered by the projects of the Pillar II of Horizon Europe can be a catalyst for uptake, this topic aims to offer a collaborative environment for small and medium innovators to tailor their innovations to the specific needs of civil security end-users.
Call objectives
Europe’s 25 million small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of the EU economy. SMEs can bring innovation to societal challenges, including the security of EU citizens. Innovative SMEs and high-tech start-ups can transform and modernise EU security capabilities.
However, despite the innovation capacity of EU SMEs, these often experience difficulties in finding their way to the public markets. These include red tape in public contracts, access to new customers, access to finance, industrial competition and IP valorisation. These difficulties are exacerbated in markets that show restrictions of different kind, as it is the case of security.
Applicants are invited to submit proposals for technology development along with the following principles:
- Focus on mature technological solutions addressing EU security policy priorities in the areas addressed by the Cluster 3 work programme.
- Not overlapping with the scope of the topics included in the other destinations of this work programme.
- Fostering collaboration between SMEs from different Member States and Associated Countries.
- Involving security end-users in the role of validator and potential first-adopter of the proposed innovations.
- Fostering collaboration schemes between small companies and research and technology organisations and/or big industrial players aimed at fostering innovative technology transfer or creating innovative business models that facilitate access to market and strengthen the innovation capacity of EU SMEs and start-ups in the domain of civil security.
Examples of activities to plan in the proposed projects include, but are not limited to: assimilating market requirements; facilitating access to additional funding; approaching potential public buyers; assess competitive landscape; supporting in innovation management (methodological and process innovation, business model innovation, market innovation); assist in IP management and exploitation; provide guidance for expansion to future markets, etc.
The participation of research and technology organisations should not focus on own technology development but on supporting the small industrial players in accelerating the technology transfer of innovative security solutions for their further development and production.
It is encouraged that one SME takes the coordinator role. Exceptions to this requirement should be duly justified.
The projects should have a maximum estimated duration of 2 years.
Under this topic, projects should address the one of the following areas of Fighting Crime and Terrorism (FCT, Option A), Disaster-Resilient Society (DRS, Option B), Resilient Infrastructure (INFRA, Option C) Border Management (BM, Option D). Some examples of domains that could be addressed:.
Option A: Some examples of domains that could be addressed under the FCT area are: (indicative and non-exhaustive): mobile forensics; deepfake detection; detection of counterfeiting (fake items, fake currency bills) or of falsified/forged documents (passports, ID cards); detection and countering of advanced forms of malware, as well as non-cash payment frauds and other cyber-scams.
Option B: Some examples of domains that could be addressed under the DRS area are (indicative and non-exhaustive): data and satellite/remote sensing information exploitation, positioning and localisation tracking and tracing, monitoring and surveillance for disaster prevention.
Option C: some examples of domains that could be addressed under the INFRA area are: (indicative and non-exhaustive): physical access control, autonomous systems used for infrastructure protection, positioning and localisation tracking and tracing, monitoring and surveillance of environments and activities.
Option D: under the BM area are (indicative and non-exhaustive): facilitated border checks; secure documents and identity management for border crossings; border surveillance; detection of drugs, explosives, Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN), weapons and/or other dangerous materials in customs environment; detection of stolen, smuggled, illicit or illegal goods (cigarettes, art, cultural goods, wildlife) in a customs environment
In this topic, projects should address the EU security policy priorities in the areas addressed by the Cluster 3 work programme.
In this topic, the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content should be addressed only if relevant in relation to the objectives of the research effort.
read more
Expected results
Projects’ results are expected to contribute to some or all of the following outcomes:
- Development of a mature technological solution addressing EU security policy priorities in the areas addressed by the Cluster 3 work programme;
- Facilitated access to civil security market for small innovators;
- Improved cooperation between public buyers and small supply market actors for a swifter uptake of innovation in response to short to mid-term needs;
- Stronger partnerships between small and medium EU security industry and technology actors to ensure the sustainability of the EU innovation capacity in the civil security domain and reduce technological dependencies from non-EU suppliers in critical security areas.
Eligibility Criteria
Regions / countries for funding
Moldova (Moldova), Albania (Shqipëria), Armenia (Հայաստան), Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan), Belarus (Беларусь), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosna i Hercegovina / Босна и Херцеговина), Faeroes (Føroyar / Færøerne), Georgia (საქართველო), Iceland (Ísland), Israel (ישראל / إِسْرَائِيل), Kosovo (Kosova/Kosovë / Косово), Montenegro (Црна Гора), Morocco (المغرب), New Zealand (Aotearoa), North Macedonia (Северна Македонија), Norway (Norge), Serbia (Srbija/Сpбија), Tunisia (تونس /Tūnis), Türkiye, Ukraine (Україна), United Kingdom
eligible entities
Education and training institution, International organization, Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) / Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Other, Private institution, incl. private company (private for profit), Public Body (national, regional and local; incl. EGTCs), Research Institution incl. University, Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)
Mandatory partnership
Yes
Project Partnership
Unless otherwise provided for in the specific call conditions , legal entities forming a consortium are eligible to participate in actions provided that the consortium includes:
- at least one independent legal entity established in a Member State;and
- at least two other independent legal entities, each established in different Member States or Associated Countries.
The JRC, international European research organisations and legal entities created under EU law are deemed to be established in a Member State other than those in which the other legal entities participating in the action are established.
Applications for ‘Training and mobility’actions and for ‘Programme co-fund’ actions may be submitted by one or more legal entities, provided that one of those legal entities is established in a Member State or an Associated Country.
Applications for ‘Coordination and support’ actions may be submitted by one or more legal entities, which may be established in a Member State, Associated Country or, in exceptional cases and if provided for in the specific call conditions, in another third country.
Applications for ‘Pre-commercial procurement’ actions and ‘Public procurement of innovative solutions’ actions must include as beneficiaries a ‘buyers’ group’. This group must consist of a minimum of two independent legal entities that are public procurers, each established in a different Member State or Associated Country and with at least one of them established in a Member State.
Eligible non-EU countries:
- countries associated to Horizon Europe
Please see the List of Participating Countries in Horizon Europe for an up-to-date list of countries with which the association agreements have started to produce legal effects (either through provisional application or their entry into force).
- low-and middle-income countries
Legal entities which are established in countries not listed above will be eligible for funding if provided for in the specific call conditions, or if their participation is considered essential for implementing the action by the granting authority.
other eligibility criteria
Consortia must include, as beneficiaries:
- A minimum of three (3) to a maximum of seven (7) partners.
- At least 2 SMEs from 2 different Member States.
- At least 1 end-user organisation in the areas addressed by the proposal, namely one of the following options:
- Option A "Fighting Organised Crime and Terrorism’’
- Option B ‘"Disaster-Resilient Society’’
- Option C "Resilient Infrastructure"
- Option D ‘"Border Management’’, provided that the applications attain all thresholds.
- At least 2 Member States must be represented in the consortium.
- Participation of non-SME industries and Research and Technology Organisations (RTOs) is not excluded, but it must be limited to 15% of the budget. At least 50% of the budget must be allocated to SMEs.
To ensure a balanced portfolio, grants will be awarded to applications not only in order of ranking but at least also to one project that is the highest ranked within each of the following four options:
- Option A "Fighting Organised Crime and Terrorism’’
- Option B ‘"Disaster-Resilient Society’’
- Option C "Resilient Infrastructure"
- Option D ‘"Border Management’’,
- provided that the applications attain all thresholds (and subject to available budget).
Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum.
Activities are expected to achieve TRL 6-7 by the end of the project.
Additional information
Topics
Relevance for EU Macro-Region
EUSAIR - EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region, EUSALP - EU Strategy for the Alpine Space, EUSBSR - EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, EUSDR - EU Strategy for the Danube Region
UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs)
project duration
max. 24 months
Additional Information
All proposals must be submitted electronically via the Funders & Tenders Portal electronic submission system (accessible via the topic page in the Search Funding & Tenders section). Paper submissions are NOT possible.
Proposals must be complete and contain all parts and mandatory annexes and supporting documents, e.g. plan for the exploitation and dissemination of the results including communication activities, etc.
The application form will have two parts:
- Part A (to be filled in directly online) contains administrative information about the applicant organisations (future coordinator and beneficiaries and affiliated entities), the summarised budget for the proposal and call-specific questions;
- Part B (to be downloaded from the Portal submission system, completed and then assembled and re-uploaded as a PDF in the system) contains the technical description of the project.
Annexes and supporting documents will be directly available in the submission system and must be uploaded as PDF files (or other formats allowed by the system).
The limit for a full application (Part B) is 50 pages.
Call documents
HE-Work Programme 2023-2024, Cluster 3HE-Work Programme 2023-2024, Cluster 3(1701kB)
Contact
To see more information about this call, you can register for free here
or log in with an existing account.
Log in
Register now