Crime as a service

Closed

Programme Category

EU Competitive Programmes

Programme Name

Horizon Europe (2021-2027)

Programme Description

Horizon Europe is the European Union (EU) funding programme for the period 2021 – 2027, which targets the sectors of research and innovation. The programme’s budget is around € 95.5 billion, of which € 5.4 billion is from NextGenerationEU to stimulate recovery and strengthen the EU’s resilience in the future, and € 4.5 billion is additional aid.

Programme Details

Identifier Code

HORIZON-CL3-2023-FCT-01-05

Call

Crime as a service

Summary

The Crime-as-a-service (CaaS) model proliferates and becomes a prominent feature not only for the cybercriminal underground, but also for traditional criminals hiring specialised digital and financial services. Thus, availability of exploit kits and other services not only serves cybercriminals with low technical skills, but also makes the operations of mature and organised threat actors more efficient.

Projects’ results are expected to contribute to all of the following outcomes:

  • European Police Authorities and policy makers are provided with a robust analysis of the evolution of the contemporary organised crime, its structure, role of hierarchy, membership in the organisation and subcontracting of specialised criminal services.
  • Policy makers benefit from an analysis of the legal framework utilised for countering organised crime, in terms of the validity of the legal definitions and penal provisions adopted and their impact on the effectiveness of judicial verdicts;
  • Improved knowledge within European security institutions regarding developments in the field of organised crime and prospects for the future.

Detailed Call Description

The shape of the organised crime evolves, apart from traditionally closed, clandestine criminal structures, and investigators are increasingly confronted with modern, flexible, specialised and “multi-ethnic” organisations with a global operational range. As these groups seem not to work within permanent multi-layered structures but with various actors delivering on demand services, some of the organised crime characteristics might be subject to a review. Actors in the shadow economy while seeking to maximise their profit, take instant advantage of new ways of operations, exploring and benefiting from modern technologies and organisational schemes to achieve their goals, thus resulting in dynamic transformation of subject networks. The observed trend may be a challenge for the codified laws and definitions of organised crime as supposedly sealed off to outsiders and characterised by fixed and permanent cooperation. In order to enhance the fight against organised crime at the European level, there is a need for distinct research to gain comprehensive insight into the internal workings of modern organised crime structures and their marketplaces.

Call Total Budget

€4.00 million

Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan

100%

Expected EU contribution per project: €4.00 million

Thematic Categories

  • Justice - Security
  • Other Thematic Category
  • Research, Technological Development and Innovation

Eligibility for Participation

  • Central Government
  • Local Authorities
  • Other Beneficiaries
  • Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
  • State-owned Enterprises

Eligibility For Participation Notes

The following additional eligibility criteria apply:

This topic requires the active involvement, as beneficiaries, of at least 3 Police Authorities 15 from at least 3 different EU Member States or Associated Countries. For these participants, applicants must fill in the table “Information about security practitionerss” in the application form with all the requested information, following the template provided in the submission IT tool.

Call Opening Date

29/06/2023

Call Closing Date

23/11/2023

National Contact Point(s)

Research and Innovation Foundation

29a Andrea Michalakopoulou, 1075 Nicosia,
P.B. 23422, 1683 Nicosia
Telephone: +357 22205000
Fax: +357 22205001
Email: support@research.org.cy
Websitehttps://www.research.org.cy/en/

Contact Persons:
Dr. Ioannis Theodorou
Scientific Officer
Τelephone: +357 22 20 50 38
Email: itheodorou@research.org.cy 

Christakis Theocharous
Scientific Officer A’
Telephone: +357 22 20 50 29
Email: ctheocharous@research.org.cy