Open topic on better customs and supply chain security

Opened

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-CL3-2025-01-BM-03

Call

Open topic on better customs and supply chain security

Summary

Under this topic, proposals are welcome to address new, upcoming or unforeseen challenges and/or creative or disruptive solutions for improving capabilities of practitioners for the security of customs and the supply chain. Contexts and scenarios in Europe’s border regions that may in the future be impacted by geopolitical instabilities, tensions from outside the EU or impact on the environment, and need sustained and improved surveillance and reaction capabilities, could be particularly considered. If they relate to some of the topics covered by Horizon Europe Calls Effective Management of EU External Borders 2021-2022 or 2023-2024, the proposals should convincingly explain how they will build on and not duplicate them.

Detailed Call Description

Proposals may also address capabilities related to possible future detection of threats in the flow of goods and/or in the supply chain in a flexible, rapid, relocatable way. Detection capabilities could target one or more type(s) of dangerous, illicit and/or illegal goods or materials, including illicit drugs and their precursors, illegally traded species covered by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) considering the European Deforestation Free Products Regulation, contraband, chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRN-E) threats and/or various modi operandi related to cross-border trafficking, including involving cargo.

Projects should integrate aspects of:

  • perspectives of safeguarding and promoting human rights, developing solutions that contribute to those safeguarding and promotion;
  • inputs from human rights, law and ethical perspectives, as well as the consideration and views of individuals and society, as appropriate; proposals can engage with citizens and civil society for wider input and support;
  • aspects of cybersecurity of the technology proposed, and the protection of communication systems and networks involved in the solutions, if and as relevant.

Proposals that include solutions and/or methods that would contribute to a lower environmental impact and footprint, better cost-efficiency, better energy-efficiency, and/or better operational autonomy of the capabilities and solutions in this topic, would be welcome.

Depending on the particular scope of the proposal, participation of Police Authorities, Border and/or Coast Guards is welcome.

To ensure the active involvement of and timely feedback from relevant security practitioners, proposals should plan a mid-term deliverable consisting in the assessment of the project’s mid-term outcomes, performed by the practitioners involved in the project.

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.

Proposals should plan their activities opting for the financial support to third parties in order to provide financial support to additional (i.e., beyond those partners in the Consortium) practitioners (i.e., authorities with competences of Customs) to engage during the project for additional piloting, testing and/or validation of technologies or methods. From 5% up to 20% of the EU funding requested by the proposal may be allocated to the purpose of financial support to third parties.

Proposals must clearly describe the objectives and the expected results to be obtained, including the elements listed in the application template. Proposals are also expected to describe the methods and processes relevant to comply with the general eligibility conditions for financial support to third parties set out in General Annex B and to demonstrate effectiveness (impact).

Call Total Budget

€9.00 million

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

70%

Expected EU contribution per project: €3.00 million.

Beneficiaries must provide financial support to third parties in the form of grants. The maximum amount to be granted to each third party is €100.000 to support the expected outcomes of the topic and effective collaboration and/or coordination with additional relevant national Customs Authorities, including testing and validation activities within the projects.

Thematic Categories

  • Industry
  • Justice - Security
  • Public Administration
  • Research, Technological Development and Innovation
  • Trade and Commerce
  • Transport

Eligibility for Participation

  • Central Government
  • Educational Institutions
  • Large Enterprises
  • Legal Entities
  • Local Authorities
  • NGOs
  • Other Beneficiaries
  • Private Bodies
  • Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
  • Semi-governmental organisations
  • Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
  • State-owned Enterprises
  • Training Centres

Eligibility For Participation Notes

A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects.

The following additional eligibility criteria apply:

This topic requires the active involvement, as beneficiaries, of at least 2 Customs Authorities from at least 2 different EU Member States or Associated Countries. For these participants, applicants must fill in the table “Information about security practitioners” in the application form with all the requested information, following the template provided in the submission IT tool.

If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS (other data and services may additionally be used).

Call Opening Date

12/06/2025

Call Closing Date

12/11/2025

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:

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