Open topic on research and innovation for effective management of EU external borders that promotes fundamental rights and EU values
Horizon Europe · Grant topic
Summary
A Polish company can use this call for R&D.
Funds research and testing of rights-preserving border management technologies for consortia involving border, coast guard or customs authorities.
- Who can apply
- Companies can lead: SME, large company, startup, research org, university, public body.
- Amount
- €4M per projectTotal budget €8,000,000
- Deadline
- 04 Nov 2027 01:00 CETin 376 days
- Status
- Forthcomingopens 5 May 2027
Machine-classified from the call text; check eligibility at the source.
Description
Expected Outcome:
Project results are expected to contribute to the following expected outcome:
• Improved border management solutions that protect and promote fundamental rights of both EU citizens and Third Country Nationals.
Scope:
Under this Open topic, proposals are welcome to address new, upcoming or unforeseen challenges and/or creative or disruptive solutions that are not covered by the other topics of this Destination in 2026 and 2027.
In particular, this topic will fund research projects that explore, develop and test knowledge and technology solutions in the areas of border surveillance, border checks, customs and supply chain security, and civilian maritime and aviation security border management that protect and promote fundamental rights of both EU citizens and Third Country Nationals, and EU values.
Adapted to the nature, scope, type and target TRL of proposed projects, proposals should convincingly explain how they will plan and/or carry out demonstration, testing and validation of developed tools and solutions. Proposals should be convincing in explaining the methods they intend to use for demonstrating, testing and validating the proposed tools and solutions ensuring that the intersectional perspectives of diverse groups, including gender, sex, age, disabilities, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation and migrant status are integrated and considered. Proposals should also delineate the plans to develop possible future follow-up research and development and/or uptake, upscaling and/or application and use at national and EU level as possible next steps after the research project.
Research proposals should consider, build on if appropriate and not duplicate previous research, including but is not limited to research by other Framework Programmes’ projects.
Technology Readiness Level - Technology readiness level expected from completed projects
Activities are expected to achieve TRL 4-5 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.
Who can apply, in detail
- Applicant types
- SME, Large company, Startup, Research org, University, Public body
- Purpose
- Research and innovation
- R&D relevance
- 3 of 3
- Poland eligible
- Yes
- Country limit
- Required border, coast guard or customs beneficiaries must represent at least two EU Member States or Associated Countries.
- Region
- Any
- Consortium
- Required
- Readiness level (TRL)
- 4-5
- Topics
- Border surveillance
- Border checks
- Customs security
- Rights-preserving technology
Machine-classified from the call text; check eligibility at the source. 23 Oct 2026
Conditions
Typed facts extracted from the source documents by Scindu's grant-data review. Each value keeps its own conditions. Unknown means unstated, not zero or unlimited.
- Applicant restriction
- Participation is subject to restrictions for the protection of European communication networks; the topic refers applicants to General Annex B.
- Eligible project scope
- Type of Action: Research and Innovation Actions.
- Eligible project scope
- The topic supports solutions for border surveillance, border checks, customs and supply-chain security, and civilian maritime and aviation border management that protect and promote fundamental rights of EU citizens and third-country nationals and EU values.
- Other condition
- If a project uses satellite-based Earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data or services, beneficiaries must use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS; other data and services may also be used.
- Partner requirement
- The topic requires the active involvement as beneficiaries of at least two Border, Coast Guard or Customs Authorities from at least two different EU Member States or Associated Countries. Applicants must complete the “Eligibility information about practitioners” table using the submission tool template.
- Technology readiness level at end, maximum
- 5 TRL
Expected end-of-project TRL range, not a staff qualification.
- Technology readiness level at end, minimum
- 4 TRL
Expected end-of-project TRL range, not a staff qualification.
Amounts and costs
- Indicative budget
- €8,000,000
Topic budget as stated in the portal's budget table. Lump-sum and per-project limits are in the call conditions.
- Eligible cost
- The topic states that eligible costs take the form of a lump sum under the Horizon Europe lump-sum decision; it does not set a per-person payment rate.
- Expected project funding, from
- €4,000,000
Indicative expected EU contribution per project is around EUR 4.00 million; different requested amounts may be submitted and selected. This is not a minimum or binding per-project cap.
- Topic allocation
- €8,000,000
Total indicative allocation for the topic, distinct from the expected contribution per project.
Call facts
- Opens
- 5 May 2027
- Deadline model
- Single-stage
- Programme
- Horizon Europe · 2021 - 2027
- Call
- HORIZON-CL3-2027-01 · Civil Security for Society 2027
- Types of action
- HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions
- Keywords
- EU citizens
- EU values
- Open topic
- Third Country Nationals
- border management
- effective management of EU external borders
- fundamental rights
- research and innovation
- Source
- ec.europa.eu
- Checked
- 24 Oct 2026
- Portal updated
- 7 Oct 2026
- Review status
- Partial review
- Reviewed
- 22 Oct 2026
This is a summary of the source page, not the official text. Eligibility, conditions and the submission system are at the source.