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Improving capabilities of law enforcement to counter climate-related challenges

Horizon Europe · Grant topic

HORIZON-CL3-2026-01-FCT-01

Summary

A Polish company can use this call for R&D.

Funds research, specialised technologies and skills addressing climate-related crime and policing challenges, requiring police authorities from at least two countries.

Who can apply
Companies can lead: SME, large company, startup, research org, university, NGO, public body.
Amount
€4M per projectTotal budget €8,000,000
Deadline
05 Nov 2026 01:00 CETin 12 days
Status
Openopened 6 May 2026
Open on the portalRegister to keep this call

Machine-classified from the call text; check eligibility at the source.

Description

Expected Outcome:

Project results are expected to contribute to some or all of the following expected outcomes:

• Police Authorities in Europe are equipped with specialised skills and technologies to counter an increase in illegal activities related to the climate change and the emergence of new (opportunistic) criminal patterns;

• Improved understanding by policymakers of the effects of climate change on law enforcement with a view of developing related effective European policies;

• improved knowledge of the impacts of climate change phenomena on social dynamics which can raise demands from public authorities to keep public order, moving beyond traditional perspectives about crime and terrorism.

Scope:

Global climate change is a megatrend expected to affect our societies over the next decade. As stated in “Germany: National interdisciplinary climate risk assessment”[1], “We are already living in the climate crisis. This brings substantial security risks at global and national levels. (...) Anyone thinking about security needs to think about climate as well”.

Climate change will affect European law enforcement in various ways [2], [3]. Notably, it is likely to create new opportunities and resources for organised crime, challenging current security frameworks. One of the expected outcomes of climate change will be the emergence of scarcity markets. Links between resource scarcity propelled by climate change and the crime opportunities for organised crime groups need to be further analysed. Criminal networks will aim to dominate the scarcity markets, increasing their role in the distribution of essential goods and services such as food and water. In addition, criminal networks will facilitate the movement of migrants, including women and children, escaping conflict and the effects of climate change; increased flux of migration due to extreme weather conditions may raise opportunities for human trafficking and exploitation. Furthermore, the decline in biodiversity will translate into more animal species under threat of extinction targeted by wildlife traffickers. In this landscape, the adoption of new technologies will bolster criminal organizations of various kinds. Examples of such crimes, illegal activities, threats and harms connected to climate change include: environmental crimes contributing to climate change (illegal mining and extraction, illegal use of underwater sources and streams, illegal deforestation, illegal waste management), wildlife trafficking and poaching, fraud and financial crimes (greenwashing, carbon credit fraud, misuse of climate funds), exploiting climate change-related disasters (water theft, looting after disasters, land grabbing), or social tensions (new forms of radicalisation and terrorism, increased displacement and migration challenging public order and disproportionately affecting groups in a vulnerable situation).

New approaches centred around crime and climate change, including crime activities’ association with and amplification by climate change, present unique challenges that require thorough investigation and analysis. Recognizing these emerging trends is vital for formulating effective plans and policies, and equipping law enforcement with specialized skills, technology (including forensics) and training necessary to tackle these challenges in an increasingly volatile world.

In this topic, apart from the mandatory participation of Police Authorities in the consortia, active involvement of other security practitioners, such as civil security services, Border Guard or Customs Authorities, is encouraged if relevant. Technological and societal angles should be addressed in a balanced way.

Coordination among the successful proposals from this topic should be envisaged to avoid duplication and to exploit complementarities as well as opportunities for increased impact. Proposals funded under this topic are expected to provide ideas on how they would engage with the Europol Innovation Lab during the lifetime of the project, including validating the outcomes, with the aim of facilitating future uptake of innovations for the law enforcement community. For Police Authorities’ training-related aspects, cooperation of successful proposals with CEPOL is expected, provided that the Agency opts out from applying for funding. Finally, proposals are expected to address all applicable considerations expressed in the Introduction of the Fighting Crime and Terrorism Destination.

This topic requires the effective contribution of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts, institutions as well as the inclusion of relevant SSH expertise, in order to produce meaningful and significant effects enhancing the societal impact of the related research activities. Research in this area could be strengthened by considering the gender-specific dimensions of vulnerabilities and needs when relevant.

Technology Readiness Level - Technology readiness level expected from completed projects

Activities are expected to achieve TRL 5 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.

[1] https://metis.unibw.de/assets/pdf/National_Interdisciplinary_Climate_Risk_Assessment.pdf

[2] A.Matczak, S.I. Bergh, A review of the (potential) implications of climate change for policing practice worldwide. Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice, Vol. 17, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1093/police/paad062

[3] P. Schwartzstein (2024), Climate Change & Crime: A big, bad, largely overlooked nexus. The Council on Strategic Risks. https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2024/10/17/climate-change-crime-a-big-bad-largely-overlooked-nexus/

Who can apply, in detail
Applicant types
SME, Large company, Startup, Research org, University, NGO, Public body
Purpose
Research and innovation
R&D relevance
3 of 3
Poland eligible
Yes
Country limit
Mandatory police authorities from at least two EU Member States or Associated Countries.
Region
Any
Consortium
Required
Readiness level (TRL)
5
Topics
  • Climate-related crime
  • Law enforcement technologies
  • Climate security
  • Public order

Machine-classified from the call text; check eligibility at the source. 23 Oct 2026

Conditions6

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 type
The topic refers applicants to General Annex B. Unless a specific topic condition provides otherwise, a consortium must include three independent legal-entity beneficiaries established in different countries: at least one in an EU Member State and two others in different EU Member States or Associated Countries. Affiliated entities do not count toward that minimum. This is the general default; topic-specific exceptions and full applicant eligibility remain to be checked.
Eligible project scope
Type of Action: Research and Innovation Actions.
Other condition
The General Annexes state that for lump-sum and unit grants, the funding rate is already applied in the methodology used to fix the amounts and is not shown in the grant agreement. The action-type maximum rate below is therefore a general Horizon Europe ceiling, not an additional calculation to apply to this topic’s fixed lump-sum amount.
Partner requirement
This topic requires the active involvement, as beneficiaries, of at least 2 Police Authorities from at least 2 different EU Member States or Associated Countries.
Technology readiness level at end, maximum
5 TRL

Expected technology readiness level by project end; this describes project outcomes, not applicant eligibility or a hiring condition.

Technology readiness level at end, minimum
5 TRL

Expected technology readiness level by project end; this describes project outcomes, not applicant eligibility or a hiring condition.

Amounts and costs7
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 specifically adopts a Horizon Europe lump-sum grant. The applicable Lump Sum MGA treats the grant as a contribution for completion of work packages; eligibility depends on the amounts in Annex 2 and proper completion/implementation (or results achieved) during the action period. This is not reimbursement of each beneficiary’s actual payroll or service invoices, and does not establish a salary entitlement.
Eligible cost
For project-based Horizon Europe lump sums, the 2026 Commission guidance requires realistic estimates per cost category, beneficiary/affiliated entity and work package. Personnel-cost estimates are permitted only for cost items that would qualify under the corresponding actual-cost eligibility rules, and must follow normal practice, be reasonable, and be necessary and in line with proposed activities. These are inputs for the fixed lump-sum estimate; actual payroll is not separately reimbursed or reported as a claim under the lump-sum grant.
Eligible cost
For the applicable lump-sum model, the contribution is set out in the grant agreement Annex 2 and broken down by participant and work package; payment eligibility is tied to work-package completion and proper implementation or achieved results during the action period, as stated in the agreement. Actual underlying payroll or subcontract cost is not reimbursed invoice-by-invoice under this form.
Funding intensity, maximum
100 percent of eligible costs

General Annex maximum for RIA action type; funding rate is fixed in the grant agreement, may differ under specific topic conditions, and because this topic uses lump sum the rate is already applied in amount methodology. This is an action-type ceiling, not an independently payable addition to the expected contribution.

Expected project funding, up to
€4,000,000

Indicative expected EU contribution per project stated as around EUR 4 million; this is an estimate, not a minimum, maximum, or binding per-project cap. Applicants may request a different amount.

Expected project funding, from
€4,000,000

Indicative expected EU contribution per project stated as around EUR 4 million; this is an estimate, not a minimum, maximum, or binding per-project cap. Applicants may request a different amount.

Topic allocation
€8,000,000

Indicative total topic allocation stated as an amount in EUR million in the call overview; it is distinct from the expected EU contribution per project. Allocation scope: per topic.

Personnel and services4

  • Other role

    Staff cost the grant can fund

    Natural persons working under a direct contract other than an employment contract may be included as personnel cost estimates only when assigned to the action, working under conditions similar to an employee, and the result belongs to the beneficiary (unless otherwise agreed). The estimate follows actual-cost eligibility; no role or pay rate is specified.

  • Other role

    Staff cost the grant can fund

    Costs for employees under an employment contract or equivalent appointing act and assigned to the action; any estimated amount is only a budget input subject to the call’s lump-sum methodology and applicable actual-cost eligibility rules. This is not a prescribed job, required hire, headcount or salary rate.

  • Other role

    Staff cost the grant can fund

    Seconded-person personnel cost estimates are conditional on assignment to the action, employee-like working conditions and ownership of the work result by the beneficiary (unless otherwise agreed), and must correspond to actual costs and not differ significantly from comparable employee tasks. This cost category does not prescribe a job or salary.

  • Other role

    Staff cost the grant can fund

    The work of an SME owner or natural person beneficiary who receives no salary may be declared as personnel costs only if general eligibility conditions are met and the amount is calculated as a unit cost under Annex 2a. No hourly/monthly amount is asserted here.

Source documents5
Call facts
Opens
6 May 2026
Deadline model
Single-stage
Programme
Horizon Europe · 2021 - 2027
Call
HORIZON-CL3-2026-01 · Civil Security for Society 2026
Types of action
HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions
Keywords
  • Police Authorities
  • capabilities
  • climate change
  • crime
  • illegal activities
  • law enforcement
  • public authorities
  • terrorism
Source
ec.europa.eu
Checked
24 Oct 2026
Portal updated
23 Oct 2026
Review status
Partial review
Reviewed
23 Oct 2026

This is a summary of the source page, not the official text. Eligibility, conditions and the submission system are at the source.