Open & upcoming calls

Expected Impact: In the long-term , the funding is expected to: • have increased operational capacity of law enforcement and other security-oriented authorities to fight organised crime and drug production and trafficking, including an improved capability to trace and untangle complex money laundering schemes as well as illicit flows of goods. • enhance risk assessments and risk awareness and resilience measures in view of anticipating, preventing and tackling organised crime and drug related crimes. • have improved cross-border cooperation including with key third countries and information exchange (including where possible and applicable with the private sector) and sharing of challenges and good practices in fighting against organised crime. • have improved detection, identification and referral of victims of crime in the context of cross-border operational actions, as well as improved protection of victims in criminal proceedings, in cooperation with civil society organisations. Expected Outcome: Projects should aim to achieve one or more of the following outcomes: • increase understanding of the nature and modus operandi of criminal networks and key actors and enablers including in vulnerable sectors in society and specific situations such as in prisons. • increase monitoring of transportation modalities, routes, and online and detection and interdiction of illicit flows such as illicit drugs. • enhance coordination of law enforcement and other security-oriented authorities in cross-border operations and support multi-stakeholders coordinated responses. • increase involvement of the private sector and civil society and other relevant (non-law enforcement) stakeholders in preventing and combating organised crime and drug production and trafficking. • increase the availability and use of innovations and technical tools for law enforcement inter alia for detection objectives such as production sites and concealed illicit goods. Objective: The general objective of the call for proposals is combating organised crime by dismantling and disrupting criminal networks, their ringleaders and enablers, as well as several priorities of the EU Drugs Strategy that contribute to the fight against drug trafficking and preparedness to respond to drug related security threats. Applications should focus on tackling the activities of criminal networks, especially those whose activities represent a greater threat to society . Scope: The call contains 4 horizontal priority areas (for all organised crimes) and 2 crime-specific priority areas: • improving the intelligence picture on criminal networks • facilitating cross border investigations • facilitating financial investigations • supporting crime prevention measures and tackling criminal infiltration • strengthening capabilities to fight drug production and trafficking • Strengthening EU and national preparedness against drug related security threats. The project applications submitted under the present call for proposals must address one, but preferably more, of the following priorities stipulated in points 1 to 6

ing at research and innovation to contribute to water security in the long term. In line with the strategic objectives of Water4All, the results should contribute to the implementation of evidence-based, global, EU and national water management policies and strategies, within the frameworks of the European Green Deal, the zero-pollution action plan, the Water Framework Directive and the two so-called daughter directives on groundwater and quality of surface water, the Just Transition Mechanism, the European Water Resilience Strategy and the Sustainable Development Goals. Proposals should show cognisance of appropriate legislation and policy frameworks that are relevant for the call at national and international levels. Call topics: The context for the general call topics is described in Theme III of the Water4All Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda , “Integrated water management” . The Water4All 2026 Joint Transnational Call focusing on Sustainable Water Management (excluding extreme events and circularity) invites proposals that address critical challenges related to Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM), River Basin Management, Groundwater Management, Water Resilience, Integrated Water Monitoring and data management, Water-positive solutions . Research and innovation proposals submitted under the Water4All 2026 Joint Transnational Call are required to address at least one of the following topics : Topic 1: Integrated monitoring and assessment for sustainable wate

+ Programmes Innovation programmes Eurostars Eurostars is part of the European Partnership on Innovative SMEs. The partnership is co-funded by the European Union through Horizon Europe . Eurostars is a funding instrument that supports innovative SMEs and project partners (large companies, universities, research organisations and other types of organisations) by funding international collaborative R&D and innovation projects. By participating, organisations can access public funding for international collaborative R&D projects in all fields. To have a successful Eurostars application you must: Eurostars call. Deadline: 10 Sep 2026. Source: Eureka Network catalogue.

to support transnational research and innovation projects (36 months) addressing one of the four priority areas below (subject to funded priority areas by participating funding organisations, see Annex): Priority area 1: Transitioning the blue economy sectors for sustainability and strategic autonomy Priority area 2: Managing sea-uses by advancing digital and ecosystem-based approaches Priority area 3: Promoting sustainable blue bioresources through innovation in marine production and harvesting Priority area 4: Building resilience in coastal communities with infrastructure and businesses Each of these priority areas contributes directly to one or more of the Ocean DecadeChallenges, supporting actionable knowledge generation, policy uptake, capacity development, and inclusive innovation in the blue economy context. Projects in this co-funded call must be impact-driven contributions to the transformation into a blue economy for a more resilient future and towards carbon neutrality targets, following an impact pathway approach. The proposals are strongly recommended to consider a minimum of two EU sea basins which are: the Atlantic Ocean, Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and North Sea, and to assess the project proposal’s impact and potential replication/scalability on various sea basins. Proposals can target European regional seas such as Adriatic Sea, Aegean Sea, the Arctic, Barents Sea, Celtic Sea, etc. but they must be from a minimum of 2 different EU Sea basins. T

Advanced cryptographic schemes and High-Assurance high-speed cryptographic implementations

Enhancing the Security, Privacy and Robustness of AI Models and Systems (SecureAI)

Approaches and tools for security in software and hardware development and assessment

Enhancing the Security, Privacy and Robustness of AI Models and Systems (SecureAI)

Approaches and tools for security in software and hardware development and assessment

Targeted innovative capabilities for the resilience of critical entities to natural and human-induced disasters, including hybrid scenarios

to mobilise research and innovation to accelerate the transition to a sustainable use of forest resources and a circular, timber-based, bioeconomy. Serving as the primary instrument for collaboration among stakeholders in EU Member States and Associated Countries, the partnership will facilitate coordinated research and innovation (R&I) actions in order to reduce fragmentation and foster innovation and competitiveness in the forest-based sector. The purpose is to support further transformation towards biodiverse, climate-adaptive, multifunctional and sustainable forest management, innovating within the bioeconomy and helping achieve an increasingly productive, resource-efficient and resilient sector. The first Joint Call of the European partnership FOREST brings together 38 Research Funding Organisations (RFOs) from 28 countries. The total indicative call budget including EU co-contribution is over EUR 40 million . This first Joint Call is intentionally broad in terms of the range of issues addressed. This allows the partnership the flexibility to accommodate different research and innovation needs while fostering synergies between these areas and aligning with goals outlined in the SRIA. The following topics are included: TOPIC 1 – Climate-Resilient Forest Systems ; TOPIC 2 – Adaptive and Multifunctional Forest Management Systems ; TOPIC 3 – Timber and Innovative Wood-Based Products ; TOPIC 4 – Forest Value Chains, Markets and Governance . The participating countries (and or

Democracies are at risk when reliable and independent journalism is at risk. Journalistic newsrooms are under severe economic pressure, forced to compete for citizens' attention with infotainment that sometimes entails unverified opinions and low-quality or malicious sources. Applicants are invited to work together with news media organisations to enhance innovation across the news media sectors, focusing on: development of methods to recognise content produced with journalistic standards (trust indicators, browser plugins, metadata standards); identification of AI models that help media build attractive services and generate revenues; innovative methods for user-centric design; and roll-out of pan-European innovative platforms. Proposals are also encouraged to investigate the need for transparency and accountability mechanisms for influencers and content creators, and the evolving trust dynamics between human-curated journalism and AI-driven news delivery.

In an era characterised by numerous concurrent crises, accelerated technological development, and waning public trust in government, this topic aims to furnish a precise depiction of the current condition of public service in EU Member States and Associated Countries. Proposals are expected to cover three focus areas: (1) New governance paradigm — new governance approaches and reforms in response to declining public trust, including anticipatory governance, agile leadership, the impacts of digital technology (especially AI and automation), open government approaches, and central communication strategies; (2) Innovative approaches to public service and policy development — multidisciplinary approaches including citizen participation, stakeholder engagement, systems thinking, and the role of technology/AI and interconnected data systems; (3) New public employment management and civil service empowerment — transforming the civil service through innovation and HR policy, including upskilling, reskilling, future literacy, and organisational framework conditions conducive to innovation.

The integrity of electoral processes in Europe is facing challenges in the digital age. The digital transformation of democratic processes has created new avenues for citizen engagement, but it also poses significant risks from disinformation to the integrity of electoral and other democratic processes. Proposals should examine the effects of digital technologies on public opinion and governance, and investigate the development of ethical AI, transparent political advertising, and tools to counter misinformation, disinformation and foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI). This includes exploring multi-stakeholder approaches, fostering dialogue with online platforms, media and political parties, and examining how AI-generated content influences public opinion, social narratives, and civic engagement. The ultimate goal is to create robust and resilient electoral systems that can meet the challenges of the digital age, ensure the safety and integrity of electoral processes, and promote free, fair, inclusive and transparent elections.

Digital and media literacy as drivers for democratic and civic resilience

Expected Impact: In the short term, the funding is expected to: • Increase understanding and dissemination of challenges, risks and good practices in the priority areas identified under this call; • Enhance communication, coordination and operational cooperation between authorities responsible for the prevention, detection and repression of corruption; • Improve the availability and use of data, methodologies and tools for measuring corruption risks, trends and the impact of anti-corruption measures. Where applicable, proposals should demonstrate how they build on relevant previous or ongoing EU-funded projects and existing corruption measurement frameworks. In the long term, the funding is expected to: • Improve the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of corruption across the EU; • Contribute to the implementation of EU anti-corruption policy priorities, including recommendations addressed to Member States in the Rule of Law Reports and the European Semester, as well as the objectives of the Directive on combating corruption [to be updated when adopted]; • Reduce the role of corruption as an enabler of organised crime and criminal infiltration into the licit economy; • Foster a culture of integrity, transparency and accountability across public and private sectors in the EU. Objective: In line with the European Commission’s policies, as set-out above, the objective of this call is to prevent and combat corruption, by supporting actions addressing both its prevention and repression. Scope: Project applications submitted under the present call for proposals should provide for activities supporting the prevention of, and the fight against corruption, in line with the objectives and priorities described in the call document.

Tillämpningsområde: Syftet med detta ämne är att bedöma möjligheten att skapa en AI-ram för försvarstillämpningar som en språngbräda för att utveckla framtida koncept för taktisk intelligens genom att tillhandahålla militär simuleringskapacitet, historiska dataset, en omfattande databas med scenarion och riktmärken, tillgång till doktrinära modeller och utdata från tidigare utvecklade AI-tjänster. Detta skulle också möjliggöra en gemensam simuleringsram för krigsspel/stridssimuleringar med potential att på liknande sätt underlätta förbättrat lärandestöd vid uppdragsplanering och utförande, bland annat genom AI-aktiverad stridsrymdssimulering. Utöver försvarsteknik bidrar detta ämne också till STEP-målen enligt STEP-förordningen inom målinvesteringsområdet djup och digital teknik. Målinriktade typer av verksamheter: Studier och utformning, med undantag för verksamheter uppströms och nedströms som kan komma i fråga för forskningsåtgärder. Preliminär budget: 16 000 000 euro för detta ämne inom ramen för ansökningsomgången för EDF-2026-RA. EU:s ekonomiska bidrag per förslag: Den begärda finansieringen får inte överstiga 8 000 000 euro. Preliminärt antal förslag som ska finansieras: Flera förslag kan komma att finansieras för detta ämne.

Modelling & simulation supported AI framework for military decision-making and training

Open (non-thematic) lump-sum research call for SMEs and research organisations to pursue any defence-relevant research topic. Eligible areas explicitly include cognitive warfare, information domain operations, AI for military decision-making, and digital governance in defence contexts. The SME coordinator must represent a majority of the consortium budget; research organisation budget may not exceed 40% of total. Lump-sum grant modality with simplified financial management.

Funds the first military multi-domain operational cloud prototype enabling secure operations across land, air, maritime, cyber, and space domains. Addresses fragmented military information systems through standards-based interoperability. Requires EU-secure data governance, chain-of-trust mechanisms, zero-trust architecture, and edge computing capabilities in degraded and contested environments. Must support AI-driven command infrastructure and interoperability with existing national C2 systems across EU member states.