Horizon Europe Cluster 3 Civil Security 2026: €131 million across five areas, deadline 5 November

The 2026 Horizon Europe calls for civil security (Cluster 3, "Civil Security for Society") have a total indicative budget of €131 million, split across five areas: crime and terrorism, external borders, resilient infrastructure, disaster resilience and security innovation. European consortia made up of companies, SMEs, universities, research institutes and public authorities can apply. Proposals must be submitted by 5 November 2026.

With a month to go before the deadline, the call mainly suits organisations that are already part of a consortium or that can quickly join one as a partner. In practice, there is no longer time to build from scratch a project that you would coordinate yourself.

In brief

• Programme: Horizon Europe, Cluster 3 "Civil Security for Society", 2026 calls (HORIZON-CL3-2026-01)
• Authority: European Commission, through the European Research Executive Agency (REA)
• Beneficiaries: European consortia of companies, SMEs, universities, research institutes and public authorities, including institutions that use the solutions in practice (police, border police, civil protection)
• Total budget: €131 million (indicative), the sum of the five areas published by the REA
• Submission period: open since May 2026 (6 May or 15 May, depending on the area), deadline 5 November 2026
• Status: open

What does each area fund?

The REA pages show the following indicative budgets for 2026:

• Protecting citizens against crime and terrorism (HORIZON-CL3-2026-01-FCT): €40.67 million, 6 topics. Themes include strengthening police capacity to face climate-related challenges and protecting citizens from terrorist attacks in public spaces. Open since 6 May 2026.
• Effective management of the EU's external borders (HORIZON-CL3-2026-01-BM): €21.33 million, 3 topics. Themes: smarter border surveillance, easier and more accessible travel, and reliable age verification for border security. Open since 6 May 2026.
• Resilient infrastructure (HORIZON-CL3-2026-01-INFRA): €22.67 million, 3 topics. Themes: testing critical infrastructure and the risks of the green transition in cities. Open since 15 May 2026.
• A disaster-resilient society: €32.5 million, 5 topics. One example is the topic on innovative search and rescue tools in hazardous conditions.
• Strengthened security research and innovation (SSRI): €13.83 million, 3 topics. Themes: innovation in SMEs, preparing pre-commercial public procurement of security technologies, and innovation driven by user needs.

All areas share the same submission deadline: 5 November 2026. For the 2025 calls, the REA received 153 proposals in the crime area and 260 in the disaster area, so competition is strong.

Who can apply and how do you submit?

Projects are submitted on the European Commission's Funding & Tenders Portal by international consortia. The exact rules are in the text of each topic on the portal: the minimum consortium composition, the mandatory involvement of end users (for example, law enforcement or civil protection authorities), any participation restrictions for security reasons, and the expected value per project. The REA pages do not publish these details, so check them on the portal, topic by topic.

The indicative timetable published by the REA for the "Resilient infrastructure" area announces the evaluation results in April 2027.

Why does it matter for organisations in Romania?

The call's themes cover areas in which Romania has relevant players: the EU's external border, civil protection and disaster response, and critical infrastructure (energy, transport, urban networks). Public institutions that use such solutions (emergency situations inspectorates, police, border police, local authorities with critical infrastructure) can join as end users. Technology companies can join as solution providers.

What this means for your business

Our recommendation:

• Do not try to coordinate a new project now. A Horizon Europe proposal usually takes several months to prepare. Until 5 November, it is realistic only to join an already formed consortium as a partner.
• Look for consortia that need partners from Romania. The partner search tools on the Funding & Tenders Portal and the national contact points can help. An end user from a country on the EU's external border is often sought after.
• For technology SMEs, the SSRI area and the topics on infrastructure and disasters are the closest to the market. Prepare a one-page description: what technology you have, what maturity level it has reached and what results it has delivered.
• For public authorities, the value lies in access to solutions tested in real conditions. First check whether your institution has the administrative capacity for European reporting.
• Think ahead. If you miss this deadline, the 2026–2027 work programme also provides for calls in 2027. Details will appear on the portal.

If you want to see what other funding suits your profile, you can use the eligibility check.

Frequently asked questions

What is the submission deadline for Cluster 3 Civil Security 2026?

All five areas of the call have a deadline of 5 November 2026. The exact closing time appears on the page of each topic on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

What is the total budget of the 2026 calls?

The indicative budget is €131 million: €40.67 million for crime and terrorism, €21.33 million for borders, €22.67 million for infrastructure, €32.5 million for disasters and €13.83 million for security innovation (SSRI).

Can a Romanian SME apply on its own?

Horizon Europe projects are generally submitted by international consortia, and the composition requirements are set out in the text of each topic. An SME can be a partner or coordinator, depending on the topic and its role in the project.

Can city halls or emergency institutions take part?

Yes, public authorities, police, firefighters and civil protection are among the targeted participants, mainly as end users who test and validate the solutions. Some topics may even require such institutions to take part. Check the text of the topic.

What if I miss the November deadline?

The Cluster 3 work programme covers 2026–2027, so calls in 2027 will follow. Their dates and budgets can be checked on the Funding & Tenders Portal once they are published.

Official sources

• REA: Horizon Europe Cluster 3, Civil Security for Society
• REA: Better Protect the EU and its Citizens against Crime and Terrorism
• REA: Effective Management of EU External Borders
• REA: Resilient Infrastructures
• REA: A Disaster Resilient Society for Europe
• REA: Strengthened Security Research and Innovation (SSRI)

Information checked on 5 October 2026. Conditions may be changed by the managing authority — check the guide in force before you submit.