What this call funds
Expected Outcome
Project results are expected to contribute to some or all of the following expected outcomes:
- Improved understanding of links between addictions and crime, including drivers of criminality;
- Innovative and effective solutions, including training curricula, for Police Authorities in Europe and relevant Civil Society Organisations (or Non-Governmental Organisations) to prevent addictions and related crimes, with a special attention to young people at risk;
- Evidence-based support to modernising European criminal justice system’s approach when dealing with addiction-related offenses;
- Novel approaches of collaboration between different stakeholders, primarily Police Authorities in Europe and Civil Society Organisations (or Non-Governmental Organisations), to increase communities’ addiction resilience, security and safety.
Scope
A close and complex relationship exists between addictions, such as gambling, drug or alcohol use, and crime (e.g., criminals are often under the influence of drugs while committing crimes, gamblers or drug users commit crimes to pay for their debts or drugs). In this topic, successful proposals are expected to analyse the specific nexus between addictions and crime, with the aim of developing related modern methodologies and tools for prevention of not only addictions but also crimes related to them, both offline and online, while respecting the fundamental rights of the communities concerned and using of non-stigmatising language. Novel approaches of collaboration between different community stakeholders, from Police Authorities, civil society, national and local entities, private actors, trained psychologists, are expected to be developed as well, with the aim of increasing communities’ addiction resilience, security and safety. An emphasis of the work should be on young people at risk, the criminal justice system, drivers of criminality and pathways from committing a petty crime because of addiction to progressively getting involved in organised crime. Activities proposed within this topic should address the issue from various angles, combining both social research with technological development and applications in a logical manner.
Therefore, 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. Also, incorporating a gender-sensitive approach will allow to better understand the relationships between addiction, crime, and gender, leading to more effective interventions that address the specific needs of men, women, and marginalized groups.
Proposals should outline the plans to develop possible future uptake and upscaling at national and EU level for possible next steps once the project is finalised. Proposals should also consider, build on if appropriate and not duplicate previous research. 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.
Furthermore, proposals funded under this topic are expected to provide ideas on how they would engage with the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) during the lifetime of the project, including validating the outcomes, with the aim of facilitating future uptake of innovations. For aspects of training of Police Authorities, 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.
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.
Eligibility & conditions+
General conditions
1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout
described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.
2. Eligible Countries
described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
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. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
3. Other Eligible Conditions
The following additional eligibility criteria apply:
This topic requires the active involvement, as beneficiaries, of at least 2 Police Authorities[[In the context of this Destination, ‘Police Authorities’ means public authorities explicitly designated by national law, or other entities legally mandated by the competent national authority, for the prevention, detection and/or investigation of terrorist offences or other criminal offences, specifically excluding police academies, forensic institutes, training facilities as well as border and customs authorities.]] and at least 2 Civil Society Organisations (or Non-Governmental Organisations) from at least 3 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).
described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion
described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds
are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes
are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement
described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants
The granting authority may, up to 4 years after the end of the action, object to a transfer of ownership or to the exclusive licensing of results, as set out in the specific provision of Annex 5.
Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025) [[This decision is available on the Funding and Tenders Portal, in the reference documents section for Horizon Europe, under ‘Simplified costs decisions’ or through this link: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/ls-decision_he_en.pdf]].
described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Specific conditions
described in the [specific topic of the Work Programme]
Some activities resulting from this topic may involve using classified background and/or producing of security sensitive results (EUCI and SEN). Please refer to the related provisions in section B Security — EU classified and sensitive information of the General Annexes.
Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA):
Application form templates — the application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System
Standard application form (HE RIA, IA)
Evaluation form templates — will be used with the necessary adaptations
Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA)
HE Programme Guide
Model Grant Agreements (MGA)
Lump Sum MGA
Call-specific instructions
Detailed budget table (HE LS)
Information on financial support to third parties (HE)
Guidance: "Lump sums - what do I need to know?"
Additional documents:
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 6. Civil Security for Society
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes
HE Programme Guide
HE Framework Programme 2021/695
HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme
Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment
EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement
Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual
Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions
Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement
Source: EU Funding & Tenders Portal · synced 2026-06-30