European UnionPublic Institution, Private Business, Research Institution
Demand-led innovation for civil security through Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP)
HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-SSRI-06 HORIZON Pre-commercial Procurement
Funding Amount
€5.5M - €5.5M
Deadline
12/11/2025
Eligible Organization Types
Public Institution, Private Business, Research Institution
Trusted by
What is the Demand-led innovation for civil security through Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) Call?
Grant Description
This pre-commercial procurement call invites public procurers to organise PCP actions to acquire research and development services and innovative civil security technology solutions. It aims to foster a community of civil security practitioners across the European Union, support SMEs and startups in accessing the public procurement market, and drive the development, validation and market uptake of at least two prototypes in real operational environments through demand-side innovation, collaborat...
Required Results for Successful Funding
Expected Outcomes
• A community of EU civil-security practitioners with shared needs for innovative technology solutions, supported by an industrial base of SMEs and startups, accessing the public procurement market and scaling up their business
• Procurers facilitating commercialization by providing first customer references for validation and pilot deployment of innovative solutions
• Increased opportunities for wide market uptake and economies of scale through heightened demand, broad dissemination of results, and contributions to standardisation, regulation or certification where relevant
• Public procurers collectively implementing PCPs to drive demand-side innovation and broaden commercialization opportunities, enabling European companies to achieve or maintain international leadership in new security markets
• Procurers facilitating commercialization by providing first customer references for validation and pilot deployment of innovative solutions
• Increased opportunities for wide market uptake and economies of scale through heightened demand, broad dissemination of results, and contributions to standardisation, regulation or certification where relevant
• Public procurers collectively implementing PCPs to drive demand-side innovation and broaden commercialization opportunities, enabling European companies to achieve or maintain international leadership in new security markets
Funded areas
Scope Requirements
Proposals must:
• Be led by a consortium of ≥3 security practitioners and ≥3 public procurers from 3 different EU Member States or Associated Countries (one organisation may fulfill both roles)
• Build on outcomes of previous CSA projects to justify and de-risk the PCP action, demonstrating the significance of the challenge and need to mature and compare alternative technologies
• Demonstrate interest from a broader community of potential buyers willing to jointly adopt proven mature and operationally viable solutions
• Include a comprehensive state-of-the-art and market landscape analysis aligned with identified needs and presenting multiple technical alternatives
• Present a draft plan and readiness of documentation and administrative procedures for the compliant launch of the PCP tender
• Complete open market consultations in at least three EU Member States (prior consultations from CSA projects may be reused if still relevant)
• Cooperate with policymakers to strengthen national policy frameworks and mobilize substantial national budgets beyond the project scope
• Clarify compliance with the EU Directive on public procurement, particularly PCP principles
• Include procurer declarations of deployment interest via one of four fast-track PCP options: procurement during PCP, follow-up procurement, free adoption (e.g. open-source), or financial/regulatory incentives for end-users (max €100 000)
• Allocate sufficient time and budget for prototype deployment, validation, and incentives to ensure post-PCP adoption
• Outline clear post-PCP activities: deliverables for follow-up procurement preparation or concrete deployment preparation steps if no buying commitment is in place at proposal stage
• Be led by a consortium of ≥3 security practitioners and ≥3 public procurers from 3 different EU Member States or Associated Countries (one organisation may fulfill both roles)
• Build on outcomes of previous CSA projects to justify and de-risk the PCP action, demonstrating the significance of the challenge and need to mature and compare alternative technologies
• Demonstrate interest from a broader community of potential buyers willing to jointly adopt proven mature and operationally viable solutions
• Include a comprehensive state-of-the-art and market landscape analysis aligned with identified needs and presenting multiple technical alternatives
• Present a draft plan and readiness of documentation and administrative procedures for the compliant launch of the PCP tender
• Complete open market consultations in at least three EU Member States (prior consultations from CSA projects may be reused if still relevant)
• Cooperate with policymakers to strengthen national policy frameworks and mobilize substantial national budgets beyond the project scope
• Clarify compliance with the EU Directive on public procurement, particularly PCP principles
• Include procurer declarations of deployment interest via one of four fast-track PCP options: procurement during PCP, follow-up procurement, free adoption (e.g. open-source), or financial/regulatory incentives for end-users (max €100 000)
• Allocate sufficient time and budget for prototype deployment, validation, and incentives to ensure post-PCP adoption
• Outline clear post-PCP activities: deliverables for follow-up procurement preparation or concrete deployment preparation steps if no buying commitment is in place at proposal stage
Additional Conditions for Applicants
Special Conditions
• Budget: EUR 5.5 million; single-stage call; opening 12 June 2025; deadline 12 November 2025, 17:00 Brussels time
• Eligible costs: PCP/PPI procurement costs; subcontracted work must be performed in ≥3 Member States unless otherwise approved
• Consortium composition: at least 3 security practitioners and 3 public procurers from 3 different EU Member States or Associated Countries; applicants must complete the annex “Information about security practitioners” in the submission tool
• Fast-track PCP (2-phase model) allowed if public buyers commit to buy or deploy solutions after PCP; otherwise a deliverable on follow-up deployment/preparation is required
• Financial support to third parties (for incentives) capped at EUR 100 000
• Admissibility, financial and operational capacity, exclusion, evaluation and award criteria are governed by Horizon Europe General Annexes A-H (including specific section H for PCP/PPI)
• Compliance with page limits and layout per Annex A/E; country eligibility per Annex B; capacity and exclusion per Annex C; evaluation rules per Annex D/F; grant setup per Annex G
• Eligible costs: PCP/PPI procurement costs; subcontracted work must be performed in ≥3 Member States unless otherwise approved
• Consortium composition: at least 3 security practitioners and 3 public procurers from 3 different EU Member States or Associated Countries; applicants must complete the annex “Information about security practitioners” in the submission tool
• Fast-track PCP (2-phase model) allowed if public buyers commit to buy or deploy solutions after PCP; otherwise a deliverable on follow-up deployment/preparation is required
• Financial support to third parties (for incentives) capped at EUR 100 000
• Admissibility, financial and operational capacity, exclusion, evaluation and award criteria are governed by Horizon Europe General Annexes A-H (including specific section H for PCP/PPI)
• Compliance with page limits and layout per Annex A/E; country eligibility per Annex B; capacity and exclusion per Annex C; evaluation rules per Annex D/F; grant setup per Annex G
Important dates
Open from: 12/06/2025
Deadline:12/11/2025
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70+
proposals prepared
€36.7M
total funding secured for clients
65%
win rate in highly competitive calls