ISF erimeetme taotlusvoor

E-kiri.eml

From: Piret Loorand <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2025 3:23 PM
To: Joosep Kaasik <[email protected]>; Kristian.Part <[email protected]>; Henry Timberg <[email protected]>; Jüri Vlassov <[email protected]>; Heidi.Maiberg <[email protected]>; Resta Tammik <[email protected]>; Alla Voinova <[email protected]>; [email protected]; Annika Leevand - JUSTDIGI <[email protected]>; Lauri Teppo - ETAG <[email protected]>
Cc: Krista Aas <[email protected]>; Tairi Pallas <[email protected]>; Margit Ratnik <[email protected]>; Anna-Liisa Tampuu <[email protected]>; Ülle Leht <[email protected]>
Subject: Avati uus ISF erimeetme taotlusvoor “Uptake of innovative digital technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, by Law Enforcement Authorities - INNO”

Tere

Euroopa Komisjon (EK) avas Sisejulgeolekufondi (ISF) erimeetme taotlusvooru „Uptake of innovative digital technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, by Law Enforcement Authorities (INNO)“.

Taotlusvooru maht on 3 550 000 eurot, riigi taotluse soovitav eelarve on vahemikus 250 000 - 700 000 eurot. Projekti EL toetuse määr on kuni 90%, sellele lisandub kaasfinantseering 10%, mis tagatakse riigieelarvest.

Toetust saab kasutada selleks, et aidata organiseeritud kuritegevuse vastu võitlemisega seotud innovaatilistel tehnoloogiatel, tööriistadel ja meetoditel jõuda teadusuuringute faasist tegelikku kasutusse/tootmisesse: piloteerimiseks, innohangeteks, sertifitseerimiseks, juurutamiseks jne. Näiteks võib edasi arendada Horizon 2020 ja Horizon Europe poolt toetatud projekte, et need jõuaksid kohalike korrakaitseasutuste kasutusse. Täpsemalt vt lisatud taotlusvooru kutsest.

EK soovitab teha ühiseid projekte teiste liikmesriikidega, kuid soovitab sel juhul projekti rahastada ühe liikmesriigi kaudu.

ISF projektide puhul kehtib reegel, et investeeringu tüüpi kulusid võib planeerida kuni 35% ulatuses projekti eelarvest.

Projekti tegevused ei tohi olla alanud enne 1. detsembrit 2025 ja peavad olema lõpetatud 31. detsembriks 2027.

Täidetud taotlusvormid tuleb esitada SiM välisvahendite osakonnale (VVO) enne EK taotlusvooru kutses toodud tähtaega, hiljemalt 27. veebruariks 2026, sest tulenevalt EL määrusest saab taotluse EK-le esitada üksnes korraldusasutus, so SiM. SiM VVO peab enne taotluse esitamist EK-le hindama selle vastavust nõuetele. Samuti palume võimalikult varakult teavitada, kui plaanite taotluse esitada.

Kui teil on küsimusi taotlusvooru tingimuste kohta, saatke need aadressile [email protected].

Euroopa Komisjon teavitab taotlusvooru projektide hindamise tulemustest 2026. a maikuus.

Infoks/inspiratsiooniks lisan näited Horisondi 2024 taotlusvooru projektidest, mis on eestlaste osalemisel käimas. Täiendavat infot nende ja teiste Horisondi projektide kohta oskab vajadusel anda Lauri Teppo ETAGist:

1. CapCell. Innovative forensic trace investigation via microfluidics and single-cell genomics. Osalevad Kohtuekspertiisi Instituut ja PPA.

2. Guardians. inteGrated Users-driven risks Assessment platfoRm for DecIsion mAkers in Nuclear crisis. Osaleb Sisekaitsakadeemia.

3. OnMoveID. On-the-move Schengen border control using extended EUDI wallet, smartphone and external sensor technologies. Osaleb CafaTEch.

4. CCAT. Cybersecurity Certification and Assessment Tools. Osalevad TÜ ja Cybernetica.

Heade soovidega

Piret Loorand
nõunik
Siseministeerium

[email protected]

+372 5828 2423

ISF 2026 SA INNO 343 Annex 1 Application form.docx

Application form
Information to be filled out by the Commission
Fund/Instrument
Specific Objective
Specific Action
Reference of the call
ISF
SO3
Uptake of innovative digital technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, by Law Enforcement Authorities - INNO
ISF/2026/SA/3.4.3

N.B. This application form is composed of a non-exhaustive list of information required by the Commission services to assess an application. Please note that:
• For the assessment, additional information may be requested if needed.
• In the absence of a specific indication of the aspects in the application that you consider sensitive, the information provided will not be handled, in principle, as “sensitive non-classified information” in the meaning of Article 9(5)(b) of Commission Decision (EU, Euratom) 2015/443 of 13 March 2015 on Security in the Commission1.
• Any document held by the Commission, including documents containing sensitive information, may be subject to a request for public access to documents and must be assessed pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 of the European Parliament and the Council of 30 May 2001 regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents2 in light of the factual and legal circumstances that apply at the time of the adoption of the decision on access.

Part. 1 - Administrative information
A) General information

Member State(s)
National Specific Action
(indicate your Member State)

Transnational Specific Action (indicate the participating Member States)

Title of the project proposal
(please do not include any information that you consider not suitable for release to the public)

B) Participants and contacts

Identity of the (lead) Managing Authority
Full legal name of the Managing Authority (in English)

Legal representative of the Managing Authority

Title/First Name/Last Name:

Position:

Contact details of the person(s) responsible for the specific action within the Managing Authority

Title/First Name/Last Name:

Position:

Direct telephone + country code number:

E-mail:

n.b. The participating Managing Authorities from other Member States should fill in the partnership declaration form (Annex 3)

Project Beneficiaries

List all the project beneficiaries

Lead project beneficiary:

Other project beneficiaries:

Exchange of information between the Managing Authority and the project beneficiaries
Any project proposal selected will have to be implemented in accordance with the EU and national rules, and the national, management and control system of the Member State concerned.

Has the Managing Authority exchanged information with the project beneficiaries about the conditions under the Member State’s Programme to ensure compliance with these rules?
☐Yes ☐ No
Comments (any outstanding issues or issues to be addressed after selection, if applicable):

Do all partners agree on all the legal and financial obligations in implementing this project?
☐Yes ☐ No
Comments:

Part 2. Presentation of the project
Project description

Provide a short summary of the project (max ½ page) in English presenting clearly and briefly what you will do, why and what you expect to be the concrete results once the project is finalised
(please do not include any information in this short summary that you consider not suitable for release to the public)

Provide a description of the project including (max 3 pages):
a) the general objectives of the project;
b) the actors and Member States involved;
c) the activities carried out under the project;
d) the challenges addressed and
e) the expected (quantified) results

Only for a transnational project proposal
Describe the arrangements agreed by the participating Member States
(You are invited to explain the general rationale for the arrangements of the partnership; the envisaged division of tasks between participating entities, indicative timetable, distribution of the funding between participating entities, organisation of financial management among the participating entities, linguistic regime and reporting, monitoring, control and audit arrangements)

Is the EU funding for the specific action to be allocated to:
☐ Option 1: The programme of the lead Member State in its entirety?

☐ Option 2: The programme of each partner Member State?
A) Relevance of the project proposal
1. Clarity of the project proposal and its correspondence with the objectives and scope of the call

Explain how this project proposal addresses the objectives and scope of the call. Demonstrate its contribution towards the output and results indicators listed in Annex VIII of the ISF Regulation (see Annex 4)

2. Innovation

Indicate the innovative character of the proposed solution (of min. TRL 8) in comparison with available state-of-the-art tools

B) Quality of the project proposal
1. Design, organisation and management of the project at national and/or transnational level

Describe the planned implementation methodology, the organisation of work and strategy for project management and monitoring, including the coordination mechanism between project partners

2. Indicative Timetable

Indicate and justify the duration of the project and its activities (to be aligned with the budget form)

3. Information on the budget

(to be aligned with the budget form)
Total eligible cost of the project proposal (and per Member State in case of transnational project proposal)3 EUR

Total eligible cost of the project proposal EUR:

Requested co-financing rate

Requested co-financing rate %:

Total EU contribution to the project proposal and 6% Technical Assistance (and per Member State in case of transnational project proposal)

Total EU contribution EUR:
6% Technical Assistance EUR:

Total amount to be earmarked to Member State’s programme (and per Member State in case of transnational project proposal)

Total EUR:

Statement from the Managing Authority
Declaration indicating that the project proposal, including the information on the budget, has been prepared in accordance with EU and national eligibility rules and can therefore be included into the Member State's programme. If not yet the case, statement from the Managing Authority that the review process will be done after the selection

☐Yes ☐ No
Comments:
4. Cost-effectiveness, complementarity and sustainability of the proposal

Describe how the proposal was conceived in order to ensure cost-effectiveness and value for money. Demonstrate the complementarity with:
• the Member State’s (or participating Member States’) ISF programme(s)
• ISF calls for proposals under Union Actions
• other EU funding instruments, where relevant.
Demonstrate the sustainability model of the proposal

5. Risk Management
Potential risks and measures to mitigate them

Monitoring strategy4

6. Compliance with the EU acquis

Explain how this proposal would be covered by the rules applicable to the Member State’s ISF programme that ensure actions are in compliance with the EU acquis including the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union
• Articles 4 and 13(1) ISF
• Article 9 CPR

C) Impact of the proposal
1. EU Added Value

Describe the concrete benefits and quantified results of the project for the European Union and the Member State(s) concerned, as well as its potential for transferability

2. Impact of the proposed solution

Describe how the project proposal will impact the capability development for innovative digital technologies for LEAs

3. Level of involvement of and cooperation with competent entities from Member States and relevant EU entities

Explain to which extent this project proposal will ensure the involvement of Member States’
law enforcement authorities, private and public entities (e.g. research organisations, industry, etc.) and involvement of and cooperation with relevant EU entities (e.g. Europol, CEPOL, eu-LISA, EUDA).

4. Dissemination and Communication including transferability to other Member States and contribution to European strategic autonomy

Describe the dissemination and communication strategy, including transferability of the solution to other Member States, and its relations and/or contribution to the European strategic economy

Date
Signature
Legal Notice: In case the proposal is successful, the EU contribution for the project under the specific action will be included in the Member State’s (the participating Member States’) ISF programme(s) by means of a programme amendment approved by the Commission and implemented in accordance with the provisions of the ISF Regulation (EU) 2021/1149 and Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 (Common Provisions Regulation). The financial and reporting obligations for any beneficiary of the specific action are the same as those that apply to the Member States’ programmes.

As Managing Authority, I agree to include the successful project in the programme and ensure that the project will be implemented in accordance with the provisions of the ISF Regulation (EU) 2021/1149 and Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 (Common Provisions Regulation).

Legal representative of the [lead] Managing Authority:

ISF 2026 SA INNO 343 Annex 2 Budget form.xlsx

ISF 2026 SA INNO 343 Annex 3 Partnership declaration form.docx

PARTNERSHIP DECLARATION FORM

Each Member State participating in the transnational Specific Action must fill in this declaration and the signed scan has to be attached to the application form submitted to the European Commission.

Information about the project proposal for transnational Specific Action
Fund/Instrument
Internal Security Fund
Specific Objective
SO3
Specific Action
Specific Action “Uptake of innovative digital technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, by Law Enforcement Authorities – INNO”
Reference of the call
ISF/2026/SA/3.4.3
Lead Member State

Participating Member State

Title of the project

Declaration of partnership
I, the legal representative of the partner Managing Authority [Full legal name of the Managing Authority of the partner Member State],

for the purpose of the submission of the application under the transnational Specific Action “Uptake of innovative digital technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, by Law Enforcement Authorities – INNO” to the European Commission following the call for expression of interest for specific action ISF/2026/SA/3.4.3.
hereby agree to fully subscribe to the proposal to be submitted to the Commission by [Full legal name of the Managing Authority of the lead Member State]

and to follow the common agreement reached on with the partners to implement the project, if successful.

I hereby mandate [Full legal name of the Managing Authority of the lead Member State]

to submit the proposal also on my behalf.

I hereby commit to implement the project proposal with all the obligations and conditions set out by the partnership.

Date
Signature

Legal representative of the partner Managing Authority:

ISF 2026 SA INNO 343 Annex 4 Output and result indicators.pdf

Annex 4 Output and result indicators for Specific Action ‘Uptake of innovative

digital technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, by Law Enforcement

Authorities - INNO’ - ISF/2026/SA/3.4.3

The outputs and results of the Specific Action ISF/2026/SA/3.4.3 should contribute to the

following indicators and be ready to be inserted into the ISF programme into tables 1 and 2

under section 2.1.2 for Specific Objective 3 in SFC.

Please find below a non-exhaustive list of relevant indicators for activities under the

“Specific Action INNO”.

Specific Objective 31

Output indicators

O.3.1 Number of participants in training activities

O.3.2 Number of exchange programmes/workshops/study targets

O.3.3 Number of equipment items purchased

O.3.6 Number of projects to prevent crime

Result indicators

R.3.12 Number of participants who take the training useful for their work

R.3.13 Number of participants who report three months after completing the training that

they are using the skills and competences provided during the training

NB: Although reporting will only be possible for indicators addressed by the specific action

under Specific Objective 3, the list is not exhaustive and can be complemented with other

indicators designed at Member State level. These additional indicators should be reported on

in the Annual Progress Report.

1 As set out in point (c) of Article 3(2) of Regulation (EU) 2021/1149: “supporting the strengthening of

Member States’ capabilities in relation to preventing and combating crime, (…), as well as managing

security-related incidents, risks and crises, including through increased cooperation between public

authorities, relevant Union bodies, offices or agencies, civil society and private partners in different

Member States”.

ISF 2026 SA INNO 343 Call.pdf

Commission européenne/Europese Commissie, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGIË - Tel. +32 22991111

Office: LX46 05/166 - Tel. direct line +32 229-98305

EUROPEAN COMMISSION DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR MIGRATION AND HOME AFFAIRS

Directorate E – HOME Affairs Funds

The Director

Brussels HOME.E.1/AF

NOTE FOR THE ATTENTION OF THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE

FOR THE HOME AFFAIRS FUNDS

Ref.: HOME-Funds/2025/43

Subject: Launch of the call for expression of interest under the Specific Action

“Uptake of innovative digital technologies, including Artificial

Intelligence, by Law Enforcement Authorities (INNO)” under the

Internal Security Fund (ISF) – Reference ISF/2026/SA/INNO/3.4.3

1. INTRODUCTION

Regulation (EU) 2021/1149 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 July 2021

establishing the Internal Security Fund provides that Member States may receive funding

for specific actions in addition to their initial allocations in their respective programmes.

Specific actions aim to fund transnational or national projects that bring Union added value

in accordance with the objectives of the Fund for which one, several or all Member States

may receive an additional allocation to their programmes.

They will be implemented as one of the components of the Thematic Facility in line with

Art. 8 ISF of the above-mentioned Regulation and in accordance with the relevant

financing decisions and work programmes for the Fund (1).

By the present note, the Commission launches a call for expression of interest for the

Specific Action “Uptake of innovative digital technologies, including Artificial

Intelligence, by Law Enforcement Authorities - INNO” in line with the actions listed in

the above-mentioned Commission’s financing decision and work programme.

2. GENERAL PRINCIPLES

Specific actions will be implemented by one or more Member States participating in the

Internal Security Fund via funding received in addition to the allocation under their ISF

programmes.

(1) Internal Security Fund (2021-2027) (europa.eu)

2

Funding for specific actions is added to the Member States’ programme allocations by

means of a programme amendment. That additional funding is earmarked for the specific

action concerned and shall not be used for other actions in the Member State’s programme,

except in duly justified circumstances and as approved by the Commission through the

amendment of the programme.

Whereas the regular EU co-financing rate under the Member States’ programmes will not

exceed 75% of total eligible expenditure, projects implemented under specific actions may

benefit from an increased co-financing rate of up to 90% of total eligible expenditure.

The specific action must be implemented by the Member States in accordance with the

ISF (2) Regulation and the Common Provisions Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 (CPR) (3).

This includes compliance with fundamental rights.

Your attention is drawn to one provision of the CPR. As regard the value added tax

(“VAT”) eligibility regime, Article 64 (1)(c) of the CPR provides that VAT is not eligible,

except:

(i) “for operations the total cost of which is below EUR 5 000 000 (including

VAT);

(ii) for operations the total cost of which is at least EUR 5 000 000 (including

VAT) where it is non-recoverable under national VAT legislation”.

3. CALL FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

3.1. Indicative Budget available

The indicative amount envisaged for this call ISF/2026/SA/3.4.3 is EUR 3 550 000.

The requested amount (i.e. the Union contribution to the Member State’s ISF programme

under the Specific Action):

- should ideally not be lower than EUR 250 000 per application,

- should ideally not be higher than EUR 700 000 per application.

Should many applications be received and successful, the final amount to be allocated to a

Member State’s programme may be lowered.

The Commission encourages project proposals by groups of Member States in

consideration of the potential transnational impact.

In case of a transnational project, the Commission recommends, for the sake of

efficiency, the choice of Option 1 as presented in the Note HOME-

Funds/2022/07(Ares(2022)1060102) of 14 February 2022 on Transnational specific

actions under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF), the Instrument for

(2) Regulation (EU) 2021/1149 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 July 2021 establishing the Internal

Security Fund.

(3) Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 laying down common

provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund Plus, the Cohesion Fund, the

Just Transition Fund and the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and financial rules for those and

for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, the Internal Security Fund and the Instrument for Financial Support

for Border Management and Visa Policy.

3

Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy (BMVI), and the Internal

Security Fund (ISF) – Arrangements between partners.

Any proposal submitted by a single Member State still must demonstrate its transnational

impact by its transferability, as well as dissemination activities, trainings, or others.

3.2. Background for the specific action

The ProtectEU – European Internal Security Strategy (COM/2025/148 final) (4) sets

out the Union’s strategic framework for the coming decade. It calls for a “culture change

on security”, based on a whole-of-society approach and on the mainstreaming of security

and preparedness considerations across all EU policies from the design stage. It underlines

that the EU’s internal security must rely on strong law enforcement capabilities, trust in

innovation, and seamless cooperation among Member States and EU agencies.

ProtectEU stresses the need to equip law enforcement authorities (LEAs) with a modern

legal and technological toolbox to address terrorism, organised crime and cybercrime.

The Strategy is further complemented by a Roadmap on effective and lawful access to

data for law enforcement (COM/2025/349 final) (5), covering six domains - data

retention, lawful interception, digital forensics, decryption, standardisation, and

interoperability - and foresees a Technology Roadmap on encryption to identify solutions

enabling lawful access to encrypted data while safeguarding cybersecurity and

fundamental rights. These initiatives highlight the central role of innovation and

interoperability in ensuring an effective, trusted and rights-compliant law enforcement

ecosystem.

At the same time, the EU Innovation Hub for Internal Security and the Community for

European Research and Innovation for Security (CERIS) have documented persistent

barriers to innovation uptake by LEAs. The uptake of innovative technologies, methods

and data-driven approaches emerging from EU security research and innovation

programmes (Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe) remains hindered by several persistent

barriers: fragmentation of demand, lack of funding for piloting and validation, complex

procurement and certification procedures, and limited visibility or traceability of research

results. The Internal Security Fund (ISF) is therefore well placed to overcome these

barriers and bridge this “last-mile gap” and support the transition from successful research

outcomes to operational use in real-life environments.

EU funding under this specific action is necessary to overcome these uptake challenges

and ensure that promising R&I results in the field of fighting serious and organised crime

reach law enforcement authorities. Synergies between Union-funded research and

innovation and the ISF can facilitate the testing, validation and deployment of new methods

and technologies stemming from R&I actions. They can also help technology suppliers to

industrialise and commercialise innovative products and enable law enforcement

authorities to further test, validate and acquire innovative solutions.

In the longer term, these efforts will contribute to developing shared operational standards

and trust across Member States, increasing the efficiency of EU-funded research

investment and ensuring lasting impact through deployment and scale-up of successful

(4) EUR-Lex - 52025DC0148 - EN - EUR-Lex

(5) EUR-Lex - 52025DC0349 - EN - EUR-Lex

4

technologies. The Union added value lies in the cross-border dimension and the

reinforcement of European open strategic autonomy in internal security technologies.

Thus, in this context, the Specific Action “Uptake of innovative digital technologies,

including Artificial Intelligence, by Law Enforcement Authorities (INNO)” aims to

help Member States test, validate, further pilot and deploy innovative digital

technologies, tools and methods, including Artificial Intelligence, developed through

EU-funded research. It will complement the research and innovation efforts under Horizon

2020 and Horizon Europe by financing the operational phase — ensuring that tested

solutions reach law enforcement authorities on the ground and that interoperability, data

protection and ethical standards are observed.

The action contributes directly to the implementation of ProtectEU by:

• supporting lawful, secure, and interoperable deployment of innovative tools in line

with the Roadmap on effective and lawful access to data for law enforcement;

• enhancing European technological and data autonomy in sensitive domains such

as digital forensics, AI or encryption;

• promoting training, guidance, and capacity-building for LEAs on the

operational use of innovative technologies; and

• reinforcing cross-border cooperation and interoperability, in synergy with

Europol, CEPOL, eu-LISA, EUDA and other relevant EU agencies.

By fostering uptake of EU-developed technologies, tools and methods, the INNO

Specific Action will strengthen the Union’s collective capability to anticipate, prevent and

respond to evolving internal security threats - thus operationalising the ProtectEU vision

of a more resilient, innovative and prepared Europe. These challenges and the role of the

ISF in addressing them are described above.

Furthermore, there is a strong EU added value in promoting European innovation, as

they lead to reinforcement of existing and development of new law enforcement

authorities’ capabilities (6).

3.3. Scope and purpose of the specific action

The objective of this specific action is to provide financial support to Member States to

test, validate, further pilot and/or deploy innovative digital technologies, tools and/or

methods of Technological Readiness Level not lower than 8 for law enforcement

authorities, aimed at preventing, detecting and/or investigating serious and organised

crime, building on results of EU-funded security research and innovation projects.

The support will focus on co-funding solutions with compulsory innovative elements at

least at European level.

Purchase of off-the-shelf technology is not eligible under this specific action, as it is

planned under other strands of ISF or other EU funding instruments (e.g., ISF Member

States Programmes, ERDF, ISF PROTECT call for the topic of firearms).

(6) COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Enhancing security through research and innovation, Brussels,

15.12.2021 SWD (2021) 422 final.

5

Projects proposals must build on outcomes of security research and innovation, especially

taking up results of EU-funded security research activities (7) in the area of fighting

organised crime and terrorism, in order to ensure some of the following:

• improved fight against online threats, such as use of gaming platforms for

radicalisation purposes, spreading illegal disinformation, or other cyber-

enabled serious and organised crime;

• strengthening prevention, awareness and resilience against cyber-enabled

crime and online risks, including tools and training for children, young people

or other vulnerable groups;

• uptake of digital platforms or solutions developed under EU research projects

to fight serious and organised crime;

• improved fight against illicit online trafficking, such as of drugs, firearms or

in human beings;

and in all instances:

• training and guidance for law enforcement authorities (LEAs).

Proposed actions must build on results of previous EU security research and innovation

projects, in order to ensure the uptake in some of the following:

• Guidance, training and communication for law enforcement authorities on

innovative technologies, including Artificial Intelligence where relevant,

• Enhanced situational awareness, intelligence picture and operational capabilities of

law enforcement authorities;

• Reinforced resistance of European society against online threats and illicit online

trafficking;

• Uptake of relevant new technologies and solutions, especially from Union funded

security research and innovation programmes;

• Increased European open strategic autonomy in internal security technologies;

• Tools, methods and technologies (min. TRL 8) for boosting innovative digital

technologies, including AI, for LEAs in the EU through further advancing on using

well trained algorithms, high-quality datasets, an interoperable and standardised

framework for long term sustainability of solutions.

Examples of such previous initiatives include, but are not limited to, the EU funded

projects: GRACE (H2020), TRACE (H2020), RAYUELA (H2020), ROXANNE (H2020),

FORMOBILE (H2020), EXFILES (H2020), STARLIGHT (H2020), VIGILANT (HE),

FERMI (HE), GEMS (HE), TENACITy (HE), ARIEN (HE), VANGUARD (HE),

EITHOS (HE).

Further information on Union-funded research and innovation in security technologies and

methods can be found on:

• the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (for past, current and forthcoming topics and

calls) (8),

• the Common Research and Development Information Service (CORDIS) (for

ongoing and past projects) (9),

(7) https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/internal-security/innovation-and-security-research_en

(8) Funding & tenders (europa.eu)

(9) CORDIS | European Commission (europa.eu)

6

• the Horizon Dashboard (for aggregated search by country, partner, topic)(10),

• through the Community for European Research and Innovation for Security

(CERIS) (11), and

• from the National Contact points (NCPs) for EU security research in each Member

State,

• from DG HOME’s Innovation and Security Research Unit (12).

Purchase of products and services that are commercially available, unless being a

minor and complementary part of the integration effort in an innovative solution, are

not supported by this action.

The specific action does not cover projects related to cybersecurity.

The specific action can include but should not be limited to activities such as:

• testing, validation, and/or further piloting (including in groups of Member States)

in real environment,

• procurement,

• evaluating digital tools for operational maturity,

• installation and integration in legacy systems,

• deployment, hands-on training on the use of the new solutions.

Cooperation with Europol in any of these elements is strongly encouraged especially

utilisation of the Europol`s repository tool, as it should leverage proposals’ quality and

impact. Cooperation with CEPOL on training aspects and cooperation with EUDA on

drug-related issues is strongly encouraged as well.

Article 5(5) of the ISF Regulation provides that is not eligible:

(a) actions limited to the maintenance of public order at national level;

(b) actions with a military or defence purpose;

(c) equipment of which the primary purpose is customs control;

(d) coercive equipment, including weapons, ammunition, explosives and riot batons,

except for training purposes; (…).

If expenditure is planned for purchase of equipment or means of transport or construction

of security-related buildings or facilities and the project proposal is selected, the ISF

Managing Authority should ensure that the expenditure will be included in the calculation

under the ISF Programme for the 35% threshold stipulated in Article 13(7) of the ISF

Regulation.

Proposals should explain the plans for future deployment and/or scale-up of the new

technologies, and/or methods, should the activities funded by this specific action be

successful. Further operational deployment, use and/or scale-up can be planned with

support with national funding, Member States’ ISF programmes, and/or other public or

private funding. Project proposals that have a credible and committed plan for further

(10) Funding & tenders (europa.eu)

(11) CERIS - Community for European Research and Innovation for Security (europa.eu)

(12) Innovation and security research (europa.eu)

7

uptake will be particularly welcomed, as they will ensure impact on the capabilities of

national security practitioners.

The call for expression of interest is open for both national and transnational projects

proposals. However, in both instances, proposals must clearly and convincingly

demonstrate the transnational impact of their efforts.

In case of a transnational project proposal, the lead Member State will have to make

sure that the ISF Managing Authority of each participating Member State duly signs the

“Partnership Declaration Form”. In the Application form, each project beneficiary in each

participating Member State should be listed and the share that each Member State will

receive from the additional amount allocated, if the project proposal is successful, should

be indicated. Based on this common agreement, each partner will have a role and resulting

responsibilities in the implementation of the project and delivering on its objectives.

The specific action proposed should not include activities related to research but must

rather support the uptake and use of innovative solutions stemming from past research. As

such, new technologies addressed in the project proposals (which are not necessarily the

only technologies involved but should be the main ones) should be of Technological

Readiness Level not lower than 8.

This specific action falls specifically under point (e) of Annex III of the ISF Regulation,

regarding support to “actions developing innovative methods or deploying new

technologies with a potential for transferability to other Member States, in particular

projects aimed at testing and validating the outcome of Union-funded security research

projects”.

3.4. Expected results following the call

Member States can propose both projects implemented entirely at national level and

projects implemented transnationally by a group of Member States. In such case, the

proposing Member States should explain the specific added value of their transnational

approach.

As outcome of the present call for expression of interest, three to four projects are expected

to be selected, targeting the three issues listed under Section 3.3.

Examples of activities to be included in the proposed actions:

• uptake and testing of digital tools, related methods and training material stemming

from EU funded research programmes,

• validation and dissemination of such tools, methods and training material,

• cross-border operational actions related to digital technologies,

• mechanisms to exchange digital information across borders,

• awareness raising campaigns,

• empowering communities to develop local approaches and prevention policies,

awareness-raising and communication activities among stakeholders and the

general public on Union security policies,

• increased public-private partnerships to prevent / detect / investigate specific form

of crime using digital technologies.

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As a result, selected projects should achieve one or more of the following objectives:

• Improve the security of EU citizens and economy, such as improved prevention

and resilience of European society against serious and organised crime, terrorism,

cyber-enabled threats, radicalisation and online exploitation, through the uptake of

innovative awareness, training and engagement tools developed in EU research

projects (e.g. serious-game or simulation-based approaches),

• Enhance situational awareness, intelligence picture and operations capabilities of

law enforcement and relevant services,

• Uptake relevant new digital technologies and solutions, especially from Union-

funded, security research and innovation programmes,

• Increase European open strategic autonomy in security technologies.

4. PROCEDURE FOR APPLICATION

4.1. Admissibility and assessment aspects

All EU Member States participating in the ISF are eligible.

The Specific Action proposed should not start before 1 December 2025 and should ideally

be completed by 31 December 2027 at the latest.

DG HOME will assess the proposals submitted by the Member States.

To be considered admissible a proposal must:

1. be submitted within the deadline (see below) to the ISF specific actions functional

mailbox [email protected],

2. consist of the official ISF/2026/SA/3.4.3 Application form attached to this note

together with its annexes, which must be readable and complete (all fields

necessary for assessment are filled in),

3. be submitted by the Managing Authority on behalf of the entity in the Member

State that will be responsible for the implementation of the specific action,

4. identify a project beneficiary (an entity) that will be responsible for the

implementation of the specific action in the Member State (in the lead for the

action),

5. in case of a transnational project: include partnership declaration forms signed by

the Managing Authorities of all participating Member States (13).

DG HOME will assess admissible proposals based on the following criteria (14):

(13) Please refer to the note HOME-Funds/2022/07 on the arrangements between partners to be sought when

submitting proposals for transnational specific actions.

(14) Proposals not meeting the ‘pass score’ of criterion A (15 points) will not be further assessed.

Only proposals scoring at least the ‘pass scores’ defined for each criterion (A, B and C) can be proposed for funding,

depending on their overall ranking and budget availability.

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A. Relevance (30 points – minimum score : 15 points)

1. Clarity of the proposed solution, its correspondence with the objectives and scope of

this call for expression of interest, and its contribution towards the output and results

indicators listed in Annex VIII of the ISF Regulation (see Annex 4).

2. Innovation of the proposed solution (of min. TRL 8) in comparison with available

state-of-the-art tools.

B. Quality and content (30 points – minimum score: 15 points)

1. Maturity of the proposal; appropriateness of the design and planned implementation,

considering the envisaged activities; methodology (including operational and financial

management); organisation of work and strategy for project management and

monitoring; measures undertaken or envisaged to mitigate the identified risks.

2. Cost effectiveness, complementarity and sustainability: the proposal should present

the distribution of the financial support requested, and its appropriateness in relation to

the scale and type of the planned activities (personnel, travel, training, etc.). It should

also demonstrate the overall cost effectiveness and value for money, and the

complementarity with other EU funding sources (Member States’ ISF programmes,

ISF calls for proposals under Union Actions, etc.). Finally, the sustainability model

should be explained, including a credible plan for future deployment(s) and/or scale-

up after this action lifetime.

C. Impact (40 points – minimum score : 20 points)

1. EU Added Value: the concrete benefits and quantified results of the project for the

European Union and the Member State(s) concerned, as well as its potential for

transferability should be demonstrated.

2. Impact of the proposed solution on capability development for innovative digital

technologies for LEAs

3. Involvement of and cooperation with competent entities from Member States (law

enforcement authorities, private and public entities, e.g. research organisations,

industry) and relevant EU entities (e.g. Europol, CEPOL, eu-LISA, EUDA) whenever

appropriate, and explanations on how this will be achieved.

4. Dissemination and communication strategy, including transferability of the

solution to other Member States, and its relation and/or contribution to European

strategic autonomy.

Member States must ensure respect for the horizontal principles described in Article 9 of

Regulation (EU) 2021/1060(15), including respect for fundamental rights and compliance

with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, as well as Regulation (EU)

2016/679 and Directive (EU) 2016/680 (16).

(15) Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 laying down common

provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund Plus, the Cohesion Fund, the

Just Transition Fund and the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and financial rules for those and

for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, the Internal Security Fund and the Instrument for Financial Support

for Border Management and Visa Policy.

(16) Directive (EU) 2016/680 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by

competent authorities for the purposes of the prevention, investigation, detection or prosecution of criminal offences

or the execution of criminal penalties, and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Council Framework

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Moreover, Member States must also ensure that the envisaged actions are not affected by

a reasoned opinion delivered by the Commission in respect of infringement proceedings

under Article 258 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) that put

in doubt the legality and regularity of expenditure or the performance of the actions (Article

8(5) of Regulation (EU) 2021/1149).

4.2. Application procedure

Deadline for the application: Member States are invited to submit their proposals by 27

March 2026 at the latest, using the official ISF/2026/SA/3.4.3 Application form attached

to this Note, together with its annexes. Proposals can be submitted in any official EU

language (project abstract/summary should however always be in English). For reasons of

efficiency, it is strongly advised to use English for the entire proposal.

To ensure equal and fair treatment of the proposals and allow the Commission to allocate

at the same date all the available funding, DG HOME will assess all proposals

simultaneously. Therefore, proposals submitted after the deadline will not be admissible.

The Members of the Committee for the Home Affairs Funds will be informed at the latest

10 working days before the deadline for the submission of the proposals in case the

deadline for the submission of proposals is extended.

E-mail address for the application: The proposals should be submitted to the ISF specific

actions functional mailbox [email protected]. Member

States may submit additional documentation if necessary.

No modification to the application is allowed once the deadline for submission has elapsed.

However, if there is a need to clarify certain aspects or to correct clerical mistakes, the

Commission may contact the applicant/ lead Member State during the evaluation process.

A reply should be provided by the Member State within 3 working days from the request

date.

Any requests for clarification of the Member States on this call for expression of

interest may be sent by 6 March 2026 at the latest, to the ISF specific actions functional

mailbox [email protected].

Requests for clarifications should be sent only by the Managing Authority. The

Managing Authority has an important role to play in explaining to potential beneficiaries

the applicable rules and specificities of the ISF programme and the Specific Actions

scheme, as well as helping them to prepare their applications. The Managing Authority

should be their sole contact point and has the responsibility to review and reply to any

questions received from applicants. It may, however, address these questions to the

Commission services if further clarification is needed. As projects under specific actions

are managed at national level, according to national rules, specific questions on eligibility

of costs should be addressed first to the Managing Authority.

Decision 2008/977/JHA. Regulation (EU) 2016/679 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the

processing of personal data and the free movement of such data.

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To respect the equal treatment and transparency, the replies to the written requests for

clarification received will be sent to all Member States, via HOME-AFFAIRS-FUNDS-

[email protected].

DG HOME will inform Member States of the outcome of the assessment of the proposals

towards May 2026.

5. AMENDMENT OF THE ISF PROGRAMMES AND ELIGIBILITY OF EXPENDITURE

After having been informed of the outcome of the call for expression of interest, each

successful Member State should submit to the Commission a request to amend its ISF

programme via SFC. The amended programme should include a short description of the

specific action, adjust the output and result indicators, and include the costs and codes

linked to this specific action (respectively in the description and under tables 1, 2 and 3 of

Specific Objective 3, and table 6 of the programme).

When amending an ISF programme of a Member States, two situations may arise regarding

the eligibility of expenditure (17):

1. For Member States that have included all the types of interventions listed in Annex

VI table 2 of the ISF Regulation that are relevant for the Specific Action “Uptake of

innovative digital technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, by Law

Enforcement Authorities - INNO” ISF/2026/SA/3.4.3” in table 2.1.3 of Specific

Objective 3 in their initially approved ISF programme: expenditure for the Specific

Action will be eligible as of 1st December 2025.

2. For Member States that have not included all the types of interventions listed in Annex

VI table 2 of the ISF Regulation that are relevant for the Specific Action “Uptake of

innovative digital technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, by Law

Enforcement Authorities - INNO” ISF/2026/SA/3.4.3” in table 2.1.3 of Specific

Objective 3 in their initially approved ISF programme: expenditure for the Specific

Action will be eligible from the date of submission by the Member State of its request

for amendment of the ISF programme that will add the respective types of

interventions in the programme.

Yours faithfully,

Silvia MICHELINI

Encl.: Annexes 1-4

(17) Art. 63(7) of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060.

Electronically signed on 14/11/2025 16:59 (UTC+01) in accordance with Article 11 of Commission Decision (EU) 2021/2121

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