Development of innovative tools, processes, equipment and technologies through responses to disasters and emergencies for search and rescue in hazardous conditions

Open

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Expected Outcome:
Project results are expected to contribute to some or all of the following expected outcomes:

• Creation of cutting-edge tools, processes, equipment and technologies to enhance disaster and emergency response capabilities for various practitioners as well as for assets, such as vehicles, aircraft, and heavy equipment;
• Taking into consideration existing technologies, development of autonomous drones, robotics, and other technologies specifically designed for emergency medical response and search and rescue operations in hazardous conditions such as wildfires, earthquakes and large-scale events;
• Improvement of response efficiency and safety for survivors and emergency practitioners through the adoption of advanced, technology-driven solutions in disaster scenarios;
• Consider needs of existing EU-level capacities, emergency reserves, and stockpiling in the deployment of the assets and being able to move them. Scope:
The scope of this topic is the development of innovative tools, equipment, and technologies to enhance the capabilities of emergency responders operating in complex and hazardous disaster environments. By leveraging advancements in smart protective equipment, in robotics, autonomous systems, remote sensing, communication and human sensor technologies, the aim is to improve the efficiency, safety, and effectiveness of emergency medical response and search and rescue operations, particularly in high-risk scenarios, such as wildfires, earthquakes and large-scale trauma events.
Proposals should explore the design, testing, and validation of innovative solutions capable of performing critical tasks in disaster-stricken areas. These technologies should be tailored to operate in extreme conditions, including high temperatures, unstable terrains, and low-visibility environments and beneficial to all individuals regardless of their age, gender or ability. Research should address challenges related to autonomous navigation, AI-driven decision-making, real-time situational awareness, and seamless integration with existing command-and-control systems used by disaster management. Collaboration of different practitioners should be supported to support proper market uptake.
Efforts should be made to enhance interoperability and data-sharing capabilities between various platforms, emergency response teams, and crisis management systems. A key aspect of this research should be the practical deployment and validation of these technologies through field exercises and simulations in real-world disaster scenarios. User-driven design approaches, prioritising inclusivity and accessibilities should ensure that developed solutions align with the operational needs of responders in disasters., Proposals should develop a command-and-control solution that allows organisation of all activities, ensuring a swift, coordinated, and effective response to any disaster with clear plan for uptake after the project.
Projects should conduct a stakeholder or market analysis and a roadmap or plan for uptake of the developed methodologies, findings, and technologies to the industry, the research and innovation community, and the relevant authorities. The current response capacities of the European Civil Protection Pool[1] its capacity gaps[2], and the rescEU strategic reserve[3] as well as the EU Stockpiling Strategy should be taken into account in the roadmap to ensure needs-based approach. Thus, the proposals could consider innovation for heavier assets, such as flood containment and high-capacity pumping, transport or response aircraft, shelters and power generators, ground firefighting vehicles and aerial firefighting helicopters.
Furthermore, proposals should consider ethical, legal, and social implications associated with the deployment of autonomous technologies in emergency response. Issues such as data privacy, cybersecurity, human- and animal life protection, public acceptance, and compliance with regulatory frameworks should be addressed to facilitate the responsible and effective use of these innovations.
Projects should contribute to strengthening Europe’s disaster response capacity by equipping practitioners with state-of-the-art technological solutions that enhance their ability to operate safely and efficiently in life-threatening environments. Alignment with EU policies and international best practices should be ensured to maximize the scalability and real-world applicability of the developed solutions. The Preparedness Union Strategy is a key document in this regard. Finding synergies with projects from operational grants, such as the Knowledge for Action in Prevention & Preparedness (KAPP)[4], is recommended.
Technology Readiness Level - Technology readiness level expected from completed projects
Activities are expected to achieve TRL 7-8 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.

[1] https://civil-protection-knowledge-network.europa.eu/media/ecpp-capacities-brochure
[2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0286
[3] https://civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/what/civil-protection/resceu_en
[4] Knowledge for Action in Prevention and Preparedness (KAPP) - European Commission - https://civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/funding-evaluations/financing-civil-protection/cp-calls-proposals/knowledge-action-prevention-and-preparedness-kapp-0_en

Status

Open

Deadline

5 November 2026 (time not stated)

Opens

6 May 2026

Published

12 December 2025

Total budget

€8,000,000

Grant range

€4,000,000 – €4,000,000

Country

European Union (EU-wide)

Programme

Horizon Europe (HORIZON)

Funder

European Commission

Official page

Open at the source portal

What applying involves

15 steps, all of them taken from this call's own documents.

Understand the call

• Read the call on the source portal and download its documents
• Write the proposal against the award criteria and thresholds standard for this programme

  are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes — conditions §5a

• Check the grant's legal and financial set-up standard for this programme

  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 — conditions §6

• Check the amount you plan to request against the call's range

Check you are eligible

• Check your country of establishment is eligible

  The source scopes this to EU Member States and Associated Countries. — ai_results.eligibility

• Assemble the consortium this call requires

  The source states at least 2 partners. — ai_results.eligibility

• Confirm your technology readiness level against the range the call states
• Check every partner is established in an eligible country standard for this programme

  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 — conditions §2

• Meet the call's other eligibility conditions

  In line with the “ restriction on control in innovation actions in critical technology areas ” delineated in General Annex B of the General Annexes, entities established in an eligible country but which are directly or indirectly controlled by China or by a legal entity established in China are not eligible to participate in the action. Subject to restrictions for the protection of European communication networks. Due to the scope of this topic, relevant international … — conditions §3

• Be able to show financial and operational capacity standard for this programme

  described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes — conditions §4

• Check the conditions for financial support to third parties

Prepare the documents

• Prepare Part B of the Application Form standard for this programme

  Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System. — conditions

• Complete the detailed budget table standard for this programme

Submit

• Check the submission and evaluation process standard for this programme

  are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual — conditions §5b

• Submit before the closing date shown above

  The source states the closing day but no closing time — check the portal before the last day. — calls.deadline

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