The European Commission has launched a call for proposals under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) programme, focusing on the secure and streamlined crossing of the EU’s external borders.

The objective is to improve the border crossing experience for both travellers and border personnel (including customs officers, coastguards, and border guards), while ensuring robust security and effective monitoring of movements across the EU’s external borders.

Relevant technologies and solutions may include, but are not limited to:

• Secure and privacy-preserving data processing for border checks
• Fuzzy search capabilities
• Data communication, translation, and sharing tools
• Biometric systems
• Age assessment techniques
• Detection of fraudulent documents
• Automation, data exchange, and interoperability of border control systems

Projects are expected to incorporate the following aspects:

• Protection and promotion of human rights, with solutions designed to uphold these principles
• Inclusion of legal, ethical, and societal perspectives, including gender-sensitive approaches and engagement with citizens and civil society
• Cybersecurity considerations, particularly the protection of communication systems and networks used in the proposed technologies

Eligibility: All legal entities are eligible to apply, regardless of their country of establishment. This includes entities from non-associated third countries and international organisations (such as European research institutions).

Budget: A total of EUR 9 million has been allocated for this call.

Deadline for applications: 12 November 2025

For more details, please refer to the attached link.

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