Open topic for improved preparedness for, response to and recovery from large-scale disruptions of critical infrastructures

Projects’ results are expected to contribute to some or all of the following outcomes:

• Critical infrastructure is more resilient to natural hazards, intentional and accidental harmful human actions, including cyberattacks;
• Critical infrastructure operators and authorities have better mapping of the interdependencies relevant for the addressed sector(s) also in view of better managing potential multi-hazard, cross-sectorial and cross border crisis;
• Critical infrastructure operators and authorities have access to improved monitoring, risk and threat assessment, forecast, and if applicable modelling tools as well as cyber- and physical security solutions;
• Critical infrastructure operators and authorities have access to increased post-incident investigation capabilities contributing to better crisis prevention, preparedness, management and response;
• Effective digital tools to conduct virtual and physical stress tests are available for relevant security practitioners;
• Training curricula for critical infrastructure operators, authorities and/or first responders are developed.

Under this open topic, proposals are invited to address new challenges, and/or develop innovative solutions to existing challenges in order to increase the resilience of critical infrastructure. Proposals should primarily address sector(s) and/or interdependencies that are not covered, in particular by the past Horizon Europe calls: Resilient Infrastructure 2023 and Resilient Infrastructure 2024. If they relate to some of the topics covered by Horizon Europe Calls Resilient Infrastructure 2021-2022, the proposals should convincingly explain how they will build on their outcomes and not duplicate them.

Adapted to the nature, scope and type of proposed activities, proposals should convincingly explain how they will plan and/or carry out demonstrations, testing or validation of developed tools and solutions. Proposals should also outline the plans to develop possible future uptake and upscaling at regional, national and/or EU level.

To ensure the active involvement of and timely feedback from relevant security practitioners, proposals should plan a mid-term deliverable consisting in the assessment, performed by the practitioners involved in the project, of the project’s mid-term outcomes.

In this topic, the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content should be addressed only if relevant in relation to the objectives of the research effort.

Proposals should plan their activities opting for the financial support to third parties in order to provide financial support to practitioners (critical infrastructure operator, government authority responsible for infrastructure resilience, national authority responsible for overseeing critical infrastructure operators, or civil protection authority) for expanding the proposed work in terms of additional user groups, complementary assessments, technology- or methodology-testing activities and/or to SMEs as additional solution providers. From 10% up to 30% of the EU funding requested by the proposal may be allocated to the purpose of financial support to third parties.

Proposals must clearly describe the objectives and the expected results to be obtained, including the elements listed in the application template. Proposals are also expected to describe the methods and processes relevant to comply with the general eligibility conditions for financial support to third parties set out in General Annex B and to demonstrate effectiveness (impact).

Coordination among the successful proposals from this topic should be envisaged in order to avoid duplication, exploit complementarities, and use opportunities for increased impact. Similarly, coordination with projects funded under HORIZON-CL3-2025-INFRA-01-02: Open topic for role of the human factor for resilience of European critical entities.