Loading…
Horizon Europe
1 phase
Strategic Analysis
TRL 2 → 6
Based on programme defaults
Explore how AI-driven technologies and their use may either exacerbate or mitigate inequalities and discriminations based on sex, gender, sexual orientation, racial or ethnic background, religion or belief, age, and disability, particularly in access to information, decision-making, and representation.
Conduct a critical analysis of how data - often reflecting existing social biases - can reinforce or challenge dominant social structures and safety, and how such technologies shape public perceptions and knowledge production.
Explore the risks these technologies pose to democratic integrity, particularly through the manipulation of public opinion, electoral processes, and governance systems, including how AI may be (mis)used to shape political campaigns, media narratives, public engagement, and the spread and dissemination of (gendered) disinformation.
Examine how AI-generated content across media, including entertainment media, influence public opinion, social narratives, gender stereotypes and norms, and civic engagement.
Investigate how cyberviolence, including online harassment, cyberbullying, threats, and gender-based violence, is exacerbated by sharing manipulated content like deepfakes, deep nudes and AI-driven sextortion on online platforms.
Identify how AI may be used to amplify and upscale harm, what the nature of the AI-powered output is, and which groups are disproportionately affected by it, looking particularly at women and minorities, and explore interventions to prevent and mitigate these risks.
Conduct a multidisciplinary review to evaluate AI-driven risks exposing children, young people, women, older persons and LGBTIQ people to violence online and offline.
Research on policy and concrete practices that can effectively address the challenges posed by AI technologies, taking into consideration the EU Regulation on artificial intelligence and subsequent guidance being developed to support its implementation.
Identify best practices and regulatory measures to ensure the ethical deployment of AI and AI literacy while safeguarding equality and democratic integrity.
Explore AI’s influence on legal and policy outcomes, including unintended consequences, recognizing AI’s growing role in shaping policy and judicial decisions.
Consider AI’s use and impact on young people, investigating how AI systems influence their perceptions, stereotypes, engagement, and mental and physical well-being, including the potential psychological effects of exposure to biased or harmful content.
Conduct interdisciplinary research on AI’s role in societal resilience, countering misinformation and disinformation, enhancing civic engagement, and supporting marginalised communities.
Explore inclusive and innovative tools and methodologies for detecting and mitigating deepfakes, disinformation, and cyberviolence facilitated through AI, designed for broad adoption by policymakers, technology developers, media organisations, and the general public.
Enhanced understanding of the impact of AI-driven technologies, including AI-generated deepfakes and automated content generation on equality, political participation, democratic processes, public trust, and social cohesion, with evidence-based insights into their role in mitigating or exacerbating disparities.
Uptake of evidence-based policy frameworks for responsible, trustworthy, and transparent AI governance, integrating ethical, legal, and societal considerations to safeguard fundamental rights, mitigate risks of disinformation, and ensure fair and safe AI deployment, in line with the obligations set out in the EU Regulation on artificial intelligence [1] .
Increased public awareness and media literacy to empower citizens to identify and critically assess disinformation, use of deepfakes for malicious purpose, and online harm, alongside the uptake of evidence-based tools for preventing, detecting, and mitigating these harms.
Reinvigorating democratic governance by improving the independence, accountability, transparency, effectiveness and trustworthiness of institutions and policies based on rule of law, and through the expansion of active and inclusive citizens’ participation and engagement empowered by the safeguarding of fundamental rights.
Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (Artificial Intelligence Act)
highThe Artificial Intelligence Act is the world's first comprehensive horizontal legal framework for AI, establishing a risk-based regulatory approach. It classifies AI systems into prohibited, high-risk, limited-risk, and minimal-risk categories, imposing strict transparency, safety, and fundamental rights obligations on high-risk applications.
Evaluators will look for explicit compliance strategies regarding the risk classification of any AI tools developed or analyzed in the project. Proposals must demonstrate how they respect fundamental rights, prevent bias, and incorporate human-in-the-loop oversight, particularly when addressing AI's impact on democratic processes and vulnerable groups.
Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence
highThis Directive establishes minimum rules concerning the definition of criminal offences and penalties in the areas of violence against women and domestic violence. It specifically criminalizes certain forms of cyberviolence, including the non-consensual sharing of intimate material, cyberstalking, cyberharassment, and online hate speech.
Proposals must align their research on cyberviolence and deepfakes with the legal definitions and victim protection standards set out in the Directive. Evaluators expect to see concrete methodologies for identifying, preventing, and mitigating online gender-based violence, with clear pathways to support law enforcement and support services.
Digital Services Act
highThe Digital Services Act (DSA) regulates online intermediaries and platforms to prevent illegal and harmful activities online and limit the spread of disinformation. It imposes specific due diligence obligations on Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) to assess and mitigate systemic risks, including risks to democratic processes and civic discourse.
Evaluators expect proposals to leverage the DSA's risk assessment and data access provisions (such as Article 40) to study how deepfakes and algorithmic amplification spread. Projects should propose actionable solutions that help platforms, regulators, and civil society monitor compliance and mitigate systemic risks to democracy.
EU’s Political Guidelines for 2024-2029
mediumThe Political Guidelines for the next European Commission focus on strengthening Europe's democracy, protecting fundamental rights, and mastering the digital transition. They emphasize shielding democratic systems from foreign interference, disinformation, and the manipulative use of emerging technologies like AI.
Proposals should frame their societal impacts within the broader political priorities of safeguarding European democracy and fostering social cohesion. Evaluators will look for clear policy recommendations that directly support the Commission's agenda to defend democratic institutions from digital manipulation and deepfakes.
EU’s broader AI strategy
mediumThe EU's broader AI strategy aims to foster an ecosystem of excellence and trust in artificial intelligence across the Union. It combines policy initiatives, funding, and regulatory frameworks to ensure AI development is human-centric, ethical, and aligned with European values.
Evaluators expect proposals to address the socio-economic impacts of AI, ensuring that technological advancements do not exacerbate inequalities. Projects should demonstrate how they contribute to a trustworthy AI ecosystem by developing ethical guidelines, bias-mitigation tools, or public awareness campaigns.
">
As described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.
As 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.
The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as member of the consortium selected for funding as a beneficiary with zero funding, or as an associated partner. The JRC will not participate in the preparation and submission of the proposal - see General Annex B.
Subject to restrictions for the protection of European communication networks.
As described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
As described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
As described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
As described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
As described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
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 5.
Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025) [[This decision is available on the Funding and Tenders Portal, in the reference documents section for Horizon Europe, under ‘Simplified costs decisions’ or through this link: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/ls-decision_he_en.pdf]].
In addition, as described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
As described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.
Application form templates — the application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System
Standard application form (HE RIA, IA)
Evaluation form templates — will be used with the necessary adaptations
Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA)
Guidance
Model Grant Agreements (MGA)
Call-specific instructions
Guidance: "Lump sums - what do I need to know?"
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 5. Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes
HE Framework Programme 2021/695
HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme
Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment
EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement
Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual
5 key insights you must internalise before writing. Each is grounded in the call text and tells you what evaluators will actually look for. Share these with your consortium before drafting.
Because this call uses lump sum funding, the financial architecture of your proposal is entirely dependent on deliverable completion. You must structure your work packages so that major deliverables—such as the release of deepfake detection tools or policy frameworks—align with your consortium's cash flow needs, as payments are only released when work packages are fully completed.
Source: Eligibility rules
Evaluators will explicitly scrutinize your consortium for the inclusion of civil society organizations, media outlets, and judicial bodies. A proposal that treats these groups merely as end-users rather than active co-designers of detection tools and methodologies will be penalized during the pre-award evaluation phase.
Source: Evaluation criteria (pre-award)
Your proposal must move beyond theoretical critiques and provide actionable methodologies that directly support the implementation of the EU AI Act and the Digital Services Act (DSA). Evaluators expect explicit compliance strategies, including leveraging the DSA's data access provisions and addressing the AI Act's risk classifications for any developed tools.
Source: Underlying policies
A purely technical approach to deepfake detection will fail. The call mandates a combination of data-driven computer science with deep Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) expertise—including law, ethics, sociology, and gender studies—to address the disproportionate impact of AI-amplified harms on vulnerable groups.
Source: Scope
The call explicitly encourages collaboration with the Joint Research Centre (JRC) regarding innovations in public governance. You must proactively allocate budget and define specific interaction points within your work plan to seek synergies with the JRC, as this signals strong alignment with the call's expected policy uptake.
Source: Scope
The AI has drafted potential core elements based on the call analysis. To start building your project proposal structure, select the elements that resonate with your consortium's concept. You can refine and rewrite them fully once your project workspace is created.