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Call key data
Advisory support and network to counter disinformation and foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI)
Funding Program
Horizon Europe: Cluster 2 - Culture, Creativity and Inclusive society
Call number
HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-DEMOCRACY-01
deadlines
Opening
15.05.2025
Deadline
16.09.2025 17:00
Funding rate
100%
Call budget
€ 3,500,000.00
Estimated EU contribution per project
between € 3,000,000.00 and € 3,500,000.00
Link to the call
Link to the submission
Call content
short description
The aim of this action is to bring to society the benefits from previously EU-funded research (including SSH research) dealing with disinformation and FIMI in the field of democracy and governance be it in Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe or other relevant programmes (such as Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values, Digital Europe, and Global Europe).
Call objectives
Hybrid threats, and more specifically the phenomena of disinformation and FIMI are a growing danger for democracy, human rights, social cohesion, and European security. In recent years, the EU has developed and started to implement several strategies and numerous projects to counter disinformation and FIMI.
Proposals should build on the rich stock of actionable recommendations, knowledge, toolkits, educational material, and scientific methods etc. developed in particular by the several Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe projects on disinformation and FIMI and make them accessible to a wider audience (i.e., professionals in various sectors, including media, education, security, defence, transport, foreign relations, ICT, etc.).
Several projects funded under Horizon 2020 have aimed to conceive and implement solutions that help professionals spot and debunk mis- and disinformation and information manipulation or address hybrid threats. Proposals should indicate which Horizon 2020 projects are considered sources of research results relevant to the activities to be carried out and are encouraged to seek collaboration with these research teams. Recent projects funded under Horizon Europe investigate specifically the FIMI phenomenon. Proposals should build on, and seek cooperation with, past and on-going EU-funded projects, as well as EU-led initiatives, such as the One-Stop-Shop for Tackling R&I Foreign Interference. Proposals should indicate which additional Horizon Europe projects they would build on, should there be more than those funded under the mentioned topics.
Proposals should further develop frameworks already in use by FIMI and disinformation practitioners (such as the DISARM Framework). Proposals should also consider the work done by the EDMO Hubs and find ways to integrate these results into the advisory support and design actions to disseminate Hubs.
The capacity-building activities and advisory support should be addressed to a wide range of stakeholders and potential end-users, including non-scientific and non-academic actors, such as public bodies, NGOs, fact-checkers, civil society organisations, policymakers, educational bodies, law practitioners, or other potential end-users of the research results. The involvement of one or more of these categories of stakeholders is required to test and take up the research results and to explore their readiness to be implemented and replicated. Those activities and support could also involve signatories of the Code of Conduct on Disinformation, media companies, public and private broadcasters, online news platforms, and digital services object of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), and other private entities, such as providers of intermediaries’ services under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The involvement of these categories of stakeholders is required to provide researchers with access to data necessary to undertake research and access to platform data on the spread and behaviour of disinformation online.
With the emergence of new technologies (especially those based on [generative] Artificial Intelligence and the use of Big Data), the actors promoting disinformation and FIMI activities have significantly increased their capacity to act, they are able to develop more targeted content across a broader spectrum of sectors, and they are more effective than disinformation approaches based for instance on bot farms. AI could also be used to develop new disinformation detection technologies, while addressing the ethical and legal challenges implied.
Proposals should identify gaps in research, in particular with regards to access to data, as well as other obstacles to large-scale scientific inquiry of disinformation and FIMI threats. They should identify challenges and opportunities based on an analysis of ongoing and past research and innovation projects, particularly those offered by generative Artificial Intelligence in the context of generation, dissemination, detection and debunking of disinformation and FIMI activities more broadly. The proposals should make concrete recommendations on how the gaps in research could be filled.
Proposals are encouraged to also address the issue of identity-based disinformation and FIMI targeting LGBTIQ people.
Where applicable, proposals should leverage the data and services available through European Research Infrastructures federated under the European Open Science Cloud, as well as data from relevant Data Spaces. Particular efforts should be made to ensure that the data produced in the context of this topic is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable).
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Expected results
Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:
- EU institutions and national decision-makers, practitioners in relevant sectors, civil society organisations and other societal actors have an increased understanding of the validity of theoretical models, the possibilities to implement recommendations, toolkits, methodologies and other solutions to prevent and counter FIMI and related disinformation actions.
- Practitioners in relevant sectors, civil society organisations and other societal actors involved in the design and implementation of measures to prevent and counter FIMI, including disinformation in different sectors have access to a network and tailor-made advisory support.
- EU institutions and national decision-makers are equipped with science-based tools and evidence-based policy recommendations to proactively conceive, implement, and innovate measures to prevent and counter FIMI and related disinformation actions, and other actions instigated by third countries.
In addition, projects should contribute to at least one of the following expected outcomes:
- Frameworks and approaches that advance common understanding and facilitate collaboration to address and counter disinformation and FIMI, such as D-RAIL or the DISARM framework, are enhanced, improved or complemented, to foster their adoption by a wider audience of professionals.
- Practitioners in relevant sectors (such as education, security, defence, transport, foreign relations, ICT, media, etc.), civil society organisations and other societal actors have better knowledge and increased awareness of the challenges posed by disinformation and FIMI and of their pervasiveness in their respective sectors.
- EU institutions and national decision-makers, practitioners in relevant sectors, civil society organisations and other societal actors have evidence of the ways of working and impact of new technologies (AI, Big Data, etc.) in the creation and dissemination of disinformation content and FIMI activities and have new tools and methods to design and implement appropriate initiatives to address these phenomena.
Citizens, civil society organisations and other societal actors have increased capacities to identify and counter disinformation content and FIMI and related disinformation actions.
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Eligibility Criteria
Regions / countries for funding
Moldova (Moldova), Albania (Shqipëria), Armenia (Հայաստան), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosna i Hercegovina / Босна и Херцеговина), Canada, Faeroes (Føroyar / Færøerne), Georgia (საქართველო), Iceland (Ísland), Israel (ישראל / إِسْرَائِيل), Kosovo (Kosova/Kosovë / Косово), Montenegro (Црна Гора), New Zealand (Aotearoa), North Macedonia (Северна Македонија), Norway (Norge), Serbia (Srbija/Сpбија), Tunisia (تونس /Tūnis), Türkiye, Ukraine (Україна), United Kingdom
eligible entities
EU Body, Education and training institution, Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) / Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Other, Private institution, incl. private company (private for profit), Public Body (national, regional and local; incl. EGTCs), Research Institution incl. University, Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)
Mandatory partnership
Yes
Project Partnership
To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the following countries:
- the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions
- the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States
- countries associated to Horizon Europe - see list of particpating countries
Only legal entities forming a consortium are eligible to participate in actions provided that the consortium includes, as beneficiaries, three legal entities independent from each other and each established in a different country as follows:
- at least one independent legal entity established in a Member State; and
- at least two other independent legal entities, each established in different Member States or Associated Countries.
Any legal entity, regardless of its place of establishment, including legal entities from non-associated third countries or international organisations (including international European research organisations) is eligible to participate (whether it is eligible for funding or not), provided that the conditions laid down in the Horizon Europe Regulation have been met, along with any other conditions laid down in the specific call topic.
A ‘legal entity’ means any natural or legal person created and recognised as such under national law, EU law or international law, which has legal personality and which may, acting in its own name, exercise rights and be subject to obligations, or an entity without legal personality.
other eligibility criteria
Specific cases:
- Affiliated entities (i.e. entities with a legal or capital link to a beneficiary which participate in the action with similar rights and obligations to the beneficiaries, but which do not sign the grant agreement and therefore do not become beneficiaries themselves) are allowed, if they are eligible for participation and funding.
- Associated partners (i.e. entities which participate in the action without signing the grant agreement, and without the right to charge costs or claim contributions) are allowed, subject to any conditions regarding associated partners set out in the specific call conditions.
- Entities which do not have legal personality under their national law may exceptionally participate, provided that their representatives have the capacity to undertake legal obligations on their behalf, and offer guarantees to protect the EU’s financial interests equivalent to those offered by legal persons.
- Legal entities created under EU law (EU bodies) including decentralised agencies may be part of the consortium, unless provided for otherwise in their basic act.
- International European research organisations are eligible to receive funding. International organisations with headquarters in a Member State or Associated Country are eligible to receive funding for ‘Training and mobility’ actions or when provided for in the specific call/topic conditions. Other international organisations are not eligible to receive funding, unless provided for in the specific call/topic conditions, or if their participation is considered essential for implementing the action by the granting authority.
- Joint Research Centre (JRC)— Where provided for in the specific call conditions, applicants may include in their proposals the possible contribution of the JRC but the JRC will not participate in the preparation and submission of the proposal. Applicants will indicate the contribution that the JRC could bring to the project based on the scope of the topic text. After the evaluation process, the JRC and the consortium selected for funding may come to an agreement on the specific terms of the participation of the JRC. If an agreement is found, the JRC may accede to the grant agreement as beneficiary requesting zero funding or participate as an associated partner, and would accede to the consortium as a member.
- Associations and interest groupings — Entities composed of members (e.g. European research infrastructure consortia (ERICs)) may participate as ‘sole beneficiaries’ or ‘beneficiaries without legal personality’. However, if the action is in practice implemented by the individual members, those members should also participate (either as beneficiaries or as affiliated entities, otherwise their costs will NOT be eligible.
- EU restrictive measures — Entities subject to EU restrictive measures under Article 29 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and Article 215 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU) as well as Article 75 TFEU, are not eligible to participate in any capacity, including as beneficiaries, affiliated entities, associated partners, third parties giving in-kind contributions, subcontractors or recipients of financial support to third parties (if any).
- Legal entities established in Russia, Belarus, or in non-government controlled territories of Ukraine — Given the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the involvement of Belarus, there is currently no appropriate context allowing the implementation of the actions foreseen in this programme with legal entities established in Russia, Belarus, or in non-government controlled territories of Ukraine. Therefore, even where such entities are not subject to EU restrictive measures, such legal entities are not eligible to participate in any capacity. This includes participation as beneficiaries, affiliated entities, associated partners, third parties giving in-kind contributions, subcontractors or recipients of financial support to third parties (if any). Exceptions may be granted on a case-by-case basis for justified reasons.
With specific regard to measures addressed to Russia, following the adoption of the Council Regulation (EU) 2024/1745 of 24 June 2024 (amending Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 of 31 July 2014) concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine, legal entities established outside Russia but whose proprietary rights are directly or indirectly owned for more than 50% by a legal person, entity or body established in Russia are also not eligible to participate in any capacity. - Measures for the protection of the Union budget against breaches of the principles of the rule of law in Hungary — Following the Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/2506, as of 16 December 2022, no legal commitments can be entered into with Hungarian public interest trusts established under the Hungarian Act IX of 2021 or any entity they maintain. Affected entities may continue to apply to calls for proposals and can participate without receiving EU funding, as associated partners, if allowed by the call conditions. However, as long as the Council measures are not lifted, such entities are not eligible to participate in any funded role (beneficiaries, affiliated entities, subcontractors, recipients of financial support to third parties, etc.).In case of multi-beneficiary grant calls, applicants will be invited to remove or replace that entity in any funded role and/or to change its status into associated partner. Tasks and budget may be redistributed accordingly.
Additional information
Topics
Relevance for EU Macro-Region
EUSAIR - EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region, EUSALP - EU Strategy for the Alpine Space, EUSBSR - EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, EUSDR - EU Strategy for the Danube Region
UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs)
Additional Information
Applications must be submitted electronically via the Funders & Tenders Portal electronic submission system (accessible via the topic page in the Search Funding & Tenders section). Paper submissions are NOT possible.
Applications must be submitted using the forms provided inside the electronic submission system (not the templates available on the topic page, which are only for information). The structure and presentation must correspond to the instructions given in the forms.
Applications must be complete and contain all parts and mandatory annexes and supporting documents.
The application form will have two parts:
- Part A (to be filled in directly online) contains administrative information about the applicant organisations (future coordinator and beneficiaries and affiliated entities), the summarised budget for the proposal and call-specific questions;
- Part B (to be downloaded from the Portal submission system, completed and then assembled and re-uploaded as a PDF in the system) contains the technical description of the project.
Annexes and supporting documents will be directly available in the submission system and must be uploaded as PDF files (or other formats allowed by the system).
The limit for a full application (Part B) is 33 pages.
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). It is mandatory to submit a detailed budget table using the template available in the Submission system.
Call documents
Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025 Cluster 2 - Culture, Creativity and Inclusive SocietyHorizon Europe Work Programme 2025 Cluster 2 - Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society(1200kB)
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