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Call key data

Organised crime and drug trafficking

Funding Program

Internal Security Fund (2021-2027)

Call number

ISF-2026-TF2-AG-OCDT

deadlines

Opening
21.05.2026

Deadline
03.09.2026 17:00

Funding rate

90%

Call budget

€ 14,000,000.00

Estimated EU contribution per project

between € 1,000,000.00 and € 3,000,000.00

Link to the call

ec.europa.eu

Link to the submission

ec.europa.eu

Call content

short description

The general objective of the call for proposals is combating organised crime by dismantling and disrupting criminal networks, their ringleaders and enablers, as well as several priorities of the EU Drugs Strategy that contribute to the fight against drug trafficking and preparedness to respond to drug related security threats. Applications should focus on tackling the activities of criminal networks, especially those whose activities represent a greater threat to society.

Call objectives

The call contains 4 horizontal priority areas (for all organised crimes) and 2 crime-specific priority areas:

  1. improving the intelligence picture on criminal networks
  2. facilitating cross border investigations
  3. facilitating financial investigations
  4. supporting crime prevention measures and tackling criminal infiltration
  5. strengthening capabilities to fight drug production and trafficking
  6. Strengthening EU and national preparedness against drug related security threats.

The project applications submitted under the present call for proposals must address one, but preferably more, of the following priorities stipulated below:

1. The intelligence picture

A robust intelligence picture on the organised crime landscape is key for prioritizing investigations on most relevant criminal actors and networks. Furthermore, at the strategic level, it can contribute to better equip law enforcement agencies and all stakeholders with adequate tools to target the main criminal actors and groups. However, the intelligence picture on organised crime and networks is insufficiently developed across the EU. To develop it further, it is necessary to ensure that Member States have the capacity to produce strategic, tactical, and operational intelligence that is up to date and that reflects the constantly evolving and flexible nature of criminal networks. Moreover, Member States have diverging methodologies at local, regional and national level to elaborate the intelligence picture and criteria to identify and select high risk targets and criminal networks, making it difficult to compare across the EU the level of threat from organised crime. In addition, cooperation with relevant actors that can contribute to the intelligence picture on organised crime, such as academia, could be further exploited.

This could include:

  • Enhancing the intelligence picture on criminal networks, including mapping the groups and the links between different crime areas, criminal networks’ infiltration into the legal economy, modus operandi and level of sophistication.
  • Stimulating, promoting and facilitating the collection and sharing of information on criminal actors and criminal networks at national and EU level.
  • Enhancing the capacity of competent authorities to develop the intelligence picture on criminal networks in cooperation with different stakeholders.
  • Promoting the alignment of methodologies to elaborate the intelligence picture and of the criteria and processes to identify and select high risk targets and criminal networks.
  • Developing of IT tools that facilitate a reinforced intelligence picture. 

Projects must complement, integrate, or support already planned actions, notably those within the EMPACT priority Most Threatening Criminal Networks and Individuals (MTCNI) and the reporting exercises coordinated by Europol.

2. Cross border investigations

Providing law enforcement and judicial authorities with the knowledge, skills and means to carry out more effective cross border investigations into organised crime groups and networks considering evolving criminal modus operandi and business models.

This could include:

  • Facilitating the exchange of knowledge for law enforcement authorities on analysis of large unstructured data sets and the collection and handling of evidence.
  • Promoting and supporting operational initiatives on cross border and joint investigations on high-risk criminal actors and criminal networks active in EU, including in regions with an important presence of organised crime groups.
  • Supporting the exchange of information and best practices between law enforcement and/or judicial authorities, including regarding training, sharing of practical guidelines and templates on international investigative tools, analysis papers or guidelines aiming at enhancing investigations and prosecutions in relation to high-risk criminal actors and networks.
  • Training on and supporting the use of the investigative tools and information exchange channels, (such as: Information Exchange Directive, automated data exchange under the Prüm framework, SIENA, SIS).
  • Facilitating raising awareness, using and handling main EU tools and channels to support actions and investigations on organised crime with the purpose of promoting cross border investigations (e.g. Siena, Prüm, new Information Exchange Directive, Europol High Value Targets/ Operational Task Force, Joint Investigative Teams, Joint Action Days, European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats EMPACT, European Investigative Order, European Arrest Warrant, etc.).

3. Financial investigations

Promoting the use of financial investigations, aimed at enabling a better use of financial intelligence by law enforcement authorities, to enable competent authorities to build the financial profile of criminal networks.

This could include:

  • Supporting financial investigations on corporate structures used for money laundering and infiltrating the legitimate economy.
  • Facilitating cooperation with the private sector.
  • Facilitating the analysis of relevant account and transaction data and its cross-checking against different datasets (open sources and public databases, including police or judicial databases).
  • Developing tools for the secure electronic transmission of transaction records to law enforcement authorities.
  • Developing virtual currency analysis.
  • Increasing knowledge of conducting financial investigations and financial trails in the framework of investigations on high-risk criminal networks.
  • Developing tools for supporting investigations on organised crime facilitating gathering financial and asset tracing information.

4. Crime Prevention

Supporting projects on improving knowledge, allowing for networking and exchange of experiences among a broad range of stakeholders in all EU Member States on crime prevention at EU level in order to reduce the risk of crimes occurring, including by setting up barriers to prevent criminals from committing crimes.

This could include:

  • Facilitating the exchange and further development of knowledge and best practices on crime prevention for policymakers and practitioners at national, regional and local level (with specific focus on prevention of organised crime), supporting cooperation among a broad range of relevant stakeholders at national, regional and local level, supporting the practical implementation of evidence-based practices across the EU and advising EU institutions and bodies on aspect of crime prevention, including in particular organised crime.
  • Preventing and disrupting criminal infiltration through the use of the administrative approach, which enables local authorities to intervene to stop crime from occurring. Projects could aim at facilitating local to local authorities' cooperation with each other and with law enforcement, provide training to local and police authorities, facilitate the mapping of possible activities to build barriers against criminal activities, and promote a culture of prevention and early intervention regarding the infiltration of organised crime in the legal economy.
  • Projects aimed at identifying best-practices and implementing targeted prevention activities addressing the growing violence related to organised crime, including drug trafficking, with a particular attention to protecting young people from recruitment into crime, including via digital tools.

5. Drug related priorities:

a. Drug production and trafficking

This could include:

  • Projects that support the implementation of actions in the EU Action Plan against drug trafficking to be included in the implementation framework of the EU Drugs Strategy, such as but not exclusively those focussed on: a) monitoring and controlling international transport routes (air including general aviation, maritime, land) including drones and submersibles; b) civil-military cooperation e.g. on interdiction operations; c) innovation in detecting illicit drugs and psychoactive substances and their precursors in view of new concealment techniques inter alia in postal items and via express services. or to counter the use of transportation modalities; d) multidisciplinary information sharing between customs and (other) law enforcement authorities or between law enforcement/customs and the private sector; e) drug trafficking in and from prisons; f) setting up fusion centres and joint operational mechanisms with key third countries.
  • Projects to counter drug production in the EU including the use of (imported) precursors and to look into export of illicit drugs and psychoactive substances from the Union.
  • Projects supporting the resilience of the logistic hubs, including through activities aimed at identifying, disseminating and implementing best practices as well as via operational cooperation between law enforcement, customs authorities and between private entities and public sector authorities, such as the European Ports Alliance – the public-private partnership to fight drug trafficking through ports- , with a view to reinforce the instruments available to prevent, identify and investigate drug trafficking.

b. Preparedness against drug related security threats

This could include:

  • Projects to reinforce real time risk assessments, risk awareness and increase swift follow-up actions in view of anticipating and addressing security threats and prevent health, social and environmental harms due to the production and availability of illicit drugs and psychoactive substances, in particular new substances.

As regards, these two drugs related priorities, concrete and operational type of projects, that have a direct and positive impact in drug related hotspots, should be prioritised.

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Expected effects and impacts

In the short-term, the funding is expected to:

  • increase understanding of the nature and modus operandi of criminal networks and key actors and enablers including in vulnerable sectors in society and specific situations such as in prisons.
  • increase monitoring of transportation modalities, routes, and online and detection and interdiction of illicit flows such as illicit drugs.
  • enhance coordination of law enforcement and other security-oriented authorities in cross-border operations and support multi-stakeholders coordinated responses.
  • increase involvement of the private sector and civil society and other relevant (non-law enforcement) stakeholders in preventing and combating organised crime and drug production and trafficking.
  • increase the availability and use of innovations and technical tools for law enforcement inter alia for detection objectives such as production sites and concealed illicit goods.

In the long-term, the funding is expected to:

  • have increased operational capacity of law enforcement and other security-oriented authorities to fight organised crime and drug production and trafficking, including an improved capability to trace and untangle complex money laundering schemes as well as illicit flows of goods.
  • enhance risk assessments and risk awareness and resilience measures in view of anticipating, preventing and tackling organised crime and drug related crimes.
  • have improved cross-border cooperation including with key third countries and information exchange (including where possible and applicable with the private sector) and sharing of challenges and good practices in fighting against organised crime.
  • have improved detection, identification and referral of victims of crime in the context of cross-border operational actions, as well as improved protection of victims in criminal proceedings, in cooperation with civil society organisations.

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Expected results

Project applications submitted under the present call for proposals should include one or more of the following activities (non-exhaustive list):

  • analytical, monitoring and evaluation activities, including threat, risk and impact assessments, which are evidence-based and consistent with priorities and initiatives identified at Union level. Furthermore, projects monitoring the implementation of Union law and Union policy objectives in the Member States should also be taken into account.
  • developing measures, tools and methodologies aimed at improving prosecution and criminal judicial proceedings, including the setting-up of networks of specialised prosecutors, for exchanging information and best practices, training to judicial authorities; elaboration of material, such as analysis papers or guidelines, aimed at supporting the work of judicial authorities.
  • activities promoting networking, public-private partnerships, mutual confidence, understanding and learning, identification and dissemination of best practices and innovative approaches at Union level, training and exchange programmes.
  • activities supporting the development of methodological, notably statistical, tools and methods and common indicators.
  • the acquisition, maintenance and/or further upgrading of technical equipment, expertise, secure facilities, infrastructures, related buildings and systems, especially ICT systems and their components at the Union level, including for the purpose of European cooperation on cyber security and cybercrime, notably the European Cybercrime Centre.
  • prevention and awareness raising activities, including communication campaigns.
  • particularly innovative activities developing new methods, deploying new technologies with a potential for transferability to other Member States, or transferring and adapting existing tools across Member States, especially projects aiming at testing and validating the outcome of Union funded security research projects.

For actions in relation to and in third countries, the following types of activities are eligible under this call for proposals:

  • actions improving security cooperation and coordination between law enforcement authorities, other authorities and, where applicable, international organisations, including joint investigation teams, special investigative units, fusion centres as well as civil-military cooperation and any other form of cross-border joint operation, access to and exchange of information and interoperable technologies.
  • networking including where applicable the private sector and civil society, mutual confidence, understanding and learning, identification, exchange and dissemination of EU values, fundamental rights and international law in fighting organised crime and drug trafficking, know-how, experience and good practice, information sharing, shared situation awareness and foresight, contingency planning and interoperability.
  • improving resilience in vulnerable sectors for criminal abuse, technical assistance, exchange, training and education of staff and experts of relevant authorities.
  • awareness raising, dissemination and communication activities.
  • threat, risk and impact assessments.

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Eligibility Criteria

Regions / countries for funding

Candidate Countries, Eastern Partnership, Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT)
Austria (Österreich), Belgium (Belgique/België), Bulgaria (България ), Croatia (Hrvatska), Cyprus (Κύπρος ), Czechia (Česko), Estonia (Eesti), Finland (Suomi/Finland), France, Germany (Deutschland), Greece (Ελλάδα ), Hungary (Magyarország), Ireland (Éire/Ireland), Italy (Italia), Latvia (Latvija), Lithuania (Lietuva), Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands (Nederland), Poland (Polska), Portugal, Romania (România), Slovakia (Slovensko), Slovenia (Slovenija), Spain (España), Sweden (Sverige)

eligible entities

International organization, 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), Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)

Mandatory partnership

Yes

Project Partnership

In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:

  • be legal entities:
    • public bodies or, by the competent authority’s mandate, a public or non-public implementing agency or body of a Member State participating in the ISF
    • non-profit-making public/private entities
    • profit-making entities
    • International organisations
  • be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
    • EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs)), excluding Denmark
    • non-EU countries: in particular countries of origin and transit of illicit flows towards the EU and countries which are relevant for the fight against criminal networks active in European illicit markets and countries of origin and transit. These include the following regions: Western Balkans, Latin-America and the Caribbean (LAC), West-Africa, Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA), Eastern Partnership and the following countries: United Arab Emirates, Türkiye, Ukraine, United States, China, India, Afghanistan.

Proposals must be submitted by minimum 2 applicants (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities) from 2 different eligible countries.

The following entities canNOT apply as coordinator:

  • profit making entities
  • international organisations

Target groups

The project applications should ensure they reach the relevant targets, including:

  • general public, and/or
  • social and educational services, and/or
  • law enforcement and other security-oriented authorities, and/or
  • private sector and/or
  • civil society organisations.

other eligibility criteria

Specific cases

Natural persons — Natural persons are NOT eligible (with the exception of self-employed persons, i.e. sole traders, where the company does not have legal personality separate from that of the natural person).

International organisations — International organisations are eligible. The rules on eligible countries do not apply to them. International organisations can participate as co-beneficiaries regardless of their geographical location. However, being based in an eligible country does not contribute to the fulfilment of the minimum number of eligible countries required in the eligibility criteria related to the consortium composition.

Entities without legal personality — 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 for the protection of the EU financial interests equivalent to that offered by legal persons.

EU bodies — EU bodies cannot be part of the consortium.

Associations and interest groupings — Entities composed of members may participate as ‘sole beneficiaries’ or ‘beneficiaries without legal personality’.

Countries currently negotiating association agreements — Beneficiaries from countries with ongoing negotiations for participation in the programme (see list of participating countries above) may participate in the call and can sign grants if the negotiations are concluded before grant signature and if the association covers the call (i.e. is retroactive and covers both the part of the programme and the year when the call was launched).

Israeli applicants — With regard to Israeli entities, please follow the Guidelines on the eligibility of Israeli entities and their activities in the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967 for grants, prizes and financial instruments funded by the EU from 2014 onwards.

As regards Georgia recent changes to the legal and regulatory environment affect the implementation of the call and activities supported under it. No projects directly benefitting the Georgian authorities – which include central government, local authorities, agencies and state-owned enterprises – will be allowed. However, if required, regional capacity building events benefiting more than one country involving Georgia can take place at technical level but only outside Georgia. The costs of participation for these public officials and similar persons cannot be covered by the EU grant. Assistance to civil society, independent media and countering disinformation is nevertheless possible. Regarding this, do note that under the revised laws, Georgian participants could face criminal liability if they participate or get their travel/accommodation paid for participation in EU-funded events without pre-authorisation by Georgian authorities. Particular caution is therefore required before deciding to invite or fund the participation of Georgian individuals or organisations. A case-by-case risk assessment should be conducted to evaluate whether their participation might be considered to fall under the remit of the law.

EU restrictive measures — Special rules apply for 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) and entities covered by Commission Guidelines No 2013/C 205/05). Such entities are not eligible to participate in any capacity, including as beneficiaries, affiliated entities, associated partners, subcontractors or recipients of financial support to third parties (if any).

EU conditionality measures — Special rules apply for entities subject to measures adopted on the basis of EU Regulation 2020/2092. Such entities are not eligible to participate in any funded role (beneficiaries, affiliated entities, subcontractors, recipients of financial support to third parties, etc).

Currently the following measure is in place: Impact of the Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/2506 of 15 December 2022 on 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 16th December 2022, no legal commitments (including the grant agreement itself as well as subcontracts, purchase contracts, financial support to third parties etc.) can be signed with Hungarian public interest trusts established under Hungarian Act IX of 2021 or any entity they maintain.

Affected entities may continue to apply to calls for proposals. However, in case 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). In this case, co-applicants will be invited to remove or replace that entity and/or to change its status into associated partner. Tasks and budget may be redistributed accordingly.

Additional information

Topics

Administration & Governance, Institutional Capacity & Cooperation, 
Justice, Safety & Security

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)

project duration

24 months

Additional Information

Proposals must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System (accessible via the Topic page in the Search Funding & Tenders section). Paper submissions are NOT possible.

Proposals (including annexes and supporting documents) must be submitted using the forms provided inside the Submission System (NOT the documents available on the Topic page — they are only for information).

Proposals must be complete and contain all the requested information and all required annexes and supporting documents:

  • Application Form Part A — contains administrative information about the participants (future coordinator, beneficiaries and affiliated entities) and the summarised budget for the project (to be filled in directly online)
  • Application Form Part B — contains the technical description of the project (template to be downloaded from the Portal Submission System, completed, assembled and re-uploaded)
  • Application Form Part C — contains additional project data and the project’s contribution to EU programme key performance indicators (KPI) (to be filled in directly online)
  • Mandatory annexes and supporting documents (templates to be downloaded from the Portal Submission System, completed, assembled and re-uploaded):
    • list of previous projects (key projects for the last 4 years, not limited to EU-funded projects): template available in Part B but to be submitted as a separate annex.

Proposals are limited to maximum 50 pages (Part B without annexes).

Call documents

Call Document ISF-2026-TF2-AG-OCCall Document ISF-2026-TF2-AG-OC(420kB)

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