Innovative solutions to fight wildlife trafficking and to reduce invasion of invasive alien species
Innovative solutions to fight wildlife trafficking and to reduce invasion of invasive alien species supports authorities with detection tools to combat illegal wildlife trade and prevent invasive species spread.
Funder: European Commission
Due Dates: October 13, 2026 (Opening) | January 14, 2027 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: €13 million total topic budget for 2027, with one €13 million grant expected
Summary: Supports innovative detection tools combating illegal wildlife trade and preventing invasive alien species introduction and spread through trade.
Key Information: Consortia must include at least three competent authorities as beneficiaries from three different EU Member States or Associated Countries.
Description
The European Commission funds this Horizon Europe Innovation Action to strengthen authorities’ ability to detect illegal wildlife trade and prevent invasive alien species introduction, reintroduction and spread. Projects develop tools and prototypes for online trade, including marketplaces, and physical trade through ports, border crossings, postal services and logistics hubs. Solutions should improve monitoring and detection while minimising disruption to trade flows.
The topic prioritises cost-effective solutions co-created with end-users, interoperability with operational systems, and lawful collection and preservation of digital and physical evidence. Projects should facilitate cross-border evidence collection with an unbroken chain of custody and appropriate data governance. Demonstration, scalability, long-term maintenance, authority training and societal awareness campaigns are integral to the work. Effective social sciences and humanities contributions should strengthen societal impact and support EU and global biodiversity objectives.
