Funder: European Commission
Due Dates: November 4, 2027 (Full application, single-stage)
Funding Amounts: Around €3,835,000 per project; 2 projects funded; lump sum; project duration typically 36 months
Summary: Supports research and innovation to counteract the malicious use of open-source intelligence targeting critical infrastructure, emphasizing threat analysis, mitigation tools, and awareness initiatives.
Key Information: Requires at least 3 relevant practitioners as beneficiaries from EU/Associated Countries; specific restrictions on Chinese-controlled entities.
Description
This Horizon Europe Innovation Action (HORIZON-IA) call seeks to address the growing threats posed by the malicious use of Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) against critical infrastructure. Projects should analyze the types, volume, and accessibility of publicly available information that can be exploited for hostile operations—including the aggregation of sensitive data, identification of protection gaps, and orchestration of sophisticated attacks. The action will explore OSINT’s use in insider recruitment, identity theft, impersonation, and psychological operations such as disinformation.
Proposals are expected to:
- Develop and validate toolboxes for OSINT mapping and risk analysis.
- Enhance incident response and business continuity models for critical infrastructure operators.
- Support removal of harmful OSINT from the public domain.
- Create awareness campaigns and training curricula for critical entity employees.
- Address AI’s role in processing and exploiting OSINT data.
- Collaborate with the Europol Innovation Lab for validation and future uptake by law enforcement.
The scope covers a wide range of OSINT sources, including social media, online forums, cloud resources, public records, deep and dark web data, geospatial information, and public-domain archives.
