Summary
About CITADEL Open Call 1
The CITADEL Open Call 1 supports security-focused demonstration and pilot projects aimed at strengthening the protection and resilience of critical infrastructures, urban environments, and territories against physical, cyber, and hybrid threats.
Projects must validate advanced digital security technologies in real or near-real operational environments, moving from TRL 5–6 to TRL 6–7+.
Supported technologies include in particular:
• Artificial Intelligence and data analytics (predictive analytics, anomaly detection, decision support, digital twins)
• IoT and smart sensing systems (multi-sensor monitoring, edge AI, secure IoT architectures)
• Photonics and optical systems (computer vision, advanced sensing, robotics perception)
• Cybersecurity solutions (threat detection, secure data management, cyber resilience)
• Secure communication and interoperable platforms for crisis coordination and emergency response
Funding does not cover technology acquisition, but rather field validation, operational testing, performance measurement (KPIs), and integration within the security value chain to accelerate market uptake.
Description
The CITADEL Open Call 1 targets innovation at the intersection of digital and green transitions applied to security. Priority domains are:
-Protection of critical infrastructures (energy, transport, health, water, digital infra, etc.)
-Resilience to natural and technological disasters
-Security in urban environments (including security of large events)
-Projects must position themselves within at least one stage of the security value chain: risk assessment, prevention, detection, response, or recovery/business continuity.
Financial support is addressed exclusively to for-profit SMEs established in EU Member States or countries associated to the Single Market Programme.
Projects must be submitted by a consortium of two independent legal entities:
Partner 1: SME from the digital sector (technology provider – offer side)
Partner 2: Private (SME or non-SME) or public entity acting as end-user from the security sector (demand side)
Only SMEs receive funding (max. 60 000 € lump sum per project, max. 80% of total budget; ≥20% private co-financing).
LINK & MORE INFORMATION: https://citadel.grantplatform.com/
Should you have any questions, feel free to contact Mar Coromina mcoromina@secartys.org | 623 35 59 80, and we'll do our best to help you.
