The CITADEL Open Call 1 is the first call under the CITADEL project.
It will provide financial support to up to 17 innovative projects led by SMEs. These projects will aim to develop, test, and deploy cutting-edge technologies that enhance the security of territories and infrastructures. Transparent selection criteria will ensure that the most impactful and feasible proposals are funded. Beyond financial support, funded SMEs will receive technical and business mentoring from the CITADEL project partners to maximize the effectiveness and scalability of their solutions.
Targeted application domains are :
– Protection of critical infrastructure
– Natural or technological disaster resilience
– Urban environments (cities, public spaces)
Proposed projects must position their activities within at least one stage of the security value chain, as outlined below:
1. Risk assessment and threat identification
2. Prevention and mitigation
3. Detection and monitoring
4. Response
5. Recovery and business continuity
The SME projects that will be selected and supported by CITADEL will have to cover at least one
of the following technologies (not limitative):
• Internet of Things (IoT) and Edge technologies :
o Smart sensors and sensor networks (environmental, perimeter, structural, chemical,
radiological, motion detection)
o Edge computing and edge AI for real-time data processing and reduced latency
o Multi-sensor data fusion for situational awareness
o Embedded systems for autonomous or semi-autonomous monitoring
o Secure IoT architectures for critical and security-sensitive environments
• Photonics and optics :
o Photonic and optical sensors (LiDAR, infrared, hyperspectral, fiber-optic sensing)
o Imaging and non-imaging optical systems for detection and surveillance
o Computer vision systems based on optical and photonic technologies
o Robotics perception systems (vision, depth sensing, navigation)
o Advanced optics for low-light, long-range, or harsh-environment monitoring
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data analytics :
o AI models for predictive analytics, risk assessment, and decision support
o Machine learning and deep learning for computer vision and pattern recognition
o AI-driven anomaly detection and threat identification
o AI-enabled automation and autonomous systems (including robotics and drones)
o AI-based digital twins for simulation, testing, and operational optimisation
o Large-scale data analytics for trend analysis, early warning, and risk prediction
o Explainable and trustworthy AI for security-critical applications
• Cybersecurity :
o Cyber threat detection, prevention, and incident response systems
o Security-by-design and privacy-by-design approaches
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Open Call 1 – Guide for Applicants
This project has received funding from the European Union under the Grant Agreement n°101235136.
o Secure data management, encryption, and identity and access management
o Blockchain and distributed ledger technologies for data integrity, traceability, and secure
sharing
o Cyber resilience solutions for interconnected and IoT-based security systems
• Communication, interoperability and response :
o Secure communication networks (cloud, edge, hybrid architectures)
o Interoperable platforms for data exchange across security stakeholders
o Resilient and redundant communication systems for crisis and emergency situations
o Real-time information sharing and command-and-control platforms
o Decision-support and coordination tools for emergency response and crisis
management
Financial support will address demonstration / pilot projects, targeting companies having already developed a prototype for the security sector and including digital technologies (AI, IoT, Cyber, Photonics), with the need to demonstrate its efficiency on a larger scale, in a real or near-real environment, within a testbed, for purpose of innovation uptake and further adoption.
Projects should start at TRL 5-6 (Technology Readiness Level) and aim to reach TRL 6-7 or higher by the end of the funding, demonstrating the technology in real or near-real environments to support innovation uptake and adoption.
The maximum funding per project is 60 000 €, for a duration of maximum 9 months.
This financial support to each selected project will have to represent a maximum of 80% of the funded project’s budget, resulting in a co-financing based on private financial resources of at least 20%.
The consortium composition must be composed of the following:
Partner 1: SME Digital technologies (offer side)
Partner 2: Private (SME or non-SME) or public entity or End-user, representing the security sector (demand side)
Applicants are legal entities located in one of the participating in the Single Market Programme (SMP), namely:
o EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs))
o non-EU countries: listed European Economic Area EEA countries and countries associated to the COSME
Only SMEs are eligible to CITADEL funding.
