CFPs: Countering and Preventing Radicalisation, Extremism, Hate Speech and Polarisation

Deadline: 16-Sep-25

The European Commission (EC) is seeking proposals to Counter and Prevent Radicalisation, Extremism, Hate Speech and Polarisation.

Scope

• The phenomena of radicalisation, extremism, incitement to hatred and polarisation are a growing threat to democracy and social cohesion.
• Social media amplifies radicalisation, extremism, hate speech, information manipulation and polarisation. Algorithm-driven personalisation restricts the public sphere and creates “echo chambers” where users primarily engage with like-minded views. This confirmation bias intensifies polarisation, fuels radicalisation, aids in recruiting extremists, and promotes hate speech and crime. Confirmation bias influences both social and traditional media users, as individuals seek information aligning with their beliefs. This trend impacts public discourse, fostering mis- and disinformation and information manipulation including conspiracy theories by limiting exposure to diverse perspectives and distorting perception of reality.
• These phenomena arise from distortions in online interactions and media outlet characteristics, especially those that are mostly if not solely disseminated online. In certain member states, online media have become a primary information source alongside, or in the place of, traditional media channels (TV, radio, press), while lacking transparency regarding affiliations with interest groups or foreign influences. Moreover, radicalization and polarisation spread through social networks beyond social media. Therefore, proposals should also consider offline social networks, which include relationships like friendships, kinships, and shared interests, not solely reliant on online platforms.

Funding Information

• The check will normally be done for the coordinator if the requested grant amount is equal to or greater than EUR 500 000, except for:
  • public bodies (entities established as a public body under national law, including local, regional or national authorities) or international organisations; and
  • cases where the individual requested grant amount is not more than EUR 60 000 (low value grant).

Eligible Activities

• The following activities are generally eligible for grants under Horizon Europe:
  • Research and innovation actions (RIA) — Activities that aim primarily to establish new knowledge or to explore the feasibility of a new or improved technology, product, process, service or solution. This may include basic and applied research, technology development and integration, testing, demonstration and validation of a small-scale prototype in a laboratory or simulated environment.
  • Innovation actions (IA) — Activities that aim directly to produce plans and arrangements or designs for new, altered or improved products, processes or services. These activities may include prototyping, testing, demonstrating, piloting, large-scale product validation and market replication.
  • Coordination and support actions (CSA) — Activities that contribute to the objectives of Horizon Europe. This excludes research and innovation (R&I) activities, except those carried out under the ‘Widening participation and spreading excellence’ component of the programme (part of ‘Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area’). Also eligible are bottom-up coordination actions which promote cooperation between legal entities from Member States and Associated Countries to strengthen the European Research Area, and which receive no EU co-funding for research activities.
  • Programme co-fund actions (CoFund) — A programme of activities established or implemented by legal entities managing or funding R&I programmes, other than EU funding bodies. Such a programme of activities may support: networking and coordination; research; innovation; pilot actions; innovation and market deployment; training and mobility; awareness raising and communication; and dissemination and exploitation.
  • Innovation and market deployment actions (IMDA) — Activities that embed an innovation action and other activities necessary to deploy an innovation on the market. This includes the scaling-up of companies and Horizon Europe blended finance.

Expected Outcomes

• Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:
  • EU and national decision makers, researchers (including from SSH disciplines), practitioners, educators, and media organisations are equipped to deliver effective prevention and counter measures on radicalisation, extremism, hate speech, and polarisation, by gaining a comprehensive understanding of the linkages between social and economic inequality, polarisation, radicalisation, and hatred, and by implementing effective recommendations, tools, narratives, methodologies, and other innovative solutions.
  • EU institutions and national policymakers gain insights into radicalisation, extremism, and hate speech, including their impact on young people and how youth perceive and engage with information on these phenomena, whether online or offline.
  • EU institutions, national decision-makers, and civil society organisations acquire a thorough understanding of the mechanisms driving successful extremist, radical, and hate campaigns, as well as the diverse political environments and their modes of interaction and communication, extending beyond social media and online platforms.
• In addition, projects should contribute to at least one of the following expected outcomes:
  • Improved understanding of methodologies to effectively map hate ecosystems online through qualitative and quantitative tools, also with a view to supporting the enforcement of existing laws prohibiting racist, xenophobic and misogynistic hate speech, and to protect potential victims.
  • Increased understanding of the link between disinformation (including foreign information manipulation and interference FIMI) and hate speech, and radicalisation and extremism, in particular how disinformation and hate campaigns deepen social divisions and create the conditions for radicalisation and extremism.
  • Increased understanding of patterns of media consumption by individuals and their use of traditional media vs social media to form their own opinion, the effects of a polarised public sphere on the media landscape, including the role of journalists; and the possible developments in the area of citizens’-led media content.
  • Increased understanding of the role of traditional media, online media, social media, and artificial intelligence in countering mis- and disinformation and information manipulation, hatred, and the spread of narratives that drive radicalisation, polarisation, and extremism in societies.
  • Improved tools and methods to assess the reliability of sources and related meta-tagging systems to map different points of view, as well as other actionable journalistic practices (e.g. forums, citizens’ engagement and outreach, communication channels with editorial teams) which have proven effective in improving the quality of debate in the media.
  • Increased availability of training tools, materials, and methods for educators and educational organisations to engage with students, enhancing their capacity to provide opportunities to raise awareness and counter hate, extremism and polarisation.

Eligibility Criteria

• Any legal entity, regardless of its place of establishment, including legal entities from no associated third countries or international organisations (including international European research organisations) is eligible to participate (whether it is eligible for funding or not), provided that the conditions laid down in the Horizon Europe Regulation have been met, along with any other conditions laid down in the specific call/topic.
• A ‘legal entity’ means any natural or legal person created and recognised as such under national law, EU law or international law, which has legal personality and which may, acting in its own name, exercise rights and be subject to obligations, or an entity without legal personality.
• Specific cases: 
  • Affiliated entities – Affiliated entities (i.e. entities with a legal or capital link to a beneficiary which participate in the action with similar rights and obligations to the beneficiaries, but which do not sign the grant agreement and therefore do not become beneficiaries themselves) are allowed, if they are eligible for participation and funding.
  • Associated partners – (i.e. entities which participate in the action without signing the grant agreement, and without the right to charge costs or claim contributions) are allowed, subject to any specific call/topic conditions.
  • 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 to protect the EU’s financial interests equivalent to those offered by legal persons.
  • EU bodies – Legal entities created under EU law including decentralised agencies may be part of the consortium, unless provided for otherwise in their basic act.
• To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the following countries:
  • the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions:
    • Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.
  • the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States:
    • Aruba (NL), Bonaire (NL), Curação (NL), French Polynesia (FR), French Southern and Antarctic Territories (FR), Greenland (DK), New Caledonia (FR), Saba (NL), Saint Barthélemy (FR), Sint Eustatius (NL), Sint Maarten (NL), St. Pierre and Miquelon (FR), Wallis and Futuna Islands (FR).
  • countries associated to Horizon Europe:
    • Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Iceland, Israel, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Kingdom.

For more information, visit EC.