Deadline Date: November 05, 2026
The European Commission has launched the “Missing Persons: Prevention and Investigation” call under Horizon Europe to support innovative solutions that strengthen prevention, investigation, forensic cooperation, and cross-border responses to missing persons cases across Europe.
The call focuses on improving skills, tools and training curricula for Police Authorities and CSOs/NGOs to work with vulnerable and at-risk groups; enhancing investigation methodologies and forensic technologies for cold cases; developing modern training and cross-border cooperation mechanisms for new missing persons cases; and strengthening European common approaches through advanced technologies, socio-psychological knowledge, criminology, privacy-preserving data sharing, victim protection, gender-sensitive approaches, and respect for fundamental rights including privacy and data protection.
The issue of missing persons covers a wide range of circumstances including voluntary disappearances, abductions, mental health crises, trafficking, migration, conflict, geopolitical instability, and natural disasters. Vulnerable groups such as children, victims of trafficking and exploitation, persons with disabilities, and individuals with cognitive impairments are considered particularly at risk.
Through this topic, the European Commission aims to encourage innovative societal and technological approaches that modernise prevention and investigation systems across Europe. Proposed projects may include awareness-raising initiatives accessible to persons with disabilities, culturally sensitive prevention tools, modern forensic methods, biometrics, digital forensics, facial ageing technologies, and advanced DNA analysis tools to support both cold and new missing persons cases.
The programme also highlights the importance of privacy-preserving data-sharing tools and stronger cross-border cooperation among Police Authorities. Projects are expected to improve interactions with affected families and apply gender-sensitive and intersectional approaches where relevant. The call follows a single-stage application process with an indicative budget of around €5,000,000 per project.
Forensic institutes are expected to participate in proposals involving forensic activities. Successful projects are also encouraged to engage with the Europol Innovation Lab and cooperate with CEPOL for training-related activities where applicable.
For more information, visit European Commission.
