Preparedness Projects

Topic description

Objective:

OBJECTIVES :

The overall objective is to improve civil protection preparedness to all kinds of disasters inside or outside the Member States/Participating States of the Mechanism by providing funding for institutional preparedness and individual capacity strengthening initiatives.

Themes & priorities:

Priority 1: Institutional preparedness 

Proposals focussing on the institutional preparedness priority of the call will be able to place their focus on activities aimed at advancing preparedness, both within and between organisations, sectors and borders, especially in the context of applying lessons learnt to existing structures and processes. Activities can aim to encourage or even institutionalise cooperation between different stakeholders including the general public, improve communication, information management and facilitate the transfer of knowledge or integrate new approaches and innovative research in the interest of increasing preparedness at an institutional level. 

Priority 2: Individual capacity strengthening  

This priority aims to increase preparedness through activities that develop skills, expand relevant knowledge, and improve capacity and performance of individual experts or functional groups. While the primary responsibility for this process lies within each organisation, this call intends to complement efforts within individual stakeholders, by funding initiatives that gather resources beyond those typically available to the individual organisation. Bringing together different stakeholders, sharing knowledge, and developing formats to effectively make knowledge and skills available to relevant audiences throughout the UCPM community is the central objective of Priority 2.  

You are also encouraged to visit the DG ECHO website (Prevention and Preparedness Programme webpage) and the Union Civil Protection Knowledge Network platform to consult projects funded previously.

Proposals that can be funded:

Under Priority 1 (Institutional preparedness), the call will look to fund activities that strengthen the ability of institutions tasked with civil protection or disaster risk management to effectively prepare for future disasters. The activities can focus on any or all of the following aspects: identifying institutional preparedness gaps, developing strategies to overcome identified gaps, as well as investigating the efficiency of new or existing tools, methodologies and approaches.

Under Priority 2 (Capacity strengthening), the call is seeking to support civil protection and disaster risk management actors by funding activities that improve the individual capacity to react during disasters.

The focus of the activities should lie on expanding knowledge, skills and performance in order to strengthen capacity at an individual scale. Projects can focus on any or all of the following elements: gathering of knowledge and good practices from different disaster risk management stakeholders, integrating input from science and research institutions into knowledge sharing activities relevant for disaster risk management, elaboration of methodologies for skill and knowledge transfer as well as the development and implementation of specific activities. Activities may also focus on integrating lessons learnt from recent emergencies into capacity strengthening initiatives.

The proposals can include but are not limited to the following outputs:

Analyses, feasibility studies, background studies, ex-ante evaluations for scenario-based capacity-development and applied science activities.  

Scenario frameworks, manuals, guidelines and planning tools, action plans, evaluation reports and other analytical products on developed, tested and assessed disaster risk scenarios. 

Proposals on integrating scenario-based capacity-development and applied science activities into the existing Knowledge Network activities. 

Information Technology (IT) tools, processes, and methodologies for collecting, processing, creating and disseminating information. 

Development of training modules and corresponding training materials to build relevant skills for changing work environment in DRM. 

Guidance material for translating lessons learnt into existing learning initiatives.  

Scenario frameworks, manuals, guidelines and planning tools, action plans, evaluation reports and trainings on their use and adaptation. 

Information Technology (IT) tools, processes, and methodologies for collecting, processing, creating and disseminating information and knowledge.

This topic aims to increase the overall preparedness of the UCPM and its stakeholders through activities that address ongoing and emerging issues of systemic relevance. Consortia composed of diverse disaster risk management actors are encouraged to work together across disciplines, sectors and geographical boundaries to identify and address preparedness needs of the UCPM in order to develop solutions that can be replicated or adapted by the UCPM community.

The overall objective of the Mechanism is to strengthen the cooperation among EU Member States and UCPM Participating States in the field of civil protection in order to facilitate coordination to improve the effectiveness of system for preventing, preparing for and responding to natural and man-made disasters. Any country in the world overwhelmed by a disaster can call on the Mechanism for help. By pooling the civil protection capabilities of the EU Member States and UCPM Participating States, the Mechanism can ensure better protection primarily of people, but also of the natural and cultural environment and of property.

In addition to the UCPM-2024-KAPP, direct grants without calls for proposals for disaster risk management actions –‘Technical Assistance for Disaster Risk Management'. They will address national disaster risk management authorities of the EU Member and UCPM Participating States. An invitation to submit a proposal will be sent to the above mentioned authorities.

Full background information about European civil protection activities is available at http://ec.europa.eu/echo/what/civil-protection_en.

Development of solutions to integrate lessons learnt into existing structures and processes.

Integration of a broader range of stakeholders such as science and research, political and technical decision makers or the general public into preparedness activities. 

Strengthened relationships between stakeholders already being part of the disaster risk management community while broadening the communities' reach into other sectors. 

Facilitated transfer of research and innovation outcomes into civil protection and disaster risk management planning and operations through agile learning and feedback mechanisms. 

The development and sharing of knowledge and capabilities at organisational and systemic levels against critical/common risks, new emerging risks, prolonged emergencies or concurrent disasters. 

Lessons learnt at individual level are integrated into existing or new capacity strengthening activities. 

Development of knowledge sharing at individual level against critical/common risks (floods, wildfire, search and rescue, CBRN and emergency medical needs), new emerging risks, prolonged emergencies or concurrent disasters. 

Integration of research and innovation outcomes into civil protection and disaster risk management capacity strengthening activities.

Identification and showcasing of relevant capacity-development activities at regional, national, and local levels that could be applied in other contexts.

Members of consortium are encouraged to conclude a consortium agreement, in principle prior to the signature of the grant agreement.