Project description
Protecting those who protect us
First responders face increasing dangers, from chemical spills to biological threats. However, much of their protective gear is outdated. Heavy equipment slows movement, limits communication, and cannot handle multiple hazards. This puts lives at risk. In light of this, the EU-funded ACTIVE PCP project is rethinking PPE from scratch. It uses a pre-commercial procurement process to encourage innovation. The goal is to create lighter, more comfortable gear with built-in sensors, GPS, and health monitoring for faster and safer responses. By developing and testing prototypes across Europe, the project will establish new standards for usability, compatibility, and cost-effectiveness. It will ensure first responders have the protection they need in the most dangerous situations.
Objective
The ACTIVE PCP project addresses critical shortcomings in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for first responders, aiming to enhance their safety, operational efficiency, and adaptability in the face of evolving threats, including Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive (CBRN-E) incidents. The project leverages the Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) approach to drive innovation in PPE, focusing on multi-hazard scenarios and integrating advanced features such as lightweight materials, ergonomic designs, health monitoring sensors, and GPS tracking systems.
Key objectives include: (a) developing harmonised technical specifications through extensive stakeholder consultations; (b) encouraging supplier participation across Europe via open market consultations and matchmaking activities; (c) advancing innovative PPE prototypes through phased R&D, including design, prototyping, and pilot testing in real-life emergency scenarios across various EU Member States.
The ACTIVE PCP initiative also emphasises compliance with EU safety and procurement standards, ensuring interoperability and cross-border applicability. The project fosters collaboration between public procurers, suppliers, and researchers, creating a robust ecosystem for innovation. Planned dissemination activities, such as workshops, training sessions, and publications, aim to maximise awareness and adoption of the project outcomes.
Expected impacts include improved PPE usability and reliability, reduced costs through reusable and scalable designs, and enhanced responder preparedness and effectiveness in high-risk situations. Additionally, the project will strengthen the European industrial base by validating and commercialising advanced technologies, ultimately boosting EU resilience to large-scale emergencies and disasters. The ACTIVE PCP consortium consists of strong end-users and innovation procurement experts.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering sensors
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.2.3 - Civil Security for Society
MAIN PROGRAMME
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HORIZON.2.3.2 - Protection and Security
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-PCP - HORIZON Pre-commercial Procurement
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-CL3-2024-SSRI-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
1060 Wien
Austria
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.