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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

• Core objective: To advance robust, scalable, and reliable Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) for secure data sharing and processing, integrating privacy-by-design into real-world systems. • Explicit identification of target recipient type and size: Organisations across various sectors, including industry (especially SMEs), research institutions, service providers, and end-users. • MUST state if grant is 'SECTOR-SPECIFIC' or 'SECTOR-AGNOSTIC': SECTOR-SPECIFIC focusing on cybersecurity, data protection, and digital technologies. • Geographic scope and any location requirements: Legal entities established in EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries. • Key filtering criteria for initial grant screening: Focus on PETs, privacy-by-design, data sharing, potential for real-world integration, usability, quantum resilience, and collaboration within consortia. • Grant frequency and program context: Part of the ongoing Horizon Europe Work Programme calls, specifically under Civil Security for Society.

Financial Structure

Funding takes the form of a lump sum contribution.
Total budget for this topic is 11,000,000.0 EUR for 2025.
Expected number of grants: 3 projects.
Typical grant amounts are between 3,000,000.0 EUR and 4,000,000.0 EUR per project.
Eligible costs (for calculating the lump sum proposal) include:
Personnel costs (employees, contractors, seconded staff, SME owners).
Subcontracting costs.
Purchase costs (travel, subsistence, equipment, other goods/works/services).
Other cost categories (financial support to third parties, internally invoiced goods/services, transnational/virtual access to research infrastructure, PCP/PPI procurement).
Indirect costs are calculated by applying a 25% flat rate to direct costs that qualify under Horizon Europe rules; this is incorporated into the lump sum calculation.
Payments do not depend on actual costs incurred but on the proper implementation of work packages as defined in the grant agreement.
A percentage (between 5% and 8%) of the total lump sum is retained as a contribution to the Mutual Insurance Mechanism.
Compliance with the co-financing principle is ensured during evaluation by checking that total estimated costs exceed the Union contribution.

Eligibility Requirements

Eligible Organization Types

Legal entities from EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries.
Open to a broad range of entities, including but not limited to:
Research organisations
Universities
Companies (including SMEs)
Public bodies
Non-profit organisations
Definition of SME: Not specified in the provided documents, generally refers to the EU definition.

Consortium Requirements

Consortium formation is strongly encouraged and expected. Projects should involve interdisciplinary expertise from industry, service providers, and end-users.

Technical Qualifications

Demonstrated expertise in Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs), cryptography, secure multi-party computation, differential privacy, homomorphic encryption, and blockchain.
Capability to integrate privacy-by-design into software and protocol development.
Capacity for rigorous testing and validation within authentic data environments.

Geographic Location

Applicants must be established in countries eligible under Horizon Europe rules (EU Member States and Associated Countries).

Exclusions

This specific topic (HORIZON-CL3-2025-02-CS-ECCC-03) is explicitly exempt from the requirement to provide an 'Ownership Control Declaration'. This means entities directly or indirectly controlled by non-eligible countries can participate in this specific topic, unlike other topics within the same call.

Application Process

Application Submission

Submission Deadline: 2025-11-12T00:00:00+0000.
Submission System: Proposals must be submitted via the Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission Service.
Application Forms: Standard application form templates (HE RIA, IA) are available in the Submission System.
Submission Procedure: Single-stage submission model.

Required Documentation

Proposal page limits and layout are described in Annex A and E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, and specifically in Part B of the Application Form.
Applicants must fill in the detailed budget using relevant templates provided by the granting authority.
A 'Declaration by beneficiaries of having used their own accounting practices' may be required for budget estimation.

Evaluation Process

Evaluation and award processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
Evaluation will be carried out by external independent experts.
Experts will assess proposals based on excellence, expected impact, and quality/efficiency of implementation.
Financial experts will check budget estimates against benchmarks and ensure resources align with activities and expected outputs.

Support and Guidance

National Cybersecurity Coordination Centres (NCCs) are recommended as first point of contact.
ECCC Applicants Direct Contact Centre: [email protected]
Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ.
National Contact Points (NCPs) provide guidance and assistance.
Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) offers advice, especially for SMEs.
IT Helpdesk for technical issues.
European IPR Helpdesk for intellectual property issues.
Partner Search service is available to find consortium members.

Evaluation Criteria

General Award Criteria

Evaluation will be based on excellence, impact, and quality/efficiency of implementation, as described in Annex D of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Expected Outcomes and Impact (Key to Scoring)

Excellence:
Development of robust, scalable, and reliable PETs for federated and secure data sharing, and processing of personal/industrial data.
Advancement of privacy-preserving approaches for cyber threat information sharing and collaborative computations.
Integration of privacy-by-design in software/protocol development, ensuring crypto-agility and modularity for post-quantum transition.
Development of PETs for constrained devices and blockchain-based/decentralized solutions.
Investigation of usability and user experience of PETs.
Solutions providing security against quantum adversaries are encouraged.
Impact:
Contribution to increased cybersecurity and a more secure online environment.
Strengthening EU's technological capabilities, leadership, strategic autonomy, and resilience in cybersecurity.
Protection of EU infrastructures and improved ability to respond to cyber/hybrid incidents.
Enhanced European competitiveness in cybersecurity, protecting EU products, supply chains, and critical services.
Encouraging the development of the European Cybersecurity Competence Community.
Particular attention to SMEs' crucial role in the cybersecurity ecosystem.
Contribution to GDPR-compliant European data spaces (e.g., health data).
Quality and Efficiency of Implementation:
Proposals should focus on enhancing usability, scalability, and dependability of PETs within supply chains.
Seamless integration with existing infrastructures and conventional security protocols.
Accommodation of diverse data types and models across organizations, with validation/pilot runs in authentic environments.
Inclusion of interdisciplinary expertise (industry, service providers, end-users, legal proficiency).
Proactive identification and assessment of regulatory hurdles.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

Adherence to data regulations, notably GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), is paramount.
Ensuring legal proficiency within consortia to guarantee regulatory compliance.
Proactive identification and assessment of potential regulatory hurdles for developed technologies/solutions.
General Horizon Europe compliance rules as described in relevant General Annexes.

Intellectual Property (IP)

While not explicitly detailed in the provided snippet, Horizon Europe grants typically have specific rules regarding IP ownership, exploitation, and dissemination, which are outlined in the Model Grant Agreement (MGA).

Risk Management

Risk management expectations focus on technical implementation and ethical/research integrity aspects, as financial risks are minimised by the lump sum model (no cost reporting/ex-post audits for actual costs).

Special Considerations

Focus on SME Engagement: Explicit encouragement for the engagement of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in consortia, recognizing their crucial role.
Privacy-by-Design: Strong emphasis on integrating privacy principles into the core of software and protocol development from the outset.
Quantum Resilience: Solutions that provide security against quantum adversaries are encouraged, indicating a forward-looking technological requirement.
Usability and User Experience: Projects should explore ways to design systems that are both secure and user-friendly.
Strategic Interest Protection: For other topics in the same call, there are restrictions on entities controlled by non-eligible countries, but this specific topic (HORIZON-CL3-2025-02-CS-ECCC-03) is explicitly exempt from this requirement. This makes participation broader for this particular grant.

Grant Details