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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

Grant Purpose and Target

Core objective: Facilitate the integration of Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) algorithms into high-level communication protocols to enhance cybersecurity and ensure future digital security against quantum threats.
Target recipient type and size: All legal entities, including research institutions, public entities, and industry, with particular attention to SMEs.
SECTOR-SPECIFIC: Focuses on cybersecurity and cryptography within digital technologies.
Geographic scope: European Union Member States, Horizon Europe Associated Countries, and OECD countries. Applicants must not be directly or indirectly controlled by non-eligible countries.
Key filtering criteria: Expertise in cryptography and digital security, ability to design, implement, and analyze PQC solutions, and establishment in an eligible country.
Grant frequency: This is a specific call within the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025, suggesting recurring opportunities within the broader program's lifecycle.
Program context: A Research and Innovation Action (RIA) under the 'Civil Security for Society' cluster of Horizon Europe, implemented by the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC).

Financial Structure

Funding type: Lump Sum Contribution. Payments are made upon the proper implementation of defined work packages, not based on actual costs incurred.
Project budget range: Minimum of €2,000,000 and maximum of €3,000,000 per project.
Total budget for this specific topic (HORIZON-CL3-2025-02-CS-ECCC-06) for the year 2025 is €6,000,000.
Currency: EUR.
Eligible costs: Based on an approximation of beneficiaries' underlying actual costs, including personnel costs, subcontracting costs, purchase costs (e.g., travel, equipment, goods, services), and other specific cost categories. Only costs eligible under Horizon Europe rules can be included.
Ineligible costs: Any costs generally considered ineligible under Horizon Europe rules must be excluded from the lump sum calculation.
Indirect costs: Calculated by applying a flat rate of 25% to the direct cost categories that qualify for indirect cost calculation under Horizon Europe rules.
Co-financing: The co-financing principle is applied, requiring that the total estimated costs of the action are greater than the estimated Union contribution. This ensures adherence to financial management principles.
Payment schedule: Lump sum contributions per work package are paid to the coordinator once the conditions for that work package have been properly met. Pre-financing follows standard Horizon Europe rules.
Financial retention: Between 5% and 8% of the total lump sum is retained as a contribution to the Mutual Insurance Mechanism.
Financial reporting: Greatly simplified; beneficiaries are not required to report actual costs incurred. The focus of checks and audits shifts to the technical implementation of the action.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Type & Legal Status

Eligible legal entities must be established in EU Member States, Horizon Europe Associated Countries, or OECD countries.
Consortia composed of various types of actors, such as research institutions, relevant public entities, and industry, are encouraged.
Entities established in an eligible country are not eligible if they are directly or indirectly controlled by a non-eligible country or a non-eligible country entity. An 'Ownership Control Declaration' must be submitted.

Geographic Location

Applicant organizations must be established in one of the following countries (union of EU Member States and OECD countries, covering the explicitly mentioned categories):
- AU, AT, BE, BG, CA, CH, CL, CO, CR, CY, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IE, IL, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, LU, LV, MX, MT, NL, NO, NZ, PL, PT, RO, SE, SI, SK, TR, US.

Capacity & Experience

Applicants must demonstrate sufficient financial and operational capacity, as further detailed in Annex C of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Proposals must include a detailed breakdown of estimated direct and indirect costs by work package and by each beneficiary.

Exclusion Criteria

Legal entities directly or indirectly controlled by a non-eligible country or by a non-eligible country entity are explicitly excluded from participation.

Application Process

Application Timeline

Call opening date: 2025-06-12.
Application deadline: 2025-11-12T00:00:00+00.
Evaluation timeline: Indicative timelines for evaluation and grant agreement preparation are detailed in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Application Procedure

Proposals must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal's Electronic Submission Service.
The submission process is 'single-stage'.
Applicants will need an EU Login account or can use alternative third-party sign-in options to access the submission system.

Required Documentation

Standard application form for Research and Innovation Actions (HE RIA, IA).
A detailed budget table specifically for Lump Sum grants (HE LS) to propose the estimated costs and their breakdown.
An 'Ownership Control Declaration' annex, required due to specific eligibility conditions related to control by non-eligible countries.
Adherence to page limits and layout as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Support & Guidance

National Cybersecurity Coordination Centres (NCCs) in your country.
European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC) Applicants Direct Contact Centre: [email protected].
Online Manual, Programme Guide, and FAQ sections of the Funding & Tenders Portal.
National Contact Points (NCPs) for guidance and assistance.
Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) for business advice, especially for SMEs.
IT Helpdesk for technical support with the portal.
European IPR Helpdesk for intellectual property issues.
CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk for standardization guidance.
Partner Search function on the Funding & Tenders Portal to help find collaborators.

Project Implementation & Reporting

Project duration and detailed implementation timelines will be established during the grant agreement preparation phase.
Progress tracking focuses on the technical completion and proper implementation of agreed-upon work packages.
Reporting obligations are primarily centered on deliverables and the fulfillment of conditions for work packages, given the lump sum funding model, rather than detailed financial cost reporting.

Evaluation Criteria

Award Criteria

Proposals will be assessed against the standard Horizon Europe award criteria:
- Excellence: This evaluates the quality and credibility of the research and innovation methodology, the soundness of the proposed approach, and the novelty of the ideas.
- Impact: This assesses the project's potential contribution to the expected outcomes and broader impacts, including strengthening EU technological capabilities in cybersecurity, protecting critical infrastructures, and enhancing European competitiveness.
- Quality and Efficiency of the Implementation: This evaluates the clarity and feasibility of the work plan, the appropriateness of the allocated resources, and the quality of the management structure.

Financial Evaluation

Experts with financial expertise will rigorously check the proposed budget estimate for each work package.
The budget will be evaluated against relevant benchmarks, such as market prices, statistical data, or historical data from comparable actions.
It must be declared that the beneficiaries have used their own accounting practices for preparing the estimated budget.

Expected Outcomes & Impacts (Key Scoring Factors)

Proposals are expected to contribute to some or all of the following specific outcomes:
- Design and implementation of at least one high-level Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) protocol, accompanied by a robust security analysis.
- Submission of these PQC-integrated high-level protocols to relevant standardization bodies and/or open source projects.
- Identification and analysis of roadblocks and development needs for migrating high-level protocols to PQC solutions.
Broader impacts that will be considered for scoring include:
- Supporting the EU's technological leadership, strategic autonomy, digital sovereignty, and resilience in cybersecurity.
- Improving the ability to prevent, protect against, and respond to cyber and hybrid incidents.
- Enhancing European competitiveness in cybersecurity and protecting EU digital supply chains and critical services.
- Fostering the growth and development of the European Cybersecurity Competence Community.
- Promoting 'security and privacy by design' principles, with particular attention to SMEs.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

Compliance with all relevant Horizon Europe rules, including those for participation and dissemination, is mandatory.
Adherence to EU financial regulations, specifically Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 2018/1046, is required.
Applicants must obtain and maintain any required permits and authorizations relevant to their research and innovation activities.

Data Protection & Ethical Standards

Projects must integrate principles that respect privacy and other fundamental rights, contributing to a secure online environment.
All activities must adhere to high ethical standards and principles of research integrity.

Intellectual Property Policies

Specific policies regarding the management of intellectual property (IP) are outlined in the Work Programme General Annexes and must be followed.

Risk Management & Security

A critical requirement is the safeguarding of the Union's strategic assets, interests, autonomy, and security.
Entities directly or indirectly controlled by non-eligible countries or entities are strictly prohibited from participation to mitigate security risks.
Projects are expected to contribute to robust digital infrastructures capable of resisting and countering cyber-attacks and hybrid threats.

Unique Aspects & Strategic Opportunities

Lump Sum Funding Model: This grant utilizes a lump sum contribution model, which significantly simplifies the administrative burden for beneficiaries by removing the need for detailed cost reporting and ex-post financial audits. Payments are strictly tied to the successful completion of predefined work packages.
Specific Focus on PQC Integration: The grant specifically targets the integration of Post-Quantum Cryptography into high-level protocols and ensuring backward compatibility, rather than just fundamental PQC research. This highlights a critical need for practical application.
EU Strategic Alignment: The opportunity strongly aligns with the EU's strategic objectives of strengthening its technological capabilities, achieving digital sovereignty, and enhancing cybersecurity resilience, particularly relevant in the current geopolitical climate.
SME Participation Encouraged: Special attention is given to SMEs, recognizing their vital role in the cybersecurity ecosystem and broader digital single market competitiveness, encouraging their involvement in developing security and privacy 'by design' solutions.

Grant Details