Grants8 | The most comprehensive grants search on the web

Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant aims to fund Research and Innovation Actions focused on the security evaluation of Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) primitives. The core objective is to strengthen the EU's cybersecurity capabilities, protect strategic assets, and contribute to digital sovereignty. The program seeks breakthroughs in understanding the quantum hardness of mathematical problems underpinning PQC, develop new quantum algorithms, and establish robust testing environments for cryptosystems. This grant is SECTOR-SPECIFIC, specifically targeting the cybersecurity and cryptography domains, with a strong emphasis on quantum computing and artificial intelligence applications in these fields. It targets legal entities, including SMEs, established in EU Member States, Associated Countries, and OECD countries. The key filtering criteria for this opportunity are a direct focus on PQC security, vulnerability analysis using quantum algorithms or AI, and alignment with the EU's strategic cybersecurity interests. This is part of the Horizon Europe program's Civil Security for Society work programme, implying a recurring program context.

Financial Structure

Funding Mechanism This grant utilizes a lump sum contribution funding model. This means that payments are tied to the successful completion of defined work packages and deliverables, rather than detailed reporting of actual incurred costs. This approach aims to simplify financial management and increase focus on technical performance. Budget and Grant Amounts

The total budget available for this specific topic (HORIZON-CL3-2025-02-CS-ECCC-04) is €4,000,000 for the year 2025.
The minimum grant amount per project is €2,000,000.
The maximum grant amount per project is €3,000,000.
Approximately two grants are expected to be funded under this topic.

Eligible and Ineligible Costs (Lump Sum Context) Although payments are based on work package completion, the proposed lump sum amount must be an approximation of eligible costs that would be permissible under an 'actual costs' grant. These can include: * Personnel costs: For employees, direct contractors, seconded persons, and SME owners/natural person beneficiaries. * Subcontracting costs. * Purchase costs: Such as travel and subsistence, equipment (depreciation or full capitalised costs), and other goods, works, and services. * Other cost categories: Including financial support to third parties, internally invoiced goods/services, and access to research infrastructure. * Indirect costs: A 25% flat rate will be applied to the direct cost categories that qualify for indirect costs under Horizon Europe rules. Applicants must provide a detailed breakdown of the lump sum showing shares per work package and per beneficiary/affiliated entity, ensuring that only eligible cost types are included in their estimation. Financial Reporting and Audit

There is no obligation to report actual costs, and typically no financial ex-post audits will be conducted by the granting authority, greatly reducing administrative burden.
Checks will primarily focus on the technical implementation of the action and verification that the conditions for releasing lump sum contributions per work package have been met.

Co-financing The principle of co-financing is applied. The total estimated costs of the action, as presented by the applicant, must be greater than the Union contribution, ensuring shared investment in the project.

Eligibility Requirements

Eligible Organization Types and Location

Legal entities are eligible to apply. Particular attention will be given to SMEs.
Organizations must be established in EU Member States, Associated Countries, and OECD countries. This geographic restriction is in place to safeguard the Union's strategic assets, interests, autonomy, and security.
Even if an entity is established in an eligible country, it cannot participate if it is directly or indirectly controlled by a non-eligible country or a non-eligible country entity.

Qualifications and Certifications

While not strictly mandatory for all applicants, consortia with a strong team background in post-quantum cryptography and quantum computing are particularly encouraged.
Applicants must meet general financial and operational capacity requirements as described in Annex C of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Exclusion Criteria

Entities under direct or indirect control of non-eligible countries/entities are explicitly excluded.
Standard exclusion criteria related to financial capacity and legal standing, as outlined in Annex C, will apply.

Application Process

Application Submission Timeline and Deadlines

The submission session opened on June 12, 2025.
The final submission deadline is November 12, 2025.
This is a single-stage submission process.

Required Documentation and Materials

Application form: Specific to this call, available in the Electronic Submission System.
Ownership Control Declaration: A mandatory annex that applicants must fill in, applicable to most HORIZON-CL3-2025-02-ECCC topics.
Detailed budget table (HE LS): To propose the lump sum amount based on estimated eligible costs.

Application Procedure

Access the Electronic Submission Service via the Funding & Tenders Portal.
Login to the system (EU Login account or third-party sign-in).
Select the appropriate type of action ('HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions') and model grant agreement ('HORIZON Lump Sum Grant').
Confirm your choice and proceed to the correct entry point for proposal submission.
Fill in the application form and upload all required documents.

Types of Support Offered This grant primarily offers funding in the form of a lump sum contribution. The focus is on supporting research and development, innovation commercialization, and ultimately capacity building in the cybersecurity domain. Project Implementation and Reporting

Project implementation will be guided by the agreed-upon work packages and deliverables outlined in Annex 1 of the grant agreement.
Payments are contingent upon the proper implementation of corresponding work packages.
While financial reporting is simplified due to the lump sum model, grantees are expected to meet all other obligations, including technical reporting and adherence to milestones.

Post-Award Requirements

The granting authority will conduct technical checks, reviews, or audits to verify compliance with the conditions for releasing lump sum contributions per work package.
Checks will also cover other aspects like ethics and research integrity, dissemination and exploitation of results, management of intellectual property, and gender equality.

Application Assistance Availability Extensive support is available to applicants, including: * National Cybersecurity Coordination Centres (NCC) in participating countries. * ECCC Applicants Direct Contact Centre at [email protected]. * Online Manual and Horizon Europe Programme Guide. * Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ. * Research Enquiry Service. * National Contact Points (NCPs) for guidance and practical information. * Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), especially for SMEs. * IT Helpdesk for technical issues. * European IPR Helpdesk for intellectual property guidance. * CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk for standardization advice. * Partner Search functionality to help find collaborators.

Evaluation Criteria

The evaluation of proposals will primarily focus on three standard Horizon Europe criteria:

Excellence: This assesses the quality of the proposed research, its methodology, and the ambition of the objectives, especially in achieving breakthroughs in PQC security and quantum algorithms.
Expected Impact: This evaluates the potential contribution to increasing cybersecurity, strengthening the EU's technological capabilities, enhancing strategic autonomy and resilience, fostering European competitiveness in cybersecurity, and developing the European Cybersecurity Competence Community. Proposals demonstrating benefits for SMEs and promoting security and privacy 'by design' will be viewed favorably.
Quality and Efficiency of the Implementation: This assesses the quality of the work plan, the appropriateness of the resources, the competence of the consortium, and the management structure. For lump sum grants, experts with financial know-how will meticulously check the budget estimate against relevant benchmarks (market prices, statistical data, historical data) to ensure proposed resources align with activities and expected outputs.

Specific Scoring Factors: Projects are expected to contribute to some or all of the following outcomes, which will likely influence scoring: * Breakthroughs in understanding quantum hardness of mathematical problems underpinning cryptosystems. * Development of new quantum algorithms offering significant speed-up for lattice-based, code-based, or other problem classes. * Improved implementation of quantum algorithms using high-level quantum programming languages. * Establishment of robust environments for testing cryptosystem robustness against quantum attackers. * Application of AI-based approaches to discover vulnerabilities in cryptosystems. * Generation of cryptanalysis results and parameter suggestions for designing more secure post-quantum cryptosystems.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance Proposals must comply with various Horizon Europe general conditions and annexes, including: * Admissibility Conditions: Outlined in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, covering proposal page limits and layout. * Eligible Countries: As per Annex B, strictly limiting participation to legal entities established in EU Member States, Associated Countries, and OECD countries. * Financial and Operational Capacity and Exclusion: As per Annex C. * Legal and Financial Set-up of the Grants: As defined in Annex G, notably the use of lump sum contributions. * Compliance with the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025 - 6. Civil Security for Society. Data Protection and Ethical Standards

Projects must uphold privacy and other fundamental rights.
There's an emphasis on promoting security and privacy 'by design' in technologies.
Compliance with ethical standards and research integrity will be checked during project implementation.

Intellectual Property Policies

The management of intellectual property is a key aspect that will be monitored during checks and reviews.

Security and Risk Management

A primary objective is to safeguard the Union's strategic assets, interests, autonomy, and security.
The Ownership Control Declaration is a critical requirement to ensure entities are not directly or indirectly controlled by non-eligible countries.
The project aims to improve the ability to prevent, protect against, respond to, resist, mitigate, absorb, accommodate, and recover from cyber and hybrid incidents.

Unique Aspects and Strategic Opportunities

Lump Sum Funding Model: This grant operates under a simplified lump sum model, where payments are contingent on work package completion, not detailed cost reporting. This aims to reduce administrative burden for beneficiaries and focus evaluation on scientific and technical performance.
Strategic Exclusion: The strict control over participating entities based on national establishment and ownership (excluding those controlled by non-eligible countries) underscores the sensitive and strategic nature of this cybersecurity funding.
Consortium Encouragement: The call strongly encourages consortia with expertise in both post-quantum cryptography and quantum computing, signaling a preference for multi-disciplinary, collaborative approaches to complex challenges.
ECCC Implementation: The grant will be implemented by the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC), indicating a centralized and strategic approach to EU cybersecurity development.
Focus on Vulnerability Discovery: Proposals should aim to identify vulnerabilities in existing PQC building blocks and provide practical recommendations for more secure designs against quantum and AI-based attacks. This highlights a proactive and defensive stance in cybersecurity research.

Grant Details