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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant aims to support the education and training of developers creating cybersecurity solutions.
The core objective is to enhance skills for product certification under the EUCC cybersecurity scheme.
Target recipients are Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) that are legal entities.
This is a SECTOR-SPECIFIC grant, focusing on cybersecurity and digital elements.
The geographic scope is limited to the Slovak Republic.
Key filtering criteria for applicants include being a registered SME in Slovakia, having approved financial accounts, and intending to provide products with digital elements.
This is the '2nd Call for applications', indicating it is a recurring grant program.

Financial Structure

Total budget for the call: €87,900.
Minimum grant amount per application: €3,210 (excluding VAT).
Maximum grant amount per application: €9,630 (excluding VAT).
Funding rate: Grants will cover 100% of the total eligible expenditure.
Eligible costs include expenses related to obtaining a certificate of completion for the specified education/training course.
A flat rate for indirect expenditure is included in the grant amount.
The grant amount varies based on the number of trainees:
1 trainee: €3,000 (education) + €210 (indirect) = €3,210 total (excluding VAT).
2 trainees: €6,000 (education) + €420 (indirect) = €6,420 total (excluding VAT).
3 trainees: €9,000 (education) + €630 (indirect) = €9,630 total (excluding VAT).
Grant funds will be implemented based on the submitted payment application and according to the conditions of the call.
There are no explicit mentions of matching fund requirements, co-financing, or financial guarantees.

Eligibility Requirements

Organization Type and Legal Status

Must be a legal entity as defined by Section 2(2)(a) of the Commercial Code.
Must meet the definition of a Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) as per Annex I of Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/2014.

Geographic Location

Must be registered in the territory of the Slovak Republic at the time of application submission.

Financial Requirements

Must have approved accounts for a completed financial year (not less than 12 months) immediately preceding the financial year in which the application is submitted.
Alternatively, must have approved accounts for a completed financial year (not less than 12 months) immediately preceding the financial year referred to in the point above.
Example: If applying in 2024, approved accounts for 2023 or 2022 are required.
For SMEs resulting from a merger or division, the business period of the longest-running merging company is taken into account.

Project Scope / Business Focus

Must demonstrate intent to provide or are providing a product with digital elements to customers.
A product with digital elements is defined by REGULATION (EU) 2024/2847 (Cyber Resilience Act), encompassing application software (e.g., office packages, development environments, communication tools, network device software, cryptographic applications, smartphone applications) or hardware implementing such software.
The funded project must specifically aim at obtaining a certificate of completion of an education/training course focused on product certification under the EUCC cybersecurity certification scheme and Commission Implementing Regulation 2024/482.
The training must be for a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 3 employees of the applicant organization.

Application Limitations

An applicant may submit only one application for this grant. If multiple applications are submitted, only the last one received by the Authority will be considered.

Application Process

Application Deadline

The submission deadline for applications is 2025-09-30 18:00:00+0000.

Submission Process

The completed application form must be signed by the statutory body using a qualified electronic signature, a qualified electronic signature bearing a mandate certificate, or a qualified electronic seal.
The signed application must be submitted electronically as an annex to an electronic submission via the Authority's electronic mailbox on www.slovensko.sk, utilizing the 'General Agenda' service.
Applications that do not adhere to this specified electronic submission method will not be considered and will be disqualified.
More detailed instructions regarding the delivery method are provided in Annex 2: Conditions for granting a grant.

Evaluation and Selection Process

Grant applications will be assessed to establish a ranking based on the Criteria for the selection of projects (Annex 4).
Applicants who meet the grant conditions will be ranked, with those scoring the highest points at the top.
Notifications of compliance with grant conditions and draft grant agreements will be sent to applicants in the order of their ranking, provided that sufficient call funds are available.
If the available allocation of call funds does not fully cover an applicant's requested grant, a draft grant agreement will not be sent due to lack of funds.

Project Implementation Timeline

The funded project activities, specifically the education/training course, must be completed until 31. March 2026.

Required Documentation and Materials

Completed application form.
Approved accounts for the specified financial years (as per eligibility criteria).
Information detailing the scope of the educational activity/training (minimum requirements are in Annex 7).
Reference to Annex 2: Conditions for granting a grant for detailed application delivery methods.
Reference to Annex 4: Criteria for the selection of projects which outlines how applications will be evaluated.

Evaluation Criteria

Project Selection Criteria

Applications are assessed based on the Criteria for the selection of projects, which are detailed in Annex 4 to the call.
A descending ranking of applicants is created based on the points obtained from these criteria.
The purpose of applying these criteria is to determine the order in which notifications of compliance and draft grant agreements are issued to applicants, subject to available funding.

Specific Scoring Factors

The precise scoring factors and their weighting are not provided in the available information but are outlined in Annex 4.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

Projects must ensure compliance with the EUCC cybersecurity certification scheme.
Adherence to Commission Implementing Regulation 2024/482 is required.
Activities must align with REGULATION (EU) 2024/2847 (Cyber Resilience Act) concerning products with digital elements.
Applicants must meet legal entity and SME definitions as per Act No. 513/1991 Coll. Commercial Code and Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/2014.

Technical and Project Specifics

The educational activity/training must fulfill the minimum requirements for scope detailed in Annex 7 of the call.
The grant specifically targets training for developers of cyber security solutions focused on product certification.

Reporting and Accountability

Grant funds are disbursed and managed based on a submitted payment application.

Specific Exclusions/Limitations

Only one application per organization is permitted.
The grant is strictly for training 1 to 3 employees in product certification under EUCC.

Strategic Alignment

This funding opportunity supports the enhancement of cybersecurity capabilities within Slovakia, contributing to compliance with broader EU cybersecurity regulations and standards, specifically in the area of product certification.

Grant Details