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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant aims to support the operation of National Coordination Centres (NCCs) across EU Member States, Iceland, and Norway. Its core objective is to enable these NCCs to foster the cybersecurity community, including SMEs and start-ups, by promoting the uptake and dissemination of state-of-the-art cybersecurity solutions and strengthening overall cybersecurity capacities in Europe. - Target recipient type and size: Primarily National Coordination Centres (NCCs), which are institutional bodies recognized by the European Commission. - SECTOR-SPECIFIC - Geographic scope: EU Member States, Iceland, and Norway. - Key filtering criteria: Applicant must be a recognized National Coordination Centre (NCC). - Grant frequency: This activity continues providing support for NCCs based on previous financing, implying recurring support. - Program context: Part of the Digital Europe Programme's efforts to strengthen the cybersecurity ecosystem.

Financial Structure

Total budget allocated for the 'Enhancing the NCC Network' topic in 2025: 10,000,000.0 EUR.
Currency: EUR.
Minimum grant amount per project: None.
Maximum grant amount per project: None.
Eligible costs: Personnel costs (without volunteers, based on time/deliverables), subcontracting, travel and subsistence, equipment, other goods, works and services, financial support to third parties, and indirect costs.
Co-financing requirements: Grants may include Financial Support for Third Parties (FSTPs). NCCs are encouraged to support scaling-up start-ups by 'finding other funding' for existing projects.
Double funding: There is a strict prohibition of double funding from the EU budget for the same project or parts thereof.
Financial reporting requirements: Details are described in section 10 of the Call document.
Indirect cost policies: Included in the budget estimate template in the application form.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Type & Status

Must be a National Coordination Centre (NCC) that has been recognized by the European Commission.
Must have the capacity to manage funds to achieve the mission and objectives laid down in the Regulation establishing the European Cybersecurity Industrial, Technology and Research Competence Centre and the Network of National Coordination Centres.
Must not be subject to any exclusion grounds under the EU Financial Regulation 2018/1046.
Must have the financial and operational capacity to carry out the proposed project.

Geographic Location

Eligible countries for funding are the 27 EU Member States, Iceland, and Norway.
Non-EU entities are subject to Article 12(5) of the DEP Regulation (2021/694) due to security considerations, implying restrictions on their participation.

Other Conditions

Must comply with admissibility conditions and other eligible conditions described in the official Call document (sections 5 and 6).
Must complete an Ethics Self-Assessment and Security Self-Assessment as part of the application.

Application Process

Application Timeline

Call Opening Date: 2025-06-12.
Submission Deadline: 2025-10-07T00:00:00.000+0000.
The application process follows a single-stage submission procedure.
An indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is provided in section 4 of the Call document.

Required Documentation

Part A: Structured administrative information to be filled directly within the Funding & Tenders Portal Submission System.
Part B: Narrative technical description of the project, to be downloaded, completed, and uploaded as a PDF document.
An Ownership Control Declaration is required.
Applicants must adhere to the provided Model Grant Agreements (MGA).
Annexes, such as a list of previous projects, are mandatory if specified in the Call document.

Submission Format

Part B has a page limit of normally 70 pages (unless otherwise provided in the Call document); excess pages will be disregarded by evaluators.
Minimum font size is Arial 9 points, on A4 page size with at least 15mm margins.
Essential information must not be provided via hyperlinks.

Application Support

For guidance and support, applicants should first contact the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centres (NCCs) in their country, where available.
Direct inquiries can be sent to the ECCC Applicants Direct Contact Centre via email at [email protected].
Additional resources include the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ (for proposal submission), the IT Helpdesk (for technical issues), and the Online Manual (for Portal processes).

Post-Award & Reporting

Project implementation will include key milestones and deliverables.
Regular monitoring and evaluation activities are required throughout the project duration.
The legal and financial set-up of the grants, including reporting obligations, is described in section 10 of the Call document.

Evaluation Criteria

Relevance

Alignment of the action plan with the objectives and activities described in the Call document and the overall Digital Europe Programme objectives.
Contribution to long-term policy objectives, strategies, and relevant policies, based on a sound needs analysis, considering activities at European and national levels.
Reinforcement and security of the digital technology supply chain in the EU (if applicable).
Ability of the action plan to overcome financial obstacles, such as lack of market finance (if applicable).

Implementation

Maturity of the action plan, demonstrating readiness to start implementing proposed activities.
Soundness of the implementation work plan, showing coherence between objectives, activities, planned resources, and project management processes.
Integration of the action plan with, and building upon, any pre-existing work or EU-funded projects.
Quality assurance measures, monitoring, and evaluation strategies, including the use of specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound indicators.
Cost-effectiveness of the proposed activities and the arrangements for financial management within the consortium.
Identification and management of critical risks, uncertainties, or difficulties related to implementation, with proposed mitigation measures.
Capacity of the consortium (if applicable) and project teams to carry out the proposed work, demonstrating necessary expertise and adequate resources.
Clarity and effectiveness of consortium management and decision-making mechanisms (if applicable).

Impact

Extent to which the action plan will achieve the expected impacts listed in the Call document.
Effectiveness of communication and dissemination activities in promoting results and maximizing impact, including ensuring the visibility of EU funding.
Potential of the action plan to strengthen competitiveness and provide significant benefits for society.
Contribution to environmental sustainability and European Green Deal goals (if applicable).

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

Projects must comply with Regulation (EU) 2021/887, which established the ECCC and NCCs.
Activities may support the implementation of key EU cybersecurity legislation, including Directive (EU) 2022/2555 (NIS 2), the proposed Cyber Resilience Act, and the Cybersecurity Act.
Compliance with EU Financial Regulations (2018/1046 and 2024/2509) is mandatory.

Ethical & Security Standards

A mandatory Ethics Self-Assessment and Security Self-Assessment must be completed in Part A of the application.
Activities involving sensitive areas like human data, animal use, or non-EU countries require detailed ethical considerations.
Projects involving Artificial Intelligence (AI) must detail potential ethical concerns related to human rights and values.
Beneficiaries must ensure their projects are not subject to national or third-country security requirements that could impede implementation or grant award (e.g., technology restrictions).
Actions are subject to Article 12(5) of the DEP Regulation (2021/694) due to security reasons, particularly concerning potential risks from non-EU entities handling sensitive information.
Protection against undue foreign influence and control is a key concern.

Special Conditions

Individual NCCs have the flexibility to select specific activities from a provided list based on their interests and mandate, without obligation to execute all actions.
The grant encourages the uptake of market-ready innovative cybersecurity solutions and supports the commercialization and scale-up of the European cybersecurity start-up/SME ecosystem.
Aims to establish European frameworks for cybersecurity incubators and accelerators based on best practices and relevant EU legislation.
Supports various initiatives to promote cybersecurity awareness, education, and career development across different demographics, including young professionals and students.
Promotes synergies with existing European and national initiatives to avoid duplication of efforts.
Aims to create a marketplace platform to support the growth of the EU market for cybersecurity products and services from SMEs and start-ups.

Grant Details