CIPHER - OC#1
Funding for cybersecurity solutions, testing and validation activities to strengthen the resilience of critical infrastructure through the CIPHER platform.
TYPE OF PROJECTS TO BE FUNDED: Projects assessing, validating or expanding CIPHER's cybersecurity capabilities across six challenges, including NIS2 compliance assessments, penetration-testing methodologies, vulnerability management validation, Extended Detection and Response (XDR) onboarding and data collection, domain-specific cyber-range contributions, and DevSecOps and platform automation. Activities include technical assessments, cybersecurity tool integration, testing, validation and the development of reusable automation components.
SECTORS / DOMAIN: Cybersecurity and digital infrastructure, focusing on critical infrastructure sectors covered by NIS2, particularly Operational Technology (OT) environments. Target sectors include transport, telecommunications, water management, energy, healthcare and industrial infrastructure.
INDIVIDUAL OR CONSORTIUM: Applications may be submitted by individual legal entities or consortia of up to three independent legal entities. Consortia must include a Technology Provider and an End-User/Technology Adopter, with an optional Certified Cybersecurity Auditor/Compliance Assessor. Each entity may participate in only one application.
SPECIFIC ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS: Eligible applicants include start-ups, micro-SMEs, SMEs, mid-caps, research organisations and higher education institutions established in EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories) or EEA countries (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein), subject to the call's geographical and ownership-control restrictions. Applicants must have a valid VAT number and Participant Identification Code (PIC), submit the required technical and financial documentation, and comply with the applicable ownership and control requirements. Specific technical expertise, certifications, operational environments or licensing rights are required depending on the selected challenge.
SPECIFIC TOPICS OR CHALLENGES: Applicants must address one of six challenges: K1 – Regulatory capability gap assessment against NIS2 and IEC 62443 requirements; K2 – Penetration-testing methodology and technical gap assessment for OT and critical infrastructure; T1 – Vulnerability management validation across SBOM, endpoint and network/host environments; T2 – CIPHER XDR onboarding and data-collection validation; R1 – Contribution of domain-specific cyber-range environments supporting NIS2 readiness assessments; or P1 – DevSecOps and platform automation using Infrastructure as Code, Helm charts and CI/CD pipelines.
PROJECTS DURATION: Nine months, structured into three consecutive sprints: onboarding and architecture definition (Month 1), technical execution and integration (Months 2–5), and final validation, refinement and demonstration (Months 6–9). The programme is scheduled to run from April to December 2027, subject to possible adjustments.
BUDGET, FUNDING RATES AND PAYMENT CONDITIONS:
Funding rate: 50% of total eligible project costs, with the remaining 50% provided as co-financing by the applicant(s).
Budget conditions / limitations: Maximum grant of €60,000 per project and a cumulative ceiling of €60,000 per legal entity across the CIPHER project.
Payments: Three milestone-based lump-sum instalments, subject to successful completion and approval of the corresponding deliverables: 20% (€12,000) after Sprint 1 at Month 1, 40% (€24,000) after Sprint 2 at Month 5, and 40% (€24,000) after Sprint 3 at Month 9, based on the maximum grant amount.
Links
Closes
06/01/2027
Max funding per project
60.000€