Call for applications for a grants to support cyber security audits in the framework of financial support to third parties.

This summary outlines a grant opportunity aimed at supporting cybersecurity audits in Slovakia, part of the EU Digital Europe Programme initiative. The initiative is titled "Call for applications for grants to support cybersecurity audits in the framework of financial support to third parties," with an available budget of €260,000 and identification number DIGITAL-ECCC-2022-CYBER-03-TEST-CERT-CAPABILTIES. The project is framed within the "Testing and Certification Capabilities in Slovakia" effort.

The application period begins on August 7, 2025, and closes on October 31, 2025, with a project duration extending until May 31, 2026. Eligible applicants include legal entities classified as Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), defined under Slovak law as having up to 250 employees and a maximum turnover of €50 million. These entities must be registered in the Slovak Republic, possess approved financial statements from the previous accounting periods, and have a legal obligation to conduct cybersecurity audits under the Slovak Cybersecurity Act.

The grant is a non-repayable financial contribution intended solely to support the execution of mandatory cybersecurity audits by authorized auditors. The program does not require applicants to form a consortium, allowing individual organizations to apply directly. The geographic scope is restricted to Slovakia, reinforcing the connection to national cybersecurity legislative frameworks.

The total budget allocation suggests that individual grants will likely be within the range of €50,000 to €200,000, dependent on applicant needs and evaluation rankings. The application process is single-stage, with selections based on predetermined criteria to formulate a descending ranking of eligible projects until the allocated funds are utilized. While specific success rates are not detailed, the competitive nature of the grant implies that available awards will depend on the caliber of applications received.

Applications must be submitted electronically, using a specific format detailed in the call documentation, and must include a qualified electronic signature. The aim of the grant is to facilitate and ensure compliance with national cybersecurity audit requirements while enhancing overall cybersecurity practices among Slovak SMEs. Additional information and the application form are available on the designated authority's website.

This is a call for applications for grants to support cybersecurity audits within the framework of financial support to third parties, specifically related to the TestCert-SK project, "Testing and Certification Capabilities in Slovakia". The grant agreement number is 101127837. The topic is DIGITAL-ECCC-2022-CYBER-03-TEST-CERT-CAPABILTIES - Testing and Certification Capabilities.

The opening date for submissions is August 7, 2025, and the deadline for submission is October 31, 2025, at 02:00 Brussels time. The call is currently open for submission. The expected duration of participation is until May 30, 2026. The total funding available is 260,000.00 EUR.

The application must be drawn up using the form attached as Annex 1 to the call for proposals, available in editable format on the Authority's website at https://ncca.nbu.gov.sk. The application form should be saved as 'Ziadost_o_NFP_Nazov_spocnosti', with the official name of the applicant following the company name. The completed application form must be signed by the statutory body using a qualified electronic signature, a qualified electronic signature with a mandate certificate, or a qualified electronic seal. The signed application form must be sent to the Authority electronically as an attachment via the Authority's electronic mailbox within the Central Portal of Public Administration www.slovensko.sk, using the 'General Agenda' service. Applications not received in the specified format will be excluded from the evaluation process. Annex 2 of the call for proposals, "Conditions for the granting of GRANTs," provides further details on application delivery.

Each grant application will be assessed using the "Criteria for the selection of projects," which form Annex 4 to the call, to establish a ranking. The Authority will create a descending ranking of applicants whose applications meet the grant conditions, based on the points obtained from the criteria. The purpose of these criteria is to determine the ranking for notifications of compliance with grant conditions and the immediate sending of draft grant agreements to applicants whose grants are fully covered by the available call funds. Applicants whose grants are not fully covered will not receive a draft grant agreement due to insufficient funds.

Eligible projects are those aimed at carrying out cybersecurity audits under the Slovak Cybersecurity Act by an auditor authorized in accordance with the Slovak Cybersecurity Act.

Eligible applicants are legal persons pursuant to Section 2(2)(a) of the Commercial Code (Act No. 513/1991 Coll. Commercial Code as amended) that meet all of the following conditions: they meet the definition of an SME with a maximum number of 250 employees and a turnover of up to EUR 50 million, they are registered in the territory of the Slovak Republic on the date of submission of the application, and they have approved financial statements for a completed accounting period which is not less than 12 months old and which is also immediately preceding the accounting period in which the application is submitted, or a completed accounting period which is not an accounting period of less than 12 months and which is also immediately preceding the accounting period referred to in the preceding indent, and have an obligation to audit CS under CCSA.

In summary, this grant opportunity is aimed at supporting cybersecurity audits in Slovakia. It provides funding for eligible legal entities, specifically SMEs, to conduct audits as mandated by the Slovak Cybersecurity Act. The application process involves submitting a signed application form electronically through the designated portal, and applications will be ranked based on predefined criteria. Funding will be allocated to the highest-ranked applicants until the available budget is exhausted. The project falls under the broader EU initiative to enhance testing and certification capabilities in cybersecurity.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant type is legal persons pursuant to Section 2(2)(a) of the Commercial Code. These applicants must also meet the definition of an SME with a maximum of 250 employees and a turnover of up to EUR 50 million. They must be registered in the territory of the Slovak Republic on the date of submission of the application and have approved financial statements for a completed accounting period which is not less than 12 months old and which is also immediately preceding the accounting period in which the application is submitted, or a completed accounting period which is not an accounting period of less than 12 months and which is also immediately preceding the accounting period referred to in the preceding indent, and have an obligation to audit CS under CCSA.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant (NFP - nenavratny financny prispevok, which translates to non-refundable financial contribution).

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity appears to be for a single applicant, as the application instructions refer to a single company name in the application file naming convention.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is limited to the Slovak Republic, as applicants must be registered in the territory of the Slovak Republic on the date of submission of the application.

Target Sector: The target sector is cybersecurity, specifically focusing on supporting cybersecurity audits.

Mentioned Countries: Slovakia is explicitly mentioned as the country where applicants must be registered.

Project Stage: The project stage is likely validation or implementation, as the call focuses on carrying out cybersecurity audits, implying that the need for such audits has already been identified.

Funding Amount: The total funding available is 260,000 EUR. The funding amount per project is variable, depending on the needs of the applicant and the ranking of the application. The grant will be fully covered by the amount of call funds available for those applicants who rank high enough based on the project selection criteria.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant.

Application Stages: The application process appears to be single-stage, with applicants submitting a complete application by the deadline.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the document indicates that only those applicants whose grant is fully covered by the available funds will receive a draft grant agreement. This suggests that the success rate will depend on the number of applications received and their ranking based on the selection criteria.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding requirements are not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Summary:

This opportunity is a call for grant applications to support cybersecurity audits within the Slovak Republic. The funding is provided by the Slovak authorities under the "Testing and Certification Capabilities in Slovakia" project, which is part of the DIGITAL-ECCC-2022-CYBER-03-TEST-CERT-CAPABILTIES topic. The total funding available is 260,000 EUR. Eligible applicants are SMEs that are legal persons registered in Slovakia, meeting specific financial and operational criteria, and having an obligation to audit cybersecurity under the Slovak Cybersecurity Act. The application process is single-stage, with a deadline of October 31, 2025. Applicants must submit their application electronically through the Central Portal of Public Administration, using a qualified electronic signature. The applications will be evaluated based on predefined criteria, and those with the highest scores will be offered a grant agreement, provided that sufficient funds are available. The grant aims to facilitate the execution of cybersecurity audits by authorized auditors, contributing to the enhancement of cybersecurity practices among Slovak SMEs. The application form and detailed conditions for granting the grants are available on the Authority's website.