Cyber Security Boost: Support for the development, pilot testing and wider adoption of solutions for cyber resilience.
Overview
Cyber Security Boost is a Czech national grant call under the National Coordination Centre 2.0, cofinanced by the Digital Europe programme, to support development, pilot validation and wider adoption of scalable cybersecurity and cyber resilience solutions. Eligible applicants are SMEs and professionally competent non governmental organisations, with academic and research institutions allowed only as consortium members where at least one SME participates. The total allocation is approximately €30 millionCZK with grants of €1.5 millionto €2.5 millionCZK per project, cofinancing rate 50 percent, and projects limited to 24 months with completion no later than 30 April 2029. Submission is via the NUKIB data mailbox using the call application form and mandatory annexes, with a deadline of 30 November 2026 at 19:00 CET.
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Highlights
What the call funds
Scope highlights
Supports creation, development, pilot deployment/practical validation, evaluation and preparation for scaling of scalable cyber resilience solutions addressing documented needs of the Czech ecosystem. Analyses or standalone training/documentation without implementation and validation are low priority.
Thematic focus:1. Resilience solutions for SMEs; 2. Implementation tools for compliance and risk management (NIS2, CRA, DORA, SBOM, vulnerability management, etc.); 3. Incident preparedness, response and recovery services and technical solutions. More on NÚKIB (in Czech) 1
- 1Design or development plus at least one pilot deployment or practical validation
- 2Measurable impact and transferability to wider target groups
- 3Projects should demonstrate functionality, benefits and scalability
| Total allocation | 30 000 000 CZK |
|---|---|
| Grant per project | 1 500 000 to 2 500 000 CZK (approx. 60 000 to €100 000) |
| Funding rate | 50% of eligible costs |
| Maximum project duration | 24 months; all projects must finish by 30 April 2029 |
| Submission route | Via NÚKIB datová schránka (see call documents) |
| Deadline | 30 November 2026, 19:00 CET |
Who can apply:Small and medium-sized enterprises and qualified non-governmental organisations. Academic and research institutions may participate only as consortium members when at least one SME is included; they cannot apply alone. Consortia must specify roles, responsibilities and budgets with clear added value.
Practical notes:Projects must provide evidence of actual expenditure and comply with rules to avoid unauthorised state aid or double funding. Detailed application form, budget template and annexes are available from the call documentation and NÚKIB guidance.
Official call page and application documents:EU Funding & Tenders Portal listing and NÚKIB call page Výzvy NÚKIB.
Footnotes
- 1NÚKIB call page includes full call text, downloadable application form, budget template and submission instructions (in Czech). Contact for queries: ncc@nukib.gov.cz.
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Breakdown
Call summary
What the call funds
This competitive single-stage grant call, published under the National Coordination Centre 2.0 The Czech Republic (NCC-CZ 2.0) project and co-financed from the Digital Europe programme, supports the creation, development, practical pilot validation and preparation for wider uptake of scalable cyber resilience solutions that address documented needs of the Czech cybersecurity ecosystem. Projects must include design or development, at least one pilot deployment or practical validation, evaluation of results and preparation for broader use. Analyses alone, generic training or documentation without implementation and validation are not a priority.
Thematic focus:The call targets projects in three main pillars: scalable solutions for SME resilience; implementation tools and services for compliance readiness, management and risk management including NIS2, CRA and DORA related tooling; and services/technical solutions for incident preparedness, response and recovery. Each project must demonstrate transferability and measurable impact beyond a single pilot organisation. 1
- 1Scalable solutions for the resilience of small and medium-sized enterprises: new or significantly expanded services and tools to protect SMEs, including self-assessment, prioritisation of measures and sector-specific implementation packages.
- 2Implementation tools and services for compliance readiness, management and risk management: practical solutions for NIS2, CRA, DORA, supply chain security, cybersecurity management, record-keeping, reporting, secure development, SBOM and vulnerability management.
- 3Services and technical solutions for incident preparedness, response and recovery: standardised services, sector-specific scenarios, exercise packages and tools for recovery testing, record-keeping, escalation and reporting.
Key facts and administrative details
Deadline and administrative model:single-stage call with submission deadline 30 November 2026 at 19:00 CET. Projects may have a maximum duration of 24 months and the latest allowed project completion date is 30 April 2029. Applicants submit proposals via the application form attached to the call and must include mandatory annexes (application form, itemised budget and required declarations). Submission to NÚKIB is via the organisation's data mailbox as specified in the call documentation.
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Call identifier | DIGITAL-ECCC (Project: National Coordination Centre 2.0 – The Czech Republic; project id 101227749) |
| Publication / Host | Národní úřad pro kybernetickou a informační bezpečnost (NÚKIB) as National Coordination Centre; Digital Europe co-financing |
| Submission channel | NÚKIB data mailbox (applicants instructed to convert DOCX to PDF, sign electronically and submit via data mailbox) |
| Call deadlines | Opening: 24 September 2026; Closing: 30 November 2026, 19:00 CET |
| Maximum project duration | 24 months (no later than 30 April 2029) |
Financial details
Budget, award size and co-financing rules
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Total call allocation (approx.) | €30 millionCZK (approximate figure stated in the call) |
| Grant per project (minimum) | €1.5 millionCZK (approx. €60 000) |
| Grant per project (maximum) | €2.5 millionCZK (approx. €100 000) |
| Funding rate | 50% of eligible project costs |
| Form of support | Grant (financial support to reimbursed eligible costs) |
Grantees are required to provide evidence of actual expenditure during implementation. The final awarded amount may be lower than requested and will be determined by application quality, budget consistency and structure of planned costs. Applicants must ensure the project does not create unauthorised indirect state aid or lead to double funding under EU rules.
Who may apply and consortium requirements
Eligible applicant types and consortium rules
- 1Eligible lead applicants: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and professionally competent non-governmental non-profit organisations (NGOs) that can produce and practically validate outputs aligned with the call objectives.
- 2Academic and research institutions: eligible to participate only as consortium members and may not apply as sole applicants. Any consortium including academic or research institutions must include at least one SME.
- 3Consortium composition: consortia may combine the permitted entity types. The application must clearly specify roles, responsibilities and budgets for each member. Formal partnerships without demonstrated added value are not sufficient.
Consortium Requirement:Call accepts either single applicants (eligible types) for piloting transferability where applicable or consortia. Academic/research organisations must participate as consortium members only; at least one SME must be present in a consortium. The application model is therefore flexible but requires demonstration of added value and clearly assigned roles and budgets for all partners.
Eligibility geography and targeted sectors
Beneficiary geographic scope and sector focus
- 1Geographic eligibility: Focused on the Czech Republic ecosystem. The call is implemented by the Czech National Coordination Centre (NÚKIB) under the Digital Europe programme; funding and beneficiary rules follow the programme and national implementation requirements for projects within the Czech Republic.
- 2Target sectors: cybersecurity and cyber resilience solutions across sectors affecting SMEs and critical ICT product lifecycles. Thematic relevance includes ICT security products and services, compliance and risk management (NIS2, CRA, DORA), supply-chain security, secure development, SBOM, vulnerability management, incident response and recovery tools, exercises and services tailored for sectors and SMEs.
Mentioned countries:Czech Republic (explicit). The programme is co-financed by the EU Digital Europe programme, so EU framework rules apply, but the call specifically targets the Czech cybersecurity ecosystem.
Expected project maturity and types of activities funded
Project stage and types of activities
- 1Expected maturity: development, validation and demonstration. Projects are expected to progress from solution design or development to pilot deployment/practical validation and preparation for scaling or wider adoption.
- 2Permitted activities: solution design and development; at least one pilot deployment or practical validation in real or representative environments; evaluation and metrics demonstrating impact and transferability; preparation for adoption and scale-up such as packaging, standard operating procedures, training adapted to the target group and deployment/rollout plans.
- 3Not prioritised: pure analyses, purely theoretical research, general training or documentation that lacks implementation, pilots or measurable validation.
Application process and templates
How to apply and required documentation
- 1Submission method: applicants must prepare the application form and mandatory annexes provided with the call and submit via the NÚKIB data mailbox. Required file formats: convert DOCX application and annexes to PDF and sign (preferably with a widely recognised electronic signature) before submission.
- 2Mandatory annexes (available for download in the call page): application form (DOCX), itemised budget template (XLSX), declarations and affidavits (DOCX), general project implementation terms (PDF), competition conditions (PDF), evaluation parameters (PDF) and FAQ. Exact list of files is provided in the call documentation.
- 3Templates and structure: the call provides a Formulář žádosti (application form), a Položkový rozpočet (itemised budget spreadsheet), Čestná prohlášení (declarations) including de minimis aid and applicant eligibility forms, Parameters for evaluation and General conditions of project implementation. Applicants must fill the application form, provide a clear work plan with milestones and deliverables, an itemised budget reflecting eligible costs, and signed statutory declarations. The application must document the pilot deployment plan, target group, measurable impact indicators and transferability strategy.
Application stages and evaluation:This is a single-stage submission process. Submitted proposals are first checked by NCC-CZ administrators for formal compliance and acceptability against the call requirements. Independent evaluators assess the quality and material compliance in line with the call Terms of Reference. A member of the NCC-CZ Council is appointed per project to manage the evaluation. The decision on final funding and awarded amount depends on quality, budget consistency and available budget.
Support type, co-funding, success rates and reporting
Nature of support, co-funding and reporting obligations
- 1Nature of support: monetary grant covering 50% of eligible costs; the grant is a reimbursement of eligible costs substantiated with evidence of actual expenditure during project implementation.
- 2Co-funding requirement: yes. Beneficiaries must co-finance at least 50% of eligible project costs from their own or other non-duplicative sources; applicants must demonstrate matching funding and ensure no double funding or unauthorised state aid.
- 3Reporting and control: beneficiaries will be required to regularly provide evidence of actual expenditure in the format and frequency set out in the grant agreement. Applicants must respect the programme’s rules on state aid and public funding, complete required declarations (including de minimis statements) and accept audits and controls under the programme terms.
Success rates:The call does not publish an official success rate. Given the total call allocation (approx. €30 millionCZK) and maximum per-project grant range (1.5–€2.5 millionCZK), an indicative number of projects funded is approximately 12 to 20 depending on awarded amounts and quality, but the precise success rate depends on the number and quality of applications received.
Selection and award conditions
Selection criteria and award considerations
- 1Assessment of formal compliance: NCC-CZ administrators verify that mandatory annexes are included and the submission meets formal criteria.
- 2Substantive evaluation: independent evaluators assess project quality against published parameters (e.g., relevance to thematic pillars, quality of work plan, pilot design, measurable impact and transferability, budget realism and value for money).
- 3Final decision factors: quality ranking, consistency between expected results and budget, and available budget. The awarded funding may be lower than requested.
Contact, information events and documents
Key contact, events and where to find materials
- 1Contact email for all questions: ncc@nukib.gov.cz (exclusive contact point indicated in the call materials).
- 2Information webinar: an online webinar for this 5th call is scheduled for 20 October 2026 from 14:00 to 15:30 CET and registration is available via the call page.
- 3Documents provided: the call page supplies the application form, itemised budget template, declarations (eligibility and de minimis), competition conditions, general implementation conditions, evaluation parameters and FAQs. Applicants must convert DOCX forms to PDF and sign before submission.
Templates and application structure (practical guidance)
Available templates and recommended content structure
- 1Formulář žádosti (application form): administrative data, project summary, objectives, target groups, detailed description of activities and methodology, pilot deployment plan, expected deliverables and impact indicators, risk analysis and sustainability/rollout plan.
- 2Položkový rozpočet (itemised budget XLSX): eligible cost lines with detailed cost categories (personnel, subcontracting, equipment, travel, consumables, overheads if allowed), calculation of total eligible costs, requested grant (50% of eligible costs) and applicant co-financing contribution.
- 3Čestná prohlášení (declarations DOCX): project declaration, eligibility declaration, de minimis state aid declaration and other statutory statements required by the call.
- 4Podmínky soutěže and Všeobecné podmínky (competition conditions and general implementation terms PDF): contractual terms, reporting requirements, intellectual property and dissemination obligations, control and audit clauses.
- 5Parametry hodnocení (evaluation parameters PDF/XLSX): evaluation criteria and scoring model to be used by independent evaluators; applicants should align their application structure to these parameters to optimise scores.
Explicit constraints, exclusions and special notes
Key constraints and important compliance notes
- 1Academic and research bodies cannot be sole applicants; they must be consortium members with at least one SME as partner.
- 2Projects must include at least one pilot deployment or practical validation and show transferability and measurable wider impact; single-recipient-only outputs are not acceptable.
- 3Applicants must ensure compliance with state aid rules (including de minimis where applicable) and avoid double funding.
- 4All application files originally in DOCX must be converted to PDF and preferably signed with a recognised electronic signature prior to submission through the NÚKIB data mailbox.
For the full call text, templates and up-to-date information applicants should consult the official call page on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and the NÚKIB call page: Call on EU Funding & Tenders Portal and NÚKIB 5th call page.
Footnotes
- 1Primary source: Call text and annexes published by Národní úřad pro kybernetickou a informační bezpečnost (NÚKIB) and the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for call DIGITAL-ECCC (NCC-CZ 2.0). See call documents for full legal and procedural details.
Short Summary
Impact Deliver scalable cyber-resilience solutions that are pilot-validated and ready for wider adoption, producing measurable improvements in security and preparedness across target groups. | Impact | Deliver scalable cyber-resilience solutions that are pilot-validated and ready for wider adoption, producing measurable improvements in security and preparedness across target groups. |
Applicant Teams with practical development and deployment skills able to design solutions, run pilots, evaluate measurable impact and ensure compliance with state aid and reporting rules. | Applicant | Teams with practical development and deployment skills able to design solutions, run pilots, evaluate measurable impact and ensure compliance with state aid and reporting rules. |
Developments Development, pilot testing, validation and packaging of scalable cyber-resilience tools for SME protection, compliance/readiness tooling (NIS2, CRA, DORA, SBOM, vulnerability management) and incident preparedness/response and recovery solutions. | Developments | Development, pilot testing, validation and packaging of scalable cyber-resilience tools for SME protection, compliance/readiness tooling (NIS2, CRA, DORA, SBOM, vulnerability management) and incident preparedness/response and recovery solutions. |
Applicant Type Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and professionally competent non-governmental organisations (NGOs/non-profits). | Applicant Type | Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and professionally competent non-governmental organisations (NGOs/non-profits). |
Consortium Accepts single eligible applicants (notably SMEs) or consortia; academic/research organisations may join only as consortium members and any consortium including them must include at least one SME. | Consortium | Accepts single eligible applicants (notably SMEs) or consortia; academic/research organisations may join only as consortium members and any consortium including them must include at least one SME. |
Funding Amount €60,000 to €100,000 per project (approx.; 1.5–€2.5 millionCZK) with a funding rate of 50% of eligible costs. | Funding Amount | €60,000 to €100,000 per project (approx.; 1.5–€2.5 millionCZK) with a funding rate of 50% of eligible costs. |
Countries Targeted at the Czech Republic cybersecurity ecosystem (call implemented by NÚKIB) and co‑financed under the EU Digital Europe programme. | Countries | Targeted at the Czech Republic cybersecurity ecosystem (call implemented by NÚKIB) and co‑financed under the EU Digital Europe programme. |
Industry Cybersecurity / digital resilience (co-funded by the Digital Europe programme, targeting national cyber resilience and digital sovereignty objectives). | Industry | Cybersecurity / digital resilience (co-funded by the Digital Europe programme, targeting national cyber resilience and digital sovereignty objectives). |
Additional Web Data
Cyber Security Boost funding opportunity
What the funding is about
The call supports projects that combine design or development with at least one pilot deployment or practical validation, evaluation of results, and preparation for wider use. The emphasis is on solutions with measurable impact on a broader target group, rather than on standalone analysis, general training or documentation without implementation and validation activities5.
- Scalable solutions for SME resilience, including self assessment tools, prioritisation of security measures, and transferable implementation packages5.
- Implementation tools and services for compliance readiness and risk management, including NIS2, CRA, DORA, supply chain security, secure development, SBOM and vulnerability management5.
- Services and technical solutions for incident preparedness, response and recovery, including scenarios, exercise packages, recovery testing, escalation, record keeping and reporting tools5.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants are small and medium sized enterprises and professionally qualified non governmental organisations. Academic and research institutions may participate only as consortium members if the consortium includes at least one SME, and they cannot apply alone. Consortia must clearly define the roles, responsibilities and budgets of all members, because a formal partnership without clear added value is not sufficient5.
Funding and key conditions
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Total allocation | €30 millionCZK5 |
| Grant per project | €1.5 millionto €2.5 millionCZK, approximately 60 000 to €100 0005 |
| Funding rate | 50 percent of eligible costs5 |
| Project duration | Maximum 24 months, with all funded projects completed by 30 April 20295 |
| Submission deadline | 30 November 2026 at 19:00 CET5 |
| Submission channel | Via the NUKIB data box, using the call application form and mandatory annexes5 |
| Compliance conditions | Applicants must avoid unlawful indirect state aid and double funding, and beneficiaries must provide evidence of actual expenditure under the grant agreement reporting rules5 |
Application and practical notes
The proposal is expected to include the application form, mandatory annexes and any additional annexes needed to demonstrate eligibility, quality, applicability and sustainability. NUKIB carries out formal compliance and substantive admissibility checks, and independent evaluators assess quality against the call terms. The call is open from 24 September 2026, and NUKIB has also announced an online webinar on 20 October 2026 from 14:00 to 15:30 for applicants who want to understand the call and the submission process510.
Submission contact:Questions should be sent to ncc@nukib.gov.cz, which is stated as the sole contact point for the call5.
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