CyberSecDome Open Call - Round 2

The CyberSecDome Open Call Round 2 is a funding opportunity under the Horizon Europe programme, aimed at promoting the deployment and validation of AI-based cybersecurity solutions. It specifically targets small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), mid-caps, and start-ups, allowing for small consortia of up to three partners, with a requirement that the project coordinator be an eligible SME, mid-cap, or start-up.

Eligible applicants must be able to participate in the Horizon Europe programme, typically including EU Member States and associated countries. The focus of this call is on the cybersecurity sector, with applications expected to address monitoring threats, intrusion detection, and response in various critical areas such as healthcare, transport, finance, smart manufacturing, agriculture, and public administration.

The total funding for this round is €731,000, with each sub-project able to receive up to €120,000. The application process is an open call with a single-stage model, and proposals must be submitted by September 30, 2025. Beneficiaries will receive both financial support as well as non-monetary assistance, including technical support and knowledge transfer to enhance their cybersecurity capabilities.

Proposals are expected to provide domain-specific use cases and feedback on system performance, showing collaboration with the CyberSecDome team for successful integration. Evaluation criteria will focus on alignment, excellence, impact, implementation, and value for money, with a minimum score of 9.3 required for funding consideration. Proposals that include gender-balanced teams will be positively evaluated.

The help desk is available to support applicants throughout the proposal process, and they may reach out for assistance regarding the submission or technical inquiries. The projects selected will be expected to implement the CyberSecDome system in real-world environments and contribute to improving cybersecurity in complex digital infrastructures.

The anticipated benefits for successful applicants include financial resources, technical guidance for integrating solutions, and access to a network of cybersecurity expertise, all aimed at advancing their cybersecurity systems through effective use of AI technologies.

The CyberSecDome Open Call Round 2 is a funding opportunity focused on extending the application domains of the CyberSecDome system, addressing sector-specific needs and challenges, ensuring replicability, and promoting knowledge transfer. This second round invites applicants to deploy and validate the fully integrated CyberSecDome system in real-world operational environments across various critical domains.

The opening date for submissions is August 1, 2025, and the deadline for submission is September 30, 2025, at 17:00 (Brussels time). The expected duration of participation is 8 months.

The total funding available for Round 2 is 731,000 EUR. Each accepted sub-project may receive up to 120,000 EUR.

The project acronym is CyberSecDome. The full name of the EU-funded project is "An innovative Virtual Reality based intrusion detection, incident investigation and response approach for enhancing the resilience, security, privacy and accountability of complex and heterogeneous digital systems and infrastructures." The grant agreement number is 101120779. The topic is HORIZON-CL3-2022-CS-01-01 - Improved monitoring of threats, intrusion detection and response in complex and heterogeneous digital systems and infrastructures.

All proposals must be submitted at https://www.f6s.com/cybersecdome-open-call-round-2. The proposal template and supporting documents are available at https://cybersecdome.eu/open-call-round-2/.

The CyberSecDome Consortium will appoint an Evaluation Committee composed of experts from academia and industry to evaluate the submitted proposals. Financial awards will be given to the highest-ranked proposals until the maximum budget is exhausted. The CyberSecDome Open Call Management Team (OCMT) will supervise the entire process. All applicants will be informed about the outcome of the evaluation and receive their Evaluation Summary Report (ESR). Selected applicants will receive a second email with detailed instructions for contract signature.

The evaluation criteria are: Alignment, Excellence, Impact, Implementation, and Value for money. Each criterion will be evaluated with a score between 0 and 5, where:

0 (fail): The proposal fails to address the criterion or cannot be judged due to missing or incomplete information.
1 (poor): The criterion is addressed inadequately, or there are serious inherent weaknesses.
2 (fair): The proposal shows significant weaknesses.
3 (good): The proposal addresses the criterion well, even though improvements would be necessary.
4 (very good): The proposal addresses the criterion very well, although targeted improvements are still possible.
5 (excellent): The proposal successfully addresses all relevant aspects of the criterion in question.

The passing threshold for each criterion is 3/5. A proposal must score at least 9.3 points to be considered for funding. If two or more proposals receive the same score, the impact score will be used as the deciding factor. Proposals including gender-balanced teams will be positively evaluated.

The CyberSecDome Help Desk is available to provide support during the proposal preparation and submission process. Applicants are encouraged to reach out to the Help Desk for assistance with technical issues, clarification on submission guidelines, or any other inquiries related to the Open Call. The Help Desk contact is info@cybersecdome.eu.

Applicants are expected to:

Propose domain-specific use cases that complement the project’s existing pilots in aviation and telecommunication.
Provide structured feedback on the performance, usability, interoperability, and business impact.
Collaborate with the CyberSecDome Open Call Implementation Team (OCIT) and technical partners for onboarding, monitoring, and integration support.

The target beneficiaries are SMEs, mid-caps, and start-ups that operate digital systems and infrastructures interested in adopting and using advanced AI-based cybersecurity solutions. Small consortia of up to 3 partners consisting of private and public entities eligible for the Horizon Europe program are eligible to apply. However, the sub-project coordinator must be an SME, mid-cap, or start-up.

Selected beneficiaries will receive extensive support from the CyberSecDome consortium, including:

Technical Assistance: Guidance on integrating CyberSecDome solutions into their existing infrastructures.
Funding: Financial support to cover eligible costs associated with the implementation and testing of their prototypes.
Knowledge Transfer: Access to the consortium’s expertise and resources to enhance their cybersecurity capabilities.

The CyberSecDome Open Call Round 2 is essentially a call for proposals to deploy and validate an integrated cybersecurity system in real-world scenarios. It targets SMEs, mid-caps, and start-ups operating digital infrastructures who are keen on adopting AI-based cybersecurity solutions. The call aims to extend the application of the CyberSecDome system to various critical sectors like healthcare, transport, finance, smart manufacturing, agriculture, and public administration. Successful applicants will not only receive funding of up to 120,000 EUR but also technical assistance and knowledge transfer from the CyberSecDome consortium. The projects should propose domain-specific use cases, provide feedback on the system, and collaborate with the implementation team. The goal is to improve threat monitoring, intrusion detection, and response in complex digital systems using virtual reality and AI-based cybersecurity solutions.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are SMEs, mid-caps, and start-ups. Small consortia of up to 3 partners consisting of private and public entities eligible for the Horizon Europe programme are also eligible, but the sub-project coordinator must be an SME, mid-cap, or start-up.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically cascade funding.

Consortium Requirement: A consortium is allowed, with a maximum of 3 partners. A single applicant is also possible, as long as they meet the SME, mid-cap, or start-up criteria and can act as the sub-project coordinator.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The applicants must be eligible for the Horizon Europe programme, which generally includes EU Member States, associated countries, and potentially other countries based on specific agreements.

Target Sector: The target sector is cybersecurity, specifically focusing on AI-based cybersecurity solutions. The application domains include healthcare, transport, finance, smart manufacturing, agriculture, and public administration. The project aims to improve monitoring of threats, intrusion detection, and response in complex and heterogeneous digital systems and infrastructures.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but eligibility is tied to the Horizon Europe programme, implying EU member states and associated countries.

Project Stage: The project stage is deployment and validation. Applicants are expected to deploy and validate the fully integrated CyberSecDome system in real-world operational environments.

Funding Amount: The total funding available for Round #2 is €731,000. Each accepted sub-project may receive up to €120,000.

Application Type: The application type is an open call.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive both money (financial support to cover eligible costs) and non-monetary services (technical assistance, knowledge transfer).

Application Stages: The application process appears to be single-stage, as indicated by the "Deadline model single-stage".

Success Rates: The success rate is not explicitly mentioned.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding is not explicitly mentioned as a requirement.

Summary:

The CyberSecDome Open Call Round 2 is a funding opportunity targeting SMEs, mid-caps, and start-ups, as well as small consortia, that are developing and deploying AI-based cybersecurity solutions. This call aims to extend the application domains of the CyberSecDome system by validating it in real-world operational environments across various critical sectors like healthcare, transport, finance, smart manufacturing, agriculture, and public administration. The call is funded under the Horizon Europe program, specifically addressing improved monitoring of threats, intrusion detection, and response in complex digital systems.

The total funding available for this round is €731,000, with individual sub-projects potentially receiving up to €120,000. The selected projects will have a duration of 8 months. Besides financial support, beneficiaries will also receive technical assistance for integrating CyberSecDome solutions and knowledge transfer to enhance their cybersecurity capabilities.

Applicants are expected to propose domain-specific use cases, provide feedback on the system's performance, and collaborate with the CyberSecDome team for onboarding and integration. The evaluation criteria include alignment, excellence, impact, implementation, and value for money, with a minimum score of 9.3 points required for funding consideration. Proposals that include gender-balanced teams will be positively evaluated.

The application deadline is September 30, 2025, and proposals must be submitted through the F6S platform. A help desk is available to provide support during the proposal preparation and submission process. This open call represents an opportunity for companies to receive funding and support to validate and deploy advanced cybersecurity solutions in diverse real-world settings.