Enhancing the NCC Network

The grant opportunity titled "DIGITAL-ECCC-2025-DEPLOY-CYBER-08-NCC" under the Digital Europe Programme aims to strengthen the cybersecurity ecosystem in the EU by supporting National Coordination Centres (NCCs). These centres are recognized by the European Commission and are responsible for coordinating national cybersecurity efforts, especially through Regulation (EU) 2021/887. The total budget allocated for this call is €10 million, focusing on individual NCCs from EU Member States as eligible applicants.

The funding type is categorized as a grant, specifically a DIGITAL JU Simple Grant. The submission process is open and operates in a single-stage format, with a planned opening date on June 12, 2025, and a deadline of October 7, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time. There is no explicit requirement for co-funding, although the use of Financial Support for Third Parties (FSTPs) is mentioned.

Eligible projects will target sectors such as cybersecurity, education, and SME support. They aim to support various activities including the commercialization of cybersecurity technologies, fostering cross-border collaboration, and enhancing awareness about cybersecurity issues. The main objective is to boost market readiness for innovative solutions, promote awareness campaigns, and build strong networks among stakeholders, including SMEs.

The expected outcomes of this funding opportunity include the establishment of a network of national initiatives, the creation of a Cybersecurity Community Observatory, and organizing matchmaking events for access-to-finance opportunities. The initiative encourages the development of European frameworks for cybersecurity incubators and accelerators, and activities that foster the growth of cybersecurity talent, particularly aimed at youth.

While specific success rates are not stated, it is suggested that the targeted nature of the call for NCCs might lead to moderate competition and potential success rates in the range of 40 to 79%. The NCCs are expected to support the scaling-up of startups, provide technical assistance to applicants for ECCC calls, and promote participation in cybersecurity initiatives at various levels.

Overall, this grant aims to reinforce the capabilities of NCCs to enhance the EU's cybersecurity resilience by fostering innovation, raising awareness, and promoting safer digital practices across the region.

The EU Funding Opportunity DIGITAL-ECCC-2025-DEPLOY-CYBER-08-NCC, under the Digital Europe Programme, aims to strengthen the cybersecurity ecosystem by supporting the operation of National Coordination Centres (NCCs). These NCCs are pivotal in fostering the Cybersecurity Competence Community within each Member State and contributing to the objectives of Regulation (EU) 2021/887. The call falls under the broader initiative of "Strengthening the cybersecurity ecosystem (DIGITAL-ECCC-2025-DEPLOY-CYBER-08)".

The total budget allocated to the DIGITAL-ECCC-2025-DEPLOY-CYBER-08-NCC topic is 10,000,000 EUR. The call adopts a single-stage submission process. The planned opening date for submissions is June 12, 2025, and the deadline for submission is October 7, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of this funding opportunity include:

A network of national initiatives to accelerate the cybersecurity industry and facilitate Access-to-Market.
European frameworks for establishing cybersecurity incubators and accelerators.
A Cybersecurity Community Observatory to inform subsequent policy interventions by the ECCC and NCCs.
Matchmaking events to create connections and build trust, as well as platforms and events for Access-to-Finance and Access-to-Market, including in the area of dual-use technologies.
A strengthened Cybersecurity Community to support the European Cybersecurity Industrial, Technology and Research Competence Centre.
Maintained technical registration possibilities for candidates for the Cybersecurity Competence Community.
Technical assistance for potential applicants for ECCC calls.
Uptake of cybersecurity solutions.
Strengthened cybersecurity capacities of stakeholders.
Synergetic activities that strengthen the role of NCCs.
Centralized initiatives focusing on raising awareness and collaboration among NCCs to support a cross-European approach covering education, studies, training courses, and awareness campaigns.
Sharing and providing best practices related to cybersecurity awareness.
Support for the transfer of best practices related to cybersecurity teaching for primary and secondary schools, including activities for children and youngsters.
Support for teachers and professors to access best practices available in the EU and facilitate dialogue.
Support for the development of cross-over educational solutions for SMEs, such as gamification.
Cyber campaign material focused on young professionals and students to pursue cybersecurity careers.
Cyber campaign material focused on parents and teachers to raise the number of cybersecurity students.
A platform supporting a network of young cybersecurity ambassadors.
Common services provided within national cyber campuses.
Hybrid events for the cybersecurity competence community to increase awareness of cybersecurity threats.
Deliverables supporting the implementation of the Cyber skills Academy.
Support for activities dedicated to the EU Cybersecurity Challenges.
A platform integrating all other existing platforms, hosted and maintained at the European level under the .eu domain, to establish and maintain a marketplace for cybersecurity products and services and allow the retrieval of information on entities adhering to the 27 NCC communities.

The objective of this topic is to support the operation of the NCCs, enabling them to support the cybersecurity community, including SMEs, for the uptake and dissemination of state-of-the-art cybersecurity solutions and strengthen cybersecurity capacities. This can be achieved through Financial Support for Third Parties (FSTPs). Individual NCCs can select from the list of activities and deliverables based on their interest and mandate, without obligation to execute all actions.

The scope of the actions includes tasks that the National Coordination Centres should carry out, such as:

Acting as contact points at the national level for the Cybersecurity Competence Community.
Providing expertise and actively contributing to the strategic tasks of the ECCC.
Promoting, encouraging, and facilitating the participation of civil society and industry in cross-border projects and cybersecurity actions.
Providing technical assistance to stakeholders in their application phase for projects managed by the ECCC.
Seeking to establish synergies with relevant activities at national, regional, and local levels.
Implementing specific actions for which grants have been awarded by the ECCC, including through the provision of financial support to third parties.
Supporting the scaling-up of start-ups by finding other funding to implement existing projects.
Promoting and disseminating the relevant outcomes of the work of the Network and the ECCC at national, regional, or local level.
Assessing requests for becoming part of the Cybersecurity Competence Community.
Advocating and promoting involvement by relevant entities in the activities arising from the ECCC, the Network of National Coordination Centres, and the Cybersecurity Competence Community.
Supporting the Cybersecurity Competence Community registration and contributing to the development of suitable community management tools.

Additionally, the actions aim to promote safer digital behaviors, grow talents, and attract more youth to cybersecurity careers. The NCCs could also carry out tasks such as:

Providing support to innovative ideas towards market-readiness.
Promoting cybersecurity awareness, best practices, and careers in schools, universities, and community events.
Strengthening collaboration between institutions for higher education.
Supporting activities in primary and secondary levels of education to increase cybersecurity awareness and hygiene.
Building stronger partnerships with established SMEs, tech companies, and government agencies.
Organizing periodic cybersecurity boot camps, challenges, awareness campaigns, and training courses across Europe.
Organizing periodic awareness-raising campaigns at national and regional levels.
Organizing national and regional cyber exercises.
Fostering a community of cybersecurity professionals.
Supporting and encouraging the uptake of cybersecurity educational policy goals in national strategies.
Promoting safer digital behaviors and encouraging more youth to consider cybersecurity careers.

The action could also aim to support the adoption of market-ready innovative cybersecurity solutions and provide and deploy up-to-date tools and services to organizations, particularly SMEs, to prepare for, protect against, and respond to cybersecurity threats.

This topic targets exclusively National Coordination Centres recognized by the Commission as having the capacity to manage funds. These actions aim at the operation of National Coordination Centres, which occupy a central role in the cybersecurity landscape as foreseen in Regulation (EU) 2021/887. Due to their synergetic role with regard to activities at national, regional, and local levels, they must be able to handle sensitive information and be protected against possible dependencies and vulnerabilities in cybersecurity to pre-empt undue foreign influence and control.

Participation of non-EU entities entails the risk of highly sensitive information being disclosed to non-EU governments, which is why the actions are subject to Article 12(5) of the DEP Regulation (2021/694).

The admissibility conditions include proposal page limits and layout, which are described in section 5 of the Call document and Part B of the Application Form. Eligible countries are described in section 6 of the call document, as are other eligible conditions. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion are described in section 7. Submission and evaluation processes are described in section 8 and the Online Manual. Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in section 9. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in section 4. Legal and financial set-up of the grants is described in section 10.

Applicants should refer to the call document and annexes, including the application form templates, model grant agreements, DEP work programmes, DEP Regulation 2021/964, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, rules for legal entity validation, and the EU Grants AGA.

LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests for open and forthcoming topics. The submission system is planned to be opened on the date stated on the topic header. For help, applicants can contact the ECCC Applicants Direct Contact Centre or the IT Helpdesk.

In summary, this funding opportunity aims to bolster the cybersecurity capabilities of the EU by supporting the operational activities of National Coordination Centres. These centers are tasked with a wide array of responsibilities, from fostering collaboration within the cybersecurity community to raising awareness among citizens and supporting the growth of cybersecurity-related businesses. The initiative seeks to create a more resilient and secure digital environment across Europe by leveraging the expertise and resources of these national hubs.

Eligible Applicant Types: This opportunity is exclusively for National Coordination Centres (NCCs) which have been recognized by the Commission as having 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. SMEs, start-ups, academic and research communities, civil society and industry are also mentioned as entities that NCCs should support and involve in cross-border projects.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a DIGITAL JU Simple Grant, which is a budget-based DIGITAL Action Grant. Financial Support for Third Parties (FSTPs) is also mentioned as a possible mechanism.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity appears to be primarily targeted at individual NCCs, although collaboration and networking are strongly encouraged. The text mentions that NCCs are designed to work together through a network. It is not explicitly stated whether a consortium is required, but the emphasis on collaboration suggests that projects involving multiple entities may be viewed favorably.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is focused on the EU Member States, as the National Coordination Centres are set up within each Member State. The reference to the Digital Single Market and the aim to open the European market for SMEs and start-ups further reinforces this geographic focus. Non-EU entities participation is restricted due to security concerns.

Target Sector: The primary target sector is cybersecurity. This includes various aspects of cybersecurity, such as: cybersecurity technologies and products, cybersecurity awareness, cybersecurity skills, cybersecurity solutions for SMEs, cybersecurity research and innovation, and the cybersecurity industrial ecosystem. The program also touches on the digital economy and the digital single market.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the focus is on EU Member States. The reference to the 27 NCC communities implies all EU member states are included.

Project Stage: The project stage is focused on deployment, commercialization, and scale-up. The call aims to support the uptake of EU cybersecurity technologies and products, the commercialisation and scale-up of the European cybersecurity start-up/SME ecosystem, and the adoption of market-ready innovative cybersecurity solutions. It also supports activities that strengthen cybersecurity capacities of stakeholders.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary by topic:
DIGITAL-ECCC-2025-DEPLOY-CYBER-08-CYBERHEALTH: EUR 30,000,000
DIGITAL-ECCC-2025-DEPLOY-CYBER-08-NCC: EUR 10,000,000
DIGITAL-ECCC-2025-DEPLOY-CYBER-08-PUBLICPQC: EUR 15,000,000

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 grants. The opportunity also involves non-monetary services such as technical assistance, access to networks, platforms, and best practices, and support for participation in the Cybersecurity Competence Community. Financial Support for Third Parties (FSTPs) is also a component.

Application Stages: The application process is a single-stage process.

Success Rates: The indicative number of grants is not specified in the provided text. Therefore, it is not possible to determine the success rates.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This opportunity, under the Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL) and the call "Strengthening the cybersecurity ecosystem (DIGITAL-ECCC-2025-DEPLOY-CYBER-08)", aims to bolster the cybersecurity landscape within the EU. It targets National Coordination Centres (NCCs) to support their operations and enable them to foster the cybersecurity community, particularly SMEs. The call encourages the uptake and dissemination of state-of-the-art cybersecurity solutions and the strengthening of cybersecurity capacities across Member States.

The funding is provided through DIGITAL JU Simple Grants, with varying budget allocations for different topics: Cyberhealth (EUR 30 million), NCC support (EUR 10 million), and Public PQC (EUR 15 million). The application process is a single-stage open call.

Eligible applicants are exclusively National Coordination Centres recognized by the European Commission. The program aims to support a range of activities, including:

Networking and access to market initiatives for the cybersecurity industry.
Development of European frameworks for cybersecurity incubators and accelerators.
Creation of a Cybersecurity Community Observatory.
Matchmaking events and platforms for access to finance and markets.
Strengthening the Cybersecurity Competence Community.
Uptake of cybersecurity solutions and capacity building.
Cybersecurity awareness campaigns and educational initiatives.
Establishment of a marketplace for cybersecurity products and services.

The NCCs are expected to act as contact points, provide expertise, promote participation in EU programs, offer technical assistance, and establish synergies at national, regional, and local levels. They should also support the scaling-up of start-ups and disseminate the outcomes of the ECCC and the Network.

The call also aims to promote safer digital behaviors, grow cybersecurity talent, and attract more youth to cybersecurity careers. It encourages activities such as providing support to innovative ideas, promoting cybersecurity awareness in schools and universities, strengthening collaboration between educational institutions, and organizing cybersecurity boot camps and challenges.

Overall, this opportunity is designed to strengthen the European cybersecurity ecosystem by supporting the operations of NCCs, fostering collaboration, promoting innovation, and raising awareness about cybersecurity threats and solutions. It aims to create a more secure and competitive digital environment for European citizens, businesses, and organizations.