Financial support for Finnish micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises to promote the commercialisation of innovative cybersecurity solutions

This cascade funding call under the Digital Europe Programme project NCCFIUP grant agreement 101226298 provides €700,000 to subgrant Finnish micro small and medium sized enterprises developing high TRL cybersecurity solutions for market readiness and commercialisation. Individual grants range from €10,000 to €100,000 and require 30 percent cofunding with payments split 70 percent after the administrative decision and 30 percent after approval of the project report and incurred costs. Eligible activities include piloting optimisation and development to prepare solutions for market entry scaling and internationalisation while marketing only measures and export aid are ineligible. Applications are submitted online via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal in a single stage by 4 November 2026 23:59 Brussels time and projects run from 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2027 and will be evaluated by Traficom on relevance implementation and impact.

Who can apply

Eligibility at a glance

Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises registered in Finland. Projects must concern innovative cybersecurity solutions at high technological readiness levels (TRL).

What is funded:Actions to promote market readiness and commercialisation such as piloting, optimisation, market entry, uptake measures and preparatory work for internationalisation. Pure marketing, sales promotion, export aid or aid contingent on using domestic over imported goods or services are not eligible ¹.

1. 1Total call budget: €700,000
2. 2Grant per project: minimum €10,000, maximum €100,000
3. 3Co‑funding: applicant must provide 30% of project costs (grant covers up to 70%)
4. 4Payment: 70% after administrative decision, remaining 30% after approved final report and incurred costs

Application and evaluation:single-stage online application with a project plan annex. Proposals are checked for eligibility and scored on relevance, implementation and impact by the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom; successful proposals receive an administrative decision.

This opportunity is part of the Scaling up the operations of the Finland National Coordination Centre for Cybersecurity in Industry, Technology, and Research project (Grant agreement 101226298). More terms and conditions are available on the NCC-FI website NCC-FI terms ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Full call text, eligibility details and application instructions are published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and the NCC-FI website linked above.

Call summary and administrative facts

Core description

This single-stage call for proposals provides cascade funding (sub-grants) from the EU-funded project Scaling up the operations of the Finland National Coordination Centre for Cybersecurity in Industry, Technology, and Research (project acronym NCCFIUP, grant agreement number 101226298) under the action DIGITAL-ECCC. The call supports market readiness and commercialisation activities for innovative cybersecurity solutions developed by micro, small and medium-sized enterprises registered in Finland.

Opening and deadline:Opening date 01 September 2026. Submission deadline 04 November 2026 23:59 Brussels time. Expected duration of participation: 01 January 2027 to 31 December 2027.

Total budget and individual award size:Total funding available under this cascade call: €700,000. Individual grants per project: minimum €10,000 and maximum €100,000.

Eligibility and applicant requirements

Eligible applicants:micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) registered in Finland. Projects must be submitted by legal entities meeting SME definition and Finnish registration. No other applicant types (such as large enterprises, universities, research organisations, NGOs, or individuals) are listed as eligible in this call.

Eligible project content and exclusions:Eligible activities: measures that promote market readiness and commercialisation of innovative cybersecurity solutions. Examples explicitly mentioned: piloting, optimisation and other development measures supporting market readiness; activities promoting commercialisation, market entry and uptake; activities determining preconditions for internationalisation of a product or service. Eligibility requirement: only innovative cybersecurity solutions with a high technological readiness level (TRL) will be financed. Excluded activities: marketing actions, general sales promotion, export aid, and aid contingent upon the use of domestic goods or services over imported ones.

Consortium requirement:Single applicant projects are foreseen: the call targets individual SME applicants rather than consortia. The call text does not require multi-partner consortia; each SME may submit a project plan as annex to the online application form.

Funding modality, co-funding and payment profile

Funding type:grant in the form of cascade funding (sub-grants awarded by the NCCFIUP project). Financial support is conditional on project eligibility and evaluation outcomes and is disbursed in two instalments.

Co-funding requirement and payment schedule:There is a 30 percent self-financing (co-funding) requirement per project. Payment schedule: 70 percent of the awarded financial support is paid after the administrative funding decision; the remaining 30 percent is paid after approval of the project report and actually incurred costs by the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom.

Application and evaluation process

How to apply:Applications must be submitted via an online application form available through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal call page. The application must be accompanied by an annex containing a project plan. The evaluating authority is the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom.

Evaluation criteria and process:Proposals first undergo an eligibility check. Eligible proposals are scored on the basis of relevance, implementation, and impact. Proposals with the highest scores are presented for funding. After evaluation, all applicants receive an administrative decision. No further staged selection rounds are described in the call text.

1. 1Submission method: online application form plus annexed project plan.
2. 2Eligibility check performed by Traficom.
3. 3Scoring criteria: relevance, implementation, impact.
4. 4Ranking and selection: highest scoring proposals presented for funding.
5. 5Notification: administrative decision communicated to all applicants.

Detailed facts table

Additional guidance, templates and administrative requirements

Application templates and full terms and conditions are not reproduced in the scraped content. The call requires an online application form plus an annex project plan. The annex should describe the proposed project activities, timeline, budget, expected market-readiness improvements, and impact/market potential. Applicants should be prepared to document company registration in Finland, the SME status, a detailed budget showing the requested grant and the 30 percent co-funding, and evidence that the solution is at a high TRL.

Suggested structure of the annexed project plan:Based on the call requirements, a practical annex structure applicants should provide: 1) Project title and lead applicant contact details; 2) Short executive summary (objectives, value proposition); 3) Description of the cybersecurity solution and evidence of high TRL; 4) Market-readiness and commercialisation workplan (tasks: piloting, optimisation, validation, regulatory checks, internationalisation steps); 5) Detailed timeline (milestones and deliverables within 2027); 6) Detailed budget showing eligible costs, requested grant amount and co-funding sources; 7) Expected impact: market uptake, customers, revenue forecast, jobs; 8) Risks and mitigation; 9) Supporting documents: company registration, financial statements, prior validation or pilot results.

Categorisation answers (structured)

Eligible Applicant Types:Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) registered in Finland. No other applicant categories are listed as eligible in the call text.

Funding Type:Grant provided as cascade funding (sub-grants) from an EU-funded project.

Consortium Requirement:Single applicants (individual SME projects). The call does not require multi-party consortia.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):Applicants must be registered in Finland; geographic scope limited to Finland (national eligibility).

Target Sector:Cybersecurity; innovation and commercialisation of cybersecurity solutions for industry, technology, and research contexts.

Mentioned Countries:Finland (explicit). The call is part of an EU project but only Finland-registered SMEs are eligible.

Project Stage:Projects must concern innovative cybersecurity solutions with a high technological readiness level (TRL). The call targets late development / demonstration / market readiness and commercialisation stages rather than early-stage research.

Funding Amount:Total call budget €700,000. Individual awards between €10,000 and €100,000 per project.

Application Type:Open competitive call via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal; single-stage with online submission accompanied by an annex project plan.

Nature of Support:Monetary support (grant funding). The call does not describe direct non-financial services as part of the sub-grant, although beneficiaries may indirectly receive guidance through Traficom decisions and reporting procedures.

Application Stages:One formal submission stage followed by eligibility check and scored evaluation; effectively a single-stage application process with post-award reporting requirements. For practical purposes applicants experience: submission, eligibility check, scoring evaluation, funding decision, project implementation and final report approval (so multiple administrative steps but one competitive submission stage).

Success Rates:Not specified in the available call text. No historical acceptance rates or expected number of awards are provided; success depends on scoring against relevance, implementation and impact and competition for the total budget of €700,000.

Co-funding Requirement:Yes. A 30 percent self-financing (co-funding) contribution is required from the applicant per project. The requested grant therefore can cover up to 70 percent of eligible costs.

Practical notes for applicants

1. 1Ensure SME status and Finnish registration; provide supporting registration documentation.
2. 2Demonstrate that the cybersecurity solution is at a high TRL; provide previous test, pilot, or validation evidence.
3. 3Prepare a clear project plan annex covering activities to reach market readiness, estimated costs, milestones and measurable impact.
4. 4Budget must show the requested grant amount and at least 30 percent co-funding; plan cashflow considering 70 percent upfront and 30 percent conditional payment.
5. 5Exclude general marketing-only activities or export-specific aid from the budget; focus on technical piloting, optimisation, validation and market-entry enabling tasks.
6. 6Follow the portal submission instructions and submit before 04 November 2026 23:59 Brussels time.

Reference and further information:full terms, conditions and any template documents are hosted by the NCC-FI and the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. The call page includes the link to the NCC-FI information pages for terms and conditions NCC-FI Terms and Conditions ¹.

Concluding summary

This opportunity is a targeted national cascade funding call under an EU project to accelerate commercial adoption of advanced cybersecurity solutions developed by Finnish SMEs. It provides grants from €10,000 up to €100,000 per project from a total €700,000 envelope, requires 30 percent co-funding, and finances activities focused on market readiness, piloting, optimisation, commercialisation and steps towards internationalisation. Applicants must be Finland-registered SMEs and demonstrate that their cybersecurity solution is at a high TRL. Applications are submitted once via an online form with an annex project plan and evaluated by Traficom against relevance, implementation and impact. Payment is split 70/30, with the second tranche released after approval of the final project report and incurred costs. The call is open from 01 September 2026 with a deadline on 04 November 2026 23:59 Brussels time and projects run during 2027 (01.01.2027 to 31.12.2027).

Footnotes

1. 1Official NCC-FI page for National Coordination Centre activities and call terms: kyberturvallisuuskeskus.fi

This cascade funding call supports Finnish micro, small and medium sized enterprises that want to move innovative cybersecurity solutions toward market readiness and commercialisation. It is a single stage call under the Digital Europe Programme, with project acronym NCCFIUP and a project implementation period of 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2027.

The opportunity is published on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal Opportunity Page and sits within Traficom's National Coordination Centre for Cybersecurity in Industry, Technology and Research support activity.[2]

What the Funding Is For

The call finances projects that improve the market readiness, uptake and commercialisation of innovative cybersecurity solutions. Suitable activities include piloting, optimisation, development actions that prepare a solution for the market, and other measures that help with market entry, scaling and assessing the conditions for internationalisation.

• Projects must concern innovative cybersecurity solutions with a high technological readiness level.
• Funding is intended for commercialisation oriented work rather than basic research.
• Marketing actions, general sales promotion and export aid are not eligible.
• Aid that depends on using domestic goods or services instead of imported ones is not eligible.

Who Can Apply

The call is open to micro, small and medium sized enterprises registered in Finland. Applicants should be able to demonstrate that their solution is sufficiently mature and that the project can credibly advance commercial deployment.

• Applicant must be an SME and registered in Finland.
• The proposed solution must be an innovative cybersecurity solution.
• The project should be aligned with market readiness, commercialisation or market entry objectives.
• Projects must satisfy the call eligibility conditions checked by Traficom.

Funding Amount and Financial Terms

Application and Evaluation

Applications are submitted through an online application form with an annexed project plan. Traficom evaluates eligible proposals by scoring them against relevance, implementation and impact, and the highest scoring proposals are proposed for funding.

1. 1Submit the application online with the required project plan annex.
2. 2Pass the eligibility check.
3. 3Receive scoring on relevance, implementation and impact.
4. 4Await the funding recommendation and administrative decision.

What Applicants Should Note

The call is designed for near market cybersecurity solutions, so applicants should clearly describe the solution maturity, the commercial pathway, the target market, expected user uptake and the concrete development or piloting steps to be financed. The project should also show how the requested support complements the applicant's own contribution and why the activity is suitable for the 2027 implementation period.

Further terms and conditions are published by NCC FI on its national support page NCC-FI terms and conditions.