Privacy Enhancing Technologies

The "Privacy Enhancing Technologies" grant under Horizon Europe is focused on advancing cybersecurity and data protection through innovative solutions. It encourages interdisciplinary collaboration among various stakeholders, particularly universities, research institutes, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), large enterprises, and public-private partnerships, with a specific emphasis on the participation of SMEs. The funding is primarily provided as grants, specifically through Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs). Eligible consortia typically need to include multiple stakeholders to enhance multidisciplinary expertise and participation from end-users, such as national authorities. The grant supports projects mostly within EU member states and associated countries, aligning with EU policies like the AI Act and Cyber Resilience Act. The target sector includes cybersecurity, with a focus on privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) and GDPR compliance. Projects should be in the development or validation stage, and they are expected to create tools that address real-world cybersecurity challenges, particularly in relation to threats posed by technological advancements like quantum computing. The funding amount ranges significantly among various topics within the grant, with allocations from €2 million to €14 million per project depending on specific call topics. The application process is a single-stage open call, allowing for direct submissions via the Funding and Tenders Portal. The monetary support aims to cover various costs associated with research and development, including personnel and equipment. Though success rates for applications are not explicitly stated, they typically hover around 10 to 39%, reflecting the competitive nature of Horizon Europe grants. Most RIAs under Horizon Europe do not usually require co-funding, although some conditions may apply specifically to SMEs. In summary, the grant encourages the development of robust and scalable privacy-enhancing technologies to improve cybersecurity and address data protection challenges. It requires projects to demonstrate compliance with EU regulations while fostering collaboration between different sectors and disciplines. The grant application opens on June 12, 2025, and the submission deadline is November 12, 2025.

This is a summary of several Horizon Europe funding opportunities related to cybersecurity, specifically focusing on Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs). These opportunities are managed indirectly by the ECCC (European Cybersecurity Competence Centre) and fall under the HORIZON-CL3-2025-02-CS-ECCC call. The general aim is to increase cybersecurity through the development and integration of robust, scalable, and reliable PETs into various data sharing frameworks and systems.

The expected outcomes of these projects include:

Development of technologies to uphold privacy within federated and secure data sharing frameworks, integrated into real-world systems.

Development of privacy preserving approaches for data sharing solutions, including cyber threat information sharing, and collaborative computations involving sensitive data.

Integration of privacy-by-design at the core of software and protocol development, ensuring crypto-agility and modularity for transition to post-quantum cryptographic algorithms.

Development of PETs for users of constrained devices.

Contribution towards GDPR-compliant European data spaces, aligning with DATA Topics of Horizon Europe Cluster 4.

Development of PETs to benefit citizens, companies, and SMEs.

Development of blockchain-based and decentralized PETs to preserve data confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity.

Investigation of the usability and user experience of PETs, designing systems that are both secure and user-friendly.

The scope of these funding opportunities encompasses:

Protecting personal data and ensuring privacy while enabling data processing and analysis.

Addressing challenges related to the exploitation of non-personal/industrial data assets.

Encouraging solutions that provide security against quantum adversaries.

Refining and testing PETs such as cryptographic anonymous credentials, differential privacy, secure multiparty computation, homomorphic encryption, and advanced digital signatures.

Improving the usability and effectiveness of PETs in realistic environments and their integration within European data spaces.

Focusing on enhancing the usability, scalability, and dependability of secure PETs within supply chains.

Accommodating the diversity in data types and models across various organizations, with validation and pilot runs in authentic data environments.

Ensuring adherence to data regulations, notably GDPR.

Encouraging consortia to intertwine interdisciplinary expertise and resources from industry stakeholders, service providers, and end-users, with the engagement of SMEs and legal proficiency.

Proactive identification and assessment of potential regulatory hurdles and constraints for the developed technologies/solutions.

The general conditions for these funding opportunities include:

Admissibility conditions related to proposal page limits and layout, as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form.

Eligibility of countries as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries.

Other eligible conditions, subject to restrictions for the protection of European communication networks, as described in Annex B.

Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria as described in Annex C.

Evaluation and award criteria, scoring, and thresholds as described in Annex D.

Submission and evaluation processes as described in Annex F and the Online Manual.

Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement as described in Annex F.

Legal and financial set-up of the grants, with eligible costs taking the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021.

Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA) information is available in the Submission System.

Additional documents include:

HE Main Work Programme 2023–2025 (General Introduction, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, Research Infrastructures, Health, Culture, creativity and inclusive society, Civil Security for Society, Digital, Industry and Space, Climate, Energy and Mobility, Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment, European Innovation Ecosystems (EIE), Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area, Missions, General Annexes)

HE Programme Guide

HE Framework Programme 2021/695

HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764

EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509

Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme

Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment

EU Grants AGA Annotated Model Grant Agreement

Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual

Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions

Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement

The budget overview for the 2025 calls is as follows:

HORIZON-CL3-2025-02-CS-ECCC-01:HORIZON-RIA, budget of €40,000,000, contributions of 12,000,000 to €14,000,000, indicative number of grants is 3.

HORIZON-CL3-2025-02-CS-ECCC-02:HORIZON-IA, budget of €23,550,000, contributions of 4,500,000 to €6,000,000, indicative number of grants is 4.

HORIZON-CL3:HORIZON-RIA, budget of €11,000,000, contributions of 3,000,000 to €4,000,000, indicative number of grants is 3.

HORIZON-CL3-2025-02-CS-ECCC-04:HORIZON-RIA, budget of €4,000,000, contributions of 2,000,000 to €3,000,000, indicative number of grants is 2.

HORIZON-CL3-2025-02-CS-ECCC-05:HORIZON-RIA, budget of €6,000,000, contributions of 2,000,000 to €3,000,000, indicative number of grants is 2.

HORIZON-CL3-2025-02-CS-ECCC-06:HORIZON-RIA, budget of €6,000,000, contributions of 2,000,000 to €3,000,000, indicative number of grants is 2.

The opening date for these calls is planned for June 12, 2025, and the deadline for submission is November 12, 2025, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

Partner search announcements are available for those looking to collaborate on these topics.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call focuses on advancing privacy-enhancing technologies to protect personal and industrial data, ensure GDPR compliance, and foster a secure and data-driven economy. It encourages interdisciplinary collaboration, SME participation, and the development of robust, scalable, and user-friendly PET solutions. The funding is distributed across several topics, each targeting specific aspects of PET development and integration. The call aims to contribute to increased cybersecurity and the establishment of trusted European data spaces.

Eligible Applicant Types:The call encourages consortia with interdisciplinary expertise from industry stakeholders, service providers, and end-users. SMEs are particularly encouraged to participate. Legal proficiency is also desired to ensure regulatory compliance, including GDPR. While not explicitly stated, eligible applicants would likely include: SMEs, large enterprises, research institutes, universities, and potentially other relevant organizations with expertise in cybersecurity, data privacy, and related fields.

Funding Type:The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically through HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and HORIZON Innovation Actions (IA). Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum.

Consortium Requirement:The opportunity encourages consortia, implying that multiple applicants are preferred.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):The opportunity is part of the Horizon Europe program. While Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Horizon Europe Programme Guide should be consulted for a definitive list, eligible countries generally include EU member states and associated countries. The documentation mentions that some non-EU/non-Associated Countries have specific provisions for funding their participants.

Target Sector:The primary target sector is cybersecurity, with a focus on privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs), data protection, and GDPR compliance. It also touches upon areas like blockchain, federated learning, and quantum-resistant security.

Mentioned Countries:The opportunity explicitly mentions non-EU and non-Associated Countries, but does not list specific countries. The geographic scope is therefore the EU and associated countries, with potential eligibility for specific non-EU/non-associated countries as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Project Stage:The opportunity targets projects in the research, development, and innovation stages. It seeks to refine and rigorously test existing PETs, improve their usability and effectiveness, and integrate them into real-world systems. Therefore, the project stage is primarily development and validation, with elements of research and innovation.

Funding Amount:The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call:

HORIZON-CL3-2025-02-CS-ECCC-01:€12,000,000 to €14,000,000

HORIZON-CL3-2025-02-CS-ECCC-02:€4,500,000 to €6,000,000

HORIZON-CL3:€3,000,000 to €4,000,000

HORIZON-CL3-2025-02-CS-ECCC-04:€2,000,000 to €3,000,000

HORIZON-CL3-2025-02-CS-ECCC-05:€2,000,000 to €3,000,000

HORIZON-CL3-2025-02-CS-ECCC-06:€2,000,000 to €3,000,000

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

Nature of Support:Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant.

Application Stages:The application process is single-stage.

Success Rates:The success rates are not explicitly mentioned.

Co-funding Requirement:Co-funding requirements are not explicitly mentioned.

This Horizon Europe call, managed indirectly by the ECCC, focuses on advancing Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) to address critical challenges in data protection and cybersecurity. The call aims to foster the development and integration of robust, scalable, and reliable PETs within federated data sharing frameworks, supply chains, and various digital services. It encourages consortia to propose solutions that enhance the usability, scalability, and dependability of PETs, while ensuring GDPR compliance and addressing potential regulatory hurdles. The call is structured around several specific topics, each with its own budget and expected outcomes, ranging from research and innovation actions to innovation actions. The funding is provided as a lump sum grant, and the application process involves a single-stage submission. The call seeks to promote interdisciplinary collaboration, with a particular emphasis on the engagement of SMEs and the inclusion of legal expertise. The ultimate goal is to contribute to a more secure and privacy-respecting data economy in Europe, aligning with the objectives of the Horizon Europe program and the increased cybersecurity goals of the ECCC. The call encourages projects that develop privacy-preserving approaches for data sharing, integrate privacy-by-design principles, develop PETs for constrained devices, contribute to GDPR-compliant European data spaces, and explore blockchain-based and decentralized PETs. It also emphasizes the importance of usability and user experience in the design of secure systems.