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"],"keywords":["DIGITAL-ECCC-2027-DEPLOY-CYBER-11-AI4SME","DIGITAL-ECCC-2027-DEPLOY-CYBER-11","Analytics tools","Artificial Intelligence & Decision support","Artificial intelligence","Assessment","Capacity building","Continuing professional training","Cybersecurity","Cybersecurity-aware culture (e.g. including children education)","Data Security and Privacy","Data protection","Education and Training","IT skills and competence","Innovation","Machine learning, statistical data processing and applications using signal processing (e.g. speech, image, video)","Managerial, procedural and technical aspects of network security","Privacy","SME support","Sme Business Development","Technological innovation","Training"],"sortStatus":["1"],"language":["en"],"topicConditions":["described in section 5 of the call document.
Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.
described in section 6 of the call document.
described in section 6 of the call document.
described in section 7 of the call document.
described section 8 of the call document and the Online Manual.
described in section 9 of the call document.
described in section 4 of the call document.
described in section 10 of the call document.
Application form templates
Standard application form (DEP) — the application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System
Model Grant Agreements (MGA)
Digital Europe Cybersecurity Work Programme 2025-2027
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment
EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement
Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual
Expected Outcome:
Objective:
To support the market uptake and dissemination of innovative AI-powered cybersecurity solutions (notably in SMEs, possibly using results stemming from Horizon Europe projects or similar) and improve knowledge and auditing of cybersecurity preparedness.
SMEs often lack the resources to assess cyber risks, develop cybersecurity strategies and implement solutions, leaving them vulnerable to cyberattacks. The resilience of organisations that fall into this category is key to the prosperity of the EU single market.
Cyber risk assessment and management can be significantly enhanced and simplified with the application of AI-based tools and solutions. However, this requires an understanding of the evolving technology landscape, of the benefits of technology integration and of deployment prioritisation. Faced with organisational and financial constraints, the SMEs may be missing the opportunity to fully harness AI-powered solutions to advance their cybersecurity and resilience.
Cybersecurity is the precondition for reliable, secure and resilient AI models and algorithms. Cybersecurity of AI is not just about protecting AI systems against threats such as poisoning and evasion attacks, as it also involves ensuring they have trustworthiness features such as human oversight and robustness – the ability to resist cyberattacks, as required by the EU’s AI Act for high-risk AI systems. The need for human oversight of AI has also been emphasised by experts. Also, the use of AI at the SME level supporting the integration of predictive algorithms can greatly support to a bottom-up approach when dealing with vulnerability detections, threat mitigation and more efficient coordinated incident response.
Scope:
This action aims to increase the maturity of cyber risk management and improve the cyber resilience and ultimately foster a technologically advanced culture of cybersecurity for SMEs in the EU. Actions in this topic should develop and deploy AI-powered products, tools and services for European SMEs, also enabling the detection/discovery of attack patterns.
Proposals should cover the development or adaptation of the software/hardware and the validation of the solutions.
It foresees the automation of fundamental cybersecurity processes, in particular in small market organisations, through a SaaS toolkit tailored to the needs of SMEs. This toolkit should allow SMEs to improve the key aspects of their cybersecurity by providing user-friendly tools for risk management [1], threat detection, incident response and notification, to improve their cyber hygiene and mitigate potential threats while protecting personal data. The cyber toolkit should also provide cyber-incident prediction and response functions to improve SMEs’ resilience.
Activities should include at least one of the following:
[1] Interoperable EU Risk Management Framework, ENISA, 2023, available at: https://www.enisa.europa.eu/publications/interoperable-eu-risk-management-framework
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The Network of NCCs includes one national centre from each of the 27 EU Member States plus Iceland and Norway. You may also address your questions to the ECCC Applicants Direct Contact Centre at applicants@eccc.europa.eu
Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ – Submission of proposals.
IT Helpdesk – Contact the IT helpdesk for questions such as forgotten passwords, access rights and roles, technical aspects of submission of proposals, etc.
Online Manual – Step-by-step online guide through the Portal processes from proposal preparation and evaluation to reporting on your ongoing project. Valid for all 2021-2027 programmes.
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