Network of Safer Internet Centres (SICs)
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See in 5 min if you're eligible for Network of Safer Internet Centres (SICs) offering max €42.0M funding💰 Funding Details
Funding Description
The call "Network of Safer Internet Centres (SICs)" (Call ID: DIGITAL-2025-BESTUSE-08-NETWORKSICs) is part of the Digital Europe Programme – Accelerating the Best Use of Technologies.
What is financed?
* Establishment or continued operation of national Safer Internet Centres (SICs) that integrate the four mandatory pillars:
* Awareness-raising & educational resource hub
* Helpline (in close cooperation with Child Helpline 116 111)
* Hotline for reporting Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM)
* Youth participation panel
* Development, localisation and dissemination of age-appropriate online-safety content (guides, lesson plans, campaigns, videos, interactive tools, VR/AR demos, etc.).
* Hardware & software to run helpline/hotline services, including secure report-management platforms, data analytics tools and AI-supported CSAM detection where relevant.
* Staffing, training and continuous professional development for counsellors, analysts and youth facilitators.
* National-to-EU level data collection supporting DSA enforcement and Digital Service Coordinators.
* Cross-border cooperation actions within the Insafe & INHOPE networks and joint EU campaigns (e.g., Safer Internet Day).
Budget & Funding Rate
* Maximum EU contribution per grant: €42 000 000 (lump-sum or budget-based DIGITAL-AG model).
* Funding rate: Generally 50 % of eligible costs. Public entities & non-profit organisations carrying out non-economic activities may request up to 100 % (subject to State-aid rules).
* Project duration: Up to 36 months, starting Q1 2026.
* Number of projects: One SIC per participating country/territory is expected.
Eligibility Snapshot
* Applicants must be legal entities established in an EU Member State or EEA country associated to DIGITAL.
* A consortium may include NGOs, public authorities, academic institutions and private companies; a single applicant is allowed if it can deliver all four pillars nationally.
* Only proposals covering all four mandatory elements will be deemed eligible.
* Mandatory cooperation with:
* National Child Helpline 116 111
* Law Enforcement Authorities (LEAs)
* INHOPE (for hotlines) and Insafe (for broader network activities)
* No more than one funded SIC per country; applicants must provide a national endorsement letter from the competent ministry or regulator.
Timeline
* Call opens: 15 April 2025
* Submission deadline: 2 September 2025, 17:00 CET (single-stage)
* Evaluation results: December 2025 (indicative)
* Grant Agreement signature: February–March 2026
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🇪🇺 Strategic Advantages
EU-Wide Advantages & Opportunities for the “Network of Safer Internet Centres (SICs)”
1. Single Market Access (450+ million citizens)
• Uniform presence in all 27 Member States gives projects immediate reach to the entire EU market of schools, families, content platforms and tech SMEs.
• Pan-European branding of educational resources (e.g. the “Better Internet for Kids” label) raises trust and facilitates uptake by ministries of education and major digital platforms that operate EU-wide.
• Harmonised helpline/hotline numbers (116 111, 116 000, etc.) allow citizens to recognise and use services seamlessly when travelling or relocating, supporting children of mobile EU workers and refugee families.
2. Cross-Border Collaboration & Knowledge Exchange
• Each SIC becomes part of a formal EU network with built-in peer-learning cycles, common KPIs and shared data dashboards (already hosted on the BIK portal). This enables:
• Joint rapid-response protocols for emerging risks (e.g. viral challenges, AI-generated CSAM) that transcend borders within hours, not months.
• Pooled translation budgets and shared localisation toolkits, lowering per-language costs by up to 70 %.
• Mobility of experts: educators, psychologists and hotline analysts can be seconded between centres via Erasmus+ Staff Mobility, COST Actions or Marie-Skłodowska Curie exchanges.
• Possibility to form thematic clusters (e.g. “AI & Child Safety Hub”, “XR & Mental Health Task-Force”) eligible for additional Horizon Europe support.
3. Alignment With Core EU Strategies
• Digital Services Act (DSA) – SICs act as trusted flaggers and data providers for enforcement, directly supporting the Commission’s new supervisory role.
• Better Internet for Kids (BIK+) Strategy – full congruence; grant finances BIK pillars (awareness, helpline, hotline, youth participation).
• European Strategy for a More Effective Fight Against Child Sexual Abuse – hotline strand operationalises detection/takedown targets.
• European Pillar of Social Rights & Child Guarantee – contributes to inclusive digital education and protection for vulnerable children.
• Twin Transition & Green Deal – promotes dematerialised, digital public services that reduce physical resource use (printing, transport) while enhancing social sustainability.
4. Regulatory Harmonisation Benefits
• Single set of EU standards (eIDAS-compliant age verification, GDPR-based data handling, EN-twinned hotline classification) minimises fragmentation, lowering compliance costs for consortium partners.
• Direct dialogue with Digital Services Coordinators (DSCs) accelerates adoption of uniform reporting templates and risk assessment methodologies.
5. Access to the EU Innovation Ecosystem
• Eligibility to pilot emerging tech (AI content classifiers, privacy-preserving age assurance, VR safety modules) with Europe’s 2,900+ Digital Innovation Hubs and EIT Digital network.
• Collaboration opportunities with JRC, Europol’s EC3 and research centres under Horizon Europe Cluster 4 (Digital, Industry & Space) to co-develop forensic tooling and synthetic CSAM detection algorithms.
• Linkage to European Schoolnet (30 Ministries of Education) ensures fast rollout into classroom curricula and teacher professional development MOOCs.
6. Funding Synergies & Financial Leverage
• DIGITAL-SIMPLE grants can be combined with:
• CEF2 Digital for pan-EU infrastructure (secure data exchange platforms between helplines/hotlines).
• Erasmus+ Key Action 2 for joint training curricula and youth exchanges.
• Citizens, Equality, Rights & Values (CERV) for Rights of the Child campaigns.
• Horizon Europe Pathfinders for R&D on AI-powered moderation or VR risk mitigation.
• Blending enables up to 40 % additional financing, reducing dependence on national budgets and boosting sustainability post-2027.
7. Scale & Impact Potential
• Standardisation enables replication of solutions (chatbots, e-learning modules, reporting APIs) across 24 official EU languages with marginal costs.
• Aggregated data from all SICs feed into an EU-level evidence base, underpinning policymaking and enabling predictive analytics on child online safety trends.
• Critical mass improves bargaining power when negotiating API access and safety features with “Very Large Online Platforms” under the DSA.
8. Strategic Value of Operating at EU Scale
• Creates a single, recognisable safety ecosystem for children, parents and educators irrespective of Member State, reducing confusion and increasing uptake.
• Gives European SMEs and NGOs a launchpad to export child-safety tech globally, capitalising on the EU’s reputation for high privacy and safety standards.
• Strengthens Europe’s normative power by embedding UN CRC General Comment 25 principles into digital services, setting benchmarks that non-EU platforms may adopt to retain access to the EU market.
Bottom Line: The DIGITAL-2025 “Network of Safer Internet Centres” grant is uniquely positioned to deliver child online-safety services that are more effective, scalable and sustainable when orchestrated at EU level, unlocking market, regulatory and innovation advantages that no national-only initiative can match.
Ready to Apply?
Get a personalized assessment of your eligibility and application strategy
See in 5 min if you're eligible for Network of Safer Internet Centres (SICs) offering max €42.0M funding