Enhancing the NCC Network
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Funding Overview: Enhancing the NCC Network (DIGITAL-ECCC-2025-DEPLOY-CYBER-08-NCC)
This grant is part of the Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL) and is managed by the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC). It aims to provide continued support for the operation and development of the National Coordination Centres (NCCs) established under Regulation (EU) 2021/887.
## Key Objectives
The primary goal is to empower NCCs to act as central pillars in their national cybersecurity ecosystems. The funding is designed to enable NCCs to:
* Strengthen National Cybersecurity Communities: Foster and grow the community of cybersecurity experts from industry, academia, and the public sector in each Member State.
* Support SMEs and Start-ups: Facilitate the uptake of state-of-the-art cybersecurity solutions by SMEs and support the scaling-up of innovative European cybersecurity companies.
* Boost Cybersecurity Skills and Awareness: Implement initiatives to raise cybersecurity awareness among citizens and businesses, and promote cybersecurity careers to address the skills gap.
* Enhance EU-wide Collaboration: Strengthen the network of NCCs, ensuring they work together to tackle common challenges and contribute to the strategic missions of the ECCC.
* Implement EU Legislation: Support stakeholders in your country in understanding and implementing key EU legislation, such as the NIS2 Directive and the proposed Cyber Resilience Act.
## Scope of Activities
Applicants have the flexibility to choose from a broad range of activities based on their national priorities. There is no obligation to cover all actions. Key areas include:
* Community and Market:
* Creating matchmaking events for access-to-finance and access-to-market.
* Establishing a marketplace for European cybersecurity products and services.
* Developing frameworks for cybersecurity incubators and accelerators.
* Skills and Awareness:
* Running awareness campaigns for the public, SMEs, and specific demographics.
* Supporting cybersecurity education in primary and secondary schools.
* Developing materials for the Cyber Skills Academy and supporting the EU Cybersecurity Challenge.
* NCC Operations and Support:
* Providing technical assistance to applicants for ECCC calls.
* Forging synergies with national research and innovation policies.
* Managing Financial Support for Third Parties (FSTP) to cascade funds to SMEs.
## Financial Details
* Type of Action: DIGITAL JU Simple Grant (Budget-Based)
* Maximum Funding per Grant: While the total budget is not specified here, the call is substantial, designed to provide significant operational capacity to the NCCs.
* Eligibility: This topic is exclusively for National Coordination Centres that have been officially designated and recognized by the Commission.
🎯 Objectives
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🇪🇺 Strategic Advantages
Strategic Reinforcement of the EU's Digital Single Market and Cyber Resilience
This grant provides a unique opportunity to fundamentally strengthen the European Union's cybersecurity posture and digital economy. By enhancing the Network of National Coordination Centres (NCCs), the project directly contributes to a more integrated, resilient, and competitive Digital Single Market.
Unlocking the Pan-European Cybersecurity Market
The grant's most significant EU-wide advantage is the creation of a unified European cybersecurity marketplace. This addresses a core challenge where innovative European SMEs and startups are often confined to their national markets.
• Single Market Access: The proposed platform, hosted under the `.eu` domain, will provide European cybersecurity companies with direct access to a market of over 450 million consumers and millions of businesses and public authorities across all 27 Member States. This creates unprecedented opportunities for scale-up.
• Increased Competitiveness: By fostering a vibrant home market, the grant helps European companies mature and compete more effectively on the global stage. It acts as a springboard for international expansion.
• Harmonized Access-to-Finance: Pan-European matchmaking events and platforms for Access-to-Finance will connect innovators with investors across the Union, breaking down national investment barriers and creating a more fluid, EU-wide venture capital landscape for cybersecurity.
Bolstering EU Strategic Autonomy
The initiative is a cornerstone of the EU's push for strategic autonomy in the digital domain. By building a self-sufficient and robust cybersecurity ecosystem, the EU reduces its dependence on foreign technologies and protects itself from external influence.
• Secure Infrastructure: The grant explicitly targets NCCs to handle sensitive information and be protected against foreign dependencies, directly supporting the EU's security interests.
• EU-Centric Solutions: It promotes the uptake and dissemination of state-of-the-art cybersecurity solutions developed within the EU, ensuring that critical infrastructure and businesses rely on trusted, European-made technology.
Driving Cross-Border Collaboration and Pan-European Innovation
The very structure of the NCC Network is designed to foster collaboration that transcends national borders, creating a powerful multiplier effect for innovation and capacity building.
A Network for Pan-European Knowledge Exchange
The grant institutionalizes the sharing of knowledge and best practices across the Union, preventing the reinvention of the wheel in individual Member States.
• Harmonized Frameworks: It supports the creation of European frameworks for cybersecurity incubators and accelerators, ensuring a consistent and high-quality support system for startups regardless of their location.
• Shared Educational Resources: The transfer of best practices for cybersecurity teaching in primary and secondary schools, along with support for teachers, creates a unified approach to building a cyber-aware generation of Europeans.
• Collaborative Awareness: Centralizing awareness initiatives and creating common campaign materials allows for powerful, EU-wide messaging that can be adapted for regional nuances, maximizing impact and efficiency.
Facilitating Multinational Partnerships
The NCCs will act as crucial nodes for connecting stakeholders from different countries.
• Cross-Border Projects: The grant actively encourages and facilitates the participation of industry, SMEs, and academia in cross-border projects funded by EU programmes.
• Community Building: The organization of EU-wide cybersecurity boot camps, challenges, and training courses fosters a cohesive community of professionals who can collaborate on solving shared threats.
Direct Alignment with and Implementation of EU Policy
This grant is not a standalone initiative but a key implementation tool for the EU's most critical digital and security policies.
Implementing Core EU Legislation
The activities directly support the on-the-ground implementation of landmark EU regulations.
• Regulatory Cohesion: The NCCs are tasked with supporting the rollout of the Directive (EU) 2022/2555 (NIS 2 Directive) and the Cyber Resilience Act. This ensures a harmonized and effective application of these laws across the Union, which is essential for a functioning Digital Single Market.
• Policy Feedback Loop: The creation of a Cybersecurity Community Observatory will provide the ECCC and national bodies with crucial data to inform future policy interventions, ensuring that EU policy remains agile and evidence-based.
Building the European Cyber Skills Pipeline
The grant directly addresses the EU-wide cybersecurity skills shortage by supporting the Cyber Skills Academy.
• Pan-European Talent Pool: Initiatives like the network of young cybersecurity ambassadors and campaigns targeting students, parents, and teachers are designed to increase the number of cybersecurity professionals across the entire EU, creating a larger and more mobile talent pool.
Creating Synergies and Maximizing Impact at EU Scale
The grant's structure is designed to leverage the collective strength of the Member States, creating value that would be impossible to achieve through national efforts alone.
• Avoiding Duplication: By working in synergy with ENISA and other bodies, the NCC network ensures that efforts are coordinated, resources are used efficiently, and actions are complementary at the EU level.
• Cascading Funds Effectively: The potential use of Financial Support for Third Parties (FSTPs) provides a streamlined and efficient mechanism to channel funding directly to SMEs and innovators across the Union, accelerating the uptake of new technologies.
• Unified Digital Presence: The creation of a single, integrated platform under the `.eu` domain provides a clear and authoritative entry point for the entire European cybersecurity community, enhancing visibility, trust, and engagement across the Union.
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Ready to Apply?
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