EU cybersecurity centre opens €96 million funding call

The European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC) has opened a new funding call under the Digital Europe Programme with a total budget of up to €96 million. The call is intended to strengthen Europe’s cybersecurity capabilities and preparedness through projects covering technology development, deployment and capacity-building.

A major part of the funding is dedicated to the use of artificial intelligence in cybersecurity. €15 million will support AI-based tools for public authorities, cybersecurity teams, NIS2 entities and other stakeholders, including systems for threat detection, vulnerability identification, incident response and recovery. Another €20 million will support AI-powered cybersecurity solutions designed for small and medium-sized enterprises.

The call also includes €15 million for coordinated preparedness testing and related measures for entities operating in highly critical sectors. Projects can cover activities such as penetration testing, vulnerability monitoring, threat assessment, coordinated vulnerability disclosure, exercises and training.

A further €5 million will support the establishment of Regional Cable Hubs aimed at improving the security and resilience of Europe’s undersea cable infrastructure. The hubs are expected to strengthen threat detection, information sharing, incident reporting and situational awareness.

The ECCC is also allocating €11 million to strengthen National Coordination Centres and their support for the European cybersecurity community, including SMEs, while €20 million will help organisations build cybersecurity capacity and comply with requirements under EU legislation such as the Cyber Resilience Act, NIS2, GDPR, DORA and the AI Act.

The remaining €10 million is intended for dual-use cybersecurity technologies that can support both civilian and defence applications.

Applications can be submitted from 1 September 2026 until 14 January 2027 at 17:00 CET. The call is part of the Digital Europe Programme’s 2025–2027 cybersecurity work programme and is subject to EU security requirements under the Digital Europe Programme Regulation.