The European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC) has opened a new call for proposals under the Horizon Europe Programme, with a total indicative budget of up to €56.2 million. The call falls under the Civil Security for Society Work Programme 2026-2027 (HORIZON-CL3-2026-02-CS-ECCC – Cybersecurity) and covers three main topics:

1. Security in Software and Hardware Development (EUR 20M)
   Proposals should develop tools, methods, and processes to secure hardware and software ecosystems. Areas of interest include secure lifecycle management, trusted chip architectures, security-by-design software approaches, AI-driven security testing, and standardized methodologies for hardware security assessment.

2. Enhancing Security, Privacy, and Robustness of AI Models (SecureAI, EUR 21.2M)
   Projects should strengthen AI systems against threats such as adversarial attacks, backdoors, and data poisoning. Expected contributions include robust AI models, innovative defense mechanisms, attack detection and mitigation methods, and privacy-enhancing AI technologies compliant with the EU AI Act.

3. Advanced Cryptography and High-Assurance Implementations (EUR 15M)
   Proposals should focus on quantum-resistant cryptography, post-quantum authentication and key establishment, formal verification tools, and high-assurance cryptographic software for secure systems.

Deadline for submissions: 15 September 2026, 17:00 CET.

All eligibility criteria and detailed call documents are available on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal.