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Enhancing the NCC Network
Digital Europe Programme · DIGITAL-ECCC-2027-DEPLOY-CYBER-11-NCC
Funding for National Coordination Centres to support their cybersecurity communities, SMEs and start-ups, skills and awareness across Europe.
What is this call about?
The topic funds the operation and activities of National Coordination Centres for cybersecurity, helping them support SMEs, start-ups, education and awareness in their countries.
What does this call fund?
Scope
The topic supports the operation of the National Coordination Centres (NCCs) set up under Regulation (EU) 2021/887, so that they can support the cybersecurity community, including SMEs, in taking up state-of-the-art solutions and strengthening capacities. Each NCC chooses from the list of activities according to its interest and mandate; there is no obligation to carry out all of them. Support to stakeholders may also be given through financial support to third parties.
Eligible tasks
- Acting as national contact points for the Cybersecurity Competence Community and contributing to the strategic tasks of the ECCC, including the Cyber Skills Academy.
- Encouraging start-ups, SMEs, academia and civil society to join cross-border projects, and giving technical assistance to applicants for ECCC calls.
- Supporting the scale-up of start-ups, incubators and accelerators, and access to finance and markets.
- Assessing requests to join the Cybersecurity Competence Community and supporting community registration tools.
- Awareness campaigns, cybersecurity education in schools and universities, boot camps, challenges, training and national or regional cyber exercises.
- Supporting the adoption of market-ready cybersecurity solutions and tools for organisations, in particular SMEs.
Expected outcomes
Depending on each NCC, outcomes may include networks to accelerate the cybersecurity industry, frameworks for incubators and accelerators, a community observatory, matchmaking events, uptake of cybersecurity solutions, campaigns aimed at young people, parents and teachers, and support for EU Cybersecurity Challenges. Activities could also cover a European platform under the .eu domain with a marketplace for cybersecurity products and services.
What are the key facts?
- Topic budget
- €11,000,000
- Minimum amount per project
- €2,000,000
- Maximum amount per project
- €3,000,000
- Call code
- DIGITAL-ECCC-2027-DEPLOY-CYBER-11-NCC
- Programme
- Digital Europe Programme
- Eligible applicants
- National Coordination Centres recognised by the Commission as having the capacity to manage funds
- Expected number of projects
- 4
Who can apply for this call?
- The topic targets exclusively National Coordination Centres recognised by the Commission as having the capacity to manage funds under the regulation establishing the ECCC and the network of NCCs.
- For security reasons, the actions are subject to Article 12(5) of the Digital Europe Programme Regulation (2021/694), given the risk linked to participation of non-EU entities.
Check your eligibility and how your project fits
In your free account, we check the eligibility conditions against the call documents for your organisation and assess how well your project fits this call.
When is the deadline?
14 January 2027 (70 days)
Interested in this call? Summary written with AI from the official call documents. Details can differ, so check the official call page before you apply. Read the official call documents before you decide. The official text is always binding.
Source: EU Funding & Tenders Portal and the official call documents. Official call page Last updated 6 October 2026.