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Call key data
Strengthening the SOC (Security Operations Center) Ecosystem
Funding Program
Digital Europe
Call number
DIGITAL-ECCC-2024-DEPLOY-CYBER-07-SOCSYS
deadlines
Opening
04.07.2024
Deadline
21.01.2025 17:00
Funding rate
100%
Call budget
€ 2,000,000.00
Estimated EU contribution per project
€ 2,000,000.00
Link to the call
Link to the submission
Call content
short description
This topic complements other actions in this and the previous Work Programme, which are building up National SOCs and Cross-Border SOC platforms. It will empower SOCs which are linked to National SOCs, and to a stronger collaboration between local SOCs, National SOCs and Cross-Border SOC platforms, leading to an increased data sharing and better detection capability for cyber threats. This should in particular foster interoperability, identifying what data can be shared, how this is shared and in what format, requirements and sharing agreements, and ways to enable better exchange.
Call objectives
Links to the actions funded under the Cybersecurity Skills Academy (in the main Digital Europe work programme) can also be envisaged.
These actions should lead to increased engagement, including from the private sector, and to a better collaboration towards a common EU cyber threat knowledge base and technological independence.
Additionally, Cross-Border SOC Platforms will develop a comprehensive governance framework, with for example enrolment conditions and vetting procedures. The aim is to foster discussion between such platforms, sharing best practices and identifying opportunities for collaboration.
One Coordination and support action will be selected, bringing together the largest possible network of National and Cross-Border SOC platforms.
Scope Actions should address one or more of the following:
- Activities and technical frameworks that foster the collaboration and interconnection between Cross-Border SOC platforms and National SOCs, as well as fostering the link between National SOCs and other SOCs at national level.
- Actions that support the cooperation and coordination of Cross-Border SOC platforms, both between different Cross-Border SOC platforms, and with relation to national SOCs and other SOCs.
- Actions to foster links between public sector and industry, and stimulate mutually beneficial exchange of information, tools and data as well as exchange of knowledge and training opportunities.
- Actions to foster links between SOCs and industrial stakeholders in artificial intelligence and in other enabling technologies, fostering the adoption of such technologies, including AI techniques and tools rand facilitating getting acquainted with existing state of the art tools (such as for example those developed in Action 1.1.4 of this work programme) and knowledge exchange.
- Actions to engage stakeholders from the HPC stakeholder community and practitioners of breakthrough AI technologies, to develop a blueprint for the requirements of AI models that necessitate access to large or smaller HPC facilities, and next steps to make this happen, as well as raising awareness of this in the wider SOC community.
These actions aim at creating or strengthening national and/or cross-border SOCs, which occupy a central role in ensuring the (cyber-)security of national authorities, providers of critical infrastructures and essential services. SOCs are tasked with monitoring, understanding and proactively managing cybersecurity threats. In light of the crucial operative role of SOCs for ensuring cybersecurity in the Union, the nature of the technologies involved as well as the sensitivity of the information handled, SOCs must be protected against possible dependencies and vulnerabilities in cybersecurity to pre-empt foreign influence and control. As previously noted, participation of non-EU entities entails the risk of highly sensitive information about security infrastructure, risks and incidents being subject to legislation or pressure that obliges those non-EU entities to disclose this information to non-EU governments, with an unpredictable security risk. Therefore, based on the outlined security reasons, the actions relating to SOCs are subject to Article 12(5) of Regulation (EU)2021/694.
Indicatively one proposal is expected to be financed via this topic.
In accordance with the Cyber Solidarity Act (to be adopted and publish in the Official Journal in autumn 2024), ENISA is tasked to develop guidelines on the interoperability of Cross-Border Cyber Hubs. Against this background, the selected proposal shall be required to collaborate with ENISA on the aspect of the interoperability.
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Expected results
- Events, workshops, stakeholder consultations, architectural designs and white papers on technical coordination and interconnection support platforms
- Stronger links between public sector and industry SOCs
- Technical frameworks to allow for information exchange between SOC platforms
- A blueprint for the use of HPC facilities for the benefit of SOCs
Eligibility Criteria
Regions / countries for funding
Moldova (Moldova), Albania (Shqipëria), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosna i Hercegovina / Босна и Херцеговина), Iceland (Ísland), Kosovo (Kosova/Kosovë / Косово), Liechtenstein, Montenegro (Црна Гора), North Macedonia (Северна Македонија), Norway (Norge), Serbia (Srbija/Сpбија), Türkiye, Ukraine (Україна)
eligible entities
Education and training institution, Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) / Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Other, Private institution, incl. private company (private for profit), Public Body (national, regional and local; incl. EGTCs), Research Institution incl. University, Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)
Mandatory partnership
No
Project Partnership
There are no requirements for the consortium composition.
Targeted stakeholders are: National SOCs, Cross-Border SOC Platforms and other relevant stakeholders.
To be eligible for funding, applicants must be:
- legal entities (public or private bodies)
- established in one of the eligible countries:
- EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs))
- listed EEA countries and countries associated to the Digital Europe Programme (list of participating countries)
Specific cases:
Natural persons are NOT eligible (with the exception of self-employed persons, i.e. sole traders, where the company does not have legal personality separate from that of the natural person).
International organisations — International organisations are not eligible, unless they are International organisations of European Interest within the meaning of Article 2 of the Digital Europe Regulation (i.e. international organisations the majority of whose members are Member States or whose headquarters are in a Member State).
EU bodies — EU bodies (with the exception of the European Commission Joint Research Centre) can NOT be part of the consortium.
Entities without legal personality — Entities which do not have legal personality under their national law may exceptionally participate, provided that their representatives have the capacity to undertake legal obligations on their behalf, and offer guarantees for the protection of the EU financial interests equivalent to that offered by legal persons.
Associations and interest groupings — Entities composed of members may participate as ‘sole beneficiaries’ or ‘beneficiaries without legal personality’.
other eligibility criteria
Please be aware that all topics of this call are subject to restrictions due to security, therefore entities must not be directly or indirectly controlled from a country that is not an eligible country.
All entities will have to fill in and submit a declaration on ownership and control.
Moreover:
- participation in any capacity (as beneficiary, affiliated entity, associated partner, subcontractor or recipient of financial support to third parties) is limited to entities established in and controlled from eligible countries
- project activities (included subcontracted work) must take place in eligible countries (see section geographic location below and section 10)
- the Grant Agreement may provide for IPR restrictions (see section 10).
Finally, for the topics DIGITAL-ECCC-2024-DEPLOY-CYBER-07-SOC and DIGITAL ECCC-2024-DEPLOY-CYBER-07-SOCPLAT grants will only be awarded to applicants that have succeeded the evaluation of the joint procurement action.
Financial Support to Third Parties is not allowed.
Additional information
Topics
Relevance for EU Macro-Region
EUSAIR - EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region, EUSALP - EU Strategy for the Alpine Space, EUSBSR - EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, EUSDR - EU Strategy for the Danube Region
UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs)
project duration
36 months
Additional Information
Proposals must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System (accessible via the Topic page in the Search Funding & Tenders section. Paper submissions are NOT possible.
Proposals must be complete and contain all the requested information and all required annexes and supporting documents:
- Application Form Part A — contains administrative information about the participants (future coordinator, beneficiaries and affiliated entities) and the summarised budget for the project (to be filled in directly online)
- Application Form Part B — contains the technical description of the project (to be downloaded from the Portal Submission System, completed and then assembled and re-uploaded)
- Mandatory annexes and supporting documents (to be uploaded):
- detailed budget table/calculator:
Proposals must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System (accessible via the Topic page in the Search Funding & Tenders section. Paper submissions are NOT possible.
Proposals must be complete and contain all the requested information and all required annexes and supporting documents:
- Application Form Part A — contains administrative information about the participants (future coordinator, beneficiaries and affiliated entities) and the summarised budget for the project (to be filled in directly online)
- Application Form Part B — contains the technical description of the project (to be downloaded from the Portal Submission System, completed and then assembled and re-uploaded)
- Mandatory annexes and supporting documents (to be uploaded):
- detailed budget table/calculator: not applicable
- CVs of core project team: not applicable
- activity reports of last year: not applicable
- list of previous projetcts: not applicable
- ownership control declarations (including for associated partners and subcontractors): applicable
- Other annex: for Topic DIGITAL-ECCC-2024-DEPLOY-CYBER-07-SOC the appointment decision from the Member State designating the entity to act as National SOC: applicable
- detailed budget table/calculator:
Proposals are limited to maximum 50 pages (Part B).
Call documents
Cal document DIGITAL-ECCC-2024-DEPLOY-CYBER-07Cal document DIGITAL-ECCC-2024-DEPLOY-CYBER-07(665kB)
Contact
Website
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