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Call key data
Enlarging existing or Launching New Cross-Border Security Operations Center (SOC) Platforms
Funding Program
Digital Europe
Call number
DIGITAL-ECCC-2024-DEPLOY-CYBER-07-SOCPLAT
deadlines
Opening
04.07.2024
Deadline
21.01.2025 17:00
Funding rate
50%
Call budget
€ 5,000,000.00
Estimated EU contribution per project
between € 2,000,000.00 and € 3,000,000.00
Link to the call
Link to the submission
Call content
short description
The general objective of cross-border SOC platforms is to strengthen capacities to analyse, detect and prevent cyber threats and to support the production of high-quality intelligence on cyber threats, notably through the exchange of data from various sources, public and private, as well as through the sharing of state-of-the-art tools and jointly developing cyber detection, analysis, and prevention capabilities in a trusted environment.
Call objectives
This action aims at new cross-border SOC platforms, as well as supporting those that were already launched under the previous DIGITAL work programme (2021-2022). While the main focus of this action is on processes and tools for prevention, detection and analysis of emerging cyber-attacks, it also foresees in particular the acquisition and/or adoption of common (automation) tools, processes and shared data infrastructures for the management and sharing of contextualised and actionable cybersecurity operational information across the EU.
Cross-border SOC platforms will contribute to enhancing and consolidating collective situational awareness and capabilities in detection and CTI, supporting the development of better performing data analytics, detection, and response tools, through the pooling of larger amounts of data, including new data generated internally by the consortia members.
The platforms should act as a central point allowing for broader pooling of relevant data and CTI, enable the spreading of threat information on a large scale and among a large and diverse set of actors (e.g., CERTs/CSIRTs, ISACs, operators of critical infrastructures).
Also, for cross-border SOC platforms, there is a crucial need for novel tools based on advanced Artificial Intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML), data analytics and other relevant cybersecurity relevant technologies, based on research results and further tested and validated in real conditions, in combination with access to supercomputing facilities (e.g., to boost the correlation and detection features of cross-border platforms).
The platforms will support common situational awareness and effective crisis management and response by providing relevant information to networks and entities responsible for cybersecurity operational cooperation and crisis management at Union level, without undue delay, where they obtain information related to an ongoing large scale, cross-border incident, or to a major threat or a major vulnerability likely to have significant cross-border impacts or significant impacts on services and activities falling within the scope of the Directive (EU) 2022/2555.
A call for expression of interest will be launched to select entities in Member States that provide the necessary facilities to host and operate Cross-Border SOC platforms for pooling data on cybersecurity threat between several Member States. Applicants to the call for expressions of interest should describe the aims and objectives of the Cross Border SOC platform, describe its role and how such role relates to other cybersecurity actors, and its eventual cooperation with other public or private cybersecurity stakeholders. Applicants should also provide the detailed planning of the activities and tasks of the Cross-Border SOC platform, the services it will offer, the way they will operate and be operationalised, and describe the duration of the activity as well as the main milestones and deliverables. They should also specify what equipment, tools and services need to be procured and integrated to build up the Cross-Border SOC platform, its services and its infrastructure.
To support the above activities of a Cross-Border SOC platform, the following two workstreams of activities are foreseen:
- [Procurement] A Joint Procurement Action with the Member State participating in the Cross-Border SOC platform: this will cover the procurement of the main equipment, tools and services needed to build up the Cross-Border SOC platform.
- [Building up and running the Cross-Border SOC platform] A grant will also be available to cover, among others, the preparatory activities for setting up the Cross Border SOC platform, its interaction and cooperation with other stakeholders, as well as the running/operating costs involved, enabling the effective operation of the Cross Border SOC platform, e.g., using the equipment, tools and services purchased the joint procurement. These will also indicate milestones and deliverables to monitor progress.
Applications shall be made to both workstreams. Applications will be object of evaluations procedures. Grants will only be awarded to applicants that have succeeded the evaluation of the joint procurement action.
These actions aim at creating or strengthening 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, in consistency with WP 2021/2022.
In case of enlargement of an ongoing cross-border grant, the applicant consortium should be composed by the coordinator of the ongoing grant plus the new entities that want to join the hosting consortium of the cross-border SOC. The new grant will work in close cooperation with the ongoing one.through
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Expected results
- World-class cross-border SOC platforms across the Union for pooling data on cybersecurity threat between several Member States, equipped with a highly secure infrastructures and advanced data analytics tools for detecting, gathering and storing data on cybersecurity threats, analysing this data, and sharing and reporting CTI, reviews and analyses.
- Sharing of Threat Intelligence between National SOCs, and information sharing agreements with competent authorities and CSIRTs.
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
Yes
Project Partnership
Consortia shall be composed by beneficiaries from at least 3 eligible countries in case of new cross-border SOCs. In case of enlargement of an ongoing cross-border grant, the new consortium should be composed by the coordinator of the ongoing grant plus the new entities that want to join the hosting consortium of the cross-border SOC.
Targeted stakeholders: The target stakeholders under a) and b) above are public bodies acting as National SOCs linked to a “call for expression of interest to deploy and operate National SOC platforms to improve the detection of cybersecurity threats and share cybersecurity data in the EU”. Actions under Proposals for grants shall complement submission for the successful applicants to this call for expression of interest.
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 70 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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