Advanced cryptographic schemes and High-Assurance high-speed cryptographic implementations

Opened

Programme Category

EU Competitive Programmes

Programme Name

Horizon Europe (2021-2027)

Programme Description

Horizon Europe is the European Union (EU) funding programme for the period 2021 – 2027, which targets the sectors of research and innovation. The programme’s budget is around € 95.5 billion, of which € 5.4 billion is from NextGenerationEU to stimulate recovery and strengthen the EU’s resilience in the future, and € 4.5 billion is additional aid.

Programme Details

Identifier Code

HORIZON-CL3-2026-02-CS-ECCC-03

Call

Advanced cryptographic schemes and High-Assurance high-speed cryptographic implementations

Summary

The development of new digital signatures and advanced cryptographic schemes, tailored specifically to the use cases and requirements in the context of wallets/eIDs, for privacy and business applications is highly relevant nowadays. Moreover, these devices need secure connections over insecure networks requiring protocols for entity authentication, authenticated key establishment, as well as Password Authenticated Key Exchange (PAKE) schemes for ensuring user authentication via passwords in different use cases and for data recovery protocols of Wallet data.

Another key area is the development of High-Assurance Cryptographic Software (HACS), including automated evaluation methods.

Detailed Call Description

Considering the above, proposals should address one of the following technology areas:

  • Design and implementation of PQC advanced schemes and protocols for enhanced security and privacy, also including schemes other than lattice-based approaches if relevant. Proposals should also include recommendations that balance security, performance, and usability in practical applications and be based on open-source reusable software libraries.
  • Development of a unified specification language to formalise and document conditions on cryptographic safety and security in software implementations; development and improvement of tools and methodologies that can be used to evaluate both the implementation and the usage of cryptography in software applications and provide formal machine-checked guarantees of correctness and security. Proposals should also consider improving existing HACS tools and their integration in such software implementations.

Call Total Budget

€15.000.000

Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan

100%

Expected EU contribution per project: between €2.00 and €3.00 million

Thematic Categories

  • Information and Communication Technologies
  • Information Technology
  • Justice - Security
  • Research, Technological Development and Innovation

Eligibility for Participation

  • Businesses
  • Educational Institutions
  • Large Enterprises
  • Legal Entities
  • Other Beneficiaries
  • Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
  • Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

Eligibility For Participation Notes

In order to achieve the expected outcomes, and safeguard the Union’s strategic assets, interests, autonomy, and security, participation in this topic is limited to legal entities established in Member States and Associated Countries. In order to guarantee the protection of the strategic interests of the Union and its Member States, entities established in an eligible country listed above, but which are directly or indirectly controlled by a non-eligible country or by a non-eligible country entity, shall not participate in the action.

A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Call Opening Date

03/03/2026

Call Closing Date

15/09/2026

National Contact Point(s)

National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre Cyprus (NCC-CY)

1 Andrea Chaliou, 1075 Engomi, Nicosia,
Telephone: 1447
Fax: +357 22693070
Email: info@ncc.cy
Websitehttps://ncc.cy/en/

EU Contact Point