Supporting operators against cyber and non-cyber threats to reinforce the resilience of critical infrastructures
Programme Category
Programme Name
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.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
This topic focuses on supporting operators against cyber and non-cyber threats to reinforce the resilience of critical infrastructures.
Operators should be equipped with the best possible means to be able to prevent, resist, absorb and recover from disruptive incidents, no matter if they are caused by natural hazards, accidents, terrorism, insider threats, or public health emergencies.
A possible project focusing on the protection of critical infrastructures against such threat should consider gaps and vulnerabilities that need to be identified and overcome (e.g. protection of drinking water supply systems from high chemical levels, nuclear facilities, etc.).
The successful proposal, following a sector-based approach and identifying a specific priority sector, should work on how to increase the combined cyber and non-cyber resilience operators. It should do so by orienting itself on sectors that have not been covered in previous research, out of the list of sectors described in the respective Annexes of the of the directive on the resilience of critical entities (CER) and the directive on measures for high common level of cybersecurity across the Union (NIS-2) and thus contribute to enhancing the overall resilience on EU-level, in line with the EU Security Union Strategy.
Detailed Call Description
The proposal should orient itself on the policy shift from protection towards resilience and thus focus on operators acting in the internal market, rather than only on physical or digital assets. This includes concepts of wider business continuity, as well as logistics and supply-chains. Proposals should also focus on the development of a more effective resilience plan conception method, which shall support operators to draft their resilience plans according to the provisions of the CER and NIS-2 Directives. The resilience plan conception method should include risk analysis, domino effects analysis, cross-sector and cross-border analysis, standardised plans etc. In addition, this method could include measures on adequate protection, measures on prevention, response, mitigation, and recovery from the consequences of incidents, protection of classified (e.g. the proposal for a Network Code on sector-specific rules for cybersecurity aspects of cross-border electricity flows) or sensitive information and measures that ensure adequate employee security management.
If the infrastructure includes processing of personal data, the proposal should consider including a risk assessment or privacy impact of individuals and society.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
70%
Expected EU contribution per project: €6.00 million
Thematic Categories
- Justice - Security
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
Eligibility for Participation
- Central Government
- Large Enterprises
- Local Authorities
- Other Beneficiaries
- Private Bodies
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- State-owned Enterprises
Eligibility For Participation Notes
This topic requires the active involvement, as beneficiaries, of at least 2 local or regional government authorities from 2 at least different EU Member States or Associated Countries. For these participants, applicants must fill in the table “Information about security practitioners” in the application form with all the requested information, following the template provided in the submission IT tool.
If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS (other data and services may additionally be used).
The main practitioners in this topic should come from private or public operators, meaning organisations and enterprises that use critical infrastructure to deliver services, vital for the functioning of society and the internal market. Consortia that will include MS public entities would be considered as an asset. Competent authorities of MS in charge of resilience and/ or overseeing operators in one or more sectors are also encouraged to join the consortia of applicants.
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Research and Innovation Foundation
29a Andrea Michalakopoulou, 1075 Nicosia,
P.B. 23422, 1683 Nicosia
Telephone: +357 22205000
Fax: +357 22205001
Email: support@research.org.cy
Website: https://www.research.org.cy/en/
Contact Persons:
Dr. Ioannis Theodorou
Scientific Officer
Τelephone: +357 22 20 50 38
Email: itheodorou@research.org.cy
Christakis Theocharous
Scientific Officer A’
Telephone: +357 22 20 50 29
Email: ctheocharous@research.org.cy