Approaches and tools for security in software and hardware development and assessment HORIZON-CL3-2026-02-CS-ECCC-01

The grant supports the development of new tools, methods and processes to strengthen the security of software and hardware across the full lifecycle of digital systems, reducing the risk of vulnerabilities, backdoors and other threats hidden in increasingly complex and globalised supply chains.

Proposals address one or both of two areas:

• Secure hardware and chip technology

  – tamper-resistant chip and processor architectures (including support for post-quantum cryptography), defences against hardware trojans, backdoors and side-channel attacks, self-healing firmware, and improved traceability in manufacturing (e.g. root-of-trust solutions).

• Security in software supply chains

  – automated, AI-driven vulnerability detection, security-by-design (including dependency management and defences against emerging threats such as quantum), and methods to verify software origin, secure updates and protect against tampered components.

Grant: EUR 3–4 million per project Deadline: 15 September 2026 Eligible applicants: Legal entities in EU/EEA Member States, including SMEs, large companies, public bodies, universities and research institutions.

More on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal

Enhancing the Security, Privacy and Robustness of AI Models and Systems (SecureAI) HORIZON-CL3-2026-02-CS-ECCC-02

The grant supports the development of tools and methods to strengthen the resilience of AI systems and algorithms against a range of threats — including adversarial attacks, backdoor injections and data poisoning — in alignment with the AI Act and ongoing efforts on AI transparency.

Proposals are expected to contribute to one or more of the following:

• Robust AI models and systems capable of resisting different classes of adversarial manipulation.

• Innovative defence mechanisms against new and emerging attack families targeting AI models and systems.

• Methodologies for detecting and mitigating attacks such as data poisoning, backdoor exploitation and misclassification, including real-time anomaly detection and robust federated learning techniques.

• AI systems that use privacy-enhancing technologies to maintain data confidentiality and regulatory compliance, enabling trusted in-house AI deployments (e.g. for governments and enterprises).

Grant: EUR 3–4 million per project Deadline: 15 September 2026 Eligible applicants: Legal entities in EU/EEA Member States, including SMEs, large companies, public bodies, universities and research institutions.

More on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal

Advanced cryptographic schemes and High-Assurance high-speed cryptographic implementations HORIZON-CL3-2026-02-CS-ECCC-03

The grant supports the development of new digital signatures and advanced cryptographic schemes — tailored particularly to wallets and eIDs for privacy and business applications — as well as High-Assurance Cryptographic Software (HACS), including automated evaluation methods.

Proposals are expected to contribute to one or both of the following:

• Quantum-resistant cryptographic primitives (including approaches beyond lattice-based ones where relevant) that enhance the security and privacy of digital wallets for both individuals and organisations, and the design and implementation of post-quantum solutions for entity authentication and authenticated key establishment over insecure networks.

• Formal verification tools and improved High-Assurance Cryptographic Software (HACS) approaches, and their integration into software workflows, to provide strong security guarantees during post-quantum migration and enable streamlined, evidence-based evaluation of secure systems that use cryptography.

Grant: EUR 2–3 million per project Deadline: 15 September 2026 Eligible applicants: Legal entities in EU/EEA Member States, including SMEs, large companies, public bodies, universities and research institutions.

More on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal