Privacy-preserving and identity management technologies
HORIZON Innovation Actions
Basic Information
- Identifier
- HORIZON-CL3-2023-CS-01-02
- Programme
- Increased Cybersecurity 2023
- Programme Period
- 2021 - 2027
- Status
- Closed (31094503)
- Opening Date
- June 28, 2023
- Deadline
- November 22, 2023
- Deadline Model
- single-stage
- Budget
- €15,700,000
- Min Grant Amount
- €2,000,000
- Max Grant Amount
- €4,000,000
- Expected Number of Grants
- 4
- Keywords
- HORIZON-CL3-2023-CS-01-02HORIZON-CL3-2023-CS-01(user-centric) privacy preservationCybersecurity Research Domains Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PET)Privacy and identity management (e.g. privacy-preserving authentication)Privacy by designPrivacy concerns, behaviours, and practicesProtocols and frameworks for authentication, authorization, and rights managementSecurityTrust and privacy
Description
Projects’ results are expected to contribute to some or all of the following outcomes:
- Improved scalable and reliable privacy-preserving and identity management technologies for federated and secure sharing and for processing of personal and industrial data and their integration in real-world systems;
- Improving privacy-preserving technologies for cyber threat intelligence and data sharing solutions;
- Privacy by design;
- Contribution to promotion of GDPR compliant European data spaces for digital services and research (in synergy with DATA Topics of Horizon Europe Cluster 4). Also, contribution to the promotion of eID Regulation compliant European solutions;
- Research and development of self-sovereign identity management technologies and solutions;
- Provide resource efficient and secure digital identity solutions for Small and medium sized enterprises (SME);
- Strengthened European ecosystem of open-source developers and researchers of privacy-preserving solutions;
- Usability of privacy-preserving and identity management technologies.
Using big data for digital services and scientific research brings about new opportunities and challenges. For example, machine-learning methods process medical and behavioural data in order to find causes and explanations for diseases or health risks. However, a large amount of this data is personal data. Leakage or abuse of this kind of data, potential privacy risks (e.g. attribute disclosure or membership inference) and identity compromises pose threats to individuals, society and economy, which hamper further developing data spaces involving personal data. Likewise, there are similar challenges for the exploitation of non-personal/industrial data assets that may compromise the opportunities offered by the data economy. Advanced privacy-preserving technologies such as, for example, cryptographic anonymous credentials, homomorphic encryption, secure multiparty computation, and differential privacy have the potential to address these challenges. However, further work is required to ensure and test their applicability in real-world use case scenarios.
The security of any digital service or the access to data is based on secure digital identities. The eID Regulation provides the legal framework on which to build technological solutions that address the user needs concerning their digital identity. With regards to personal data, it is also important to develop self-sovereign identity solutions that give users complete control on their personal data and use.
Proposals should address usability, scalability and reliability of secure and privacy-preserving technologies in supply chain and take integration with existing infrastructures and traditional security measures into account. They should further take into account, whenever needed, the legacy variation in data types and models across different organizations. The proposed solutions should be validated and piloted in realistic, federated data infrastructures such as, for example, European data spaces. They should ensure compliance with data regulations and be GDPR compliant by-design. Open-source solutions are encouraged.
Consortia should bring together interdisciplinary expertise and capacity covering the supply and the demand side, i.e. industry, service providers and, where relevant, end-users. The use of authentication and authorisation infrastructure framework tools developed for data spaces, and notably with the European Open Science Cloud, could be considered. Participation of SMEs is strongly encouraged. Legal expertise should also be added to ensure compliance of the project results with data regulations and the GDPR.
The identification and analysis of potential regulatory aspects and barriers for the developed technologies/solutions is encouraged, where relevant.
Destination & Scope
Proposals for topics under this Destination should set out a credible pathway contributing to the following impact of the Strategic Plan 2021-2024: "Increased cybersecurity and a more secure online environment by developing and using effectively EU and Member States’ capabilities in digital technologies supporting protection of data and networks aspiring to technological sovereignty in this field, while respecting privacy and other fundamental rights; this should contribute to secure services, processes and products, as well as to robust digital infrastructures capable to resist and counter cyber-attacks and hybrid threats".
More specifically, proposals should contribute to the achievement of one or more of the following impacts:
- Strengthened EU cybersecurity capacities and European Union sovereignty in digital technologies
- More resilient digital infrastructures, systems and processes
- Increased software, hardware and supply chain security
- Secured disruptive technologies
- Smart and quantifiable security assurance and certification shared across the EU
- Reinforced awareness and a common cyber security management and culture.
All proposals of projects under this Destination should aim to be complementary and avoid overlaps with relevant actions funded by other EU instruments, including the European Defence Fund and its precursors (the European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP) and the Preparatory Action on Defence research (PADR)), based on the information publicly available[1] and while maintaining a focus on civilian applications only.
In accordance with Article 5(5) of Regulation (EU) 2021/887[2], and subject to a contribution agreement as defined in point (18) of Article 2 of the Financial Regulation, the European Commission entrusts the European Cybersecurity Industrial, Technology and Research Competence Centre (ECCC) with the implementation of the Increased Cybersecurity 2023 call (HORIZON-CL3-2023-CS-01) and the Increased Cybersecurity 2024 call (HORIZON-CL3-2024-CS-01). This entrustment may take place as soon as the ECCC has reached its financial and operational autonomy expected in the third quarter of 2024.
[1] See for instance:
- relevant work programmes of the EDF (https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/eu-defence-industry/european-defence-fund-edf_en) and of the DEP (https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/activities/work-programmes-digital)
And information on ongoing projects of:
- the EDF (https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/programmes/edf)
- the DEP (https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/programmes/digital);
Visit the following links for more information on past projects of the:
[2] Regulation (EU) 2021/887 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2021 establishing the European Cybersecurity Industrial, Technology and Research Competence Centre and the Network of National Coordination Centres, OJ L 202, 8.6.2021, p. 1–31.
Eligibility & Conditions
General conditions
2. Eligible countries: described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes
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. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
3. Other eligibility conditions: described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes
4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion: described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes
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Award criteria, scoring and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes
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Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual
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Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement: described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes
Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025). [[This decision is available on the Funding and Tenders Portal, in the reference documents section for Horizon Europe, under ‘Simplified costs decisions’ or through this link: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/ls-decision_he_en.pdf]].
6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants: described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes
Specific conditions
7. Specific conditions: described in the [specific topic of the Work Programme]
Documents
Call documents:
Standard application form — call-specific application form is available in the Submission System
Standard application form (HE RIA, IA)
Standard evaluation form — will be used with the necessary adaptations
Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA)
MGA
Additional documents:
HE Main Work Programme 2023–2024 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2023–2024 – 6. Civil Security for Society
HE Main Work Programme 2023–2024 – 13. General Annexes
HE Framework Programme and Rules for Participation Regulation 2021/695
HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764
Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment
EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement
Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual
Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions
Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement
Link to the Excel detailed budget table
Set of slides for applicants on the specificities of lump sum funding
Support & Resources
Online Manual is your guide on the procedures from proposal submission to managing your grant.
Horizon Europe Programme Guide contains the detailed guidance to the structure, budget and political priorities of Horizon Europe.
Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ – find the answers to most frequently asked questions on submission of proposals, evaluation and grant management.
Research Enquiry Service – ask questions about any aspect of European research in general and the EU Research Framework Programmes in particular.
National Contact Points (NCPs) – get guidance, practical information and assistance on participation in Horizon Europe. There are also NCPs in many non-EU and non-associated countries (‘third-countries’).
Enterprise Europe Network – contact your EEN national contact for advice to businesses with special focus on SMEs. The support includes guidance on the EU research funding.
IT Helpdesk – contact the Funding & Tenders Portal IT helpdesk for questions such as forgotten passwords, access rights and roles, technical aspects of submission of proposals, etc.
European IPR Helpdesk assists you on intellectual property issues.
CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk – the European Standards Organisations advise you how to tackle standardisation in your project proposal.
The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment – consult the general principles and requirements specifying the roles, responsibilities and entitlements of researchers, employers and funders of researchers.
Partner Search Services help you find a partner organisation for your proposal.
Latest Updates
Submissions to call HORIZON-CL3-2023-CS-01:
A total of 158 proposals has been submitted to call HORIZON-CL3-2023-CS-01, which closed on 23 November 2023. These proposals, of which the evaluation will be organized over the coming weeks and months, were submitted to the following topics:
HORIZON-CL3-2023-CS-01-01 Secure Computing Continuum (IoT, Edge, Cloud, Dataspaces) 72 proposals
HORIZON-CL3-2023-CS-01-02 Privacy-preserving and identity management technologies 32 proposals
HORIZON-CL3-2023-CS-01-03 Security of robust AI systems 54 proposal