NCC-NO: Innovation support for tomorrow's cyber security
Download the call
Download templates
Important dates
01 Dec 2024
Open for applications
31 Jan 2025
Application deadline
01 Mar 2025
Earliest permitted project start
01 Jun 2025
Latest permitted project start
30 Nov 2025
Latest permitted project completion date
Important dates
Purpose
The purpose of the call is to promote innovation in the cyber security sector and to strengthen Norway's digital resilience. The support goes to projects that will help the participants to engage in, and carry out, relevant activities for their own and joint cyber security. The call is open to all sectors, but is especially aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises.
About the call for proposals
The Norwegian National Coordination Center for research and innovations on cybersecurity (NCC-NO) is announcing funding for projects that promote Norway's digital resilience and innovation in the cyber security sector. The call is specifically aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with the aim of strengthening the SME segment's engagement in cybersecurity. NCC-NO is a joint platform for cooperation between the Norwegian National Security Authority and the Research Council of Norway.
Projects must contribute to several or all of the following objectives:
- Develop creative and effective solutions to meet today's and tomorrow's threats.
- Promote innovative and knowledge-driven technological development in cyber security, with high potential for practical application.
- Establish or strengthen cooperation between businesses and organisations, preferably across sectors.
- Contribute to raising competence, capacity and competitiveness in cyber security in a measurable way.
- Support compliance with international standards and EU regulations on cyber security in a Norwegian context.
Projects should also demonstrate a clear understanding of how the work in the project may have an impact on the broader digital landscape. We require responsible development and use of technology that puts people at the centre and respects the planet's tolerance limits. We encourage you to think innovatively and research-based, but at the same time take into account practical implementation and possible benefits at the societal level.
Relevant activities include research, innovation, concept development and experimentation, proof of concept delivery, demonstration, maturity assessment and cyber security audit, implementation of cyber security solutions, implementation and compliance with standards and guidelines in daily practice, measures to raise staff awareness, adoption of digital hygiene practices, cyber security training, design and implementation of cyber security exercises.
The call is available in both Norwegian and English. The text of the Norwegian call for proposals is legally binding.
Who is eligible to apply?
Approved research organisations, companies, the public sector, the non-profit sector and associations are eligible to apply. See the list of approved research organisations and definition of the public sector.
Applicants must be established in Norway and may not have controlling ownership from outside the EU/EEA area.
Who can participate in the project?
Requirements relating to the Project Owner
The organisation listed as the Project Owner in the application form must have approved the submission of the application.
If the application is a collaboration between several organisations, the Project Owner must submit the application on behalf of all partners.
Requirements relating to the project manager
The project manager's professional competence and suitability to carry out the project will be assessed by peers. There are no formal requirements for the project manager's qualifications.
The Project Manager must be employed by the Project Owner or by one of the partners.
Requirements relating to partners
Norwegian research organisations, companies, the public sector and the non-profit sector can participate as partners in the project and receive funding.
As the Project Owner and/or partner in the project, you can engage subcontractors to deliver services and contribute to the implementation of certain tasks in the project. Subcontractors cannot be given rights to project results. Organisations that are subject to the regulations for public procurement must in the usual way carry out the selection of subcontractors in line with these regulations. It is not possible to have R&D suppliers in the project.
One and the same actor cannot have two different roles in the project. This means that a subcontractor cannot be the Project Owner or a partner in the project at the same time.
What can you seek funding for?
You can apply for funding to cover the actual costs necessary to carry out the project. The Project Owner must obtain information on costs from the partners in the project. These costs must be entered in the cost plan under the cost type to which they belong.
We require that you break down the project budget into the following cost types in your application:
- payroll and indirect costs, which are costs incurred by the Project Owner and partners in the public sector, research organisations and Norwegian business and industry
- other operating costs, which are costs for other activities that are necessary to carry out the project's R&D activities. Any purchases from subcontractors must be entered here. All costs entered as "other operating costs" must be specified in the application.
- equipment, which includes operating and depreciation costs for scientific equipment necessary to carry out the project
The cost type Procurement of R&D services should not be used.
You can find detailed and important information about what to enter in the project budget on the website.
Scope of support
This call is eligible for funding of NOK 600,000 per project. We do not require self-financing.
Prerequisites for the award of funding
The projects must start between 1.3.2025 and 31.5.2025. The latest permitted project completion date is 31.11.2025.
Support will be awarded to undertakings as de minimis aid. This means that an undertaking can receive a maximum of EUR 300,000 over a three-year period. Prior to any payment of de minimis aid, we will ask for a written confirmation and an overview of all other de minimis aid that the undertaking has received during the last three financial years. For undertakings that are part of a group, the maximum limit generally applies to the group as such. See also the EU de minimis aid regulation (Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2831). Read more about de minimis aid.
The Research Council's prerequisites for awards can also be found in our general terms and conditions for R&D projects on the information page What the contract involves.
In addition, you must be aware of the following if you should receive an award from us:
- The Research Council requires full and immediate open access for scientific articles, see Plan S - open access to publications.
- For all projects that handle data, the Project Owner must prepare a data management plan in connection with the revised application, where you will find more information about the requirements for data management plans in projects that receive funding from us.
- For medical and health studies involving humans, the Research Council sets special requirements and guidelines for prospective registration of studies and publication of results.
Relevant thematic areas for this call
Enabling technologies
Practical information
Requirements for this application type
Please note that you can only submit the application once. If you submit the application before the deadline and subsequently see that it still needs to be changed, you can create a new application – e.g. as a copy of the one you have already submitted – and in this way submit a new version before the deadline expires.
- The application and all attachments must be written in Norwegian and/or English.
- All attachments must be in PDF format.
Mandatory attachments
- Project description. Use the standard template that you can download at the bottom of the page.
- CV for project manager. Use the standard template that you can download at the bottom of the page.
Applications that do not meet the requirements above will be rejected.
Optional attachments
- CVs for key participants in the project
- proposal for up to three peers/referees who are presumed to be impartial to assess the application
All attachments to the application must be submitted with the application. We do not accept attachments submitted after the application deadline unless we have requested additional documentation.
We will not consider documents and websites linked to in the application, or attachments other than those specified above. Be careful to upload the correct attachment type, as there are no technical restrictions on what kind of templates it is possible to upload in the application form.
Assessment criteria
Applications will be assessed in light of the purpose of the call and the following criteria:
Excellence
• The extent to which the concept is sound, credible and novel.
Solidity
• The extent to which the project objectives are clear and relevant.
• The quality of the proposed deliverables from the project.
Impact
• The extent to which the expected effects are specified.
• The extent to which expected impacts on the system and societal levels are specified.
Knowledge sharing and exploitation
• The quality of the proposed communication and dissemination activities.
• The extent to which it is credible that the proposed outputs will contribute to the specified effects and impact.
Implementation
• The extent to which the Project Manager and project group are qualified and have the necessary expertise and are positioned to implement the project.
• The extent to which management structures and procedures are appropriate.
Plans and management
• The extent to which the work plan is clear and understandable, and the time table realistic
• The extent to which objectives and measures are coherent.
• The extent to which the project has the support of the leadership of the Project Owner and any partners, and the allocation of roles in the project is clear.
• The extent to which the budget is realistic and appropriate, and resources are allocated so that each of the partners can fulfil their role.
• The extent to which potential risks have been discussed.
Priority will be given to projects with a female project manager when the applications are otherwise assessed equally.
Administrative procedures
More information to come.