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HORIZON EUROPE TOPIC · Cluster 3 · Civil Security for Society

New primitives and protocols for functionalities of future hybrid classical-hybrid and quantum networks

HORIZON-CL3-2027-02-CS-ECCC-04 — the expected outcomes as checkable statements, what evaluators look for in this topic, and the conditions that shape the proposal.

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ForthcomingRIA · lump sumDeadline 15 September 2027around EUR 4 million per project

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TopicHORIZON-CL3-2027-02-CS-ECCC-04
StatusForthcoming
CallHORIZON-CL3-2027-02-CS-ECCC — Indirectly Managed Action by the ECCC (2027)
Type of actionResearch and Innovation Actions · lump sum
Opening2 March 2027
Deadline15 September 2027
Budgetaround EUR 4 million per project · 1 project expected · EUR 4 million in total
Part B page limit45 pages (standard application form; check your call)
TemplateWork Programme 2026–2027 application form

Expected outcomes

Projects may contribute to some of the expected outcomes; say which ones and why. The topic says: “Proposals are expected to contribute to one or more of the following:”

  1. EO1 New primitives beyond Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) for future hybrid classical-quantum and quantum networks either as quantum equivalents of classical primitives or as new primitives for new practical applications, also in the relativistic setting when relevant, or as new primitives and protocols with modular, realistic integration of solutions from different cryptographic approaches, with focus on beyond-QKD applications and with gradual release on trust in hardware.
  2. EO2 Analysis of the applicability and strength of the results compared to their best classical-only counterpart, critical analysis of the formal assumptions and of performance, security proofs.
  3. EO3 Investigation of fundamental aspects of quantum information processing tasks, their eventual limits; and/or the connection between quantum computing and cryptography for insights for stronger cryptographic foundations.
  4. EO4 Roadmap for quantum cryptography and networks functionalities.

What evaluators will look for in this topic

Expected outcomes

  • Projects may contribute to some of the expected outcomes; say which ones and why.
  • For each outcome (EO1 to EO4), name who will use or adopt your results (a specific group, not “industry” or “society”), how they get them, and the indicator that shows the change, with baseline, target and date.
  • Use the topic's own words for each outcome, so the evaluator can tick it off.

What the scope asks for

Evaluators check the proposal against these sentences of the scope. Answer each one visibly, in the call's own words.

  • “The design of such new foundations may need entirely new paradigms whose design requires different expertise.”
  • “The proposal should target some of the following areas and lead to a roadmap:.”
  • “Proposals should include, in a balanced manner, quantum scientists and researchers from PQC with experience on real-world, applied cryptography and with interest in quantum protocols and new paradigms for future networks.”

Conditions that shape the proposal

  • Part B, sections 1–3: 45 pages (standard application form). Text beyond the limit is not read; tables and figures count.
  • Lump sum: the budget is fixed per work package and paid when each work package is completed. Every work package needs activities and deliverables an evaluator can verify, and the effort must match the money.
  • Other Eligible Conditions: “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…”

Impact pathway and traps

  • The scope expects pilots or demonstration. Name the sites, the partners who run them and what is measured there.
  • Keep outputs, outcomes and impacts apart: what you deliver, what changes when others use it, and the long-term effect.
  • Link your outcomes to the destination's expected impacts in the Work Programme. Destination impacts are long-term effects, not project deliverables.
  • Name the barriers outside the project (regulation, markets, user behaviour) that could block uptake, and what you will do if they do.
  • Section 2.3 (the summary canvas) is optional on this call; the old split into scientific, economic and societal impact is no longer required.
The scope, as published

The action supports research on new primitives and protocols beyond QKD for security and trust-based applications, by combining different cryptographic approaches and by exploiting insights from quantum information science, to demonstrate compelling quases of quantum cryptographic advantage and obtain foundational results on the unique features of quantum protocols. The goal is to build on the basis of insights from the field of real-world, applied cryptography and the vision from the quantum domain on future entanglement-based networks, the foundations of a new cryptography, that will support mid-term hybrid classical-quantum and further in the future almost fully quantum networks. The design of such new foundations may need entirely new paradigms whose design requires different expertise. The proposal should target some of the following areas and lead to a roadmap: Development of quantum primitives which have classical equivalent, of new quantum primitives not possible classically (or without trusted hardware), and of alternative solutions improving quantum cryptography protocols using classical cryptography solutions (in particular PQC), by flexibly incorporating various cryptographic components, with some beneficial aspects such as performance improvements (run time, energy usage, less requirements on HW etc.) Analysis of the applicability and strength of the results compared to their best classical-only counterpart, critical analysis of the formal assumptions, rigorous security proofs, case-by-case analysis of composable security and of performance.Connection between quantum information processing tasks and holography, and transfer to the cryptographic context, such as, among others, non-local quantum computation for position-verification schemes and spoofing schemes as means of establishing trust, via foundational insights on entanglement and quantum correlations; connection between quantum computing and cryptography providing stronger cryptographic foundations. Development of a quantum cryptography roadmap, which identifies challenges for the technical realisation and scaling of applications and presenting the implications for the best hardware and architecture settings for both near-term and long-term applications of quantum networks. Proposals should include, in a balanced manner, quantum scientists and researchers from PQC with experience on real-world, applied cryptography and with interest in quantum protocols and new paradigms for future networks.

Other topics in HORIZON-CL3-2027-02-CS-ECCC

Source and attribution

Topic text from the official topic page on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, retrieved 19 October 2026. © European Union, reused under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU (CC BY 4.0). Changes: the expected outcomes and impacts are split into numbered statements, long passages are shortened, and the evaluator checklist is GrantWise's own commentary. Your call and the Work Programme always win; check them before you submit. GrantWise is independent and not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the European Commission.