Open Call 1: Penetration Testing Scenarios Development
ClosedDescription
The CIRCAT 18-Month Support Programme Upon selection and signature of the Sub-Grant Agreement, beneficiaries will receive up to €40,000 in funding, disbursed across a 6-month tailored Support Programme. Each beneficiary will be paired with a dedicated CIRCAT expert mentor and guided through four operational stages: Stage 1: Individual Mentoring Plan (Up to 1 month). Definition of a structured work plan tailored to the project. The Individual Mentoring Plan (IMP), a document that establishes the project's specific key performance indicators (KPIs) and deliverables. Stage 2: Scenario Definition (Up to 3 months). Identification of the relevant threat vectors and detailing the technical steps, tools, and methodologies required to safely replicate these threats in a controlled environment. Stage 3: Scenario Integration and Validation (Up to 2 months). The Mentors collaborate with participants to validate the scenarios, ensuring they accurately reflect emerging attack patterns and exploit techniques. CIRCAT OC1 beneficiaries have to design a Penetration Testing Scenario, following the template provided in Annex 1, in one of the CIRCAT prioritised verticals (Energy, Health, Public Administration, Digital infrastructure, ICT Service management (B2B) and Financial Entities (DORA)).
Beneficiary & submission
- How to Apply
Proposals must be submitted online via the FundingBox platform.
Application Link: https://opportunities.getonepass.eu/open-opportunities/circat-opencalls/opencall1
Support: For inquiries, please contact the helpdesk at: circat.help@fundingbox.com
Project Website: https://circat.eu
- Who Can Apply?
We are looking for applications from National Cybersecurity Authorities (NCAs), National Coordination Centres, large industrial installations, Operators of Essential Services (OES), governmental entities, and other relevant stakeholders with the capacity to aggregate demand.
Eligible applicants include SMEs, mid-caps, large companies, research centres (including universities), and public bodies.
Geographical Eligibility: Applicants must be registered in and controlled by entities within an EU Member State or an EEA country.
Note: Entities subject to EU restrictive measures or controlled by non-EU/non-EEA third countries are not eligible.
- Proposals will be evaluated based on Excellence, Impact, and Implementation:
- Admissibility & Eligibility Check
- Prescoring
- Expert Evaluation: Assessment by at least 2 independent external experts and 1 internal expert
- Consensus Meeting: Selection of finalists by the CIRCAT Selection Committee.
- Interview (Optional): The CIRCAT Selection Committee may request an interview to clarify specific aspects of the proposal before the final decision.
Further information
Selected beneficiaries have to develop testing scenarios for Networks, Applications, Virtualisation, Cloud, Industrial Control Systems (ICS), and IoT within CIRCAT prioritised verticals: Energy, Health, Public Administration, Digital infrastructure, ICT Service management (B2B) and Financial entities (DORA). Applications must address large industrial operators.
Eligible Activities:
- Vulnerability Testing Support: Developing and documenting realistic penetration testing scenarios.
- Threat & Risk Assessment Support: Conducting customised risk scenario analyses
Financial Support and Benefits:
Maximum Grant: Up to €40,000.00 per project (Lump Sum).
Funding Rate: 50% co-funding (applicants must cover the remaining 50% through their own resources).
Non-Financial Support: Access to the CIRCAT Mentoring Programme, including technical guidance, tool repositories, and networking with the European cybersecurity ecosystem.