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DIGITAL EUROPE – European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI) – 2025

Digital Europe Programme - Digital Europe programme aims at bridging the gap between digital technology research and market deployment.

2025-10-16
36 million euros
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Call synthesis

Call reference DIGITAL-IRIS2-2025-QCI
Programme DIGITAL EUROPE
Institution European Commission
Sectors Justice, Security, Defence Research & Innovation Technology & Digital
Beneficiaries Large company (> 250 employees) Local Authority & Affiliated Entity Research centre & university Smes & Start-Ups (< 249 Employees) State administration & affiliated entities

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Call reference

DIGITAL-IRIS2-2025-QCI



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Priorities and funded actions

Objectives

  • To stimulate the maturing and the transition to security certified (common criteria) of compact and efficient European components and systems for quantum key distribution and quantum secure networks
  • To ensure a coherent EuroQCI initiative and support the Commission, ESA, and Member States by providing key support functions in coordination, industrialisation, dissemination, and alignment, enabling national and cross-border EuroQCI networks to collaborate and progress towards a fully functional EuroQC
  • To implement appropriate necessary standardisation activities to efficiently support an operational EuroQCI infrastructure

Priorities

  • Priority 1: To develop and deploy a secure quantum communication infrastructure (EuroQCI) to protect EU classified information and critical infrastructures
  • Priority 2: To foster a technologically autonomous European quantum communication ecosystem and industrial base
  • Priority 3: To ensure coherence, coordination, and standardisation across national and cross-border EuroQCI deployments
  • Priority 4: To strengthen competitiveness and deliver societal benefits
  • Priority 5: To reinforce and secure the EU’s digital technology supply chain

Among financed actions

  • Prototyping
  • Pilots
  • Testing
  • Certification
  • Mapping
  • Coordination
  • Industrialisation
  • Outreach
  • Standardisation
  • Integration
  • Interoperability
  • R&D
  • Evaluation

Eligibility

  • Be a legal person
  • Be a public or private entity
  • Be established in one of the eligible countries:
    • EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories)
  • A consortium composed of RTOs and industry partners must be constituted

Additional information

  • Initial duration of the action:
    • DIGITAL-IRIS2-2025-QCI-01: 48 months
    • DIGITAL-IRIS2-2025-QCI-02: 42 months
    • DIGITAL-IRIS2-2025-QCI-03: 36 months
  • Contact: CNECT-QCI@ec.europa.eu

Useful

Financement
  • Total budget of the call: 36 million euros
  • Budget per topic:
    • DIGITAL-IRIS2-2025-QCI-01: 30 million euros
    • DIGITAL-IRIS2-2025-QCI-02: 3 million euros
    • DIGITAL-IRIS2-2025-QCI-03: 3 million euros
  • Amount of the grant:
    • DIGITAL-IRIS2-2025-QCI-01: between 5 million and 10 million euros
    • DIGITAL-IRIS2-2025-QCI-02: 3 million euros
    • DIGITAL-IRIS2-2025-QCI-03: 3 million euros
  • Funding rate: between 50% and 95% of the total eligible costs