CIPHER Open Call #1 (OC1) is a 9-month cascade funding and technical implementation programme structured into 3 consecutive Sprints under the EU-funded CIPHER project. The initiative aims to enhance cybersecurity and information assurance across critical infrastructure sectors—with a primary focus on Operational Technology (OT) environments such as energy, transport, healthcare, and water management.

Selected third parties will work alongside assigned CIPHER mentors to test, validate, and expand CIPHER’s collaborative, “available-as-a-service” testing facility and cyber-range platform across three operational modes: Knowledge, Testing, or Range/Environment.

Programme benefits:

• Equity-free cascade funding: A maximum grant of up to €60,000 per project (covering 50% co-funding of total eligible costs) disbursed in 3 milestone-based lump-sum payments (20% pre-financing in Sprint 1, 40% in Sprint 2, and 40% in Sprint 3).

• Technical mentorship & platform access: Dedicated guidance from CIPHER technical mentors, access to isolated testing environments, scoped credentials, and specialised SaaS components (e.g., Wazuh XDR SaaS, immutable S3 WORM storage, and the Risk Monitoring Bundle).

• Ecosystem visibility: Participation in the official CIPHER Demo Day, direct networking with European cybersecurity leaders, and dedicated promotional support from the CIPHER dissemination team.