Call for Proposals: Coordinate deployment for the EuroQCI (CSA)

Objectives

• To ensure a coherent EuroQCI initiative and support the Commission, ESA and the Member States by providing key support functions in coordination, industrialisation, dissemination and alignment, enabling national and cross-border EuroQCI networks to discuss progress, to identify and utilise synergies in their work, share best practices and information about EU components and their certifications, supporting QKD standardisation efforts, and coordinating overall progress towards a fully functional EuroQCI.

Scope 

• Facilitate connections and dialogue between the national and cross-border EuroQCI projects: support discussions on user requirements and use cases, standardisation and return of experience from the deployment of advanced national quantum systems and networks including on EU QKD components and systems.
• Provide support to the Commission, Member States, and other stakeholders in the deployment of EuroQCI.
• Produce a consolidated overview of the deployment of EuroQCI in Member States and a catalogue of approaches and technologies implemented in national EuroQCI projects.
• Coordinate inputs to support discussions and decisions on the further development of national and cross-border deployment plans and strategic efforts, with a view to achieving an overall EuroQCI system (space and terrestrial segments).
• Coordinate activities for developing an EU QKD ecosystem and the industrialisation of QKD devices in the EU.
• Organise outreach events and activities, prepare communication materials, promote the EuroQCI initiative, and ensure interactions with other relevant initiatives.

Funding Information

• Topic budget: EUR 3 000 000

Outcomes and Deliverables

• An assessment of the deployments of EuroQCI networks and systems for the operational phase of EuroQCI.
• Consolidated analysis of national and cross-border deployments, identifying the complementary activities (including technology developments) required to establish a complete EuroQCI system.
• Recommendations for the next phases of the operational and security-compliant pan-European EuroQCI networks.
• Contribution to a technologically autonomous European quantum communication ecosystem.

Eligibility Criteria

• In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:
  • be legal entities (public or private bodies)
  • be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
    • EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs))

For more information, visit EC.