Info Day: Open Call 1
Date: 14 July 2026
Info Day
Watch Info Day meeting
* Correction (September 2026): The standard funding ceiling is EUR 60,000 per participating legal entity. A justified derogation up to EUR 100,000 may apply to qualifying offshore wind farm operators/manufacturers. Small-consortium support may reach EUR 150,000 per action, subject to the applicable per-entity ceilings. Please refer to the final OC1 documentation v1.1 for full conditions.
Info Day – Open call round 1
Alternative questions for Q&A session
1. General information
What is the main purpose of AENAON Open Call Round 1?
Open Call 1 supports external organisations in enriching, integrating, testing and initially validating AENAON cybersecurity preparedness capabilities for offshore wind operations and closely related critical-energy infrastructure. Projects should interact with the Federated Digital Twin-based Cyber Range Platform, cyber range training and/or ex-ante cybersecurity preparedness services.
What is the relationship between Open Call 1 and Open Call 2?
The two rounds are complementary. Open Call 1 focuses on content enrichment, integration, testing and targeted validation. Open Call 2 will build on the results and lessons learned from the first round and will focus more strongly on scaling, broader validation and ecosystem-level deployment.
When is Open Call 1 open?
The submission period began on 11 September 2026. The revised submission deadline is 13 November 2026 at 17:00 CET. Applicants must follow the final Open Call Notice and portal instructions and are strongly encouraged to submit before the deadline.
Where will clarifications and results be published?
Clarifications of general relevance will be consolidated through the official AENAON Open Call channels. Applicants will be notified through the official process, and final outcome information is expected to be published through the AENAON website and the EU Funding & Tenders Portal after the relevant selection and contracting steps.
2. Scope and eligible activities
What types of activities are eligible?
Eligible activities must fall within the closed Open Call 1 activity list and be directly relevant to offshore wind cybersecurity. They may include integration of cybersecurity technologies, testing in operationally relevant pilots, digital-twin or SCADA/OT validation, penetration-testing validation, compliance and resilience activities, targeted dissemination connected to the funded action, and collaboration or impact activities.
Are the AENAON KPI figures minimum targets for every applicant?
No. The targets of more than 20 risk scenarios, more than 10 penetration tests and more than five industry stakeholders are collective targets across the relevant funded Open Call projects. Each selected sub-project will receive proportionate targets during contract preparation, based on its scope, scale and complexity.
What is outside the scope of the call?
Activities outside the closed list are not eligible. Examples include generic marketing unrelated to project outcomes, unrelated research and development, and capital investments not directly necessary for implementation of the approved sub-project.
Must a proposal use an existing AENAON demonstration site?
No. Applicants may propose a use case based on their own technology, expertise or operational context, provided it is clearly aligned with Open Call 1 and explains how it will use, integrate, test, validate or extend relevant AENAON capabilities. Detailed access arrangements will be confirmed during technical preparation and onboarding where applicable.
3. Funding and payments
What funding is available for Open Call 1?
The indicative Open Call 1 envelope is EUR 2.1 million. Support is provided as a lump-sum sub-grant covering 50% of the eligible sub-project budget. The implementation period is eight months.
How does the EUR 60,000 ceiling apply?
The ceiling applies to each participating legal entity cumulatively across both AENAON Open Calls, regardless of whether the entity participates as a single applicant, lead applicant or consortium partner. Previous AENAON FSTP awards reduce the amount that may be awarded later.
When does the EUR 100,000 ceiling per participating legal entity apply?
The general ceiling for financial support to a third party is EUR 60,000. By way of derogation, the ceiling may be increased to EUR 100,000 per participating legal entity where the applicant is an offshore wind farm operator or manufacturer considered a large critical infrastructure/operator of essential services.The applicable ceiling (€60,000 or €100,000, as relevant) applies cumulatively across Open Call 1 and Open Call 2, irrespective of whether the entity participates as a single applicant, coordinator, or consortium member.
Does the EUR 60,000 ceiling apply for participating consortia as well?
Not necessarily. The EUR 60,000 ceiling applies per participating legal entity, including entities participating as consortium members. By way of derogation, this ceiling may be increased to EUR 100,000 per legal entity for offshore wind farm operators and manufacturers considered as large critical infrastructures/operators of essential services.
In addition, for small consortia, the maximum financial support may reach EUR 150,000 per action, subject to the applicable ceiling for each participating legal entity.
What co-funding is required?
Applicants must provide the share of the eligible sub-project budget not covered by AENAON support. For example, an entity requesting EUR 60,000 in AENAON support would normally need an eligible budget of at least EUR 120,000 and must demonstrate the capacity to provide the remaining share.
How are payments structured?
Payments follow a 30%-40%-30% model: 30% after signature of the Sub-Grant Agreement and completion of onboarding requirements; 40% after acceptance of the mid-term report, deliverables and milestone evidence; and 30% after acceptance of final reports, outputs, KPI evidence and validation results. Payments depend on accepted results and evidence.
What happens if the next-ranked proposal requests more than the remaining budget?
AENAON may offer funding limited to the remaining available amount. The applicant may accept and submit a proportionately revised scope, work plan, budget, milestones and deliverables for AENAON approval, or withdraw from contract preparation.
4. Eligibility and consortium rules
Which countries are eligible?
Eligible applicants must be legally established in one of the 27 EU Member States, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway. Any additional third country is eligible only where it is expressly confirmed as fully associated with the Digital Europe Programme for Specific Objective 3 – Cybersecurity and Trust and is included in the definitive “AENAON Open Call 1 – List of Eligible Countries”. Countries associated only for Specific Objectives 1, 2, 4 or 5 are not eligible.
What happens if one consortium member is established in an ineligible country?
Every participating legal entity must independently satisfy the country-eligibility requirements. If one consortium member is established in an ineligible country, the entire proposal will be declared ineligible and will not proceed to quality evaluation.
Are country eligibility and ownership and control the same test?
No. They are separate checks. An entity may be established in an eligible country and still be subject to an ownership-and-control assessment. Each participating legal entity must complete Annex 7 and provide supporting information where requested.
Can small consortia apply?
Yes. Part A of Annex 6 is completed and signed by the lead applicant. Part B is completed and signed separately by every consortium member, including the lead applicant. Each participating legal entity must also submit its own Annex 5, Annex 7 and Annex 8.
Are AENAON beneficiaries or affiliated entities eligible?
No. Beneficiaries of AENAON Grant Agreement No. 101249723 and their affiliated entities are not eligible for AENAON FSTP funding.
5. Proposal preparation and submission package
What is the page limit for the technical proposal?
The main technical narrative in Annex 3 is limited to 10 A4 pages covering Sections 0-5. The cover page, instruction page, Section 6, Section 7 and separately submitted mandatory annexes are excluded. Pages beyond the permitted limit may be disregarded during evaluation.
What documents must be submitted?
The package includes the online application form, Annex 3 – Technical Proposal Template, budget and co-funding information, legal-entity information, Annex 5 – Declaration of Honour for each participating legal entity, Annex 6 where applicable, Annex 7 for each participating legal entity, Annex 8 for each participating legal entity, Annex 9 – IPR and Background Declaration, and any additional documents required by the final package.
How should confidential or security-sensitive information be handled?
Applicants should not include credentials, detailed vulnerabilities, identifiable infrastructure configurations or other operationally sensitive material unless strictly necessary. Specific sensitive passages should be marked [CONFIDENTIAL] in accordance with the Guidelines. Applicants should identify particular passages or data rather than designating the entire proposal as confidential.
Can applicants modify the official templates?
Applicants should complete the official templates and must not remove mandatory declarations, headings or table structures unless the Open Call documentation expressly permits a modification. Names, budgets, roles and requested support must remain consistent across all forms and annexes.
6. Declarations, double funding and IPR
What is the difference between related funding and double funding?
Related, complementary or parallel public funding is not automatically prohibited. Double funding arises where the same activity, cost, personnel effort, milestone, deliverable, result or output is financed or claimed more than once from public sources. Related funding must be fully disclosed and technically, financially and documentarily separated.
Who completes the No Double Funding Declaration?
Each participating legal entity, including the lead applicant and every consortium partner, must complete and sign Annex 8. The entity must disclose current, pending or planned related public funding and maintain records capable of preventing and detecting duplicate claims.
Who completes the IPR and Background Declaration?
For a consortium proposal, the lead applicant may submit one consolidated Annex 9 covering all participating legal entities, provided each background item, third-party component and restriction is clearly attributed to the relevant entity. Each entity remains responsible for the accuracy of information relating to its own rights, licences and restrictions.
Does Annex 9 transfer ownership or create a licence by itself?
No. Annex 9 records relevant background, third-party materials, rights and restrictions. It does not transfer ownership or create access rights by itself. Any operational rights required for integration, verification, training or demonstration are governed by the Sub-Grant Agreement.
What happens if ownership, funding or IPR information changes?
Applicants and selected recipients must notify AENAON in writing without undue delay of material changes affecting ownership and control, funding overlap, background, licences, third-party rights or other relevant declarations before contract signature or during implementation.
Can co-funding come from other grants or financial sources?
Other funding is not prohibited merely because it relates to a similar area. Applicants must disclose relevant public support and demonstrate that the same costs, personnel effort, milestones, deliverables or outputs are not funded or claimed twice. Separating funding sources by budget heading alone is insufficient to demonstrate the absence of overlap.
7. Evaluation and selection
How are proposals scored?
Proposals are evaluated under Excellence, Impact and Implementation. For Open Call 1 the weights are 30%, 30% and 40%, respectively. Each criterion must score at least 3 out of 5, and the overall weighted score must be at least 3.33 out of 5.
What is the tie-break order for Open Call 1?
Ties are resolved first by the Implementation score, then Excellence, then Impact. If a tie remains, the Open Call Coordination Committee decides on documented strategic-fit grounds using only information contained in the submitted proposal and assessed under the published criteria.
Does passing the thresholds guarantee funding?
No. Proposals passing the thresholds are ranked and funded in order within the available budget. Other passing proposals may be placed on a reserve list.
Can an applicant challenge the evaluation result?
The redress procedure is limited to procedural deficiencies. It does not reopen the technical judgement of evaluators and does not allow new proposal content to be introduced after submission.
8. Contract preparation, implementation and support
What happens after selection?
Selected applicants complete legal, financial, ownership-and-control and other compliance checks; agree the final scope, milestones, deliverables and acceptance criteria; sign the Sub-Grant Agreement; and complete onboarding.
What monitoring and reporting obligations apply?
Selected projects must submit the agreed reports, deliverables, milestones, KPI evidence and supporting records. Outputs are subject to technical verification and formal acceptance. Corrective action, payment suspension or reduction, termination and recovery may apply in cases of non-performance or non-compliance.
Will AENAON provide technical support?
Yes. Selected projects may receive onboarding, technical guidance, platform or service access support, integration guidance, coordination support and participation in review or capacity-building sessions. Exact support arrangements and access conditions will be confirmed during contract preparation and onboarding.
Where can applicants ask questions?
Applicants may contact open-call@aenaon-project.eu and should monitor the official AENAON Open Call webpage. Clarifications of general relevance will be consolidated and made available to all applicants on an equal basis.
9. Applicant eligibility and legal status
Must an applicant be a legally established entity when submitting its application?
Yes. Applicants must be legally established in an eligible country at the time of submission and provide appropriate legal-entity information. An unregistered or pre-incorporation venture is not eligible merely because it expects to register before contracting.
Can universities, research organisations and sole proprietors apply?
Universities and research organisations may apply in principle if they meet all applicable eligibility requirements. A registered sole proprietor should document its legal status and ability to satisfy the definition of an eligible participating legal entity; registration or a PIC alone does not constitute an individual eligibility decision. Any uncertainty about legal personality or financial capacity must be resolved through the formal checks.
Are Swiss institutions eligible?
Eligibility depends on legal establishment in a country included in the definitive Open Call 1 List of Eligible Countries and the required association with Digital Europe Specific Objective 3 – Cybersecurity and Trust. Switzerland should not be assumed eligible solely because it participates in other European programmes or because an applicant is also affiliated with an institution in an eligible country. Each funded legal entity is assessed separately.
Can an applicant established in an eligible country have a parent company in a non-eligible country?
Foreign ownership does not automatically make an eligible-country entity ineligible. Country of establishment and ownership-and-control screening are separate requirements. Annex 7 must disclose the full ownership and control structure, decision and access rights, and any safeguards. Third-party background technology and related restrictions must also be disclosed under Annex 9. The outcome is decided through formal screening.
Does membership in an AENAON partner association automatically exclude funding?
Not necessarily. The exclusion applies to AENAON Grant Agreement beneficiaries and their affiliated entities. Mere membership of an association does not by itself establish the direct, indirect or common control needed for affiliation. An applicant must disclose any relevant control relationships and potential conflicts of interest, and the formal eligibility review will determine the result.
10. Technical scope and integration
Can an SME, cybersecurity service provider or penetration-testing company apply?
Yes, in principle. An eligible SME or cybersecurity provider may apply individually or in a small consortium, provided its proposed activities fall within the closed eligible activity list and demonstrate direct operational relevance to offshore wind or closely related critical-energy infrastructure. Penetration testing must take place within an expressly authorised scope and use clearly described validation methods and outputs.
Can an applicant build on an existing product or proof of concept, or propose a newly built solution?
Open Call 1 supports adaptation, integration, enhancement, testing and validation of existing cybersecurity technologies. An applicant should describe its demonstrable starting technical foundation, current maturity, existing functions or tests, the additional work proposed and measurable eight-month results. A recently completed and accurately documented standalone proof of concept may be considered, but a concept or test specification alone does not establish technical maturity, and eligibility or selection cannot be guaranteed.
Must a proposal use the entire AENAON technology stack or involve an offshore wind operator as a partner?
No. A proposal may focus on one relevant AENAON tool or a justified combination. An offshore wind operator or OT cybersecurity specialist is not mandatory as a formal consortium partner. The applicant should show why its chosen tools and partners are appropriate and how the planned validation will be performed without assuming access to live operator infrastructure.
What technical scenarios are supported by the AENAON Digital Twin?
Technical consultation has confirmed support for manipulated commands and readings over OPC UA/Modbus TCP; blocking or delaying communication links; manipulation of HMI/historian views; an emulated IT/OT network for discovery and lateral-movement scenarios; and a substation using IEC 61850 and IEC 60870-5-104 communication. Layer 2 IEC 61850 GOOSE traffic is not currently supported. Injection of missing or delayed telemetry through the Digital Twin REST API is also not currently supported. Applicants should plan unsupported scenarios in their own suitable environment, subject to agreed integration and authorisation.
Can selected applicants integrate their own containers, virtual machines or testing tools?
Applicant-owned containerised components may be attached or hosted on demand, subject to technical assessment. Available integration points include turbines, ground controller and HMI/SCADA (HTTP), and security tools may be deployed through a VPN. Compatibility of specific protocols, software-in-the-loop emulators, virtual machines, Layer 2 tunnelling or externally hosted federated nodes must be confirmed for the proposed use case during onboarding. No unrestricted network access is guaranteed.
Can the Digital Twin export topology and simulation outputs as CSV or JSON?
The Digital Twin does not currently support the requested general export of topology descriptions and simulation outputs as CSV/JSON files. Proposals should not depend on such an export without an agreed alternative. Access to exercise records, logs, observations, APIs or other data formats is use-case-specific and is defined during onboarding.
Will AENAON supply operational datasets and allow unlimited Cyber Range sessions?
No catalogue of ready-made datasets or access to live operational wind-farm data is guaranteed. Synthetic, emulated or representative information may be used where appropriate. Most tools and test environments are delivered as services, but the final hosting setup, technical access, number and scheduling of Cyber Range sessions, and any capacity constraints must be agreed with selected applicants; no fixed session allocation has been confirmed.
Can applicants validate one tool such as xBOMGuard remotely?
A one-tool proposal may be relevant if it is within the call scope and provides meaningful, measurable validation. Technical Annex A describes xBOMGuard as a CILIX-hosted, browser-accessible project workspace that can use synthetic or representative software bills of materials, preferably CycloneDX JSON, with SPDX JSON also supported. Whether an individual action can be fully remote and free of travel, purchases or other third-party costs must be confirmed; it is not guaranteed by the general tool description.
Can a proposed module add recovery checks or post-exercise assessment functionality?
Reference-based recovery checks that explicitly distinguish missing or stale evidence are not currently built into the platform. A well-scoped, demonstrable module could add value if it does not simply duplicate existing functions. Detailed data access, timestamps, exercise and asset identifiers, API schemas and integration feasibility must be agreed for the specific project; pre-submission sample exports or full API documentation are not guaranteed.
What validation results should a proposal define?
Choose measurable results relevant to the action, such as assessment accuracy, test repeatability, recovery time, completeness and traceability of evidence, performance of detection rules or response playbooks, interoperability, usability and relevance to the agreed operational scenario. Explain how the outputs will be demonstrated and verified.
What is provided during technical onboarding?
The specific technical access, integration arrangements, hosting configuration, data availability and exercise schedules are determined in contract preparation and onboarding for the approved use case. Where applicable, the initial project plan includes the work plan, schedule, milestones, KPI targets, risks, budget and co-funding confirmation and data/security arrangements. Technical clarification before application is not a guarantee of a specific resource or configuration.
11. Budget and co-funding
Can eligible employee salaries be included in the funded budget and co-funding calculation?
Yes. Personnel is a budget category in the Technical Proposal Template. Necessary, reasonable and properly justified employee salaries and eligible employer contributions for project work may be included in the eligible sub-project budget, subject to the applicable financial rules. The grant covers 50% of the approved eligible budget; applicants must provide the remainder from eligible resources and must prevent double funding.
Can unpaid work by an SME owner count towards the required 50% co-funding?
Potentially, but not automatically. For qualifying SME owners who work without receiving a salary, the European Commission Annotated Grant Agreement describes a specific unit-cost method under Article 6.2.A.4. Applicants may propose this type of contribution, explaining ownership and remuneration arrangements, tasks, time commitment, applicable methodology and evidence. Eligibility, calculation, records and recognition towards the co-funding share require financial and contractual verification; unpaid work cannot simply be assigned an arbitrary monetary value, and it is not guaranteed to cover the full co-funding requirement.
Must the co-funding amount be held entirely in cash before the first payment?
AENAON funding covers 50% of the eligible budget, and applicants must demonstrate sufficient financial and operational capacity to implement the action. Co-funding may be based on eligible project resources where the costing rules allow; no blanket assurance is given that there will be no upfront cash, liquidity or third-party costs. The first 30% AENAON payment follows signature of the Sub-Grant Agreement and completion of onboarding requirements, subject to the agreed acceptance conditions.
What are the maximum grant amounts for a single applicant and for a small consortium?
The standard support ceiling is EUR 60,000 per participating legal entity, cumulative across both AENAON Open Calls, and subject to the 50% funding rate. A small consortium may receive up to EUR 150,000 per action, subject to each participating legal entity’s ceiling. A derogation up to EUR 100,000 per entity may apply only to qualifying offshore wind farm operators or manufacturers considered large critical infrastructures/operators of essential services. Being an industrial software manufacturer alone does not establish entitlement to the derogation.
Is there a minimum sub-project budget?
The available Open Call Overview and Guidelines do not specify a minimum sub-project budget or requested contribution. A smaller action may be proposed if its budget, technical scope, outputs and milestones are credible and proportionate to the eight-month implementation period.
12. Application and timetable
When is Open Call 2 expected to open?
Open Call 2 is intended to build on the results of Open Call 1, with a stronger emphasis on broader validation, scaling and ecosystem deployment. Any opening date, deadline and final conditions will be announced through official AENAON channels; applicants should not assume that Open Call 1 rules or dates automatically apply to Open Call 2.
Can legal-registration documents be provided in Hungarian with applicant-prepared English translations?
Yes. Applicants may submit Hungarian originals, including a company-register extract and articles of association, accompanied by accurate and complete English translations prepared by their company. A declaration of translation accuracy and completeness signed by the company’s authorised representative should accompany them. Certified translations are not generally required at application stage, but AENAON may subsequently request them or other supporting material during verification or contracting.
Where can applicants find editable application templates and the technical annex?
Applicants should use the official AENAON Open Call publication and submission portal for the current application package and Technical Annex A. If an annex is available only in a non-editable format or a link is inaccessible, applicants may contact the Open Call team to request an editable template where available. Completing any supplied editable copy does not remove mandatory declarations or formatting requirements.
Can AI-assisted coding tools be used to develop the proposed solution?
The published call does not prohibit AI-assisted coding or specify a maximum percentage of AI-generated code, and it does not require separate prior approval solely for using such tools. Applicants remain responsible for quality, security, validation, licensing, intellectual property and data protection. Confidential AENAON information, credentials or operational data must not be disclosed to external AI services without appropriate authorisation. Proposed work must still meet the call’s technical maturity and eligibility requirements.
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Info Day: AENAON Project Open Call Round 1
Date: 14 July 2026
Info Day: AENAON Project Open Call Round 1
Date: 14 July 2026
Time: 15.00-16.00 CEST
Online
Discover how the AENAON Open Calls can support your project!
AENAON is an EU-funded project that helps offshore wind operators test and relevant stakeholders and strengthen their cybersecurity in a safe and controlled environment.
Through its Open Calls, the project will fund third-party initiatives that contribute to the validation, uptake and wider deployment of AENAON solutions.
During this webinar, we will introduce the AENAON project and present the first Open Call round, which will be published in early July. This round supports the initial validation, integration and testing of AENAON technologies and services in realistic environments.
We will also provide extra time at the end of the session to answer your questions.
AGENDA
- 15:00 – 15:05: Welcome & Introduction
- 15:05 – 15:10: AENAON in a Nutshell
- 15:10 – 15:40: All About Open Call Round 1
- 15:40 – 15:55: Q&A
- 15:55 – 16:00: Closing
Watch Info Day meeting
Info Day – Open call round 1
Alternative questions for Q&A session
1. General information
What is the main purpose of AENAON Open Call Round 1?
Open Call 1 supports external organisations in enriching, integrating, testing and initially validating AENAON cybersecurity preparedness capabilities for offshore wind operations and closely related critical-energy infrastructure. Projects should interact with the Federated Digital Twin-based Cyber Range Platform, cyber range training and/or ex-ante cybersecurity preparedness services.
What is the relationship between Open Call 1 and Open Call 2?
The two rounds are complementary. Open Call 1 focuses on content enrichment, integration, testing and
targeted validation. Open Call 2 will build on the results and lessons learned from the first round and will focus more strongly on scaling, broader validation and ecosystem-level deployment.
When is Open Call 1 open?
The submission period runs from 1 September to 31 October 2026. Applicants must follow the exact closing time and submission instructions stated in the final Open Call Notice and portal, and are strongly encouraged to submit before the final day
Where will clarifications and results be published?
Clarifications of general relevance will be consolidated through the official AENAON Open Call channels.
Applicants will be notified through the official process, and final outcome information is expected to be
published through the AENAON website and the EU Funding & Tenders Portal after the relevant selection
and contracting steps.
2. Scope and eligible activities
What types of activities are eligible?
Eligible activities must fall within the closed Open Call 1 activity list and be directly relevant to offshore wind cybersecurity. They may include integration of cybersecurity technologies, testing in operationally relevant pilots, digital-twin or SCADA/OT validation, penetration-testing validation, compliance and resilience activities, targeted dissemination connected to the funded action, and collaboration or impact activities.
Are the AENAON KPI figures minimum targets for every applicant?
No. The targets of more than 20 risk scenarios, more than 10 penetration tests and more than five industry stakeholders are collective targets across the relevant funded Open Call projects. Each selected sub-project will receive proportionate targets during contract preparation, based on its scope, scale and complexity
What is outside the scope of the call?
Activities outside the closed list are not eligible. Examples include generic marketing unrelated to project outcomes, unrelated research and development, and capital investments not directly necessary for implementation of the approved sub-project.
Must a proposal use an existing AENAON demonstration site?
No. Applicants may propose a use case based on their own technology, expertise or operational context, provided it is clearly aligned with Open Call 1 and explains how it will use, integrate, test, validate or extend AENAON Open Call FAQ – 3 relevant AENAON capabilities. Detailed access arrangements will be confirmed during technical preparation and onboarding where applicable.
3. Funding and payments
What funding is available for Open Call 1?
The indicative Open Call 1 envelope is EUR 2.1 million. Support is provided as a lump-sum sub-grant covering
50% of the eligible sub-project budget. The implementation period is eight months.
How does the EUR 100,000 ceiling apply?
The ceiling applies to each participating legal entity cumulatively across both AENAON Open Calls, regardless of whether the entity participates as a single applicant, lead applicant or consortium partner. Previous AENAON FSTP awards reduce the amount that may be awarded later.
What co-funding is required?
Applicants must provide the share of the eligible sub-project budget not covered by AENAON support. For
example, an entity requesting EUR 100,000 in AENAON support would normally need an eligible budget of at
least EUR 200,000 and must demonstrate the capacity to provide the remaining share.
How are payments structured?
Payments follow a 30%-40%-30% model: 30% after signature of the Sub-Grant Agreement and completion of onboarding requirements; 40% after acceptance of the mid-term report, deliverables and milestone evidence; and 30% after acceptance of final reports, outputs, KPI evidence and validation results. Payments depend on accepted results and evidence
What happens if the next-ranked proposal requests more than the remaining budget?
AENAON may offer funding limited to the remaining available amount. The applicant may accept and submit a proportionately revised scope, work plan, budget, milestones and deliverables for AENAON approval, or withdraw from contract preparation.
4. Eligibility and consortium rules
Which countries are eligible?
Eligible applicants must be legally established in one of the 27 EU Member States, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway. Any additional third country is eligible only where it is expressly confirmed as fully associated with the Digital Europe Programme for Specific Objective 3 – Cybersecurity and Trust and is included in the definitive “AENAON Open Call 1 – List of Eligible Countries”. Countries associated only for Specific Objectives 1, 2, 4 or 5 are not eligible.
What happens if one consortium member is established in an ineligible country?
Every participating legal entity must independently satisfy the country-eligibility requirements. If one consortium member is established in an ineligible country, the entire proposal will be declared ineligible and will not proceed to quality evaluation.
Are country eligibility and ownership and control the same test?
No. They are separate checks. An entity may be established in an eligible country and still be subject to an ownership-and-control assessment. Each participating legal entity must complete Annex 7 and provide supporting information where requested.
Can small consortia apply?
Yes. Part A of Annex 6 is completed and signed by the lead applicant. Part B is completed and signed separately by every consortium member, including the lead applicant. Each participating legal entity must also submit its own Annex 5, Annex 7 and Annex 8.
Are AENAON beneficiaries or affiliated entities eligible?
No. Beneficiaries of AENAON Grant Agreement No. 101249723 and their affiliated entities are not eligible for AENAON FSTP funding.
5. Proposal preparation and submission package
What is the page limit for the technical proposal?
The main technical narrative in Annex 3 is limited to 10 A4 pages covering Sections 0-5. The cover page, instruction page, Section 6, Section 7 and separately submitted mandatory annexes are excluded. Pages beyond the permitted limit may be disregarded during evaluation.
What documents must be submitted?
The package includes the online application form, Annex 3 – Technical Proposal Template, budget and cofunding information, legal-entity information, Annex 5 – Declaration of Honour for each participating legal entity, Annex 6 where applicable, Annex 7 for each participating legal entity, Annex 8 for each participating legal entity, Annex 9 – IPR and Background Declaration, and any additional documents required by the final package.
How should confidential or security-sensitive information be handled?
Applicants should not include credentials, detailed vulnerabilities, identifiable infrastructure configurations or other operationally sensitive material unless strictly necessary. Specific sensitive passages should be marked [CONFIDENTIAL] in accordance with the Guidelines. Applicants should identify particular passages or data rather than designating the entire proposal as confidential.
Can applicants modify the official templates?
Applicants should complete the official templates and must not remove mandatory declarations, headings or table structures unless the Open Call documentation expressly permits a modification. Names, budgets, roles and requested support must remain consistent across all forms and annexes.
6. Declarations, double funding and IPR
What is the difference between related funding and double funding?
Related, complementary or parallel public funding is not automatically prohibited. Double funding arises where the same activity, cost, personnel effort, milestone, deliverable, result or output is financed or claimed more than once from public sources. Related funding must be fully disclosed and technically, financially and documentarily separated.
Who completes the No Double Funding Declaration?
Each participating legal entity, including the lead applicant and every consortium partner, must complete and sign Annex 8. The entity must disclose current, pending or planned related public funding and maintain records capable of preventing and detecting duplicate claims.
Who completes the IPR and Background Declaration?
For a consortium proposal, the lead applicant may submit one consolidated Annex 9 covering all participating legal entities, provided each background item, third-party component and restriction is clearly attributed to the relevant entity. Each entity remains responsible for the accuracy of information relating to its own rights, licences and restrictions.
Does Annex 9 transfer ownership or create a licence by itself?
No. Annex 9 records relevant background, third-party materials, rights and restrictions. It does not transfer ownership or create access rights by itself. Any operational rights required for integration, verification, training or demonstration are governed by the Sub-Grant Agreement.
What happens if ownership, funding or IPR information changes?
Applicants and selected recipients must notify AENAON in writing without undue delay of material changes
affecting ownership and control, funding overlap, background, licences, third-party rights or other relevant
declarations before contract signature or during implementation.
7. Evaluation and selection
How are proposals scored?
Proposals are evaluated under Excellence, Impact and Implementation. For Open Call 1 the weights are 30%, 30% and 40%, respectively. Each criterion must score at least 3 out of 5, and the overall weighted score must be at least 3.33 out of 5.
What is the tie-break order for Open Call 1?
Ties are resolved first by the Implementation score, then Excellence, then Impact. If a tie remains, the Open Call Coordination Committee decides on documented strategic-fit grounds using only information contained in the submitted proposal and assessed under the published criteria.
Does passing the thresholds guarantee funding?
No. Proposals passing the thresholds are ranked and funded in order within the available budget. Other passing proposals may be placed on a reserve list.
Can an applicant challenge the evaluation result?
The redress procedure is limited to procedural deficiencies. It does not reopen the technical judgement of evaluators and does not allow new proposal content to be introduced after submission.
8. Contract preparation, implementation and support
What happens after selection?
Selected applicants complete legal, financial, ownership-and-control and other compliance checks; agree the final scope, milestones, deliverables and acceptance criteria; sign the Sub-Grant Agreement; and complete onboarding.
What monitoring and reporting obligations apply?
Selected projects must submit the agreed reports, deliverables, milestones, KPI evidence and supporting
records. Outputs are subject to technical verification and formal acceptance. Corrective action, payment
suspension or reduction, termination and recovery may apply in cases of non-performance or non-compliance.
Will AENAON provide technical support?
Yes. Selected projects may receive onboarding, technical guidance, platform or service access support, integration guidance, coordination support and participation in review or capacity-building sessions. Exact support arrangements and access conditions will be confirmed during contract preparation and onboarding.
Where can applicants ask questions?
No. Passing the thresholds means the proposal can be considered in the ranking, but funding is allocated in descending order within the available Open Call 1 budget. Threshold-passing proposals may enter the reserve list if budget is not immediately available.
Registration and participation in the AENAON Open Call Info Day are subject to the AENAON Website Privacy & Cookies Policy, available at: https://aenaon-project.eu/privacy-policy/
Attending this Info Day is a dissemination activity. Registration and participation do not constitute submission of an application to the AENAON Open Call, nor do they create any applicant relationship with the AENAON consortium. If you wish to apply to the Open Call, a separate process and a separate Privacy Notice apply, available at: https://aenaon-project.eu/open-calls/
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ASFALYS SRL relies on WindEurope as processor for the organisation and running of the Info Day, including registration management, participant administration, event communications, online session delivery, Q&A and chat management, technical support, attendance documentation, and follow-up communications relating to the Info Day. WindEurope processes Info Day personal data only for these purposes, strictly under the documented instructions of ASFALYS SRL and subject to an Article 28 GDPR data processing agreement.
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The legal bases for processing are Article 6(1)(b) GDPR, for steps necessary to enable registration and participation at the participant’s request; Article 6(1)(f) GDPR, for the legitimate interest of the AENAON consortium in organising, securing and documenting the Info Day and answering participant questions; and, where applicable, Article 6(1)(c) GDPR, for compliance with project reporting, audit and record-keeping obligations under Grant Agreement No. 101249723.
If the session is recorded, participants will be informed before or at the start of the event. Participants who do not wish to appear in the recording may keep their camera and microphone switched off and may submit questions in writing where this option is available.
Registration and attendance data will generally be retained for up to 12 months after the event, unless longer retention is required for project reporting, audit, legal claims, security incident handling, or obligations under the AENAON Grant Agreement. Aggregated or anonymised statistics may be retained for project reporting purposes.
Questions submitted during the Info Day may be used, in anonymised or non-identifiable form, to prepare FAQs or clarifications for the benefit of all potential Open Call applicants.
For privacy questions or to exercise GDPR rights, participants may contact: dpo@aenaon-project.eu. Participants may also lodge a complaint with the Belgian Data Protection Authority (APD/GBA) or with the supervisory authority of their country of residence or place of work.