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DIGITAL-IRIS2-2025-QCI-01

Maturing of a European industrial ecosystem for security-certified terrestrial QKD technologies and systems -

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Call text (as on F&T portal)

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Expected Outcome:

Expected outcome and deliverables

  • European quantum key distribution components and systems mature, compact, efficient, integrable, security certified, with relevant manufacturing readiness and ready for deployment in telecom networks.

  • Contribution to a technologically autonomous European quantum communication ecosystem.

Objective:

Objective

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, ready for integration into telecom networks, and compliant with security requirements (e.g. protection profile). Contribute to the development of a European industrial quantum communication ecosystem, including a thriving SME sector.

Scope:

Scope

  • Maturing of technological components and their integration into end-to-end systems and market-ready, high performance and ultra-efficient solutions, favouring Small Form Factor (SFF) and cost-effective designs with a relevant manufacturing readiness level. This may include:

    • the development and integration of hardware and software elements such as photonic integrated circuits for QKD transmitters, receivers, QRNGs and light-sources, non-standard fibres, processing algorithms on reprogrammable platforms, cost-effective and easily deployable single-photon detectors, and advanced technologies like memories, repeaters.

    • the development of complete QKD systems, covering the integration of software defined networking controllers and orchestrators to allow for dynamic routing functionalities, integrate different multi-vendor and multi-operator networks, possibly with key management systems in the application layer integrating PQC, implement real-time-adaptive key management, and implement network optimization and anomaly detection tools also based on artificial intelligence.

    • the integration of multiplexing and switching techniques for coexistence of QKD with conventional communications traffic and technology.

    • the development of a comprehensive multi-layered approach for securing trusted nodes (such as increased protection against side-channel and optical attacks, physical security, cybersecurity measures to protect control systems) and the incorporation, as possible, of protocols to eliminate classes of vulnerabilities.

  • Preparing the compliance of European quantum key distribution components and systems with EuroQCI security requirements and their security certification. This requires close collaboration with Certification Bodies. Projects are expected to collaborate with the EuroQCI testing and evaluation infrastructure, both by providing QKD devices as test vehicles as well as by engaging in their testing and validation.

News flashes

2026-10-08

Call DIGITAL-IRIS2-2025-QCI has closed on 16.10.2025.

17 proposals have been submitted.

The breakdown per topic is:

  • DIGITAL-IRIS2-2025-QCI-01: 13
  • DIGITAL-IRIS2-2025-QCI-02: 1
  • DIGITAL-IRIS2-2025-QCI-03: 3

Evaluation results are expected to be communicated in December 2025.

2026-10-08
The submission session is now available for: DIGITAL-IRIS2-2025-QCI-01, DIGITAL-IRIS2-2025-QCI-03, DIGITAL-IRIS2-2025-QCI-02
call topic details
Call status: Closed
Opening date: 2025-07-15 (1 year ago)
Closing date: 2025-10-16 (11 months ago)
Procedure: single-stage

Budget: 30,000,000
Expected grants: 5
News flashes

This call topic has been appended 2 times by the EC with news.

  • 2026-10-08
    call digital-iris2-2025-qci has closed o...
  • 2026-10-08
    the submission session is now available...
Call

DIGITAL-IRIS2-2025-QCI

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There are 2 other topics in this call:

Source information

Showing the latest information. Found 6 versions of this call topic in the F&T portal.

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  • 2025-10-28_15-26-59
  • 2025-07-15_03-20-03
  • 2025-07-03_03-20-07
  • 2025-07-01_03-20-08
  • 2025-06-27_03-20-04
  • 2025-06-17_03-20-03

Check the differences between the versions.

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Grant agreement signed · 16 Jun 2026 (3 months ago)

All expected milestones for this call have passed.

Today

Work programme published

17 Jun 2025

Call published

17 Jun 2025

Call opens

15 Jul 2025

Call closes

16 Oct 2025

Outcome expected

16 Mar 2026 · est.

Grant agreement signed

16 Jun 2026 · est.

Preparation Open for submission Evaluation Grant preparation Not yet reached

  1. Work programme published

    17 Jun 2025 · 1 year ago

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  2. Call published

    17 Jun 2025 · 1 year ago

    This topic was first published in TopicTree.

  3. Call opens

    15 Jul 2025 · 1 year ago

    Submissions can be made from this date.

  4. Call closes

    16 Oct 2025 · 11 months ago

    Deadline to submit a proposal.

  5. Outcome expected Estimated

    16 Mar 2026 · 6 months ago

    The maximum time to inform applicants of the evaluation outcome is five months after the call closes.

  6. Grant agreement signed Estimated

    16 Jun 2026 · 3 months ago

    The maximum time to sign the grant agreement is three months after applicants are informed of the outcome.

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