What is cascade funding?

Cascade funding (also called financial support to third parties) is money the European Commission gives to an EU-funded project, which the project then passes on to startups, SMEs, researchers or other organisations through its own open calls. You apply to the project, not to the Commission, and the project's own call rules apply.

Each call sets its own eligibility in its call document: usually organisations established in an EU member state or a Horizon Europe associated country, often startups and SMEs. Check the call's eligibility section and the official guide before you apply.

Do I need a consortium?

Most cascade calls accept single applicants, which makes them one of the easiest ways into EU funding. Some calls ask for small teams; the call document says which.

How large are the grants?

Typically tens of thousands of euros per applicant and rarely more than €200,000, because the EU rules for financial support to third parties keep amounts per recipient modest. The exact maximum is in each call.

Can I combine it with other EU funding?

Yes, as long as the same costs are not funded twice. Many startups use a cascade grant to build evidence before applying to larger programmes such as the EIC Accelerator.

Financial support for start-ups registered in Estonia for…

On this page · 8 sections→

01The project
02Consortium
03More from this project
04Similar calls
05Cascade funding FAQ
06Call scope
07Eligibility & conditions
08Official source

The project running this call: NCCEE2

Cybersecurity Community Building and Continuation of the Estonian Coordination Centre Activities

NCCEE2 is the next step of NCCEE project, moving towards a more capable cybersecurity community, a more sustainable impact in building those capabilities in Estonia and contributing to development of the cybersecurity sector. Building on the success of the activities of the previous, deployment oriented NCCEE project, it is paramount to continue on the path of advancing capabilities across the cybersecurity sector in Estonia. Moving from individual projects to a culture of innovation and capacity building to keep Estonia and Europe safe, NCCEE2 has the following objectives: 1. Creating sustained impact in capacity building in cybersecurity industry, research and technology alongside the cybersecurity community through events, knowledge sharing, sustainable innovation programs and facilitation of collaboration; 2. Promoting and encouraging a culture of innovation in cybersecurity,…

EU contribution

€2.7M

Total cost

€5.4M

Runs

1 Apr 2025 to 31 Mar 2029

Programme

Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL)

Official project record ↗

Who runs it: the consortium

3 organisations in the project. The coordinator usually manages the open call and its evaluation.

Riigi Infosusteemi Amet · EstoniaCoordinator
Ettevotluse Ja Innovatsiooni Sihtasutus · EstoniaPartner
Sihtasutus Tallinna Teaduspark Tehnopol · EstoniaPartner

Other open calls from NCCEE2

Innovation Funding for Estonian Cybersecurity Companies for developing innovative, high value-added products and servicesNCCEE2 · closes 2 Dec 2026

Similar open calls from EU projects

Other cascade calls on related topics that you can apply to now.

Cascade funding: what to know before you apply

What is cascade funding?: Cascade funding (also called financial support to third parties) is money the European Commission gives to an EU-funded project, which the project then passes on to startups, SMEs, researchers or other organisations through its own open calls. You apply to the project, not to the Commission, and the project's own call rules apply.
Who can apply?: Each call sets its own eligibility in its call document: usually organisations established in an EU member state or a Horizon Europe associated country, often startups and SMEs. Check the call's eligibility section and the official guide before you apply.
Do I need a consortium?: Most cascade calls accept single applicants, which makes them one of the easiest ways into EU funding. Some calls ask for small teams; the call document says which.
How large are the grants?: Typically tens of thousands of euros per applicant and rarely more than €200,000, because the EU rules for financial support to third parties keep amounts per recipient modest. The exact maximum is in each call.
Can I combine it with other EU funding?: Yes, as long as the same costs are not funded twice. Many startups use a cascade grant to build evidence before applying to larger programmes such as the EIC Accelerator.

Cascade funding in the glossary · All open cascade calls

What this call funds

Application is open for:

I Cyber accelerator from 12. May until 13. July 2025

II Cyber Accelerator from 1. May 2026 until 2. July 2026

III Cyber accelerator from 1. May 2027 until 2. July 2027

Start-ups can submit applications on the Tehnopol Startup Incubator website: https://www.startupincubator.ee/en/cyberaccelerator/

To apply, the following requirements must be met:

Scalable business idea focused on cybersecurity
Competent team with the necessary skills
Minimum viable product (MVP) or the ability to develop one during the accelerator program
Registered company in Estonia (e-residents and startup visa owners are also eligible)

The start-up´s business idea must focus on cybersecurity, especially in relation to emerging technologies and trends in the cybersecurity domain, such as automation, AI, anti-social manipulation, cybersecurity related to the transitioning of quantum resistant cryptographic algorithms, or cybersecurity of space technologies.

The applicant is required to submit a project plan as part of their application. The application is sent to the evaluation committee once it has been verified that it satisfies all requirements. An evaluation committee of at least five members evaluates the application in accordance with the selection criteria that are accessible on the Tehnopol Startup Incubator Cyber Accelerator Program website.

Eligibility & conditions+

Cyber accelerator is a 7-month accelerator program for companies operating in the cybersecurity field. Each team selected to the accelerator receives a €60,000 grant to develop their idea.

The companies selected for the accelerator will go through a structured development process that supports both technical and business growth. This process includes the following key development cycles:

Defining customer problems and designing a value proposition based on their needs
Building a business model and assembling a strong team
Product development and prototyping
Intellectual property protection and agreements with other stakeholders
Achieving investor readiness and exploring funding opportunities
Market entry strategy and preparation for piloting

Official source

Confirm the current call documents and submission conditions with the funding authority.

View on EU portal ↗

Source: EU Funding & Tenders Portal · synced 2026-11-09

On this page · 8 sections→

01The project
02Consortium
03More from this project
04Similar calls
05Cascade funding FAQ
06Call scope
07Eligibility & conditions
08Official source

The project running this call: NCCEE2

Cybersecurity Community Building and Continuation of the Estonian Coordination Centre Activities

EU contribution

€2.7M

Total cost

€5.4M

Runs

1 Apr 2025 to 31 Mar 2029

Programme

Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL)

Official project record ↗

Who runs it: the consortium

3 organisations in the project. The coordinator usually manages the open call and its evaluation.

Riigi Infosusteemi Amet · EstoniaCoordinator
Ettevotluse Ja Innovatsiooni Sihtasutus · EstoniaPartner
Sihtasutus Tallinna Teaduspark Tehnopol · EstoniaPartner

Other open calls from NCCEE2

Innovation Funding for Estonian Cybersecurity Companies for developing innovative, high value-added products and servicesNCCEE2 · closes 2 Dec 2026

Similar open calls from EU projects

Other cascade calls on related topics that you can apply to now.

Cascade funding: what to know before you apply

What is cascade funding?: Cascade funding (also called financial support to third parties) is money the European Commission gives to an EU-funded project, which the project then passes on to startups, SMEs, researchers or other organisations through its own open calls. You apply to the project, not to the Commission, and the project's own call rules apply.
Who can apply?: Each call sets its own eligibility in its call document: usually organisations established in an EU member state or a Horizon Europe associated country, often startups and SMEs. Check the call's eligibility section and the official guide before you apply.
Do I need a consortium?: Most cascade calls accept single applicants, which makes them one of the easiest ways into EU funding. Some calls ask for small teams; the call document says which.
How large are the grants?: Typically tens of thousands of euros per applicant and rarely more than €200,000, because the EU rules for financial support to third parties keep amounts per recipient modest. The exact maximum is in each call.
Can I combine it with other EU funding?: Yes, as long as the same costs are not funded twice. Many startups use a cascade grant to build evidence before applying to larger programmes such as the EIC Accelerator.

Cascade funding in the glossary · All open cascade calls

What this call funds

Application is open for:

I Cyber accelerator from 12. May until 13. July 2025

II Cyber Accelerator from 1. May 2026 until 2. July 2026

III Cyber accelerator from 1. May 2027 until 2. July 2027

Start-ups can submit applications on the Tehnopol Startup Incubator website: https://www.startupincubator.ee/en/cyberaccelerator/

To apply, the following requirements must be met:

Scalable business idea focused on cybersecurity
Competent team with the necessary skills
Minimum viable product (MVP) or the ability to develop one during the accelerator program
Registered company in Estonia (e-residents and startup visa owners are also eligible)

Eligibility & conditions+

Cyber accelerator is a 7-month accelerator program for companies operating in the cybersecurity field. Each team selected to the accelerator receives a €60,000 grant to develop their idea.

Defining customer problems and designing a value proposition based on their needs
Building a business model and assembling a strong team
Product development and prototyping
Intellectual property protection and agreements with other stakeholders
Achieving investor readiness and exploring funding opportunities
Market entry strategy and preparation for piloting

Official source

Confirm the current call documents and submission conditions with the funding authority.

View on EU portal ↗

Source: EU Funding & Tenders Portal · synced 2026-11-09

Financial support for start-ups registered in Estonia for developing new cybersecurity tools or services (Cyber Accelerator)

The project running this call: NCCEE2

Who runs it: the consortium

Other open calls from NCCEE2

Similar open calls from EU projects

Cascade funding: what to know before you apply

What this call funds

Official source

Track this call and plan your application.

Financial support for start-ups registered in Estonia for developing new cybersecurity tools or services (Cyber Accelerator)

The project running this call: NCCEE2

Who runs it: the consortium

Other open calls from NCCEE2

Similar open calls from EU projects

Cascade funding: what to know before you apply

What this call funds

Official source

Track this call and plan your application.