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Horizon Europe R&D proposal – Quantum-resilient peer-to-peer messaging protocol based on dynamic one-time symmetric keys

Summary

Profile Type
  • Research & Development Request
POD Reference
RDRES20250714009
Term of Validity
14 July 2025 - 14 July 2026
Company's Country
  • Spain
Type of partnership
  • Research and development cooperation agreement
Targeted Countries
  • All countries
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General information

Short Summary
A European cryptography research centre is submitting an R&D request to call HORIZON-CL3-2025-02-CS-ECCC-06. The project will raise a P2P messaging protocol with one-time symmetric keys (D2OTP) from TRL-5 to TRL-7, embedding post-quantum security into high-level communication systems. The centre acts as coordinator; additional research bodies, public end-users and IT integrators are sought before 30 Sep 2025.
Full Description
The project. Current communications rely on public-key cryptography vulnerable to future quantum computers. D2OTP removes that dependency by using one-time symmetric keys derived from a pre-shared secret together with post-quantum algorithms, ensuring confidentiality, integrity, mutual authentication and non-repudiation without a PKI infrastructure. The R&D action will harden the protocol, port it to representative P2P and e-mail platforms and validate it in two pilots (civil-society and public-administration), raising TRL from 5 to 7.
The programme. Horizon Europe – Cluster 3 “Civil Security for Society”, single-stage Research and Innovation Action. Topic HORIZON-CL3-2025-02-CS-ECCC-06: Integration of PQC algorithms into high-level protocols. Indicative funding per project: € 2–3 million.
The consortium. Confirmed: research centre (Madrid) for design, implementation and management. Needed:
• Research organisation with expertise in symmetric-key cryptanalysis and formal verification;
• Public authority or critical-infrastructure operator to host pilots and provide operational requirements;
• IT integrator to adapt D2OTP to legacy platforms and lead exploitation.
Timeline. Call deadline: 25 Nov 2025, 17:00 CET. Expression-of-interest deadline: 30 Sep 2025. Planned duration: 36 months (156 weeks).
Advantages and Innovations
• No public-key layer → immune to Shor-type attacks.
• Every message encrypted with a never-reused key → information-theoretic confidentiality.
• Instant start-up, no certificate handshake → lower latency.
• Pure-software solution; no QKD hardware, reducing cost and complexity.
• Crypto-agnostic core allows easy swap-in of NIST-standardised PQC primitives.
• Independent of the underlying infrastructure linking the communicating applications.
• Deployable as an overlay on the existing operational protocol, with no replacement required, strengthening the security already in place.
Technical Specification or Expertise Sought
Symmetric-protocol cryptanalysis, formal verification, large-scale secure-messaging deployments, standardisation (IETF/ETSI) and integration of security modules into governmental IT systems.
Stage of Development
  • Under development
Sustainable Development Goals
  • Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
  • Goal 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions
IPR status
  • IPR granted
IPR notes
Patent granted in Spain; advanced prosecution in Europe, USA and Mexico

Partner Sought

Expected Role of a Partner
• Research partner – lead independent cryptanalysis, formal proofs and standardisation drafts.
• Public authority / critical-infrastructure operator – host pilots, define operational constraints, validate usability and compliance (GDPR, NIS2, ENS).
• IT integrator – port D2OTP to e-mail, messaging or telephony; manage scalability tests and exploitation roadmap.
All partners will co-author deliverables under a research cooperation agreement.
Type and Size of Partner
  • SME 11-49
  • R&D Institution
  • Other
  • SME 50 - 249
  • University
  • Big company
Type of partnership
  • Research and development cooperation agreement

Call details

Framework program
  • Horizon Europe
Call title and identifier
HORIZON-CL3-2025-02-CS-ECCC-06
Submission and evaluation scheme
Single-stage RIA
Anticipated project budget
3000000
Coordinator required
No
Deadline for EoI
Deadline of the call
Project duration in weeks
156
Web link to the call
https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/horizon-cl3-2025-02-cs-eccc-06
Project title and acronym
Quantum-Resilient P2P Messaging via Dynamic One-Time Keys (QR-P2P)

Dissemination

Technology keywords
  • 01003006 - Computer Software
  • 01004010 - Quality Management System
  • 01003014 - Internet Technologies/Communication (Wireless, Bluetooth)
Market keywords
  • 02007023 - Web semantics
  • 01004002 - Data communication components
Sector Groups Involved
  • Aerospace and Defence
  • Mobility - Transport - Automotive
  • Digital
Targeted countries
  • Afghanistan
  • Aland Islands
  • Albania
  • Algeria
  • American Samoa
  • Andorra
  • Angola
  • Anguilla
  • Antarctica
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Argentina
  • Armenia
  • Aruba
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahamas
  • Bahrain
  • Bangladesh
  • Barbados
  • Belarus
  • Belgium
  • Belize
  • Benin
  • Bermuda
  • Bhutan
  • Bolivia
  • Bonaire, Saint Eustatius and Saba
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Botswana
  • Bouvet Island
  • Brazil
  • British Indian Ocean Territory
  • British Virgin Islands
  • Brunei
  • Bulgaria
  • Burkina Faso
  • Burundi
  • Cabo Verde
  • Cambodia
  • Cameroon
  • Canada
  • Cayman Islands
  • Central African Republic
  • Chad
  • Chile
  • China
  • Christmas Island
  • Cocos Islands
  • Colombia
  • Comoros
  • Cook Islands
  • Costa Rica
  • Croatia
  • Cuba
  • Curacao
  • Cyprus
  • Czechia
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Denmark
  • Djibouti
  • Dominica
  • Dominican Republic
  • Ecuador
  • Egypt
  • El Salvador
  • Equatorial Guinea
  • Eritrea
  • Estonia
  • Eswatini
  • Ethiopia
  • Falkland Islands
  • Faroe Islands
  • Fiji
  • Finland
  • France
  • French Guiana
  • French Polynesia
  • French Southern Territories
  • Gabon
  • Gambia
  • Georgia
  • Germany
  • Ghana
  • Gibraltar
  • Greece
  • Greenland
  • Grenada
  • Guadeloupe
  • Guam
  • Guatemala
  • Guernsey
  • Guinea
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • Guyana
  • Haiti
  • Heard Island and McDonald Islands
  • Honduras
  • Hong Kong
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Iran
  • Iraq
  • Ireland
  • Isle of Man
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Ivory Coast
  • Jamaica
  • Japan
  • Jersey
  • Jordan
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kenya
  • Kiribati
  • Kosovo
  • Kuwait
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Laos
  • Latvia
  • Lebanon
  • Lesotho
  • Liberia
  • Libya
  • Liechtenstein
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Macao
  • Madagascar
  • Malawi
  • Malaysia
  • Maldives
  • Mali
  • Malta
  • Marshall Islands
  • Martinique
  • Mauritania
  • Mauritius
  • Mayotte
  • Mexico
  • Micronesia
  • Moldova
  • Monaco
  • Mongolia
  • Montenegro
  • Montserrat
  • Morocco
  • Mozambique
  • Myanmar
  • Namibia
  • Nauru
  • Nepal
  • Netherlands
  • Netherlands Antilles
  • New Caledonia
  • New Zealand
  • Nicaragua
  • Niger
  • Nigeria
  • Niue
  • Norfolk Island
  • North Korea
  • North Macedonia
  • Northern Mariana Islands
  • Norway
  • Oman
  • Pakistan
  • Palau
  • Palestinian Territory
  • Panama
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Philippines
  • Pitcairn
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Puerto Rico
  • Qatar
  • Republic of the Congo
  • Reunion
  • Romania
  • Russia
  • Rwanda
  • Saint Barthelemy
  • Saint Helena
  • Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • Saint Lucia
  • Saint Martin
  • Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Samoa
  • San Marino
  • Sao Tome and Principe
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Senegal
  • Serbia
  • Seychelles
  • Sierra Leone
  • Singapore
  • Sint Maarten
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Solomon Islands
  • Somalia
  • South Africa
  • South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
  • South Korea
  • South Sudan
  • Spain
  • Sri Lanka
  • Sudan
  • Suriname
  • Svalbard and Jan Mayen
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Syria
  • Taiwan
  • Tajikistan
  • Tanzania
  • Thailand
  • Timor Leste
  • Togo
  • Tokelau
  • Tonga
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Tunisia
  • Turkey
  • Turkmenistan
  • Turks and Caicos Islands
  • Tuvalu
  • U.S. Virgin Islands
  • Uganda
  • Ukraine
  • United Arab Emirates
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
  • United States Minor Outlying Islands
  • Uruguay
  • Uzbekistan
  • Vanuatu
  • Vatican
  • Venezuela
  • Vietnam
  • Wallis and Futuna
  • Western Sahara
  • Yemen
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe