Security

Challenge: ZANDER-F: Novel data transmission methods in challenging environments by Agentur für Innovation in der Cybersicherheit GmbH 

  ZANDER-F: Novel data transmission methods in challenging environments  Agentur für Innovation in der Cybersicherheit GmbH    About  The Agentur für Innovation in der Cybersicherheit GmbH (Cyberagentur) has launched the ZANDER-F research program, backed by a budget of over 15 million euros. The initiative seeks to develop groundbreaking technologies that enable communication and imaging through conductive barriers such as Faraday cages—an unprecedented capability. Designed as a five-year project, ZANDER-F addresses critical needs of German special forces and holds the potential to revolutionize secure communication technologies. The call for proposals is designed as a multi-stage process. The Challenge   The ZANDER-F challenge focuses on researching and developing technologies that enable communication, imaging, and detection through solid conductive barriers, including Faraday cages. The program defines five key operational scenarios, each representing a critical use case where conventional communication and sensing methods fail:

• Scenario A – Communication through metal walls: Overcoming barriers such as ship hulls or containers to maintain reliable data transmission.
• Scenario B – Imaging through metal walls: Generating actionable imaging information in environments shielded by conductive materials.
• Scenario C – Communication through sand or clay: Ensuring connectivity through materials like concrete walls or underground tunnels.
• Scenario D – Imaging through sand or clay: Visualizing and mapping obstructed spaces such as tunnels or buried structures.
• Scenario E – Detection of small UAVs: Identifying drones operating behind buildings, in urban environments, or in other areas with obstructed lines of sight.

The ultimate goal of the research tender is to deliver a prototype system up to Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 that demonstrates, for each of these scenarios, the ability to maintain reliable communication links, provide accurate imaging, and detect relevant targets even when electromagnetic signals are strongly attenuated. This work addresses pressing operational needs of special forces and rescue units, offering the potential to transform secure communication, situational awareness, and operational effectiveness in complex, shielded, or obstructed environments. Timeframe Deadline for Submitting Proposals: October 17, 2025, 10:00 am How to apply: All proposals for this tender must be submitted electronically through the designated platform at https://www.evergabe-online.de/tenderdetails.html?id=774046. Submissions must be prepared in German.   The SPIN4EIC consortium is not responsible for the challenges launched by private or public buyers. Each participating entity is solely responsible for its own challenge, including the selection process, communication with applicants, and all information provided to participants.  

Challenge: SPECTRA-Electronic Reconnaissance and Impact Network by Agentur für Innovation in der Cybersicherheit GmbH

  About  The Agentur für Innovation in der Cybersicherheit GmbH (Cyberagentur) has launched an innovation challenge to accelerate the development of cutting-edge solutions in the field of electronic defense. Structured as a multi-stage, four-month program, the challenge combines two complementary tracks: a practical track focused on near-term, applicable solutions, and a moonshot track targeting bold, long-term breakthroughs. Participants benefit from funding, expert coaching, and tailored feedback while refining their concepts into deployable prototypes. The program culminates in an intensive final Practice Week, where teams demonstrate and test their solutions under realistic conditions before a jury of experts. The Challenge   The challenge focuses on developing novel solutions to detect, analyze, and counter hostile electronic countermeasures (EloKa) that target unmanned systems (UXS). With the rapid proliferation of UXS on the battlefield, adversaries increasingly rely on electronic warfare—jamming, spoofing, or electronic takeovers—that disrupt navigation, control, sensors, and communications. These threats, widely observed in the war in Ukraine, are becoming more accessible, decentralized, and damaging to operational effectiveness. Today, most defenses remain reactive and limited, such as frequency hopping or switching transmitters, leaving a critical gap in scalable, proactive capabilities. What is urgently needed are disruptive approaches that can:

• Detect and classify interference at an early stage,
• Precisely localize and analyze hostile signals in real time, and
• Neutralize them effectively through protection, deception, or active electromagnetic effects.

The challenge therefore calls for a technological leap—moving from isolated countermeasures to integrated, tactically deployable solutions that secure the operational resilience of UXS even under active electronic attack. Timeframe Deadline for Submitting Proposals: 26/09/2025 The challenge unfolds over a four-month period and follows a structured, multi-stage format:

• Application Phase (Aug–Sept 2025): Teams submit a solution outline describing their problem understanding, innovative approach, and technical implementation vision.
• Pitch Days (Oct 2025): All applicants present their ideas to a jury of experts; the most promising teams are selected to advance.
• Work & Development Phase (Oct–Nov 2025): Selected teams further develop their solutions with funding, expert coaching, and tailored support.
• Practice Week & Final Presentation (Dec 2025): Teams refine, test, and demonstrate their solutions under realistic conditions. Final evaluations, live demos, and jury reviews determine the winning solutions.

How to apply: For more information on how to apply, please visit this page. The team or organization must be based in an EU or NATO member state. Excluded from participation are persons who are nationals of a state on the State lists within the meaning of Section 13 (1) No. 17 SÜG.   The SPIN4EIC consortium is not responsible for the challenges launched by private or public buyers. Each participating entity is solely responsible for its own challenge, including the selection process, communication with applicants, and all information provided to participants.