# PQC Integration — EU Submission Checklist

**Proposal:** €2.8M HORIZON-CL3-2025-CS-ECCC-06
**Submission Deadline:** 2025-12-15, 17:00 CET
**Coordinator:** VaultMesh Technologies B.V.
**Version:** 1.0 (2025-11-06)

---

## Pre-Submission Checklist (Complete by Dec 11, 5pm CET)

### Part A — Administrative Information (EU Portal)

**Section 1.1 — General Information:**
- [ ] Proposal acronym: **PQC-Integration** (or similar, max 20 chars)
- [ ] Proposal title: **Post-Quantum Cryptography Integration for EU Critical Infrastructure** (max 200 chars)
- [ ] Call identifier: **HORIZON-CL3-2025-CS-ECCC-06** (verify on EU portal)
- [ ] Topic: **Quantum-Safe Security for Critical Infrastructure**
- [ ] Duration: **24 months**
- [ ] Estimated eligible costs: **€2,800,000**
- [ ] Requested EU contribution: **€2,000,000** (70% for RIA — Research and Innovation Action)

**Section 1.2 — Coordinator Information:**
- [ ] Legal name: VaultMesh Technologies B.V.
- [ ] Country: Ireland
- [ ] PIC Code: [9-digit code from EU Participant Register]
- [ ] Coordinator contact: Karol Stefanski, guardian@vaultmesh.org
- [ ] Phone: [International format]

**Section 1.3 — Partner Information (4 partners):**
- [ ] **Partner 1:** VaultMesh Technologies B.V. (IE) — PIC: [9 digits]
- [ ] **Partner 2:** Masaryk University (Brno, CZ) — PIC: [9 digits]
- [ ] **Partner 3:** Cyber Trust SME (GR) — PIC: [9 digits]
- [ ] **Partner 4:** Public Digital Services Agency (FR) — PIC: [9 digits]

---

### Part B — Technical Proposal (Main Document)

**Section 1 — Excellence (30 points):**
- [ ] **1.1 Objectives (3 pages max):**
  - [ ] Overall objective clearly stated (quantum-safe transition for EU critical infra)
  - [ ] 5-7 specific objectives listed with measurable outcomes
  - [ ] Alignment with call topic explicitly shown
  - [ ] TRL 4→6 progression explained
  - [ ] Beyond state-of-the-art justified (what's novel?)

- [ ] **1.2 Relation to Work Programme (2 pages max):**
  - [ ] Call topic ECCC-06 addressed point-by-point
  - [ ] Expected outcomes from call text mapped to deliverables
  - [ ] Contribution to EU policy (NIS2, DORA, Cybersecurity Act) explained
  - [ ] Cross-cutting priorities addressed (gender equality, open science, climate if relevant)

- [ ] **1.3 Methodology (10 pages max):**
  - [ ] Technical architecture diagram included (PQC_Architecture_EU_Reviewer.mmd → PNG)
  - [ ] Work package descriptions (WP1-WP5) with objectives, tasks, deliverables
  - [ ] TRL validation methodology described (lab → pilot → operational)
  - [ ] Innovation beyond state-of-the-art justified with references
  - [ ] Risk management approach outlined (link to Annex B)

- [ ] **1.4 Open Science Practices (1 page max):**
  - [ ] Open access publications (Gold/Green, which journals?)
  - [ ] Open-source software (Apache 2.0, GitHub repos listed)
  - [ ] FAIR data principles (data management plan in Annex)
  - [ ] Open standards contributions (ETSI, IETF, ISO)

**Section 2 — Impact (30 points):**
- [ ] **2.1 Pathways to Impact (4 pages max):**
  - [ ] KPI table included (18 KPIs from PQC_KPI_Dashboard.md)
  - [ ] Societal impact: audit cost reduction (30%), incident response (50% faster)
  - [ ] Economic impact: €100K+ cost savings per organization, open-source adoption
  - [ ] Scientific impact: 10+ publications, 5+ standards contributions
  - [ ] Policy impact: NIS2/DORA compliance, EU digital sovereignty
  - [ ] Communication & dissemination plan (workshops, conferences, media)

- [ ] **2.2 Measures to Maximize Impact (3 pages max):**
  - [ ] Exploitation strategy: open-source (Apache 2.0), commercial support (optional)
  - [ ] Dissemination channels: GitHub, conferences (listed), pilot reports
  - [ ] Target audiences: EU member states, critical infrastructure operators, researchers
  - [ ] Sustainability plan: post-project community governance, continued development

- [ ] **2.3 IPR Management (1 page max):**
  - [ ] Background IP: VaultMesh existing codebase (Apache 2.0)
  - [ ] Foreground IP: All project outputs under Apache 2.0 (open-source)
  - [ ] Access rights: Consortium agreement defines partner rights
  - [ ] Standards-essential patents: Commitment to FRAND licensing if applicable

**Section 3 — Implementation (40 points):**
- [ ] **3.1 Work Plan & Resources (15 pages max):**
  - [ ] Work package table (WP1-WP5 with lead, start/end months, person-months)
  - [ ] Gantt chart included (PQC_Work_Package_Gantt.mmd → PNG)
  - [ ] Deliverable list (13 deliverables with months, dissemination level)
  - [ ] Milestone table (5 major milestones with verification means)
  - [ ] Effort table (104 person-months distributed across partners)

- [ ] **3.2 Management Structure (3 pages max):**
  - [ ] Organizational chart (coordinator, steering committee, WP leads)
  - [ ] Decision-making process (steering committee votes, escalation)
  - [ ] Reporting: monthly internal, quarterly to EU, M12/M24 reviews
  - [ ] Quality assurance: deliverable peer review, external TRL audit
  - [ ] Risk management: monthly risk register review (link to Annex B)

- [ ] **3.3 Consortium as a Whole (3 pages max):**
  - [ ] Partner complementarity table (what each brings, why needed)
  - [ ] Track record: H2020/Horizon Europe projects, publications, industry experience
  - [ ] Gender balance: target 40% female participation (if achievable)
  - [ ] Geographic distribution: 4 countries (IE, CZ, GR, FR) → good EU spread

- [ ] **3.4 Other Aspects (2 pages max):**
  - [ ] Ethics: no human subjects, but GDPR compliance for pilot data
  - [ ] Security: security-by-design approach, external audits planned
  - [ ] Gender & diversity: gender equality plan reference (if required)
  - [ ] Environment: no significant environmental impact expected

**Section 4 — References (no page limit):**
- [ ] 30-50 key references cited in methodology section
- [ ] NIST PQC standardization documents (FIPS 203, 204, 205)
- [ ] NIS2, DORA, Cybersecurity Act legal texts
- [ ] State-of-the-art PQC research papers (last 5 years)

---

### Part B Annexes (Separate PDF Files)

- [ ] **Annex A:** PROOF_CHAIN.md (Cryptographic Proof-of-Governance) — 5 pages
- [ ] **Annex B:** PQC_Risk_Register.md — 8 pages
- [ ] **Annex C:** Data Management Plan (DMP) — 3 pages
- [ ] **Annex D:** Partner CVs (2-page EU format, 2-3 key personnel per partner) — 10-12 pages
- [ ] **Annex E:** Letters of Commitment (from pilot sites if not full partners) — 2-3 pages
- [ ] **Annex F:** Gender Equality Plan (if required by call) — 2 pages

---

### Administrative Documents (Per Partner)

**Partner 1 — VaultMesh Technologies B.V. (IE):**
- [ ] Legal Entity Form (signed by authorized representative)
- [ ] Financial Capacity Statement (last 2-3 years audited accounts)
- [ ] 2-page CVs for 3 key personnel (EU format)
- [ ] PIC Code registration confirmed on EU portal

**Partner 2 — Masaryk University (Brno, CZ):**
- [ ] Legal Entity Form
- [ ] Financial Capacity Statement
- [ ] 2-page CVs for 3 key personnel
- [ ] PIC Code confirmed

**Partner 3 — Cyber Trust SME (GR):**
- [ ] Legal Entity Form
- [ ] Financial Capacity Statement
- [ ] 2-page CVs for 3 key personnel
- [ ] PIC Code confirmed

**Partner 4 — Public Digital Services Agency (FR):**
- [ ] Legal Entity Form
- [ ] Financial Capacity Statement
- [ ] 2-page CVs for 2 key personnel
- [ ] PIC Code confirmed

---

### Consortium Agreement

- [ ] Draft consortium agreement circulated (by Nov 25)
- [ ] Legal review by all 4 partners (by Dec 5)
- [ ] Signed by all partners (by Dec 8)
- [ ] Uploaded to EU portal (consortium section)

**Key clauses to verify:**
- IP rights: foreground IP under Apache 2.0
- Budget allocation: 70.4% VaultMesh, 10% Brno, 12.5% Cyber Trust, 7.1% France
- Dispute resolution: steering committee vote, arbitration if needed
- Partner exit: replacement procedure, budget reallocation

---

### EU Portal Mandatory Fields

**Proposal Summary (for Public Database):**
- [ ] 2,000 character summary (plain English, no jargon)
- [ ] Keywords: post-quantum cryptography, critical infrastructure, NIS2, DORA, quantum-safe

**Ethical Issues:**
- [ ] No human subjects → "Does not involve human subjects" checkbox
- [ ] GDPR compliance → "Data protection measures in place" checkbox
- [ ] No animal experiments → "Does not involve animals" checkbox

**Gender & Cross-Cutting Issues:**
- [ ] Gender equality plan referenced (or "Not applicable")
- [ ] Climate change relevance: "No significant impact"
- [ ] Open science: "Yes, all outputs open-source under Apache 2.0"

**Budget Summary Table:**
- [ ] Total eligible costs: €2,800,000
- [ ] Requested EU contribution: €2,000,000 (70%)
- [ ] Breakdown per partner (4 rows, all fields filled)

---

### File Format & Size Requirements

**Part B Main Document:**
- [ ] File format: PDF/A (archival format)
- [ ] File size: <10 MB
- [ ] Font: Arial 11pt minimum, single-spaced
- [ ] Margins: 2cm all sides
- [ ] Page numbers: bottom center
- [ ] Total pages: ≤50 pages (excluding annexes)

**Part B Annexes:**
- [ ] Each annex: separate PDF file
- [ ] File size: each <5 MB
- [ ] File naming: Annex_A_ProofChain.pdf, Annex_B_RiskRegister.pdf, etc.

**Administrative Documents:**
- [ ] Scanned signatures: high-resolution (300 DPI)
- [ ] File format: PDF
- [ ] Total size all docs: <20 MB

---

### Final Checks (Dec 11-14)

**Dec 11 (5pm CET) — Proposal Freeze:**
- [ ] All partners approve final version (email confirmations)
- [ ] No further edits after this point (version control locked)
- [ ] PROOF_CHAIN.md updated with new Merkle root (if any files changed)

**Dec 12 — Portal Upload (Day 1):**
- [ ] Create proposal on EU Funding & Tenders Portal
- [ ] Fill Part A (administrative info) — 30 min
- [ ] Upload Part B main document — 10 min
- [ ] Upload Part B annexes (6 files) — 15 min
- [ ] Upload administrative documents (per partner) — 30 min
- [ ] Verify all mandatory fields filled — 30 min

**Dec 13 — Validation & Corrections (Day 2):**
- [ ] EU portal validation runs (checks file sizes, mandatory fields)
- [ ] Fix any validation errors (red flags)
- [ ] Re-upload corrected files if needed
- [ ] Ask partners to review their sections in portal

**Dec 14 — Final Review (Day 3):**
- [ ] Coordinator reviews entire proposal in portal
- [ ] Check budget table sums to 100%
- [ ] Check all partner PICs are correct
- [ ] Check all file uploads are readable
- [ ] Run spell check on Part B (UK English)

**Dec 15 (before 5pm CET) — SUBMIT:**
- [ ] Click "Submit Proposal" button
- [ ] Confirm submission (irreversible after this)
- [ ] Download submission receipt (PDF)
- [ ] Email receipt to all partners within 1 hour
- [ ] Celebrate 🎉

---

### Post-Submission (Dec 16+)

**Immediate:**
- [ ] Consortium debrief call (within 3 days)
- [ ] Document lessons learned (for Digital Twins submission in Jan)
- [ ] Archive proposal version (GitHub tag: pqc-submission-2025-12-15)
- [ ] Update PROOF_CHAIN.md with submission timestamp

**Within 1 Month:**
- [ ] Prepare for potential clarification requests from EU (rare but possible)
- [ ] Start preparing Digital Twins proposal (deadline: Jan 20)
- [ ] Apply PQC lessons to Digital Twins process

**Within 6 Months (EU Decision):**
- [ ] EU funding decision typically announced 4-6 months post-submission
- [ ] Expected: May-July 2026
- [ ] If successful: Grant agreement preparation (2-3 months)
- [ ] Project kickoff: Likely Sep-Oct 2026

---

## Sanity Checks (Run Before Submission)

### Budget Sanity Check
```bash
# Verify from consortium-tracker.csv:
VaultMesh:     €1,970,000 (70.4%)
Univ Brno:     €280,000   (10.0%)
Cyber Trust:   €350,000   (12.5%)
France Public: €200,000   (7.1%)
TOTAL:         €2,800,000 (100.0%)

# Check: Total = €2.8M ✓
# Check: Sum of percentages = 100% ✓
# Check: No partner >30% (coordinator exception) ✓
```

### Person-Month Sanity Check
```bash
# Total: 104 person-months over 24 months
# Average: 4.3 FTE across 4 partners
# Check: Realistic? Yes (VaultMesh: 2 FTE, others: ~1 FTE each)

VaultMesh:     44 PM (1.8 FTE avg over 24 months)
Univ Brno:     24 PM (1.0 FTE)
Cyber Trust:   30 PM (1.25 FTE)
France Public: 18 PM (0.75 FTE)
```

### Deliverable Sanity Check
```bash
# 13 deliverables over 24 months = 1 every ~2 months
# Check: Reasonable cadence? Yes

# Early deliverables (M3-M8): 3 (requirements, architecture, initial implementations)
# Mid deliverables (M10-M18): 7 (core development, testbed, pilots prep)
# Late deliverables (M20-M24): 3 (pilot reports, standards, final assessment)
```

---

## Emergency Contacts

**EU Portal Technical Support:**
- Email: EC-FNT-SUPPORT@ec.europa.eu
- Phone: +32 2 29 93333 (Belgium)
- Hours: Mon-Fri 09:00-17:00 CET

**Coordinator:**
- Karol Stefanski: guardian@vaultmesh.org
- [Signal/phone for urgent issues]

**Partner Escalation (if unreachable):**
- Univ Brno: [backup contact]
- Cyber Trust: [backup contact]
- France Public: [backup contact]

---

## Success Criteria

**Submission is successful if:**
- ✅ Submitted before Dec 15, 17:00 CET (hard deadline)
- ✅ No EU portal validation errors (all mandatory fields filled)
- ✅ All 4 partners confirmed their sections
- ✅ Budget adds to exactly 100%
- ✅ Consortium agreement signed by all partners
- ✅ Part B ≤50 pages (excluding annexes)
- ✅ PROOF_CHAIN.md included as Annex A (unique differentiator)

**Post-submission success:**
- 🎯 EU evaluation score ≥12/15 points (threshold for funding)
- 🎯 Estimated probability: 60-70% (with cryptographic governance differentiator)
- 🎯 If funded: €2M EU contribution over 24 months, project starts Sep 2026

---

**Document Control:**
- Version: 1.0-SUBMISSION-CHECKLIST
- Date: 2025-11-06
- Owner: VaultMesh Technologies B.V. (Coordinator)
- Classification: Consortium Internal (Critical Reference Document)
- Related: PQC_Work_Package_Gantt.mmd, PQC_Risk_Register.md, PQC_KPI_Dashboard.md