The Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV) has announced the results of an international procurement to implement a wide range of civilian cybersecurity projects, the first of which are now launching in Ukraine under the Tallinn Mechanism. Contracts have been signed with 12 companies from seven countries: Ukraine (4 companies), Estonia (3), France (1), Latvia (1), Sweden (1), Poland (1), and Romania (1). In total, 35 companies from 14 countries submitted bids.
Over the next two years, the selected companies will implement projects funded by international partners, with the first contributions coming from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad). Key beneficiaries include the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, the National Health Service, and the State Migration Service. Sida’s current contribution to these projects are part of Sweden’s broader support to strengthen the cyber resilience of Ukrainian government institutions and critical infrastructure, with total funding of almost €12.2 million. Norway is contributing €2.2 million to support activities under the Tallinn Mechanism.
The strong interest from companies across multiple countries highlights the significant potential of the Tallinn Mechanism as an initiative for international cyber cooperation. Bidders were required to show how they plan to include local Ukrainian partners in project implementation. As a result, the winning proposals represent collaborations between European and Ukrainian companies. The implementation of these projects will create a win-win partnership, combining European and global approaches to countering cyber threats with Ukraine’s unique experience in responding to large-scale cyberattacks since 2014.
“Supporting Ukraine’s cyber resilience remains a long-term priority for Estonia, and the Tallinn Mechanism enables like-minded countries to coordinate and deliver their assistance to Ukraine in a focused and effective manner. The high level of interest in the procurement affirmed the readiness of the private sector to engage in this shared mission. The framework agreement with an international set of partners now allows ESTDEV to deliver both Sida-supported project CURE as well as any upcoming projects quickly, securely and transparently,“ said Siim Alatalu, project manager for international cybersecurity projects at ESTDEV.
These projects that will be implemented cover a wide range of areas, including information and cybersecurity consulting services; cybersecurity software analysis, development, and applications; as well as the installation and configuration of IT and cybersecurity infrastructure components.
The Tallinn Mechanism was launched in 2023 as an international response to escalating cyber threats and russia’s ongoing aggression in cyberspace. Its core objective is to strengthen Ukraine’s cyber resilience by ensuring effective coordination of international support in cybersecurity. Currently, more than 25 projects under the Tallinn Mechanism are either under implementation or have been completed.
The initiative unites 14 member states. The European Union, NATO, and the World Bank participate as official observers.
Activities in Ukraine are supported by the Tallinn Mechanism Project Office (TMPO), based in Kyiv. Established at the initiative of the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, TMPO works closely with the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine, and the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre.
TMPO is currently funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, and EU CyberNet.
