The subsidy scheme My Cyber Resilient Business (MCZ) started in 2023 as a pilot with a budget of €300,000. The scheme provides financial support to small businesses. Entrepreneurs receive 50% of the costs of purchasing and implementing one or more crucial cybersecurity measures reimbursed, with a maximum of €1,250. After a positive evaluation, the scheme will be reopened in 2024, with an increased budget of 1 million euros.
Great interest among entrepreneurs
A total of over 1,300 entrepreneurs applied for subsidies amounting to more than €1.3 million. This is about a third more than the available budget. The applications came from more than 1,000 SMEs and over 200 self-employed persons. Ultimately, 1,054 entrepreneurs received a total subsidy amount of 1 million euros.
The results show that 91% of the applications were made by the end user themselves and 9% through an intermediary. This indicates that the scheme reaches the intended target group and is accessible enough to use independently.
The subsidy encourages entrepreneurs to take action more quickly: 56% indicate that they took measures earlier due to the subsidy. Additionally, 63% state that they would have invested more if the subsidy amount had been higher. It also appears that the CyberSafe Check for self-employed and SMEs from the DTC was decisive in their choice: 71% of the applicants based their choice of a measure on the outcomes of this tool.
Secure network access is the most popular measure
The top three measures for which subsidies were requested are: secure network access/wifi (27%), setting up and testing backups (19%), and cyber awareness training (13%).
For the other cybersecurity measures, 12% of the applications were made for risk inventory and evaluation, 10% for antivirus software, 8% for two-factor authentication (2FA), two-step verification, and multi-factor authentication (MFA), 7% for patch management, and 5% for password managers.
Subsidy most popular among service sectors
The applications show that especially companies in the service sector received subsidies. The sectors Information and Communication (16%) and Consulting, Research, and Other Specialized Business Services (15%) together received nearly a third of the budget. These companies primarily used the subsidy for secure network access, backups, and training on cybersecurity.
'Other services' received the largest share of the budget: almost a quarter (24%). This category includes various types of companies that do not fall within other sectors.
Subsidy gave entrepreneurs the final push
"I started my own business not long ago. The subsidy came at just the right time," says entrepreneur Suyi Guo. "Thanks to the subsidy, I was able to approach everything just a bit better. I invested in new hardware, such as additional storage for backups and a physical token that makes two-factor authentication (2FA) much easier."
According to entrepreneur Jacqueline Rijkers, the cyber awareness training that she and her colleagues took thanks to the MCZ subsidy was an 'eye opener'. "We learned a lot, for example, how to see if your password has been hacked and how to make your password as secure as possible."
The scheme ran from September 2 to December 31, 2024, and reimbursed 50% of the purchase and/or implementation costs of cybersecurity measures, with a maximum of €1,250 per entrepreneur. The DTC is working with RVO to reopen a subsidy round in 2025. More information about this will soon be available on the website.