Spain approves 620,070 euros grant for IDDEEA cybersecurity feasibility study

The grant represents an investment in the development of an institution responsible for managing Bosnia and Herzegovina’s most important registers and digital identity systems.

The project aims to establish modern organizational and professional capacities that will further strengthen the protection of state information systems, citizens’ digital identities, and critical information infrastructure in line with the highest European standards.

The decision by the Government of the Kingdom of Spain represents one of the most significant international recognitions received by a state institution of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the areas of digital transformation and cybersecurity, IDDEEA said.

The project was approved following an international expert evaluation based solely on the quality of the project proposal, institutional capacities, sustainability, and strategic importance. Such decisions are based on expertise, results, and trust, rather than political criteria.

Cybersecurity is no longer merely an information technology issue, but one of the key national security concerns for every country. Protecting citizens’ digital identities, state registers, electronic services, and critical information infrastructure is fundamental to the functioning of a modern state. Therefore, the project has significance far beyond its financial value, representing an investment in a safer, more resilient, and digitally advanced Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Establishing the Cybersecurity Department will enable the development of long-term institutional capacities for preventing, detecting, and managing cyber risks, developing new security policies and procedures, and further strengthening the resilience of state systems against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. This will mark another important step for BiH toward European standards in digital security and data protection.

The achievement is particularly significant because the support comes from institutions of an European Union member state that evaluate projects exclusively on the basis of expertise, quality, sustainability, and implementation capacity.

IDDEEA said such examples are setting new standards for public administration in BiH, demonstrating that state institutions can be drivers of innovation, international cooperation, and digital transformation.

IDDEEA Director Almir Badnjevic said the recognition represents much more than financial support for a single project.

“This is not only IDDEEA’s success. It is international recognition for BiH and confirmation that our institutions can be equal partners to Europe’s most developed countries when they are backed by knowledge, vision, and concrete results. I am particularly proud that international partners recognize the quality of work of our experts and the potential of our institution,” he said.

Badnjevic stressed that IDDEEA will continue developing projects that bring BiH closer to European standards, strengthen the security of state information systems, and create modern digital infrastructure serving citizens, businesses, and institutions.