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Call key data
Support to the implementation of Multi-Country Projects (MCPs)
Funding Program
Digital Europe
Call number
DIGITAL-2024-BESTUSE-07-MULTICOUNTRY
deadlines
Opening
04.07.2024
Deadline
21.11.2024 17:00
Funding rate
50%
Call budget
€ 25,000,000.00
Link to the call
Link to the submission
Call content
short description
The topic aims to facilitate the implementation of Multi-Country Projects, including where the European Digital Infrastructure Consortia (EDICs), as explained in the “Background” section above, have been chosen as implementation mechanism. The selected projects should be implemented either by an EDIC or by a consortium which includes at least three Member States.
Call objectives
The projects selected for funding under this topic are expected to:
- address one of the key areas in which the Digital Europe Programme supports critical EU capacity building through large scale deployments;
- represent a high level of engagement from various Member States and a long term sustainability for the project implemented;
- pool EU, national and/or private resources to achieve progress that no Member State could do on its own;
- reduce digital divides within and between Member States;
- prove a clear EU added value through their impact that no single entity nor Member State could achieve on its own;
- contribute to bridge the gap between large scale piloting and full deployment;
- support the consolidation of an interconnected, interoperable, and secure Single Market, considering to the extent possible the interests of public and private sectors.
- to the extent possible, support interoperability of data and digital infrastructure amongst the MCPs. Digital infrastructure might include data, high-performance computing, quantum computing, AI and connectivity;
- where relevant, support common operating models that promote fair data economy, cross-border services, digital public services, new business models, trust-based ecosystems, digital identity and a high level of personal data protection.
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Expected results
The awarded proposals are expected to ensure that:
- they are compliant with the operational objectives outlined in the Regulation (EU) 2021/694 (Articles 4-8);
- they have a high potential to contribute to digital priorities of the Union provided for in the Digital Decade Policy Programme. Projects that involve higher number of Member States, either as members of an EDIC, or another MCP implementation mechanism, shall be considered as an indication of higher impact in this regard;
- the level of maturity of the project proposed - project is ready for deployment, as demonstrated by solid implementation strategies. Projects may include research and innovation activities, provided that they are necessary to the achievement of deployment objectives of the DDPP Decision;
- consolidate available capacities at EU and Member State level by building on existing initiatives and developing widely agreed frameworks and/or tools;
- coordinate with existing and future initiatives relevant for the project;
- coordinate with other relevant projects funded through Digital Europe Programme (e.g. Data Spaces Support Centre);
- have in place a long-term sustainability plan (which may be a part of an implementation strategy), which may include the setting up of an EDIC;
- address interoperability concerns that could hamper an EU wide deployment (if relevant to the proposed project).
The funding can cover the following categories of activities:
- Deployment and use of common EU digital infrastructures, including the underlying technologies, blueprint architecture, standards, tools and applications;
- Deployment and use of advanced EU wide services targeting their large-scale adoption including through industry and/or SMEs, and/or public administrations;
- Use of computing and processing capacities;
- Data generation, collection, aggregation and sharing;
- Creation, optimization of large data models;
- Normalisation and certification of services, digital infrastructures and/or data models;
- Deployment of trustworthy AI capacities and resources;
- Dissemination and exploitation of project results;
- Stakeholder engagement;
- Capacity building, including on legal and competitiveness matters;
- Any other activities that are necessary to the achievement of the objectives of the relevant Multi-Country Project.
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Eligibility Criteria
Regions / countries for funding
Moldova (Moldova), Albania (Shqipëria), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosna i Hercegovina / Босна и Херцеговина), Iceland (Ísland), Kosovo (Kosova/Kosovë / Косово), Liechtenstein, Montenegro (Црна Гора), North Macedonia (Северна Македонија), Norway (Norge), Serbia (Srbija/Сpбија), Türkiye, Ukraine (Україна)
eligible entities
Education and training institution, Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) / Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Other, Private institution, incl. private company (private for profit), Public Body (national, regional and local; incl. EGTCs), Research Institution incl. University, Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)
Mandatory partnership
Yes
Project Partnership
Proposals must be submitted by:
- A European Digital Infrastructure Consortium
- Another MCP implementation mechanism listed in the DDPP Decision, including a consortium which includes at least three independent entities from three different Member States. These entities should be appointed by the government as representing entity of the Member State, with the purpose of implementing the given Multi-Country Project. Besides these, the consortium can include other relevant private and public organisations contributing to the implementation of Multi-Country Projects.
Targeted stakeholder is any entity capable of contributing to the implementation of Multi-country Projects, thus facilitating the achievement of the general objectives and the digital targets, including in particular the user community of the digital infrastructures or services provided. As a consequence, categories of targeted stakeholders will depend on the Multi-Country Project targeted by the proposal. A stakeholder mapping shall be provided as part of the implementing strategy.
To be eligible for funding, applicants must be:
- legal entities (public or private bodies)
- established in one of the eligible countries:
- EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs))
- listed EEA countries and countries associated to the Digital Europe Programme (list of participating countries)
Specific cases:
Natural persons are NOT eligible (with the exception of self-employed persons, i.e. sole traders, where the company does not have legal personality separate from that of the natural person).
International organisations — International organisations are not eligible, unless they are International organisations of European Interest within the meaning of Article 2 of the Digital Europe Regulation (i.e. international organisations the majority of whose members are Member States or whose headquarters are in a Member State).
EU bodies — EU bodies (with the exception of the European Commission Joint Research Centre) can NOT be part of the consortium.
Entities without legal personality — Entities which do not have legal personality under their national law may exceptionally participate, provided that their representatives have the capacity to undertake legal obligations on their behalf, and offer guarantees for the protection of the EU financial interests equivalent to that offered by legal persons.
Associations and interest groupings — Entities composed of members may participate as ‘sole beneficiaries’ or ‘beneficiaries without legal personality’.
other eligibility criteria
Financial support to third parties is allowed for grants or similar forms of support and prizes under the following conditions:
- the calls must be open, published widely and conform to EU standards concerning transparency, equal treatment, conflict of interest and confidentiality
- the calls must be published on the Funding & Tenders Portal, and on the participants’ websites
- the calls must remain open for at least two months
- if call deadlines are changed this must immediately be published on the Portal and all registered applicants must be informed of the change
- the outcome of the call must be published on the participants’ websites, including a description of the selected projects, award dates, project durations, and final recipient legal names and countries
- the calls must have a clear European dimension.
- Your project application must clearly specify why financial support to third parties is needed, how it will be managed and provide a list of the different types of activities for which a third party may receive financial support. The proposal must also clearly describe the results to be obtained.
Projects involving EU classified information must undergo security scrutiny to authorise funding and may be made subject to specific security rules (detailed in a security aspects letter (SAL) which is annexed to the Grant Agreement).
Additional information
Topics
Relevance for EU Macro-Region
EUSAIR - EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region, EUSALP - EU Strategy for the Alpine Space, EUSBSR - EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, EUSDR - EU Strategy for the Danube Region
UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs)
project duration
36 months
Additional Information
Proposals must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System (accessible via the Topic page in the Search Funding & Tenders section. Paper submissions are NOT possible.
Proposals must be complete and contain all the requested information and all required annexes and supporting documents:
- Application Form Part A — contains administrative information about the participants (future coordinator, beneficiaries and affiliated entities) and the summarised budget for the project (to be filled in directly online)
- Application Form Part B — contains the technical description of the project (to be downloaded from the Portal Submission System, completed and then assembled and re-uploaded)
- Mandatory annexes and supporting documents (to be uploaded):
- detailed budget table/calculator: not applicable
- CVs of core project team: not applicable
- activity reports of last year: not applicable
- list of previous projects: not applicable
- other annexes: letter of nomination as representative entity of the Member State, in case the proposal is not submitted by an approved MCP implementation mechanism such an EDIC. See section 6 Consortium composition.
Proposals are limited to maximum 70 pages (Part B).
Call documents
DIGITAL-2024-BESTUSE-07-MULTICOUNTRY Call documentDIGITAL-2024-BESTUSE-07-MULTICOUNTRY Call document(549kB)
Contact
Website
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