Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
Digital Europe Programme is the first EU programme that aims to accelerate the recovery and drive the digital transformation of Europe.
Worth €7.6 billion (in current prices), the Programme is a part of the next long-term EU budget, (the Multiannual Financial Framework), and it covers 2021 to 2027. It will provide funding for projects in five crucial areas: supercomputing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, advanced digital skills, and ensuring the wide use of digital technologies across the economy and society.
The Programme is fine-tuned to fill the gap between the research of digital technologies and their deployment, and to bring the results of research to the market – for the benefit of Europe’s citizens and businesses, and in particular SMEs. Investments under the Digital Europe programme supports the Union’s twin objectives of a green transition and digital transformation and strengthens the Union’s resilience and strategic autonomy.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
The Coordination and support action grant will support the sectorial Testing and Experimentation Facilities (TEFs) created under the WP 2021-2022 (Health, Manufacturing, Agri-Food, Smart Cities and Communities) and the future new ones to be create under the Digital Europe Programme, to develop complementary cross-TEF activities in providing AI services from a cross-sector perspective, to maximise the overall impact of TEFs in their ambitions of achieving world-class excellence and help the sectorial TEFs to better link with relevant EU projects, initiatives and stakeholders in the AI ecosystem of excellence.
Detailed Call Description
The CSA will help develop synergies and exchanges between the TEFs, and with other relevant projects, such as the EDIHs, data spaces, network of excellence research centres, and other actions funded e.g. under DEP and Horizon Europe, AI-on-demand platform, and the community at large.
It will establish, as appropriate, strong links with Edge to Cloud and relevant HPC actions funded under strategic objective 1 (EuroHPC JU), using when appropriate the SIMPL platform as a connector, and help TEFs to make the most out of all these resources and services.
It will support the TEFs projects in allowing economies of scales regarding common activities run by the individual TEF projects (e.g., organization of events, access to common resources, mentoring and exchange mechanisms among TEFs, integration with 3rd party services and other EU funded projects, etc.) and exchanges of best practices across all TEFs to reinforce and optimize efficiency and cooperation.
It will support TEFs to help companies using their services to comply with the AI Act. This could be through regulatory sandboxes, standards, certifications, nlabelling schemes, assessment of transparency of AI systems and collaboration with public authorities, depending on what TEF themselves offer and what additional or complementary support to the TEF users is needed.
It will support all sectorial TEFs in their dissemination activities towards innovators and sectorial users to maximise the impact of the sectorial TEFs, maximising their visibility and attractiveness for innovators. Special attention should be on coordinating mentoring and twinning programmes for innovators in order to foster fair and balanced participation and potential expansion of TEFs activities across Europe to complement and reinforce the on-going TEFs. One key activity of the CSA is to put in place efficient mechanisms to maximise the visibility of AI & robotics in Europe, building on technologies tested in TEFs and targeting technology and sectorial audiences, with a clear focus on real world applicability.
Support and coordination with regards to co-funding instruments, helping all sectorial TEFs in common approaches towards Member States including support and exchange of best practices in the implementation and reporting requirements imposed by state-aid rules, contractual requirements, interpretation of the Grant Agreements etc.
Act as facilitator for cooperation with the AI-on-demand platform. Foster contribution from TEFs and channelling TEFs needs towards the AI-on-demand platform.
Facilitate exchanges with EDIHs national competence centres, and relevant channels (e.g. national initiatives, chambers of commerce or professional network) to maximise the opportunities offered e.g., to maximise the outreach of the sectorial TEFs to regions across Europe.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
100%
Maximum grant amount per project: €3 000 000
Thematic Categories
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
Eligibility for Participation
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
Eligibility For Participation Notes
In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must be legal entities (public or private bodies) established in EU Member States or listed EEA countries (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein) and countries associated to the Digital Europe Programme.
Entities must not be directly or indirectly controlled from a country that is not an eligible country. All entities have to fill in and submit a declaration on ownership and control.
Moreover:
- participation in any capacity (as beneficiary, affiliated entity, associated partner, subcontractor or recipient of financial support to third parties) is limited to entities established in eligible countries.
- In addition, in order to be eligible, all participants from associated countries (except EEA countries) and all entities established in the EU or EEA territory but controlled by a third country or third country legal entities (including DEP associated countries), have to present an adequate guarantee approved by their eligible country of establishment, to comply with the conditions set out in the Work Programme Annex 3.
- project activities (included subcontracted work) must take place in eligible countries (see section geographic location below and section 10)
Targeted stakeholders
The consortium should include a relevant representation of all the sectorial TEFs selected from the 1st call of the Digital Europe Programme, to ensure that the selected CSA optimally support their coordination. These organisations will be subject to Article 12(6) of Regulation (EU) 2021/694. The consortium should be ready to serve future sectorial TEFs. The proposal should provide a broad representation of constituencies relevant to AI and robotics.
The consortium as a whole should demonstrate the necessary experience/expertise to reach the objectives of the call and demonstrate the capacity to reach out to and effectively engage with relevant stakeholders within Europe, including other EC and member states initiatives and organisms of the European AI ecosystem (e.g.: EDIHs, AI-on-demand platform).
Consortium composition:
- A consortium of at least 4 applicants (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities) and which complies with the following conditions:
- Minimum 4 independent applicants (beneficiaries, not affiliated entities) from 3 different eligible countries
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy
Directorate of Research and Innovation
Eleana Gabriel
Telephone: +357 22 691918
Email: egabriel@dmrid.gov.cy