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
Each project awarded in this action should implement a scalable cloud-based AI/GenAI system running European trustworthy and safe AI/GenAI algorithms that were developed, trained and validated using very large sets of patient data. They should put in place a secure, privacy-preserving cloud environment required for the health data analysis tasks, with appropriate access and identification tools for authorised use only, and implement the whole system as described under this topic, seamlessly integrated in regular clinical workflows of the care settings involved. Interoperability and the need to communicate with the health IT infrastructure (e.g. the electronic health record (EHR) of the patient, Picture archiving and communication systems (PACS), Radiological Information Systems (RIS), etc.) need to be addressed.
Detailed Call Description
The projects should demonstrate the integration and large-scale validation of cloud-based AI/GenAI systems, following a thorough assessment and testing over a large number of patient test cases in real healthcare settings. The proposers are expected to choose the types of health data, the AI/GenAI algorithms that are trustworthy and secure, and the medical use cases, with the focus disease areas being cancer and cardiovascular. The projects should perform technical and clinical validation of the systems, generating evidence on AI systems’ performance and usability in different clinical settings. They shall use the AI systems for screening in clinical settings, perform local performance evaluation and post-deployment monitoring of the solutions, including evidence generation on cost-efficiency in view of regulatory requirements and health technology assessment (HTA). Whenever relevant, each project should deploy AI/GenAI solutions already tested and validated within the TEF for Health.
The projects should demonstrate the integration and large-scale validation of cloudbased AI/GenAI systems, following a thorough assessment and testing over a large number of patient test cases in real healthcare settings. The proposers are expected to choose the types of health data, the AI/GenAI algorithms that are trustworthy and secure, and the medical use cases, with the focus disease areas being cancer and cardiovascular. The projects should perform technical and clinical validation of the systems, generating evidence on AI systems’ performance and usability in different clinical settings. They shall use the AI systems for screening in clinical settings, perform local performance evaluation and post-deployment monitoring of the solutions, including evidence generation on cost-efficiency in view of regulatory requirements and health technology assessment (HTA). Whenever relevant, each project should deploy AI/GenAI solutions already tested and validated within the TEF for Health.
A key element of the piloted system solutions will be their scalability and replicability across various eligible countries and their health systems, enabling consistent and equitable digital service delivery. Any solutions should be compatible with national health systems across eligible countries to allow for easier replication across different contexts. The AI/GenAI system will prioritise interoperability, integrating seamlessly with existing tools such as PACS, RIS, and EHR systems to avoid disruptions in clinical workflows. In this respect, the projects should largely disseminate their activity across several eligible countries by showing how their operation can be replicable across eligible countries. Replication and large-scale deployment across eligible countries is then expected to take place through funding from national sources (such as structural and regional funds, national funds, private funds or other). To ensure a wide societal uptake and acceptance of the AI-based screening approach, the projects should bring together technical, medical and public health expertise and patient representatives and address the applicable ethical and legal implications. The projects will ensure that AI/GenAI results are systematically validated by qualified medical professionals to confirm findings, assess clinical relevance, and maintain patient safety. This approach is essential for building trust and ensuring alignment with medical workflows. Active involvement of medical practitioners is required to ensure acceptability and usability of the pilot and to check its results. Medical practitioners will be actively engaged throughout the process to assess AI performance, validate outputs, and integrate the system seamlessly into clinical practice. In addition, active multi-stakeholder engagement, communication activities and capacity building measures are expected. To ensure public trust, the AI/GenAI systems to use must align with EU values and rules, particularly in terms of data protection, cybersecurity and compliance with the EU AI Act.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
50%
Thematic Categories
- Health
- Industry
- Information and Communication Technologies
- Information Technology
- Public Administration
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
- Small-Medium Enterprises and Competitiveness
Eligibility for Participation
- Associations
- Businesses
- Central Government
- Educational Institutions
- Large Enterprises
- Legal Entities
- Legal Entities under Public Law
- Local Authorities
- NGOs
- Non Profit Organisations
- Other Beneficiaries
- Private Bodies
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- Semi-governmental organisations
- Services Providers
- Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
- State-owned Enterprises
Eligibility For Participation Notes
In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:
- be legal entities (public or private bodies)
- be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
- EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs))
- non-EU countries (except for topics with restrictions)
- listed EEA countries and countries associated to the Digital Europe Programme
Please note however that this call is subject to restrictions due to security reasons:
- for topic DIGITAL-2026-AI-PILOTING-10-SCREENING — Apply AI: Piloting AI based image screening in medical centres: Only the following countries are eligible: EU Member States, EEA countries and Switzerland (participation limited to specific eligible countries). Entities must not be directly or indirectly controlled from a country that is not an eligible country unless the granting authority agrees to allow for exceptional participation on the basis of a guarantee (ownership control restriction).
Consortium composition:
- minimum 7 independent applicants (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities) from 5 different eligible countries
- at least one industrial partner
The consortium can include public and private entities such as (but not limited to): healthcare providing organisations, medtech industry, SMEs, AI/GenAI and IT solution providers, research organisations, governmental authorities (at national, regional, local level), non-governmental organisations representing key stakeholders, such as patients, healthcare professionals, etc.
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