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 objective is to identify a consortium that will assure the continuation of the Data Spaces Support Centre (DSSC). The DSSC coordinates all relevant actions on Common European Data Spaces to ensure that they develop in a coherent way, are interoperable and benefit from economies of scale by the use of common practices, components (referred to as ‘building blocks’), protocols and tools (e.g., software implementations or services implementing the building blocks mentioned above that are considered fit to purpose).
The aim is to support the development, proper functioning and interconnection of data spaces to facilitate secure and trusted data sharing and reuse within and across sectors, benefiting both the public sector and European businesses, particularly SMEs.
Detailed Call Description
The DSSC supports the work of the European Data Innovation Board (EDIB) e.g., by identifying cross-sector standards for data use and sharing, by conducting comparative analyses across sectors, and by highlighting best practices related to security and access to data, all while considering sector-specific standardisation efforts. In order to ensure alignment with sectoral initiatives, the DSSC will work in close cooperation with the key stakeholders in the data spaces.
The Support Centre will include three main work strands:
1. Community Building
The first work strand aims to maintain and enlarge the network of stakeholders.
- Fostering a community of practice focused on data sharing.
- Engaging participants from projects supported by the EU, especially those funded by the EU.
- Engaging with projects deploying data spaces at European level and that might serve as showcase.
A particular attention should be given to startups and SMEs in order to facilitate access and participation in data spaces.
2. Governance and Infrastructure Requirements
In collaboration with the stakeholder network, the second work strand focuses on:
- Promoting the use of common solutions for data infrastructure across sectoral data spaces, covering technical design, functionality, operation, governance and legal aspects.
- Identifying standards, including semantic standards and interoperability protocols (both domain-specific and crosscutting).
- Engaging in standards development initiatives, where needed, to ensure data space requirements are supported.
- Exploring potential synergies between data spaces and coordinate cross-cutting exchanges among them.
- Promoting data governance models, business strategies, and operational approaches for running data spaces.
- Addressing legal issues and other market-relevant barriers.
- Identifying opportunities for value added services.
3. Platform for knowledge sharing and support
The third work strand will focus on the maintenance and development of the DSSC.EU platform which will act as a central hub for knowledge sharing, stakeholder support and the development of data spaces. It will provide resources, promote best practices, and allow to connect stakeholders across various initiatives. The platform will also include a customer support centre function, allowing stakeholders to easily get into contact with the DSSC for specific support requests.
The Data Spaces Support Centre addresses a wide range of stakeholders involved in the creation, maintenance, and governance of common European data spaces. It aims to create a collaborative environment where these diverse stakeholders can work together to establish common data spaces that are secure, interoperable, and trustworthy. These stakeholders include European organisations from different sectors:
- Private: Businesses and industries that can benefit from data sharing and interoperability as well as software and technologies providers that can offer solutions for the deployment of data spaces.
- Public: Government agencies and public administrations that manage and use data for public services.
- Academia: Research institutions and universities that contribute to the development of data space technologies and standards.
- Civil Society: Non-governmental organisations and community groups that advocate the use of data in a secure and trusted manner.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
100%
Data Spaces Support Centre: €10.000.000 per project
Thematic Categories
- Information and Communication Technologies
- Information Technology
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
- Small-Medium Enterprises and Competitiveness
Eligibility for Participation
- Educational Institutions
- Legal Entities
- NGOs
- Other Beneficiaries
- Private Bodies
- 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; see below):
- listed EEA countries and countries associated to the Digital Europe Programme (list of participating countries)
Please note however that following topics are subject to restrictions for the protection of European digital infrastructures, communication and information systems, and related supply chains: DIGITAL-2025-AI-08-DS-SUPPORT – Data Spaces Support Centre.
Entities that are assessed as high-risk suppliers of mobile network communication equipment (and any entities they own or control) are not eligible to participate in any capacity, including as beneficiaries, affiliated entities, associated partners, third parties giving in-kind contributions, subcontractors or recipients of financial support to third parties (if any).
Consortium composition – Proposals must be submitted by: minimum 3 independent applicants (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities) from 3 different eligible countries.
Targeted stakeholders: Public and private organisations, including SMEs, interested in the participation in Common European Data Spaces and related data sharing initiatives; research institutions and universities that contribute to the development of data space technologies and standards; standardisation bodies; the open data community; the civil society – non-governmental organisations and community groups that advocate the use of data in a secure and trusted manner.
The Data Spaces Support Centre aims to create a collaborative environment where these diverse stakeholders can work together to establish common data spaces that are secure, interoperable, and trustworthy. These stakeholders include European organisations from different sectors:
- Private: Businesses and industries that can benefit from data sharing and interoperability as well as software and technologies providers that can offer solutions for the deployment of data spaces.
- Public: Government agencies and public administrations that manage and use data for public services.
- Academia: Research institutions and universities that contribute to the development of data space technologies and standards.
- Civil Society: Non-governmental organisations and community groups that advocate the use of data in a secure and trusted manner.
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