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
This topic aims to establish an academy in Artificial Intelligence (AI): the “AI Skills Academy”.
The AI Skills Academy will be a one-stop-shop for a range of activities supporting or developing educational and training schemes in two main focus areas:
- skills for the uptake and deployment of AI and in particular ‘GenAI’ in key economic sectors;
- skills related to the development and deployment of AI models in the ‘AI Factories’ facilities. This call covers only the establishment of the first part of the AI Skills Academy, focused on AI and GenAI. Another call will be organised at a later stage to cover specific skillset necessary for the AI Factories.
The main objective of this first part of the AI Skills Academy is to address the current and future AI skills gap in the EU’s strategic sectors and strengthen the pool of AI specialists, particularly in the field of Generative AI (GenAI) development and application. To do so, the AI Skills Academy (in short, the Academy) will leverage the collaboration between industry, higher education, and vocational training institutions to skill, up-skill and re-skill students and professionals and facilitate their positioning in the EU labour market, matching their expertise with the needs of the AI market, and of EU industries and the public sector.
The Academy will additionally focus on boosting the AI and GenAI competences and job-placement of underrepresented groups in the AI workforce, particularly of women and on promoting AI-related opportunities for students, professionals and the broader public, targeting also Europeans living abroad.
Detailed Call Description
While European AI start-ups, key industrial players and public authorities acknowledge the transformative potential of GenAI, most of these large AI models are currently built outside of the European Union, where companies have easier access to high amounts of computing power, large datasets, and the skills needed to develop and train the underlying algorithms. Furthermore, most EU professionals are still not familiar with the use and impact of this technology in their work environment. Understanding and adopting AI and GenAI technologies is of paramount importance for achieving the digital transformation across the EU.
The AI Skills Academy will empower undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate students, as well as current and future sector and ICT specialists in SMEs, startups, and the public sector with basic and advanced skills for developing, deploying and applying AI models and applications in their field. The academy will work in close coordination with and further support the work of the AI Factories. The AI Factories initiative will deploy an AI-focused, tailor-made supercomputing service infrastructure aimed at further developing the innovation capabilities and skills of the AI ecosystem.
The AI Skills Academy will set up a one-stop-shop for a range of activities supporting or developing educational and training schemes in two main focus areas:
- skills related to the AI Factories facilities, complementing the work of the EuroHPC Virtual Training Academy, and
- skills for the uptake and deployment of AI and, in particular, GenAI in key economic sectors.
Under the two above focus areas, the academy will develop and implement learning modules and short-term trainings on AI foundation model development but also AI inference processes, data science, AI and GenAI deployment and the use of supercomputers for AI that can be integrated into academic curricula at various levels and for various target groups. The academy could conduct additional activities on educating the general public on how to use AI and in particular GenAI technologies safely and responsibly.
The academy will cooperate with existing initiatives, among others, the AI-on-Demand Platform, the Networks of Excellence in AI, the European Digital Innovation Hubs, and all the EuroHPC Factories, including for the use of their services and facilities for the proposed training activities.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
50%
Project budget (requested grant amount): max €7 M per project
Specific cost eligibility rules for this call:
- the lump sum amount must be calculated based on estimated project budget (actual cost) and using the detailed budget table/calculator provided
- the lump sum calculation should respect the following conditions:
- for lump sums based on estimated project budgets: the estimated budget must comply with the basic eligibility conditions for EU actual cost grants
- for lump sums based on estimated project budgets: costs for financial support to third parties: can be included in the detailed budget table for grants or similar and prizes: maximum amount per third party €60.000 unless a higher amount is required because the objective of the action would otherwise be impossible or overly difficult to achieve and this is duly justified in the Application Form. The total amount of the EU contribution for financial support to third parties can be maximum 20% of the requested EU funding.
Thematic Categories
- Education and training
- Industry
- Information Technology
- New Entrepreneurship
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
- Small-Medium Enterprises and Competitiveness
Eligibility for Participation
- Educational Institutions
- Other Beneficiaries
- Private Bodies
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
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
- listed EEA countries and countries associated to the Digital Europe Programme (list of participating countries)
Consortium composition – Proposals must be submitted by: Consortium composed of a minimum 6 entities (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities) from a minimum 3 different eligible countries.
Targeted stakeholders
The participating consortium members should demonstrate complementary roles in the proposal and demonstrate an outstanding track record in their respective fields.
The consortium is highly recommended to include at least:
- Two degree awarding higher education institution from an eligible country which are part of the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE). Higher education institutions established in other eligible countries which are not part of the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education can also be included in the consortium. In this case, the consortium must prove that the specific higher education institution is recognised by the competent national authority and offers full study programmes leading to higher education degrees and recognised diplomas at tertiary education qualifications levels.
- Two industry partners whose headquarters are located in an eligible country.
- The consortium is encouraged to particularly involve small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as well as start-ups. Participating businesses must clearly explain their contribution to the objectives of the action and should be ideally representative of key EU industries, including healthcare and pharmaceutical, manufacturing, mobility including automotive and aerospace, agriculture, cultural and creative industries, energy, telecoms, environment, robotics, defence and (cyber)security, and finance.
- One independent research organisation/hub or competence/excellence centre in AI.
- One Vocational Education and Training (VET) institution.
The involvement of public sector organisations in the consortium can be also considered.
Particular attention should be given to:
- Ensuring inclusivity in Europe and help widening the specialised education offer in all Member States with a special focus on those Member States that score low in terms of advanced digital skills levels, according to the Digital Decade Policy Programme, in particular in the field of AI;
- Ensuring inclusivity of public or private bodies that are not currently already engaged in other European projects addressing skills in AI.
Please note that higher education institutions already delivering similar programmes as the ones addressed by the proposal addressing this call topic can participate.
However, they must explain the added value of the newly designed programme(s) and self-standing module(s) compared to the existing education offer delivered in the latest academic years.
European Universities alliances selected under the Erasmus+ programme and other alliances of higher education institutions are also encouraged to participate, provided that they include the necessary partners requested and they fulfil all the objectives outlined in this section.
Participation of alliances involving VET institutions such as COVEs is possible.
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