€44.2 million in funding through grants for European Digital Service Infrastructures

The 2019-2 Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Telecom call for proposals is now open. It offers co-funding to stimulate and support the deployment of European Digital Service Infrastructures (DSIs) in the areas of Cybersecurity, eHealth, eProcurement, European e-Justice, European Platform for Digital Skills and Jobs and Public Open Data. Up to €25 million is made available to meet the needs of public administrations, businesses and citizens in their cross-border activities.

CEF Telecom funding supports projects of common interest that improve the daily life of citizens, businesses and public administrations and contribute to the development of a Digital Single Market by deploying European digital infrastructures across the EU.

This call is the second under the 2019 CEF Telecom Work Programme. In 2019, CEF Telecom will provide up to a total of €44.2 million in funding through grants for European Digital Service Infrastructures.

2019-2 CEF Telecom call for proposals

Interested applicants from all EU Member States, as well as Iceland and Norway, may submit their proposals until 14 November 2019 in the following areas:

  • Cybersecurity – providing funding to increase cross-border cooperation and increase the cybersecurity capabilities of actors that are fundamental for a State’s cybersecurity, such as National Computer Security Incident Response Teams (CSIRTs), Operators of Essential Services (OES), National Competent Authorities (NCAs), Single Points of Contact (SPOCs), and entities responsible for Cybersecurity certification at the national level – €10 million.
  • eHealth – improving cross-border healthcare access and services using ICT tools, specifically to make ePrescriptions and Patient Summaries widely available in the EU – €5 million;
  • eProcurement – aiming to simplify public procurement procedures and processes, as well as to facilitate the participation of both suppliers and buyers in them – €1 million.
  • European e-Justice – ensuring that citizens and businesses can rapidly reap the practical benefits of e-Justice tools – €3 million;
  • European Platform for Digital Skills and Jobs – €1 million to ensure that individuals and the labour force in Europe are equipped with adequate digital skills;
  • Public Open Data – to achieve better services for citizens and public administrations thanks to the re-use of public-sector information deploying innovative solutions – €5 million.

To receive co-funding under the calls, actions must be ready for deployment, contribute to EU Digital Single Market policies and have a long-term sustainability strategy. The funding will be allocated to those eligible proposals that best meet the award criteria as specified in the 2019 CEF Telecom Work Programme and call texts in the areas relevant to this call.

About Digital Service Infrastructures (DSIs)

CEF Telecom funding supports projects of common interest for the deployment of Digital Service Infrastructures (DSIs) across the EU. These are based on mature technical and organisational solutions to support exchanges and collaboration between citizens, businesses and public authorities. The vision is to create European networks of digital services that will make the Digital Single Market work in practice.

CEF supports basic and re-usable digital services, known as building blocks, as well as more complex digital services. The building blocks can be combined with each other and integrated with the more complex services.

Building blocks supported so far include: eIdentification, eSignature, eInvoicing, eDelivery, and Automated Translation. Consult the full catalogue of reusable digital services.

Source: INEA