Digital Europe Introduction
The Digital Europe programme (DIGITAL) with a budget of € 7.5 billion aims to support the digital transition in the EU by fostering the uptake of digital technologies by businesses, citizens and public administration and enhancing digital skills of the workforce.
Strategic objectives
Digital Europe funds projects in five key capacity areas (strategic objectives):
- Supercomputing (€2.227 bn): deployment of world-class exascale and post-exascale supercomputing capacities;
- Artificial Intelligence (AI), data & cloud (€ 2.062 bn): setting up EU-wide sectoral data spaces based on a cloud-to-edge federated infrastructure and promotion of testing and adoption of AI-based solutions;
- Cybersecurity (€ 1.650 bn): building up advanced cybersecurity capabilities, promoting the sharing of best practices and ensuring wide deployment of cybersecurity solutions;
- Advanced digital skills (€ 0.577 bn): increasing the education offer and training in key digital technologies and digital skills for non-ICT sectors, and support collaboration between higher education institutions and the private sector;
- Accelerating best use of technologies (€ 1.072 bn): establishment of a network of European Digital Innovation Hubs supporting the digital transformation of European public and private organisations and deployment of high-impact projects such as blockchain capacities or the digital transformation of public administration and services.
With its variety of topics the programme addresses a wide range of stakeholders: SMEs, higher education institutions, research centres, public authorities, large companies etc.
The Digital Europe Programme complements other EU programmes, such as the Horizon Europe programme for research and innovation, and the Connecting Europe Facility for digital infrastructure, the Recovery and Resilience Facility and the Structural funds.
Work programmes
The overall objectives, scope, outcomes and deliverables as well as budget allocations, for each topic are described in different work programmes:
- Main Work Programme 2023-2024 - comprising Special Objectives 'AI, Data & Cloud', 'Advanced Digital Skills', and 'Deployment - Accelerating best use of digital technologies'
- Cybersecurity Work Programme 2023-2024
- European Digital Innovations Hubs (EDIH) Work Programme 2021-2023
- High-Performance Computing Work Programme 2024
- Chips Joint Undertaking Work Programme 2023-2027
All work programmes are available at this link.
Detailed descriptions of the different call topics can be found in the call documents once the calls are published on the Funding & Tenders Portal.
Legal & Financial Rules
The legal and financial rules for Digital Europe resemble in many aspects those of other funding programmes such as Horizon Europe. However, there are some important difference that need to be taken into account, such as regards e.g. international collaboration and security restrictions. Information on the legal and financial rules can be found on our L&F overview page and in our infosheets.
Latest news
Digital, Industry & Space Digital Europe
Autumn update - Open Cascading Funding calls in the Digital domain
We would like to draw your attention to the following cascading calls for proposals. This is an update of the overview we published in summer. What is a cascading call? A cascading call is a funding mechanism where a larger project, already funded by Horizon Europe or other funding programme, distributes part of its funds to smaller projects... read more
Digital Europe Deployment: Best use of technologies
Procurement: Development, Consultancy and Support for an Age Verification S...
DG CONNECT has launched a procurement for the Development, Consultancy and Support for an Age Verification Solution Description: This procurement will enable users of online web services to prove their age through the presentation of an electronic attestation through a dedicated application (mobile app) in a privacy preserving manner in order... read more
Horizon Europe Digital Europe Defence
NCP Flanders Job Vacancy: administrative support
NCP Flanders is looking to reinforce its team with an administrative assistant (part-time). The person we are looking for will be the first point of contact for NCP Flanders, be involved in the organisation of events, communication and administration tasks. Curious about the vacancy? All details (in Dutch) are available on the FWO website. Quest... read more
Digital, Industry & Space Agro-Food, Environment Digital Europe
Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform survey
The Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) was set up by the EU to support the European industry and boost investment in critical technologies in Europe. STEP raises and steers funding across 11 EU programmes to three target investment areas: Digital technologies and deep-tech innovation Clean and resource-efficient te... read more
Upcoming events
Your NCP contact for this programme
Marie Timmermann
marie.timmermann@fwo.be
+32 2 550 15 59
Work Programme & Calls
Infosheets
Infosheets contain edited content on aspects related to this programme. They are reviewed at least yearly.
- Ethics appraisal process and the role of Ethics Advisors, Boards and Mentors
- European Digital Infrastructure Consortia (EDICs) under Digital Europe
- Expert Evaluators - Background & How to become an evaluator
- International cooperation in Digital Europe
- Lump sum actions
- Ownership Control Declaration
- Security - restricted calls in Digital Europe
- The coordinator's role in Horizon Europe or Digital Europe projects
- Unit costs for personnel costs and internally invoiced goods and services in Digital Europe
Related links
Related links are easy pointers towards external information. We curate the list, but are not liable for the destinations.
Documents
Documents contain additional information related to this programme, and are similar to related links.
Testimonial
Miricle - Mine Risk Clearance for Europe
The Miricle project, ‘Mine Risk Clearance for Europe’, obtained funding under the European Defence Industrial Development programme call ‘Underwater control contributing to resilience at sea’. The main objective of the project was to achieve a European and sovereign capacity in future mine warfare and create a path for the next generation ‘made in Europe’ countermeasure solutions. In order to realise this objective, Miricle addressed various stages: studies, design, prototyping and testing. These stages inter alia included the successful testing of an XL Unmanned Underwater Vehicle, a protototyped mine disposal system and multiple innovative systems to detect buried mines. Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), was one of the five Belgian partners in the consortium. Within the project, VLIZ was able to forward its research on the acoustic imaging of the seabed to spatially map and visualize buried structures and objects - in this case buried mines - in the highest possible detail. VLIZ also led the work on ‘Port and Offshore Testing’, building on the expertise of the institute in the field of marine operations and technology.
