The Digital Europe (DIGITAL) programme is the first European funding programme entirely dedicated to the digital transformation of the European economy and society. Launched for the period 2021–2027, this €7.5 billion strategic programme aims to stimulate investment in critical digital capabilities and the deployment of advanced digital technologies across Europe.
Within the European financing ecosystem, Digital Europe occupies a unique and complementary position. Unlike Horizon Europe Focusing on research and innovation, Digital Europe is geared towards the deployment, adoption, and use of digital technologies. While the Connecting Europe Facility finances trans-European digital infrastructure, and structural funds support regional digital cohesion, Digital Europe fills a crucial gap by targeting strategic digital capabilities and their practical implementation.
Digital Europe's strategic objectives are fully aligned with the European vision of digital sovereignty and inclusive digital transformation. The program aims to:
Digital Europe is structured around five key areas of intervention, with dedicated budgets:
Building the digital Europe of tomorrow
The Digital Europe programme represents the EU's most ambitious investment ever in strategic digital technologies. It combines the development of cutting-edge capabilities with their practical deployment in the economy and society, creating a vital bridge between innovation and real-world impact.
Digital Europe is structured around five major complementary and interdependent thematic axes:
The Digital Europe programme supports, in particular, green digital technologies that contribute to climate objectives, in complementarity with theInnovation Fund which finances industrial decarbonization technologies on a larger scale.
Beyond the five main axes, Digital Europe pays particular attention to applications in key sectors:
The programme places particular emphasis on the creation of European data spaces in these sectors, enabling the secure sharing and use of data at European level.
Digital Europe is part of the major European strategic guidelines, in particular:
Digital Europe projects must demonstrate their potential to generate significant impacts:
Digital Europe finances different types of actions depending on the objectives pursued:
Here are some illustrative examples of projects that have benefited from Digital Europe funding:
Digital Europe particularly supports projects which:
Use digital technology to address societal and environmental challenges
Although Digital Europe covers all economic sectors, certain areas receive particular attention:
Support by MarketKaps
Marketkaps has extensive expertise in the Digital Europe program, a result of our involvement and successful support of public and private organizations across Europe. Our team includes experts and evaluators who are fully conversant with Digital Europe's evaluation criteria and specific priorities.
Our experts combine technical expertise in the five key areas of the program (HPC, AI, cybersecurity, digital skills, deployment), in-depth understanding of financing mechanisms and concrete experience in setting up complex transnational projects.
Our support approach for Digital Europe follows a proven 6-step methodology:
Marketkaps offers complete or modular support according to your needs:
To be eligible for the Digital Europe programme, candidates must meet the following conditions:
For most actions, a consortium of several partners is required, with generally a minimum of 3 independent entities from 3 different eligible countries. Some specific calls may have different requirements.
Digital Europe is accessible to a wide range of organizations:
Some calls may prioritize specific types of organizations or require particular combinations in consortia.
The Digital Europe programme is mainly open to:
Entities from non-associated third countries may exceptionally participate without funding in cases justified by the objectives of the project and the interest of the EU.
The program encourages balanced geographical representation in consortia and pays particular attention to the inclusion of less digitally advanced regions.
Digital Europe projects must meet several technical criteria:
Projects must generally demonstrate a balance between technological innovation and deployment feasibility.
Funding rates in Digital Europe vary depending on the type of action and sometimes on the type of organization:
Funding amounts vary considerably across calls for proposals:
Annual work programmes and specific calls define precise budget ranges.
Generally eligible cost categories include:
Digital Europe generally uses the actual cost model, where expenses actually incurred are reimbursed at the applicable financing rate.
The Digital Europe programme operates on the principle of co-financing:
Marketkaps can help you identify sources of co-financing and structure your financial plan optimally.
Digital Europe operates according to a system of calls for proposals published regularly:
The Digital Europe application requires the preparation of several key documents:
Marketkaps supports you in the preparation of each of these documents, paying particular attention to alignment with the evaluation criteria and specific objectives of Digital Europe.
The Digital Europe submission process includes the following steps:
For certain specific calls, such as EDIH, the process may include preliminary national pre-selection stages.
Digital Europe projects are evaluated according to three main criteria:
Each criterion is generally marked out of 5 points, with a minimum threshold of 3/5 per criterion and an overall threshold of 10/15.
Marketkaps optimizes your application to maximize your score on each of these criteria, with particular attention to demonstrating concrete impact and European added value.
The Digital Europe programme, being relatively recent, has the following characteristics in terms of success rate:
Our experience has allowed us to identify the main errors that penalize Digital Europe applications:
Marketkaps ensures that these weak points are corrected before submission to maximize your chances of success.
The factors that make the difference in obtaining Digital Europe funding are:
Our experience in supporting Digital Europe projects has enabled us to identify best practices:
FAQ on the Digital Europe programme
Most Digital Europe initiatives require a transnational consortium, typically comprising at least three independent entities from three different eligible countries. However, some specific calls, particularly within the framework of Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs) or certain initiatives directly targeting SMEs, may allow individual applications. Furthermore, SMEs can still benefit from the services offered by EDIHs even without directly participating in a funded project. Marketkaps can guide you toward the opportunities best suited to your situation.
Digital Europe primarily targets technologies that are already past the R&D stage, typically at a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 6 to 9. The program does not fund the development of new technologies, but rather their deployment, adoption, and use. Your solution must therefore already be tested and validated, ready for larger-scale implementation or application in new contexts.
Digital Europe funding can complement national and regional funding, particularly in the context of EDIH, which is explicitly co-financed at 50% by Member States or regions. For other actions, the rules on cumulating public aid apply in accordance with European regulations. An effective strategy often involves combining different funding sources to maximize the impact of your digital project, while ensuring compliance with state aid rules.
Although Digital Europe is not specifically designed for direct funding of startups like theEIC Accelerator, it offers many opportunities through the Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH) which provide support services, technology testing and market access for young innovative companies.
Digital Europe funding can complement national and regional funding, particularly in the context of EDIH, which is explicitly co-financed at 50% by Member States or regions. For other actions, the rules on cumulating public aid apply in accordance with European regulations. An effective strategy often involves combining different funding sources to maximize the impact of your digital project, while ensuring compliance with state aid rules.
EDIHs are one-stop shops that help businesses and public sector organizations meet digital challenges and become more competitive. They operate on four pillars:
Each EDIH generally has a sectoral or technological specialization and operates in a network with other European hubs. They are selected through a two-stage process (national pre-selection then European selection) and are co-financed 50% by the EU and 50% by the Member States or regions.
To optimize the use of European funding, several approaches are possible:
Marketkaps can help you develop a coherent long-term European financing strategy, by identifying optimal synergies between different programs.
Maximize your chances of success with our expertise
Marketkaps supports you every step of the way, from initial assessment to final submission, to maximize your chances of securing Digital Europe funding and contributing to Europe's digital transformation.
Please contact us with any questions or to discuss your digital project. Together, let's help strengthen Europe's digital capabilities and build a sovereign and inclusive digital future.
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