"Digital Europe" program

The Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL) is an EU funding programme focused on bringing digital technology closer to businesses, citizens and public administrations. It provides strategic funding to address these challenges, supporting projects in five key areas: supercomputing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, advanced digital skills and ensuring the broad application of digital technologies in the economy and society, including through Digital Innovation Hubs. A new area for semiconductors was added in September 2023, with the entry into force of the Chips Act.

With a total budget of €8.1 billion, the programme aims to accelerate economic recovery and shape the digital transformation of European society and economy, bringing benefits to all, but in particular to small and medium-sized enterprises.

Overview of the work programmes 

Additional information on the launch of the calls, including a direct link to the funding and tenders portal.

Countries participating in the Digital Europe Programme appoint National Contact Points (NCPs). They act as ambassadors and contribute to the promotion of the activities and policies supported by the Programme in their countries. NCPs provide on-the-ground information to potential applicants and beneficiaries, throughout the entire project life cycle. They cooperate with NCPs from other countries in order to facilitate networking and cooperation between stakeholders. Contact information for the Digital Europe NCPs is available on the Funding and Tenders Portal or on the website of the Ministry for Digital Transformation, which is responsible for the implementation of the “Digital Europe “ instrument in the Republic of North Macedonia.

While the main objective of the Programme is to strengthen the digital capacities of the Union, it allows for the involvement of associations from third countries by linking to the Programme. Funding is therefore available to entities from EU Member States as well as from other countries associated with the Programme.
The decision to link (or not) a country is taken by the European Commission, based on the scope and objectives of the Programme. Currently, the EFTA/EEA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) are fully associated with the programme, while Ukraine, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Albania, Kosovo, Turkey , Moldova  and Bosnia and Herzegovina   are also partner countries associated with the programme. From 1 January 2025, Switzerland will also be able to participate in the Programme under transitional arrangements.

Due to their specific and critical nature, participation in topics under the third Specific Objective of the Programme (i.e. Cybersecurity) is regulated by Article 12.5 of the Digital Europe Programme Regulation.

In addition, a certain set of topics of the main work programme are also subject to the provisions of Article 12.6 of the Regulation (where participation is allowed if participants fulfil certain security conditions set out in the work programme).

Information on how to participate  

Search for calls and tenders on the Funding and Tenders Portal 

The call document contains more details than the description of the topic in the work programme and is the main reference for evaluation.

Co-financing is based on actual costs incurred. The EU co-financing rate is 50% of the eligible costs actually incurred during the duration of the action (see Article 6 of the General Model Grant Agreement for more information on the conditions for the eligibility of costs).

In addition, as specified in section 13 of the call document, grants must not produce a profit (i.e. surplus of revenue + EU grant over costs). Each individual action may receive only one grant from the EU budget and may not declare the same cost for two different EU projects (except under synergy actions of EU programmes).

It may be combined with EU grants for operating costs (rules of all funds apply), provided that the project is outside the operating grants programme and it is ensured that the costs are clearly separated in the accounts and are not declared twice – see Article 6.3.b.ii of the General Model Grant Agreement. Future DIGITAL calls and call documents, due to the different implementation logic of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), will not allow for synergistic funding with the RRF. Member States will be advised not to include deliverables in their National Recovery and Resilience Plans that are partly financed by DIGITAL. Financial contributions from sources outside the EU may be used as co-financing.

Proposals must be submitted online before 17:00 Central European Summer Time (CEST) on the day of the call deadline. A step-by-step guide is available on the Funding and Tenders Portal.
✔ Start early – there are steps to take before submitting (find partners, register an organisation).
✘ Don't wait until the last minute to submit your proposal. You can submit as many versions as you like. Each new version replaces the previous one (which will be deleted and cannot be restored). The call closing date and time are fixed.

Funding is provided for various activities described in the work programme and the call. Funding is awarded to beneficiaries implementing those activities through reimbursement of costs incurred in connection with the action. A patent for a product is not a condition for participation in the Programme, nor is the main objective of the Programme to finance patented products, but this may be part of an action if the activity falls within the scope of the call. Procurement and other activities may also be mentioned, if you plan to implement them.

Yes, the webinar was recorded. You can find the presentations and recordings on the event page dedicated to the European Digital Innovation Hub webinar.

You can view the presentations from the WRC-23 Workshop by visiting the relevant section of the EU events platform workshop on World Radiocommunications Conference

For information on Artificial Intelligence Testing and Experimentation Facilities, you can read it at View TEF: Questions and Answers

Yes, you can register for in-person events related to current open calls. The Commission regularly organises webinars and info sessions where potential applicants can learn more about current and future calls. For a detailed overview of events and registration details, please check the Commission's event calendar .