CEF Telecom: EU invests almost €30 million to improve Digital Service Infrastructures

The evaluation of the third 2016 CEF Telecom call for proposals (CEF-TC-2016-3) has concluded, and 38 projects in the areas of Automated Translation, Cyber Security, eInvoicing and Europeana have been selected to receive co-funding from the European Union. The funding comes from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) programme in the telecommunications sector. The successful projects include participation of entities from 27 EU Member States (plus Norway, Iceland and Serbia).

CEF Telecom funding supports projects of common interest that will deploy Digital Service Infrastructures (DSIs) across the EU. These actions will contribute to enhancing networked cross-border services, improving the daily lives of citizens, businesses and public administrations and the development of a Digital Single Market.

The results of the 2016-3 CEF Telecom call are as follows:

• Automated Translation: €6 million will be granted to 6 proposals with applicants from 16 EU Member States and Iceland, to improve the quality and coverage of automated translation especially in the public sector - thereby facilitating cross-border information exchange for citizens, businesses and administrations
• Cyber Security: the 14 selected proposals receiving €10.8 million in funding and with applicants from 14 EU Member States will create, maintain or expand national capacities to run a range of cybersecurity services, in order to allow Member States to participate on an equal footing in the existing cooperation mechanisms
• eInvoicing: 15 proposals worth €10.4 million with applicants from 21 EU Member States and Norway have been selected in order to support the uptake of electronic invoicing solutions among public administrations and the upcoming European standard on e-Invoicing, contributing to the digital transformation of eProcurement
• Europeana: 3 proposals with applicants from 15 EU Member States and Serbia will receive €2 million to help showcase the cultural treasures of Europe via the Europeana platform.

The list of projects selected for funding is available here

The Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA) manages the calls for proposals and follows up the technical and financial implementation of the projects with the beneficiaries, providing technical expertise and high quality programme implementation. INEA will now conclude individual Grant Agreements with the selected beneficiaries.

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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 objective is to create European networks of digital services that will make the Digital Single Market work in practice.
• The CEF programme 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 more complex services.
• Building blocks supported so far include: eIdentification, eSignature, eInvoicing, eDelivery, and eTranslation. Consult the full catalogue of reusable digital services.
• More complex digital services being supported include areas such as Safer Internet, access to reusable public sector information, cyber security, eHealth, and online dispute resolution.
• The list of digital services supported by CEF is available in the Annex of the Telecom Regulation.

More information

CEF Telecom

2016 CEF Telecom call

2016-3 List of selected proposals