About the Open Call for Pilots

The European Data Space for Smart Communities (DS4SSCC-DEP) project launches Open Calls for Pilots to validate an EU-wide cross-sectorial data space in practice, and to advance its development and implementation to support policy priorities of cities and communities within the European Union. The pilot call builds on and evolves the governance and technical blueprint established by the cross-sectorial data space preparatory action (DS4SSCC project), which comes out of joint efforts of the Living-in.EU movement and which represents all local governments in the EU through relevant networks and EU institutions. 

The pilots aim to provide feedback from practice as more firm guidance is put into regulatory instruments, such as requirements for procurement, operation, and reporting, starting from a baseline of high-value datasets to add value by using data from different domains and models. The initiative aims to foster innovation towards a more resilient Europe, supporting local businesses and ecosystems, and emphasizing ethical considerations and AI-enabled local solutions, thereby enhancing the conditions for citizens and communities across Europe.

In this call, we don’t limit to specific sectors, but we challenge you to combine at least two (Green Deal) sectors in your proposal, such as:

Scope

Predictive traffic management/sustainable mobility planning

Data-services of energy flows in a city/community specific context

Zero pollution actions
(e.g., air, water, soil, pollution or waste)

And any other domain falling under the New European Bauhaus initiative (urban design, building management, public services, nature-based solutions, amongst others).

Get inspired by our DS4SSCC data space blueprint and dive into our collection of theme examples and supplementary materials from the preparatory action.

Why Apply?

Through the piloting, you can expect to:

Innovative icon

Be placed in a forefront of innovative smart city development in Europe

Expansive Network

Enter into an expansive network of European cities, experts, and policymakers

Sustainable urban development

Be recognized as leading examples of sustainable and smart urban development;

data ecosystems

Receive support and guidance in aligning with the DS4SSCC blueprint and integrating with broader European data ecosystems

green future

Directly contribute to the shaping of Europe's green and digital future.

Who Is Eligible?

The pilot call is specifically designed for local public administrations in the EU and the other entities working with them:

  • Companies

  • Academia

  • NGOs

The eligible consortia must be cross-sectorial & cross-border.

The Main Consortia Eligibility Criteria:

  • At least two local public administrations from different EU member states or DEP related countries act as sites of piloting. These municipalities must be committed to contributing to the pilot budget and provide a Letter of Commitment.

  • Other partners can be involved as well. Where all entities  in the consortium must be subject to the provisions of Article 12.6 of the Digital Europe Programme Regulation. Therefore, entities must not be directly or indirectly controlled from a country that is not an eligible country.

Co-Funding Model

The amount of support provided per pilot is up to 1 500 000 EUR.

50 percent of total funding

Each consortium has to co-finance the activity by minimum 50% of the total costs of the pilot (direct costs).

*Prior engagement with DS4SSCC, Living-in-EU, or other activities is not a prerequisite.