Digital Transformation Accelerator Phase II

The European Commission is offering a call for tenders, known as EC-CNECT2025OP0019, for the Digital Transformation Accelerator Phase II. This opportunity aims to provide services that benefit the network of European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs) and other stakeholders. The identification of this tender falls under an open procedure with electronic submission, with the objective of supporting the effective deployment of EDIHs in accelerating digital transformation and the uptake of Artificial Intelligence across European businesses and public administrations.

The estimated total value of the procurement contract is €4 million, with a maximum duration of 48 months. The awarding criteria will focus on the best price-quality ratio. The primary classification according to the Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV) is research and development services and related consultancy services, specifically targeting sectors related to ICT and AI.

Eligible applicants are likely service providers capable of delivering relevant digital transformation and AI-related services, including SMEs, large enterprises, research institutes, and consulting firms. The documentation does not specify whether a consortium is required, allowing for both individual and consortium applications. Geographic eligibility aligns with EU member states, although the scope may extend to EEA countries.

Key milestones include a TED publication date of May 12, 2025, a public opening date for the tender on June 18, 2025, and a strict deadline for submission set for June 17, 2025, at 16:00 Europe/Brussels time. Participating tenderers must obtain a Personal Identification Code (PIC), which is essential for both individual and consortium bids.

All submissions will occur electronically, with detailed specifications and security requirements laid out in the tender documents. A total of 200 documents can be uploaded, with a size limit of 50 MB for each attachment. The system supports all 24 official EU languages, uses UTF-8 character encoding for uploads, and encrypts documents for security.

Responses to queries regarding the tender clarify that event-related expenses will be covered by the contractor, and there are no geographic restrictions on participant countries outside the Digital Europe Programme. While annual summits have previously been held in Brussels, future locations may alternate based on the EU's rotating presidency.

The contractor will be responsible for creating content for publication and organizing significant events, while IT platform maintenance and development fall under the jurisdiction of DG CNECT R3. The tender highlights the importance of technical expertise in ICT and AI and adheres to established EU procurement regulations.

The European Commission, DG CNECT Communications Networks, Content and Technology is offering a call for tenders, EC-CNECT2025OP0019, for the Digital Transformation Accelerator Phase II. This is an open procedure with electronic submission. The TED reference for this tender is 90/2025 301241-2025. There are change notices with the following TED references 97/2025 327151-2025, 100/2025 339023-2025 and 102/2025 00344706-2025.

The objective of the Digital Transformation Accelerator (DTA) is to provide services to the European Commission that will benefit the network of European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs) and other stakeholders. This call for tenders focuses on the second stage of the DTA for the network of EDIHs. The goal is to support the deployment of an effective and efficient network of EDIHs to accelerate the digitalization and uptake of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by European companies and public administrations. The DTA will serve as a one-stop shop, enabling organizations to access various elements of the European AI ecosystem based on their specific needs.

The estimated total value of this tender is 4,000,000 EUR. The TED publication date was 12/05/2025. The main classification (CPV) is 73000000 Research and development services and related consultancy services. The nature of the contract is for services, with a maximum contract duration of 48 months. The award method will be based on the best price-quality ratio. This is not a framework agreement.

Key milestones include a TED publication date of 12/05/2025, a public opening date and time of 18/06/2025 at 10:00 Europe/Brussels time, and a deadline for receipt of tenders on 17/06/2025 at 16:00 Europe/Brussels time. The contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions submitted after 06/06/2025 05:00 Europe/Brussels time.

The following documents are available for download: Invitation to tender EC-CNECT2025OP0019 Digital Transformation AcceleratorInvitation letter, Model service contract CNECT2025OP0019Draft contract, Service Contract Appendix 1 Security requirements, Service Contract Appendix 2 Security baseline, Tender Specifications CNECT2025OP0019Tender specifications, Tender Specifications Annexes, Tender Specifications Annex 2 DoH-Digital Transformation Accelerator EC-CNECT2025OP0019Declaration on honour (tender), and Tender Specifications Annex 6-Financial formFinancial offer form. All documents were published on 12/05/2025 and are version 1. No translations are available.

Submissions must be sent exclusively via electronic submission.

Several questions and answers have been published regarding this tender. One question addresses the shift of the DTA platform to the IT team of DG CNECT, clarifying that IT platform maintenance and development will be the responsibility of DG CNECT R3, while the DTA will create content for publication. Another question concerns expenses related to events organized by the contractor, with the response referring to section 1.4.2 (pages 9-10) of the Tender Specifications for a description of the events and stating that all costs for the organization of the events as described are to be covered. Several requests for an extension of the tender deadline due to its complexity have been made, and the response indicates that the deadline has been extended and a new opening session date has been set. One question asks for confirmation that there are no restrictions on companies from countries outside the Digital Europe Programme participating in the tender. The response confirms that the Agreement on Government Procurement concluded within the World Trade Organisation does not apply, and therefore there are no such restrictions. Another question asks if the annual summits will be held in Brussels only. The response indicates that while the summits have been held in Brussels so far, they could alternate in the future between Brussels and countries of the rotating Presidency of the EU.

For any issues with the eSubmission system, it is recommended to use the latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. If problems persist, clearing the cache and cookies may help. The system supports all 24 official EU languages and uses UTF-8 character set encoding. The system encrypts all uploaded documents using an asymmetric key. The maximum file size for attachments is 50 MB, and the maximum number of attachments per tender is 200. A Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory for participation. The PIC is unique and its validity is not limited in time. Submissions in draft status can be edited, viewed, and deleted until the submission deadline.

In summary, this tender is for the second phase of the Digital Transformation Accelerator (DTA) program, aimed at supporting the network of European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs). The goal is to accelerate the digital transformation of European companies and public administrations, particularly in the area of Artificial Intelligence. The selected contractor will provide services to the European Commission to benefit the EDIHs and other stakeholders. The tender is an open procedure with a budget of 4 million EUR and a maximum contract duration of 48 months. The deadline for submitting tenders is 17/06/2025. The tender documents provide detailed specifications, security requirements, and financial forms. The eSubmission system is used for electronic submissions, and applicants must adhere to the system's technical requirements, including file size limits and naming conventions. A Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory for participation.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but given the nature of the tender, it is likely open to organizations capable of providing services to the European Commission and benefiting the network of European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs). This could include SMEs, large enterprises, research institutes, consulting firms, and other entities with relevant expertise.

Funding Type: The funding type is procurement, specifically a service contract.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. The documentation mentions that a Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory to participate as a sole candidate/tenderer or as a member of a group (consortium). This suggests that both single applicants and consortia are eligible.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly stated, but given that the tender is related to the Digital Europe Programme and aims to benefit the network of European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs), it is likely open to entities located in the EU and potentially EEA countries.

Target Sector: The target sector is ICT, specifically focusing on digital transformation and Artificial Intelligence. The tender aims to accelerate the digitalization and the uptake of AI by European companies and public administration.

Mentioned Countries: Belgium, Italy. Brussels is mentioned as a location for annual summits, and Italy is mentioned due to a bank holiday affecting the tender deadline.

Project Stage: The project stage is deployment and support of an existing network. The tender is for the second stage of the Digital Transformation Accelerator (DTA) for the network of EDIHs, indicating that the network has already been established and launched. The focus is on supporting the full deployment of an effective and efficient network.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the tender is 4,000,000 EUR.

Application Type: The application type is an open call for tenders, with electronic submission.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in exchange for services provided.

Application Stages: The number of application stages is not explicitly mentioned, but it is likely a multi-stage process involving submission of a tender, evaluation, and contract award.

Success Rates: The success rates are not mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The co-funding requirement is not explicitly stated. However, one of the Q&A entries mentions that the call for tender is related to the Digital Europe Programme, and confirms that the Agreement on Government Procurement concluded within the World Trade Organisation does not apply, implying that there are no restrictions on co-funding.

Summary:

This is a call for tenders, EC-CNECT2025OP0019, for the second stage of the Digital Transformation Accelerator (DTA) program, which aims to support the network of European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs). The European Commission, specifically DG CNECT, is seeking a contractor to provide services that will benefit the EDIHs and other stakeholders, with the core objective to accelerate the digitalization and the uptake of Artificial Intelligence by European companies and public administration. The estimated total value of the contract is 4,000,000 EUR, and the maximum contract duration is 48 months. The procedure type is an open procedure, and submissions must be sent electronically. The deadline for receipt of tenders is 17/06/2025 at 16:00 Europe/Brussels. The award method is based on the best price-quality ratio. The tender is related to the Digital Europe Programme. The selected contractor will be responsible for creating content to be published on the web and organizing events. The IT platform maintenance and development will be the responsibility of DG CNECT R3. Annual summits have been held in Brussels so far and could alternate in the future between Brussels and countries of the rotating Presidency of the EU. To participate, tenderers need a Personal Identification Code (PIC). The maximum number of documents that can be uploaded per tender is 200, and attachments should be less than 50 MB in size. The system supports all 24 official EU languages and uses UTF-8 character set encoding. The system encrypts all uploaded documents.