MCP on Innovative and Connected Public Administrations

This summary details a Multi-Country Project (MCP) grant opportunity under the Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL) aimed at enhancing interoperability in digital public administration across EU Member States. The call, titled DIGITAL-2026-BESTUSE-MCP-09-INNOV-ADMIN, seeks to support the development and implementation of interoperable digital public services that function seamlessly across borders. The total budget for the call is €6,000,000, which supports collaborative projects specifically requiring participation from multiple Member States.

Eligible applicants include public administrations, governmental entities, and other public sector organizations closely linked to Member States. The structure mandates consortium collaboration, fostering joint identification of needs and sharing resources to address interoperability challenges effectively.

The funding type is a direct non-repayable grant. The application process follows a single-stage open call format, with proposals being accepted from January 20, 2026, until May 19, 2026, at 17:00 Brussels time. Projects should align with the objectives of the Interoperable Europe Agenda and address areas such as AI integration in public services, data governance, and cybersecurity.

Successful proposals should focus on developing cross-border digital service platforms, enhancing existing interoperability solutions, and creating systems for effective data sharing. The call promotes innovative approaches and aims to streamline public services through common data standards and effective knowledge exchange among Member States.

Evaluation criteria for project proposals emphasize feasibility, impact, and alignment with EU regulations and objectives, particularly those outlined in the framework of the Interoperable Europe Act. There are no mandatory co-funding requirements specified, allowing for full EU funding on eligible costs.

Overall, this opportunity is strategically aligned with the EU's Digital Decade goals to ensure accessible and efficient public services across jurisdictions while enhancing collaboration and innovation within the public administration sector. Applicants are advised to carefully examine related documents for detailed guidance on admissibility conditions, evaluation processes, and submission requirements.

The DIGITAL-2026-BESTUSE-MCP-09-INNOV-ADMIN call, also known as DIGITAL-SIMPLE DIGITAL Simple Grants, is part of the Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL) under the call Accelerating the Best Use of Technology (DIGITAL-2026-BESTUSE-MCP-09). It aims to progress in developing and testing elements necessary for cross-border digital public services, paving the way towards seamless digital public services across the Union.

The objective is to enable Member States to collaborate, identify joint needs, and develop interoperability assets for cross-border digital public services. This leverages collective resources and expertise to achieve impactful results that single entities cannot attain alone. The call supports the implementation of the Interoperable Europe Act, contributing to the priorities of the Interoperable Europe Agenda by improving public services through seamless data exchange and addressing interoperability challenges. This aligns with the EU’s Digital Decade goal of ensuring full online access to public services and secure eID solutions by 2030.

The scope involves addressing the demand from citizens and businesses for user-focused, inclusive digital public services accessible through multiple channels and aligned with European values. Public administrations are encouraged to become more data-driven and adopt integrated approaches while ensuring the safe use of AI. The call aims to improve interoperability by supporting existing and developing new solutions, enhancing collaboration among stakeholders for cross-border services, and scaling up innovative solutions. It also focuses on implementing EU policies, particularly on AI and Data Spaces, to streamline processes and improve interoperability across networks with common data standards.

The call has a budget of 6,000,000 EUR for the year 2026. It follows a single-stage submission process. The planned opening date is 20 January 2026, and the deadline for submission is 19 May 2026 at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

Admissibility conditions include proposal page limits and layout, which are described in section 5 of the call document and Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System. Eligible countries are described in section 6 of the call document, as are other eligible conditions. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion are detailed in section 7 of the call document. Submission and evaluation processes are described in section 8 of the call document and the Online Manual. Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in section 9 of the call document. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in section 4 of the call document. The legal and financial set-up of the grants is described in section 10 of the call document.

Relevant documents include the call document, standard application form (DEP) available in the Submission System, DEP Model Grant Agreement (MGA), DEP Work Programmes, DEP Regulation 2021/964, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment, EU Grants AGA Annotated Model Grant Agreement, Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions, and Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

There are 7 partner search announcements available. LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests for open and forthcoming topics, as well as any user having an active public Person profile.

For help related to this call, contact DIGIT-INTEROPERABILITY@ec.europa.eu. Additional resources include the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ for submission of proposals, the IT Helpdesk for technical questions, and the Online Manual for a step-by-step guide through the Portal processes.

In summary, this call is a funding opportunity under the Digital Europe Programme aimed at fostering collaboration among Member States to develop interoperable digital public services. It seeks to improve data exchange and address interoperability challenges in line with the EU's Digital Decade goals, with a focus on AI and Data Spaces. The call is structured as a single-stage grant with a budget of 6 million EUR, opening in January 2026 and closing in May 2026. Applicants should carefully review the call documents and adhere to the specified admissibility conditions, evaluation criteria, and submission guidelines.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, the call is aimed at Member States working together, suggesting that public administrations or entities closely linked to Member States are likely eligible applicants. The mention of LEARs (Legal Entity Appointed Representatives), Account Administrators, and self-registrants publishing partner requests indicates a broad range of potential participants, including research institutions, universities, SMEs, and other organizations that can form partnerships with Member States. A consortium of multiple applicants is expected.

Funding Type: The funding type is a DIGITAL Simple Grant, specifically a DIGITAL Action Grant Budget-Based [DIGITAL-AG].

Consortium Requirement: The objective of the action is to allow Member States to work together, jointly identify needs and develop interoperability assets needed for cross-border digital public services, leveraging collective resources and expertise to achieve impactful results unattainable by single entities. This strongly suggests that a consortium is required.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The call is targeted towards EU Member States, as the primary objective is to foster collaboration among them for developing cross-border digital public services.

Target Sector: The target sector is primarily ICT, specifically focusing on digital public services, interoperability, data spaces, and AI. It also touches upon innovation in public administration.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the focus is on EU Member States.

Project Stage: The project stage appears to be focused on development and testing of elements necessary for cross-border digital public services. This suggests a stage of development, validation, and potentially demonstration.

Funding Amount: The budget for the topic DIGITAL-2026-BESTUSE-MCP-09-INNOV-ADMIN is EUR 6,000,000.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, as indicated by the forthcoming call and single-stage deadline model.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a DIGITAL Simple Grant.

Application Stages: The application process is single-stage.

Success Rates: The indicative number of grants is not specified, so the success rate cannot be determined from the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required.

Summary:

This EU funding opportunity, under the Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL), aims to accelerate the best use of technology by fostering collaboration among EU Member States to develop and test interoperability assets for cross-border digital public services. The call, titled DIGITAL-2026-BESTUSE-MCP-09-INNOV-ADMIN, falls under the DIGITAL-SIMPLE DIGITAL Simple Grants action type and offers a total budget of EUR 6,000,000. The primary objective is to support the implementation of the Interoperable Europe Act and the Interoperable Europe Agenda, aligning with the EU’s Digital Decade goals.

The scope of the call focuses on improving interoperability, developing new solutions, enhancing collaboration for cross-border services, and scaling up innovative solutions. It also emphasizes the implementation of EU policies related to AI and Data Spaces, aiming to streamline processes and improve interoperability across networks with common data standards.

Eligible applicants are expected to be Member States or entities closely associated with them, forming consortia to leverage collective resources and expertise. The application process is a single-stage open call, with the submission system planned to open on January 20, 2026, and a deadline of May 19, 2026.

The funding is provided as a DIGITAL Action Grant, and the call encourages applicants to address the demand for user-focused, inclusive digital public services accessible through multiple channels, while also promoting data-driven approaches and the safe use of AI in public administrations. The call documents provide detailed information on admissibility conditions, eligible countries, evaluation and award criteria, and the legal and financial setup of the grants.