Safeguarding Europe’s Born-digital Heritage

Safeguarding Europe’s Born-digital Heritage PPPA-2026 is a single-stage PPPA pilot call funding one project to map the state of preservation and access to born-digital cultural heritage in the EU and to develop a practicable roadmap of legal and non‑legislative measures. The call offers an indicative budget of €1,985,000, funds up to 85 percent of eligible costs, and expects a project duration of 18 months. Eligible applicants are legal entities in EU Member States and the proposal must be submitted by a consortium of at least five independent beneficiaries from five different eligible countries. The call opens 4 June 2026 and the electronic submission deadline on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal is 16 July 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time, with contact CNECT-G2@ec.europa.eu for non-IT questions.

Call type and objective

What it funds

Pilot project to assess the state-of-play of preservation and access to born-digital cultural heritage in the EU and to develop a tested roadmap of legal and non-legislative measures, guidance and good practices to adapt legal deposit laws and improve preservation and access.

Scope highlights:Activities must map preservation practices and repositories, analyse national and EU legal/regulatory frameworks and non-legal barriers, include digital art, web archives, content created outside institutions and video games, test feasibility of measures, and produce recommendations, awareness raising and a final roadmap ¹.

1. 1Mapping and baseline assessment of born-digital assets across sectors and countries
2. 2Legal and policy mapping, identification of barriers and good practices
3. 3Feasibility testing of measures and development of an implementation roadmap, plus stakeholder engagement and communication

Who can apply

Consortium lead applicant must be a legal entity established in an eligible country. Eligible participants include public bodies, non-profit organisations, for-profit organisations, research organisations, universities and international organisations. Natural persons are not eligible. Proposals must be submitted by a consortium of at least five independent applicants from five different eligible countries.

Consortium minimum:At least 5 independent legal entities from 5 different eligible countries (affiliated entities and associated partners do not count towards the minimum).

Budget and duration

Indicative call budget €1,985,000. The Commission expects to fund 1 project with a maximum expected grant amount of €1,985,000; EU co-financing up to 85% of eligible costs. Project duration typically 18 months.

Eligible activities and requirements (brief)

Funded actions cover research, mapping, legal and policy analysis, stakeholder consultation, feasibility testing of measures, development of practical tools/guidelines, communication and a final roadmap with legislative and non-legislative recommendations. Projects must leverage existing initiatives (e.g. Europeana, national archives) and clarify possibilities under EU law for creating preservation copies of licensed but not acquirable material.

Submission and contacts

Single-stage electronic submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal. Planned opening date 4 June 2026. Submission deadline 16 July 2026 (Brussels time). For help contact CNECT-G2@ec.europa.eu or use the Portal topic page EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Footnotes

1. 1Call document and full topic fiche available from the Funding & Tenders Portal and the call PDF: ec.europa.eu

Opportunity summary

Call identifier:PPPA-2026. Programme: Pilot Projects & Preparation Actions (PPPA). Type of action: PPPA Project Grants. Planned opening date: 04 June 2026. Submission deadline: 16 July 2026, 17:00 Brussels time. Deadline model: single-stage. Expected number of grants: 1. Indicative total call budget: €1,985,000. Expected maximum single grant amount: €1,985,000. Maximum EU funding rate: 85% of total eligible costs. Expected project duration: typically 18 months. Project start date expected no later than 1 January 2027. The call funds a single pilot project to assess the state-of-play for preservation and access to born-digital heritage in the EU and to develop and test a feasible roadmap toward adapting legal deposit laws and best practices.

Purpose and expected impact:The pilot project must map and assess which born-digital heritage is preserved across the EU, identify what is missing and why (technical, legal, organisational, financial factors), map national, European and international legal and non-legal frameworks and initiatives, assess other influencing factors, test feasibility and impact of possible measures, and deliver a tested roadmap and prioritized recommendations (legislative and non-legislative) to facilitate preservation and access to born-digital cultural heritage; the scope must explicitly include digital art, web archives, content created outside cultural heritage institutions and video games ¹.

Detailed eligibility and consortium rules

General eligibility:applicants must be legal entities (public or private bodies) established in eligible countries. Natural persons are not eligible. International organisations are eligible. Entities without legal personality may exceptionally participate if their representatives can assume legal obligations. EU bodies (except the European Commission Joint Research Centre in general rules) cannot be beneficiaries. All beneficiaries and affiliated entities must register in the Participant Register and be validated by the Central Validation Service (REA Validation).

Consortium composition:Proposals must be submitted by a consortium of at least five independent beneficiaries from five different eligible countries. Affiliated entities and associated partners do not count towards the minimum number of beneficiaries. The consortium must include a coordinator who signs the grant and distributes payments. A consortium agreement is required/recommended to organise internal roles, decision-making, liability and IP arrangements.

Eligible applicant types

Eligible applicants include public bodies, non-profit organisations, for-profit private organisations (including SMEs), universities, research organisations and international organisations. Entities set up as associations or groupings may participate (including as sole beneficiary if the grouping structure is eligible). Subcontractors, associated partners and third parties providing in-kind contributions can be included in the proposal but have specific roles and limitations (subcontractors may receive payments; associated partners typically receive no EU funding). Natural persons are explicitly ineligible.

Eligible geographic scope

The call is open to entities established in eligible countries, in particular EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories where applicable). The call text repeatedly frames activities across Europe and the EU as the geographic target for mapping and roadmap development; project activities must take place in eligible countries. Non-EU participants and international organisations may be part of consortia under the rules described in the call document.

Funding, costs and financial rules

Form of funding:action grant, budget-based mixed actual cost grant with some unit-cost or flat-rate elements possible. Maximum EU contribution: up to 85% of total eligible costs. Indicative call budget: €1,985,000; expected to fund one project for up to €1,985,000 but awarded amounts may be lower than requested. The grant will reimburse eligible costs actually incurred for the action; some costs may be declared as unit costs or flat-rate elements where applicable. Grants must respect the no-profit rule (no profit may be generated from the grant).

Eligible cost categories and key rules:Budget categories include personnel costs (employees, natural persons under direct contract, seconded persons; SME owner unit-costs may be applicable if covered), subcontracting, purchases (travel and subsistence, equipment, other goods and services), other categories where applicable, and a flat-rate for indirect costs (standard example: 7% of eligible direct costs A-D, with exceptions for specific categories). Travel and subsistence are generally declared using unit costs according to Commission Decision C(2021)35 or actual costs where appropriate. Equipment is normally eligible as depreciation costs or in specific cases as full cost per call rules. Financial support to third parties is not allowed for this topic. VAT rules: non-deductible VAT can be eligible in some cases, but VAT paid by public bodies acting as public authority is typically not eligible.

Call process, application and templates

Call opening and submission:proposals must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Submission System (no paper submissions). The Submission System will contain the Application Form Part A (online) and Part B (downloadable template filled in and re-uploaded as PDF). Mandatory annexes must be uploaded in the slots required by the Portal.

Required application documents and templates:Required documents include Application Form Part A (administrative data, summary budget), Application Form Part B (technical description — limited to 70 pages for Part B), a detailed budget table/calculator, standard CVs of core team, applicants’ activity reports for the last year, a list of previous key projects for the last four years and other supporting documents requested during legal entity validation. The application must include the mandate to act for all applicants and a declaration of honour at grant signature stage. The Portal-provided templates (Part B and annex slots) must be used and proposals must meet page limits and layout rules. Proposals must be readable, accessible and printable.

1. 1Application structure: Part A (online administrative and financial summary) and Part B (technical description submitted as PDF using Portal template).
2. 2Mandatory annexes: detailed budget table, standard CVs, activity reports, list of previous projects (last 4 years).
3. 3Page limits: Part B maximum 70 pages; additional pages beyond the limit will be disregarded.
4. 4Submission channel: EU Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System only.
5. 5Registration: all beneficiaries, affiliated entities and associated partners must be registered in the Participant Register and have a PIC.

Evaluation, award criteria and process

Single-stage submission and one-step evaluation. Proposals will be checked for admissibility and eligibility before evaluation. The evaluation panel (assisted by independent experts) scores proposals against the award criteria. Successful proposals will be invited to grant preparation; invitation does not constitute formal funding until legal checks and GA signature are completed. Reserve list may be established. Estimated evaluation timeline: July–September 2026; information on results September–October 2026; grant agreement signature November–December 2026.

Award criteria, scoring and thresholds:Award criteria and weights: Relevance 40 points, Quality 40 points, Impact 20 points. Minimum thresholds: Relevance 24/40, Quality 24/40, Impact 12/20, overall threshold 60/100. Proposals passing individual and overall thresholds may be funded within available budget. Tie-break rules prioritise uncovered themes, then scores on Relevance, Impact and Quality, then portfolio balance.

1. 1Relevance (40 points): alignment with call objectives, EU legislative and policy context, transnational dimension.
2. 2Quality (40 points): logical coherence, consortium quality, project management and methodology, risk management, cost-effectiveness.
3. 3Impact (20 points): long-term impact, dissemination strategy, sustainability after EU funding.

Administrative, legal and compliance requirements

Financial and operational capacity checks apply. Financial capacity checks are normally required except for public bodies or when individual grant amounts are not above €60,000. Operational capacity will be assessed via the Quality criterion and supporting documents (CVs, activity reports, list of projects). Exclusion rules apply for entities under EU restrictive or conditionality measures, bankruptcy, grave professional misconduct, fraud, money laundering, or other exclusion grounds set out in the EU Financial Regulation. Ethics, confidentiality and data protection obligations apply. A Model Grant Agreement (MGA) applies with annexes and detailed rules on eligible costs, reporting, payments, audits and recoveries.

Reporting, payments and control:Prefinancing is normally paid after grant signature and may equal around 50% of the maximum grant amount unless otherwise set. Interim payment(s) and final payment occur after submission of periodic reports and financial statements; specific schedule will be in the Grant Agreement Data Sheet. Certificates on financial statements may be required depending on thresholds. Grant may be subject to prefinancing guarantees, audit checks, OLAF and ECA investigations and other control mechanisms described in the MGA.

Project scope, activities and deliverables

The pilot project activities to be funded include comprehensive data-driven mapping and assessment, legal and policy mapping, stakeholder engagement, technical and organisational assessment, identification of good practices, pilot testing of measures or procedures where relevant, development and testing of a roadmap (including feasibility testing of measures and timelines), communications and awareness-raising (including a project website and a closing stakeholder event). The project must consider the widest possible range of born-digital heritage and must explicitly include digital art, web archives, content created outside cultural heritage institutions and video games.

1. 1Assess share and types of born-digital heritage preserved by country, sector and content type, identify gaps and risk items.
2. 2Map national, European and international legal and policy frameworks and past/ongoing initiatives; identify harmonisation opportunities and legal barriers, including copyright, licensing and legal deposit regimes.
3. 3Assess non-legislative factors influencing preservation (technical, financial, organisational, cultural) and collect good practices and innovative technical/legal solutions.
4. 4Test and validate feasible measures and actions; produce a prioritised, implementable roadmap with timelines, responsible actors, expected outcomes and monitoring indicators.
5. 5Deliver communication and awareness actions for policymakers, heritage institutions, creators and the public, including a closing event to present findings and recommendations.

The project should explore legal clarity under EU law for heritage institutions about the creation of preservation copies of licensed or otherwise legally accessed material that cannot be acquired, and must leverage existing preservation initiatives (e.g. Europeana, Common European Data Space for Cultural Heritage) and stakeholders such as libraries, archives and legal experts.

Project maturity and expected beneficiaries

Project stage:research, mapping, validation and pilot testing leading to demonstration of feasible measures and roadmap. Target beneficiaries and stakeholders: cultural heritage institutions (libraries, museums, archives), national heritage agencies, policymakers, legal experts, digital preservation initiatives, researchers, creators, digital artists, game preservation stakeholders, Europeana and data space actors, and the interested public.

Important practical information and timelines

Call opening date:04 June 2026. Submission deadline: 16 July 2026, 17:00 Brussels time (single-stage). Evaluation: July–September 2026. Communication of evaluation results: September–October 2026. Grant preparation and signature: expected November–December 2026. Project duration expected 18 months; retroactive start may be exceptionally authorised but not earlier than submission date. Project starting date expected by 01 January 2027 at the latest.

Contact and help:For call-specific support contact CNECT-G2@ec.europa.eu. For Portal technical issues use the IT Helpdesk webform. Consult the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, the Call Document and the Model Grant Agreement available on the Portal Reference Documents for full details and templates.

Specific administrative constraints, templates and application advice

Use Portal templates:Part B template must be downloaded from the Submission System, completed and re-uploaded as PDF. Fill Part A directly online. Ensure consistency between online summarised budget and detailed budget annex (detailed budget table in annex will be checked; the online summarised budget prevails in case of discrepancy). Prepare mandated annexes: detailed budget/calculator, standard CVs for core team, applicants’ activity reports for last year, list of previous projects for last 4 years. Part B page limit: maximum 70 pages. Proposals must be complete, include all required annexes and must be submitted by the deadline. Proof of mandate to act for all applicants must be provided at submission. Legal entity validation and possible requests for additional documents may occur during grant preparation.

Assessment of opportunity categories (structured answers)

1. 1Eligible Applicant Types: Public bodies, non-profit organisations, for-profit private organisations including SMEs, universities, research institutes, cultural heritage institutions (libraries, archives, museums), international organisations. Associated partners, subcontractors and affiliated entities can participate with defined roles. Natural persons are not eligible.
2. 2Funding Type: Grant (EU action grant under Pilot Projects & Preparation Actions).
3. 3Consortium Requirement: Consortium required. Minimum composition: at least 5 independent beneficiaries from 5 different eligible countries. Single applicant is not allowed for this topic.
4. 4Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): Primarily EU Member States and eligible countries as defined in the call; the call targets EU-wide activities and mapping. Non-EU participants and international organisations may participate under specific rules; eligible countries list and details are in Call Document section 6.
5. 5Target Sector: Culture and digital heritage, intersecting with ICT, data policy and legal frameworks (copyright, licensing), digital preservation, archives, libraries, museums, digital art and video games preservation.
6. 6Mentioned Countries: The call text explicitly references EU Member States and European coverage; Brussels/Belgium is referenced as administrative time zone context. No individual non-EU countries are named in the topic description. The call also references initiatives and frameworks of European scope (Europeana, common European data space for cultural heritage) and UNESCO/PERSIST guidelines.
7. 7Project Stage: Research, exploratory assessment, mapping, validation and pilot testing; expected to produce actionable roadmap and tested measures — maturity: research to demonstration/pilot.
8. 8Funding Amount: Indicative call budget €1,985,000. Expected to fund one project for up to €1,985,000. EU co-financing up to 85% of eligible costs, implying typical required co-funding around at least 15% from beneficiaries or other sources.
9. 9Application Type: Open single-stage call (standard open call via Funding & Tenders Portal, single-stage submission).
10. 10Nature of Support: Monetary support (grant funding) to reimburse eligible costs; complementary non-monetary outputs expected include roadmap, guidelines, tested tools and awareness materials, though the financial instrument is a grant.
11. 11Application Stages: One formal submission stage (single-stage) followed by evaluation and then grant preparation steps (practical sequence: 1 submission; 2 evaluation and selection; 3 grant preparation and signature). For counting evaluation stages: the call uses 1 submission stage but the overall process has multiple administrative steps, so applicants should plan for at least 2 major decision stages (evaluation, grant preparation).
12. 12Success Rates: Not stated. The call expects to fund 1 project only. Given the single-grant nature and typical EU call competition, the probability of success is low and depends on the number and quality of applications; applicants should assume a competitive selection and prepare high-quality transnational consortia.
13. 13Co-funding Requirement: Yes. The grant funds up to 85% of eligible costs; the remainder (typically at least 15%) must be covered by beneficiaries or other funding sources. Exact rules on co-funding and cost eligibility are in the Grant Agreement and Annex 2.
14. 14Templates: Application forms consist of Part A (administrative information entered online) and Part B (technical description using Portal template). Mandatory annexes: detailed budget table/calculator; standard CVs of core project team; applicants’ activity reports for the last year; list of previous key projects (last 4 years). Part B must respect the 70-page limit. Additional templates and the specific application form are available and must be used from the Submission System. The Model Grant Agreement and Annotated MGA, Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, and other reference documents (Rules for Legal Entity Validation, EU Financial Regulation, EU Grants AGA) provide detailed templates and guidance for reporting, costs, certificates and legal setup.

Evaluation advice and proposal focus:Because the call will fund a single pilot project, proposals must demonstrate exceptional relevance to EU policy objectives, high methodological quality, a strong transnational consortium with legal and technical expertise in born-digital preservation, access to relevant datasets and repositories, capacity to engage stakeholders (libraries, archives, Europeana, data spaces), and realistic testing of proposed measures with measurable outcomes and implementation pathways. Proposals should present clear work packages for assessment, legal mapping, technical inventory, stakeholder engagement, pilot testing, roadmap drafting and dissemination, with a proportional and justified budget and risk mitigation. Include practical deliverables such as a public-facing project website, data inventories, legal analysis reports, guidelines for preservation copies under EU law, and a closing stakeholder event.

How to apply and practical checklist

1. 1Register all participating legal entities in the Participant Register and obtain PICs well in advance.
2. 2Assemble a consortium with minimum five independent beneficiaries from five different eligible countries and identify the coordinator.
3. 3Download and use the Part B template from the Submission System and prepare Part A online.
4. 4Prepare mandatory annexes: detailed budget table/calculator, CVs (standard), applicants’ activity reports (last year), list of previous projects (last 4 years). Ensure budget consistency between detailed budget and online summary.
5. 5Respect Part B page limit of 70 pages. Submit completed application via the Funding & Tenders Portal before 16 July 2026, 17:00 Brussels time.
6. 6Ensure financial and operational capacity evidence is available for legal entity validation and possible financial checks during grant preparation.
7. 7Plan for at least 15% co-funding (or equivalent contributions) given the 85% maximum EU co-financing rate.
8. 8Prepare for possible prefinancing guarantee requirements and for certificates on financial statements depending on thresholds.

Useful links and documents:Call Document, Application Form templates (Part A and Part B), Model Grant Agreement (MGA) and Annotated MGA, Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Rules for Legal Entity Validation, EU Financial Regulation references and the Commission Decision for 2026 work programme are the governing documents. The call page and documents are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal; see the call fiche and downloadable PDF call document for full legal and operational detail Call document and annexes.

Footnotes

1. 1Call document: Safeguarding Europe’s born-digital heritage, Call: PPPA-2026-BORN-DIGITAL, EU Funding & Tenders Portal, Call fiche and full Call Document available at the Portal Call fiche.

This structured analysis summarises the EU call for proposals Safeguarding Europe’s Born-digital Heritage (topic ID PPPA-2026), a pilot project under the Pilot Projects & Preparation Actions (PPPA) programme. The call aims to assess the state‑of‑play of born‑digital heritage preservation in the EU and develop a roadmap to adapt legal deposit laws and best practices. The analysis below draws on the official topic page, call document and related guidance available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Call Overview and Objectives

The call is titled Safeguarding Europe’s Born-digital Heritage and is classified as a call for proposals under the PPPA programme. The type of action is PPPA Project Grants (PPPA‑PJG) with a budget‑based action grant model. The project is designed as a single‑stage, one‑project pilot that will run for 18 months, with a planned start date of 1 January 2027 at the latest.

Overall objective:To assess the state‑of‑play of the preservation of and access to born‑digital heritage in the EU and to develop a roadmap for adapting legal deposit laws and best practices.

Key expected impact:The project will explore the feasibility of a roadmap based on an assessment of the situation around born‑digital heritage preservation, mapping of legal and non‑legal frameworks, and adoption of good practices. It will clarify challenges and barriers (e.g. copyright, digital storage, licensing) and propose practical solutions to support wider preservation of born‑digital heritage across Europe.

Scope and Thematic Focus

The pilot project will map and assess the present situation of born‑digital heritage material and related data in the EU. For the purpose of this call, born‑digital heritage is defined as material originally created in digital form without a physical equivalent (e.g. eBooks, electronic journals, online media, blogs, websites, video games, digital art).

Core activities to be funded:The project must deliver a comprehensive strategy for improving preservation and access to Europe’s born‑digital cultural heritage based on data, legal and policy analysis, stakeholder insights and practical recommendations. Activities include:

• Assessing the share of Europe’s born‑digital cultural heritage currently preserved, by country, sector (e.g. museums, libraries, archives) and content type (e.g. websites, digital art, video games), and identifying significant gaps and heritage at risk.
• Mapping the legal and policy landscape for preservation and access, including EU and national laws, regulations and policies, and identifying how existing frameworks support or hinder preservation and access.
• Mapping non‑legislative factors influencing preservation practices, such as technical, financial, organisational and cultural barriers, and documenting good practices and innovative solutions.
• Establishing recommendations for legislative and non‑legislative measures, including a prioritised list of potential legal changes (e.g. copyright law, mandatory deposit for digital content) and non‑legislative actions (e.g. funding programmes, training, public‑private partnerships).

Mandatory content types:The research, mapping, assessment and roadmap development must include digital art, web archives, content created outside cultural heritage institutions, and video games. The project should also explore how heritage institutions can create preservation copies of material that can be licensed or otherwise legally accessed but not acquired, in line with EU law.

Funding Amount, Duration and Budget

The call is expected to fund one project with a total available budget of €1,985,000 for 2026. The EU co‑financing is capped at a maximum of 85% of the total eligible costs, meaning the requested grant amount should not exceed this ceiling. The grant awarded may be lower than the amount requested, and the Commission reserves the right not to award all available funds or to redistribute them depending on the proposals received and evaluation results.

Project duration:A duration of 18 months is considered sufficient for the pilot project. Extensions are possible if duly justified and agreed via an amendment to the grant agreement.

Budget categories and cost eligibility:The grant will be a budget‑based mixed actual‑cost grant, reimbursing eligible costs actually incurred. Eligible budget categories include:

• Personnel costs (employees, natural persons under direct contract, seconded persons, SME owners and natural person beneficiaries).
• Subcontracting costs.
• Purchase costs (travel and subsistence, equipment, other goods, works and services).
• Other cost categories (e.g. financial support to third parties, where allowed).
• Indirect costs at a flat‑rate of 7% of eligible direct costs (categories A–D, excluding volunteers and exempted categories).

Key financial rules:The grant may not produce a profit; for‑profit organisations must declare revenues, and any surplus will be deducted from the final grant amount. Financial support to third parties is not allowed under this call. In‑kind contributions are allowed but cost‑neutral and cannot be declared as eligible costs.

Eligibility and Consortium Requirements

Eligible participants are legal entities (public or private bodies) established in EU Member States, including overseas countries and territories (OCTs). The call is open to non‑profit organisations, for‑profit private organisations, international organisations, public bodies and academia/universities/research organisations. Natural persons are not eligible. EU bodies (with the exception of the European Commission Joint Research Centre) cannot participate in the consortium.

Consortium composition:Proposals must be submitted by a consortium of at least five independent applicants (beneficiaries), each established in a different eligible country. Affiliated entities and associated partners do not count towards this minimum. All beneficiaries and affiliated entities must be registered in the Participant Register and validated before submission.

Financial and operational capacity:Applicants must demonstrate stable and sufficient financial resources and the know‑how, qualifications and resources to implement the project. Financial capacity checks are normally carried out for all beneficiaries (except public bodies and international organisations) and may lead to enhanced financial responsibility regimes or prefinancing guarantees if needed. Operational capacity is assessed as part of the award criterion ‘Quality’ and is demonstrated through CVs of core team members, activity reports, and lists of previous projects.

Exclusion criteria:Entities subject to an EU exclusion decision or in situations such as bankruptcy, serious tax or social security breaches, grave professional misconduct, fraud, corruption, links to criminal organisations, money laundering, terrorism‑related crimes, child labour or human trafficking are excluded from participation. Misrepresentation of information or conflict of interest in the preparation of the call can also lead to rejection.

Deadlines, Submission and Evaluation

The call follows a single‑stage submission and evaluation procedure. Proposals must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System; paper submissions are not accepted.

Key dates:Planned opening date: 4 June 2026. Deadline for submission: 16 July 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time. Evaluation is expected between July and September 2026, with information on results in September–October 2026 and grant agreement signature in November–December 2026.

Proposal structure and page limits:Proposals consist of Part A (administrative information and summarised budget, filled in online), Part B (technical description, maximum 70 pages), and mandatory annexes (detailed budget table, CVs of core team, applicants’ activity reports of last year, and list of previous projects for the last four years). Proposals exceeding the page limit will not have additional pages considered by evaluators.

Evaluation criteria and thresholds:Proposals are evaluated on three criteria:

• Relevance (40 points): clarity and consistency of the action, match with call objectives and EU strategic context, and European/transnational dimension.
• Quality (40 points): logical links between problems and solutions, quality of the consortium and project teams, methodology, management, risk management, and cost‑effectiveness.
• Impact (20 points): ambition and expected long‑term impact, dissemination strategy, and sustainability of results after EU funding ends.

Pass thresholds:Minimum pass scores are 24/40 for Relevance, 24/40 for Quality, and 12/20 for Impact, with an overall threshold of 60/100. Proposals meeting these thresholds are considered for funding within the available budget ceiling.

Reporting, Payments and Grant Management

The project will be managed through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Grant Management System, with milestones and deliverables reflected in Annex 1 of the Grant Agreement.

Payment schedule:After grant signature, the coordinator normally receives a prefinancing of up to 50% of the maximum grant amount, paid 30 days from entry into force, 10 days before the starting date, or after a financial guarantee, whichever is latest. An interim payment (up to 30% of the maximum grant amount) is linked to a detailed cost report, and the final payment is calculated at the end of the project. Any surplus of earlier payments over the final grant amount must be repaid.

Reporting obligations:Beneficiaries must submit periodic technical reports and financial statements according to the schedule in the Grant Agreement, as well as continuous reporting on deliverables and milestones via the Portal. Certificates (e.g. on financial statements) may be required depending on the size and type of beneficiaries.

Liability and recoveries:The liability regime for recoveries will be set in the Grant Agreement and may include limited joint and several liability, unconditional joint and several liability, or individual financial responsibility. The granting authority may also require joint and several liability of affiliated entities with their beneficiary.

Intellectual Property, Communication and Visibility

The Model Grant Agreement sets out standard rules on intellectual property rights (IPR), communication, dissemination and visibility that apply to this call.

IPR and background:The granting authority does not obtain ownership of results produced under the action. Beneficiaries must grant each other and other participants access to background needed for implementation. The granting authority receives a royalty‑free, non‑exclusive and irrevocable licence to use non‑sensitive information and materials for policy, information, communication, dissemination and publicity purposes.

Communication and visibility:Beneficiaries must promote the action and its results strategically and coherently. Communication and dissemination activities must acknowledge EU support by displaying the European flag and a funding statement, and must include a disclaimer that views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the European Union or the granting authority.

Ethics, data protection and values:The action must comply with the highest ethical standards and applicable EU, international and national law. Beneficiaries must respect EU values (e.g. human dignity, freedom, democracy, rule of law, human rights) and process personal data in line with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR) and other relevant data‑protection rules.

Practical Guidance for Applicants

Applicants should carefully align their proposal with the call’s scope, ensuring that the project explicitly addresses born‑digital heritage types such as digital art, web archives, content created outside cultural heritage institutions, and video games. The consortium should include partners with legal, policy, digital preservation and cultural‑heritage expertise to cover the mapping of legal frameworks, non‑legislative barriers and practical recommendations.

Key preparation steps:

• Register in the Participant Register and obtain a Participant Identification Code (PIC) for each beneficiary and affiliated entity.
• Review the call document, Model Grant Agreement and EU Grants AGA – Annotated Model Grant Agreement to understand cost eligibility, reporting and payment rules.
• Design a realistic 18‑month work plan with clear milestones, deliverables and risk management, and ensure the budget is balanced and cost‑effective.
• Prepare a strong dissemination and communication plan that raises awareness among policymakers, institutions and the public about the importance and challenges of born‑digital heritage preservation.

Support and contacts:For non‑IT questions related to the call, applicants should contact CNECT‑G2@ec.europa.eu, quoting the call reference PPPA‑2026‑BORN‑DIGITAL. For IT‑related issues (e.g. submission system, passwords), the IT Helpdesk should be contacted via the webform on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Applicants are strongly advised to start preparing early, complete registration and consortium set‑up well in advance of the 16 July 2026 deadline, and avoid last‑minute submissions to mitigate technical risks. Regularly checking the topic page for updates and Q&As is also recommended.