Support to Dissemination and Exploitation (D&E) for the Digital Europe Programme

Call DIGITAL-2026 under the Digital Europe Programme funds a single Coordination and Support Action to design and implement a programme-level Dissemination and Exploitation (D&E) operational framework and deliver practical uptake actions, tools and a results database. Indicative budget is €1,800,000, maximum grant €1,800,000, funding rate 100% for CSAs, and project duration is 36 months. Eligible applicants are legal entities established in EU Member States, participating EEA countries and countries associated to the Digital Europe Programme; mono-beneficiary or multi-beneficiary proposals are permitted. Deadline for submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal is 1 October 2026, 17:00 Brussels time, with evaluation against Relevance, Implementation and Impact (thresholds apply).

Support to Dissemination and Exploitation (D&E) for the Digital Europe Programme

What it funds

Scope in one line

A coordination and support action to design and implement a programme-level Dissemination and Exploitation (D&E) operational framework for the Digital Europe Programme, support projects' valorisation and uptake, deliver tools (including requirements for a results platform), events, monitoring metrics and a database of exemplary DEP results. Activities must address programme-wide and topic-specific D&E, security constraints and links with other EU/national programmes.

Budget and award:Indicative topic budget €1,800,000; expected to fund 1 DIGITAL Coordination and Support Action (DIGITAL-CSA). Funding rate: 100% (budget-based action grant). Maximum grant per project indicated at €1,800,000 ¹.

1. 1Deadline: 01 October 2026, 17:00 Brussels time (single-stage).
2. 2Planned opening date for submission: 21 April 2026; submission through the Funding & Tenders Portal.
3. 3Project duration typically 36 months (specified in the grant).
4. 4Eligible applicants: legal entities (public or private) established in eligible countries (EU Member States, EEA and associated countries listed in the call); entities must register in the Participant Register and meet financial/operational capacity rules.

Selection: one-stage submission; proposals evaluated on Relevance, Implementation and Impact (individual thresholds 3/5, overall 10/15). Standard grant rules apply (eligibility, ethics, security, financial checks, reporting, record-keeping).

Footnotes

1. 1Full call text, application templates and submission are on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Support to Dissemination and Exploitation (D&E) for the Digital Europe Programme — Call summary

Call identity, schedule and financial envelope

Opportunity Title: Support to Dissemination and Exploitation (D&E) for the Digital Europe Programme. Call identifier: DIGITAL-2026. Programme: Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL). Type of action: DIGITAL-CSA Coordination and Support Action (Digital Action Grant, Budget-Based [DIGITAL-AG]). Opening date planned: 21 April 2026. Deadline: 1 October 2026, 17:00 Brussels time. Deadline model: single-stage. Planned budget (topic): €1,800,000. Indicative number of grants: 1. Project duration indicated: 36 months. Planned timetable: evaluation Oct–Nov 2026; information on evaluation Jan–Feb 2027; grant agreement signature May–June 2027.

Maximum grant amount and funding rate:Maximum grant amount per project (indicative requested grant amount): €1,800,000. Type of action funding rate: Coordination and Support Actions — 100% of eligible costs. Funding model: budget-based mixed actual cost grant (actual costs, with unit cost and flat-rate elements where applicable) ¹.

Objective, expected outcomes and scope

Objective: maximise the impact and uptake of Digital Europe Programme results through the design and implementation of a programme-level Dissemination and Exploitation (D&E) operational framework and practical D&E actions. The action will leverage and enhance existing programme-level D&E efforts and provide tools, services and processes to increase valorisation and uptake of results across the Programme’s Specific Objectives and implementing bodies.

Expected outcomes and deliverables (summary of mandatory and core outcomes): optimisation of an operational D&E framework for the Digital Europe Programme with robust methodology; identification and taxonomy of adopter types and their needs; direct support to projects (advisory, business support and acceleration services) to prepare and execute D&E activities and valorise results; an actionable delivery plan with monitoring and evaluation metrics; delivery of practical D&E actions (sector-specific and programme-wide events); specification of means and tools to enable the framework including functional and technical requirements for a dedicated results platform; a sustainability plan for the framework and implemented actions; treatment of dissemination and exploitation in contexts that require security restrictions and protection of EU interests; a consolidated database of concrete DEP results and exemplary dissemination/use cases across Specific Objectives and implementing bodies.

Scope details (what the action must cover)

The action must address at least: programme-wide coverage (Specific Objectives, topics and projects) and across funding instruments (grants, procurements, financial instruments); both capacity-building and use strands of the Programme; different organisation types (public bodies, research organisations, SMEs, large enterprises, etc.); different stakeholders including final adopters and users; project lifecycle stages and reporting obligations; security and strategic autonomy specificities (critical infrastructure, restricted results, handling of classified information where applicable); coordination within the EU and with third countries where relevant; exploitation of complementarities within DIGITAL and between DIGITAL and other EU/national/regional programmes; interaction with implementing bodies (European Commission, HaDEA, Joint Undertakings, etc.) taking into account their specific rules on handling results. The action must complement existing project-level D&E and leverage existing tools (including those of other EU programmes) and innovative D&E approaches.

Targeted stakeholders and beneficiaries of the action

Targeted stakeholders include Digital Europe Programme participants, projects and implementers, final users and adopters (notably SMEs, startups, scaleups, public administrations), policy actors, research organisations, technology providers, European institutions, implementing bodies (European Commission, HaDEA, JUs), national/regional authorities, and other programme-level actors engaged in dissemination, valorisation and uptake activities. The call emphasises experience in D&E for ICT and familiarity with the Programme as an asset.

Eligibility, applicant types and geographic scope

Eligible applicants: legal entities (public or private bodies) established in eligible countries. The call documentation is explicit: natural persons are not eligible except self-employed persons (sole traders where the company has no separate legal personality). International organisations are generally not eligible unless they are International organisations of European Interest as defined in the Digital Europe Regulation. Entities without legal personality may exceptionally participate if representatives can undertake legal obligations. EU bodies (except the Commission Joint Research Centre) cannot be beneficiaries. Associations/interest groupings may participate as sole beneficiaries or beneficiaries without legal personality, but members implementing the action must participate as beneficiaries or affiliated entities. The call requires registration in the Participant Register (PIC) and validation by REA Central Validation Service prior to submission.

Geographic eligibility: applicants must be established in one of the eligible countries listed in the call document. Eligible countries include EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories) and countries associated to the Digital Europe Programme and participating EEA states as listed in the Work Programme / call documentation. The call also addresses security/strategic-autonomy restrictions in the Work Programme and Annexes: some topics or parts of the Programme can add limitations on participation or control by non-EU or third-country entities for security reasons; applicants must consult the call documents and possible ownership/control declarations if restrictions are activated.

Eligible applicant types (explicit list):Eligible applicant/legal entity types explicitly referred to in the call: public bodies (national/regional/local authorities), research organisations, higher education establishments (universities), private companies (SMEs, large enterprises), non-profit organisations, associations/interest groupings, self-employed natural persons (sole traders only where permitted). International organisations of European Interest may be eligible where specified. Natural persons (individuals) are not eligible except the self-employed case.

Consortium composition and requirement

Consortium requirement: the topic description does not impose a fixed mandatory multi‑beneficiary consortium. Coordination and Support Actions can be single-beneficiary or multi-beneficiary. The call permits mono-beneficiary grants where appropriate (mono-beneficiary/coordinator will still perform all coordinator tasks), so applicants may apply as a single legal entity or as a consortium. The call emphasises that any affiliated entities, associated partners, subcontractors or third parties giving in-kind contributions must be presented in the proposal and validated where necessary. If affiliated entities participate, the beneficiary must provide affiliation evidence and affiliated entities' costs are eligible only if properly documented and included in Annex 2.

Application process, templates and submission method

Application channel: all proposals must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System (Submission System). Paper submissions are not accepted. The submission process is single-stage (one submission) followed by evaluation and then grant preparation with possible fine-tuning.

Application forms and structure (what to prepare):Application Form has two parts: Part A (administrative data) completed directly in the Portal (participants, roles, summary budget, declarations) and Part B (technical description) which must be downloaded from the Submission System, completed in the prescribed template and re-uploaded as PDF. Part B (technical narrative) has a page limit described in the Call document and the Submission System (the call notes a maximum of 50 pages for this topic Part B; evaluate and follow the Part B template and Portal guidance). Mandatory annexes must be uploaded in the right slots (e.g. list of previous projects template, CVs if required, budget tables, other call-specific annexes). The call documentation includes: Call Document (DEP), Application Form templates (DEP AF), Model Grant Agreement (DEP MGA), and additional reference documents (Work Programmes, Regulations, Online Manual, AGA Annotated Model Grant Agreement).

Formatting and admissibility requirements: proposals must be complete, use the official templates inside the Submission System, be readable, accessible and printable. The Part B page limit for this topic is a maximum of 50 pages; excess pages will be disregarded. Minimum font and margin rules apply per the Application Form guidance. The coordinator must confirm mandate to act for all participants at submission; declarations of honour are required later at grant signature.

Evaluation, award, timeline and scoring

Evaluation procedure: one-stage submission followed by single-step evaluation. Admissibility and eligibility checks first, then evaluators assess operational capacity and award criteria. An evaluation committee assisted by independent experts will rank proposals and produce evaluation reports. Successful applicants will be invited to grant preparation; invitation does not constitute formal award until legal and financial checks are completed and the Grant Agreement is signed. Reserve list may be created. Complaints procedures are available and described in the evaluation result letters and Portal Terms & Conditions.

1. 1Award criteria and scoring: Relevance (0–5), Implementation (0–5), Impact (0–5). Individual thresholds: minimum 3/5 per criterion. Overall threshold: minimum 10/15. Proposals must pass individual and overall thresholds to be considered for funding.
2. 2Special award-criterion exceptions: some parts of Relevance (e.g. reinforcement of digital supply chain, overcoming financial obstacles) may be not applicable for this topic per specific topic conditions.
3. 3Other scoring features: tie-break rules include coverage of themes, scores on Relevance then Impact then Implementation, and portfolio balance.

Indicative evaluation timeline (from call text): Opening date 21 April 2026; submission deadline 1 October 2026; evaluation Oct–Nov 2026; information on results Jan–Feb 2027; grant agreement signature May–June 2027. Project starting date will normally be after grant signature; a retroactive starting date can be exceptionally agreed but not earlier than the submission date. Project duration expected: 36 months.

Legal, ethical, security and financial checks

Legal and administrative checks: participant legal entity validation (PIC, REA validation) will be required during grant preparation; supporting documents for legal status and origin will be requested. Financial capacity checks will be performed where applicable (not required for public bodies or for grant requests <= €60,000). Operational capacity will be assessed through the Implementation award criterion and supporting documentation (team profiles, previous projects list, resources). Exclusion grounds under the EU Financial Regulation apply (bankruptcy, fraud, grave professional misconduct, EU restrictive measures, etc.).

Ethics and security: an ethics review is mandatory where relevant; compliance with highest ethical standards and applicable law (including GDPR) is required. Projects involving EU classified information must undergo security scrutiny and may require Facility Security Clearance, Personnel Security Clearance and secure premises; SAL (security aspects letter) and specific security deliverables may be applied. Classified information handling rules and restrictions are described in the call document and the DEP MGA and relevant Commission decisions.

Budget, costs, eligible cost types and financial rules

Budget form: the grant will be budget-based mixed actual cost grant (actual costs plus unit costs and flat-rate elements where applicable). Eligible cost categories follow the DEP MGA: A Personnel costs (employees, natural persons under direct contract, seconded persons, SME owners/natural person beneficiaries), B Subcontracting, C Purchase costs (C.1 Travel & subsistence, C.2 Equipment, C.3 Other goods/works/services), D Other cost categories (D.1 Financial support to third parties not allowed for this topic; D.2 Internally invoiced goods/services), E Indirect costs (flat rate 7% of eligible direct costs A–D, with exceptions set out in the MGA). Specific call rules: equipment costs are reimbursed as depreciation only for this topic (depreciation option applies) and access-rights obligations for continuity and interoperability apply. Non-deductible/non-refundable VAT may be eligible, except where public bodies act as public authorities (then VAT not eligible). In-kind contributions for free are allowed but cost-neutral (cannot be declared as costs). Financial support to third parties is not allowed under this topic.

Payment modalities: prefinancing is normally paid after grant signature (prefinancing float normally 80% of maximum grant amount, subject to checks and possible guarantee). Interim payments and final payment arrangements follow the Grant Agreement. Reporting (continuous deliverables via Portal), periodic financial statements and technical reports are mandatory. Certificates on financial statements (CFS) may be required depending on grant amount and thresholds defined in the Data Sheet. Grants must not produce a profit; revenue generated by the action must be declared and may be deducted from the final grant amount where applicable.

Application assessment practicalities and constraints

Page limits and formatting: Part B submission (technical narrative) must follow the Submission System template and Part B page limit for this topic is 50 pages. Font size, margin and other layout constraints are in Part B template in the Submission System. Proposals must be complete (Part A online + Part B PDF + required annexes). The Proposal must be submitted via the Portal before the deadline; the Portal will provide a confirmation email on successful submission. Applicants are strongly advised to register and prepare well in advance to avoid last-minute technical problems. Partner search features are available in the Portal for applicants seeking consortia.

1. 1Submission method: Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System (online only).
2. 2Documents to upload: Application Form Part B (PDF), mandatory annexes (list of previous projects template if required), supporting documents for legal/financial validation during grant preparation.
3. 3Admissibility checks: completeness and page limits; proposals exceeding the Part B page limit will have excess pages disregarded.

Evaluation stages, award stages and process summary

Number of application stages: the call is single-stage in submission (one-step evaluation). The award process practically involves: (1) submission and admissibility/eligibility checks; (2) expert evaluation against award criteria and ranking; (3) invitation to grant preparation for successful proposals; (4) legal and financial validation and signature of Grant Agreement; (5) project start (project start date often after grant signature). For applicants this typically means two main phases to obtain funding: evaluation (selection) and grant preparation (contracting).

Success rates and selection likelihood:Success rates are not published in the call text. The call only indicates available budget (€1.8 million) and an indicative number of grants (1). No explicit historical success-rate figure is provided; applicants should therefore treat competition as potentially strong and craft proposals that clearly meet all thresholds and provide high scores in Relevance, Implementation and Impact.

Co-funding and return conditions

Co-funding requirement: Not required for this topic — the CSA is funded at 100% of eligible costs. Applicants must however ensure balanced budgets and that costs declared are eligible, reasonable and necessary. The grant must not lead to profit. Any revenues generated by the action should be declared and may reduce the final grant amount as required by the MGA.

Project maturity and expected project stage

Project stage expected: demonstration/implementation and programme coordination stage. This call is for a Coordination and Support Action to design and implement an operational dissemination and exploitation framework and deliver D&E activities and tools; applicants should therefore propose mature implementation plans, demonstrated operational capacity and experience in D&E, support services, business acceleration or platform design and delivery. The call expects a 36-month project duration.

Specific contractual, legal and administrative references applicants must consult

Applicants must consult the Call Document (DEP), Model Grant Agreement (DEP MGA), Application Form templates (DEP AF), the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, the EU Grants Annotated Model Grant Agreement (AGA), the Digital Europe Work Programme 2025-2027 and the Digital Europe Regulation 2021/694 and EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509 as referenced in the call documentation. Specific topic conditions, KPIs, mandatory deliverables (e.g. D&E deliverable within first six months), monitoring metrics and the technical annex with work packages and deliverables are set out in the Call Document and Annexes.

Templates, application structure and recommended content outline

The Application Form structure (Part A + Part B) and the Part B template are mandatory. Part A is filled in the Portal. Part B must follow the template and cover at minimum the sections evaluated under the award criteria. Guidance and suggested structure (based on the mandatory Part B template available in the Submission System):

1. 1Project summary and context aligned to the Digital Europe objectives and scope of topic.
2. 21 Relevance: clear objectives, target groups, expected outcomes linked to the call scope, taxonomy of adopters, how the action complements existing D&E works (e.g. DEDEP.eu), policy synergies.
3. 32 Implementation: maturity, work plan, work packages (management, framework development, tools/platform requirements, pilot D&E actions, events, database creation, sustainability planning), quality assurance, monitoring & evaluation metrics, risk management and mitigation, staffing, consortium and roles, previous experience and list of relevant projects (last 4 years).
4. 43 Impact: expected measurable outcomes (KPIs include number of stakeholders participating, diversity coverage, number of activities delivered within project lifetime, number of initiatives actively supported, percentage of initiatives using tools/methodologies, number of business organisations/SMEs benefitting, dissemination events and participants, sustainability metrics, % of project results included in the database), dissemination and communication plan, exploitation and valorisation strategy, contribution to EU policy and environmental considerations where relevant.
5. 54 Work plan and resources: detailed work packages, major deliverables and milestones, person-months per WP, budget breakdown by cost category, subcontracting justification (if any), purchases and equipment details, timeline (month-based), and deliverable descriptions including dissemination formats and languages.
6. 65 Other: ethics self-assessment, security self-assessment, data management measures, access-rights handling (continuity and interoperability), compliance with ownership/control rules if applicable.
7. 7Annexes: list of previous projects, consortium CVs (if required), budget tables, possible pre-existing tools documentation and references (DEDEP.eu and others), any requested declarations or guarantees.

Applicants must ensure consistency between the technical narrative, work plan, person-months and the budget. Subcontracting should be exceptional and justified; subcontracting above 30% of total eligible costs must be explained and justified in the proposal.

Risk areas and mandatory compliance items for applicants

1. 1Security restrictions and classified information handling — if the project needs to handle EU classified information or sensitive results, facility and personnel security clearances may be required before signature; proposals must declare this and follow SAL requirements.
2. 2Data protection — compliance with GDPR and Portal Privacy Statement; data handling and transfer rules must be described.
3. 3Ethics — ethics self-assessment mandatory where applicable; proposals involving human data, AI systems, or other flagged areas must include relevant ethics mitigations and approvals.
4. 4Legal and financial validation — beneficiaries must be registered and validated (PIC) and provide financial documents during grant preparation; public bodies may be exempted from certain checks.
5. 5Ownership and control rules — if the work programme activates ownership/control restrictions for security reasons (SO1, SO2, SO3 may have varying restrictions), applicants may need to submit ownership control declarations and country/participant guarantees.

Quick checklist for applicants (practical steps)

1. 1Register organisation(s) in the Participant Register and obtain PIC; ensure REA validation in time for grant preparation.
2. 2Build consortium model (mono-beneficiary or multi-beneficiary) and confirm mandate to act for submission.
3. 3Download and use the Part B template from the Submission System; respect page limits (Part B: 50 pages for this topic) and formatting rules.
4. 4Assemble mandatory annexes (list of previous projects, budget tables, proof of affiliation where relevant).
5. 5Prepare security and ethics self-assessments if applicable; prepare data protection measures and DMP where relevant.
6. 6Submit application via the Funding & Tenders Portal before the deadline and keep confirmations and submission receipts.

Categorisation answers (structured)

1. 1Eligible Applicant Types: Legal entities (public bodies, research organisations, universities, non-profits, SMEs, large enterprises), associations/interest groupings, self-employed natural persons (sole traders) where allowed; international organisations of European Interest only where expressly allowed. Natural persons (individuals) are NOT eligible except the self-employed exception. EU bodies (except JRC) are not eligible as beneficiaries.
2. 2Funding Type: Grant (Coordination and Support Action — DIGITAL-CSA; budget-based mixed actual cost grant).
3. 3Consortium Requirement: Other — single or multi-beneficiary permitted (mono-beneficiary grants allowed). Applicants may apply as a single legal entity or as a consortium; affiliated entities/associated partners and subcontractors are allowed with the relevant documentation.
4. 4Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): EU Member States (including OCTs) and countries associated to the Digital Europe Programme and participating EEA countries as listed in the Work Programme and call documentation. Security-specific restrictions may limit participation or control by certain third-country entities in specific thematic areas — applicants must check the call document and Work Programme for ownership/control restrictions.
5. 5Target Sector: Digital technologies, ICT, innovation and exploitation of digital results across thematic sectors covered by Digital Europe (AI, cybersecurity, high-performance computing/supercomputing, semiconductors/Chips JU, advanced digital skills, data spaces, public sector digitalisation, EDIHs and other programme-specific objectives). The call targets programme-level D&E across multiple sectors including semiconductors, AI, cybersecurity, HPC, advanced digital skills and more.
6. 6Mentioned Countries: Explicitly: EU Member States and countries associated to the Digital Europe Programme and EEA participants (general formulation in call text). No single country list appears in the scraped excerpt — applicants should consult section 6 of the Call Document for the full list of eligible countries. The call text also references implementing bodies (European Commission, HaDEA, Joint Undertakings) but does not list specific third countries.
7. 7Project Stage: Demonstration/implementation and programme coordination level — the action is for coordination & support, framework design and implementation, sustainability planning and delivery of D&E activities (TRL is not the target; rather uptake/valorisation and coordination services).
8. 8Funding Amount: €1,800,000 indicative topic budget; maximum grant amount per project indicated as €1,800,000. The call reserves the right not to award all funds and to redistribute between priorities depending on proposals received.
9. 9Application Type: Open call — single-stage submission via Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System. Planned opening 21 April 2026 and deadline 1 October 2026. Partner search features available on the Portal.
10. 10Nature of Support: Money (EU grant funding) in the form of a budget-based grant to reimburse eligible costs. Beneficiaries will receive financial support (100% of eligible costs for CSAs). The project will also deliver non-monetary outputs/services (tools, platform specifications, D&E advisory, events, database) but the funding provided is monetary.
11. 11Application Stages: 2 main phases in practice — 1 submission/evaluation (single-stage), 2 grant preparation (contract negotiation and validation) leading to signature and project start. From a formal counting of selection stages: evaluation then grant preparation (practical 2-step process).
12. 12Success Rates: Not specified in the call documentation. The call indicates a single-topic budget of €1.8 million and an indicative number of grants = 1; therefore competition may be strong. No historical success rate is provided.
13. 13Co-funding Requirement: No co-funding required for the applicant (100% funding rate). Applicants must however ensure the project budget is balanced and that incurred costs are eligible, reasonable and necessary. Revenues generated by the action must be declared and may reduce the final grant amount.
14. 14Templates: Application forms and templates: Part A online in the Portal; Part B technical description template (DEP Part B) to download from Submission System and re-upload as PDF. Part B must follow the template sections: Relevance (objectives, synergies), Implementation (maturity, plan, management, resources, risk), Impact (outcomes, dissemination, exploitation, sustainability), Work Plan/WPs/Deliverables/Milestones, Budget details, Ethics and Security self-assessments, Declarations. Part B page limit for this topic is 50 pages. Mandatory annexes may include list of previous projects (template in Part B annex slots), CVs if required, detailed budget tables, and call-specific annexes. The Model Grant Agreement (DEP MGA) and Annotated Model Grant Agreement (AGA) must be consulted for legal and financial obligations. See call document sections 5–10 for full annex and template list.

Risks, special technical requirements and security considerations

Security and restricted results: the call emphasises the importance of dealing with dissemination and exploitation in the context of security restrictions and protection of EU interests (e.g. critical infrastructures, classified information). Projects must include security risk analysis and foreseen mitigations, and may be subject to security scrutiny and security aspects letters (SAL). Where EU classified information or sensitive results are involved, beneficiaries must be prepared to obtain facility security clearance, to handle restricted deliverables and to apply specific security deliverables and rules set by the granting authority. Ownership and control declarations may be required if the Work Programme activates ownership/control restrictions for certain Specific Objectives. Be prepared to submit the ownership/control declaration and any guarantees required by the call if applying in restricted topics.

Technical requirements for the results platform and tools: the call requires functional and technical requirements for a dedicated results platform that will facilitate delivery of the operational framework. Proposals should include requirements analysis, interoperability and continuity obligations, data access and protection approaches, and plans for sustainability and possible handover or continued operation beyond project lifetime.

Concluding summary — what this opportunity is about and how to approach it

This call is a Programme Support Action under the Digital Europe Programme to design and implement a programme-level Dissemination & Exploitation operational framework and to carry out practical D&E actions that maximise the impact and uptake of Digital Europe results. The project must provide a robust methodology and practical toolkit (including requirements for a results platform), deliver capacity-building/advisory/acceleration support to projects, create a taxonomy of adopters, deliver monitoring/evaluation metrics and a sustainability plan, and produce a database of exemplary DEP results and dissemination/use cases. The action must also explicitly address security and strategic autonomy constraints where relevant and plan for cross-programme coordination and reuse of resources and tools. The call finances Coordination and Support Actions at a 100% funding rate, with an indicative single grant of €1.8M and a project duration of 36 months. The application is submitted via the Funding & Tenders Portal (Part A online and Part B PDF), follows the standard DEP application templates and must meet the award criteria Relevance, Implementation and Impact (minimum thresholds apply). Applicants should emphasise programme-level coordination experience, D&E methodological capabilities, platform and tool requirements expertise, capacity to support projects in valorisation and business uptake, security-aware processes, and a credible sustainability and monitoring approach.

Applicants should read the full Call Document, Annexes and the DEP Model Grant Agreement carefully before preparing proposals; they must register organisations in the Participant Register, prepare the Part B document using the official template, include required annexes (list of previous projects, budget details) and upload everything via the Portal before the deadline. The portal contains additional guidance, templates and an Online Manual for submission and evaluation processes. Funding & Tenders Portal — topic page Call document (PDF) Model Grant Agreement DEP MGA DEDEP.eu coordination action (relevant existing framework) Digital Europe Work Programme 2025-2027 Write to DG CONNECT / EU contact ¹

Footnotes

1. 1This summary is based on the Digital Europe Call document (DEP Call: DIGITAL-2026) and related call annexes and templates published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Applicants must consult the official call documentation and templates in the Submission System for final and binding instructions and legal provisions.

Support to Dissemination and Exploitation (D&E) for the Digital Europe Programme

This call for proposals DIGITAL-2026 under the Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL) aims to maximise the impact and uptake of programme results through a comprehensive Dissemination and Exploitation (D&E) operational framework and practical actions supported by appropriate tools. It builds on existing efforts such as the ongoing DEDEP.eu coordination action.

Objectives and Expected Outcomes

The primary objective is to optimise the D&E operational framework across the Digital Europe Programme, covering all Specific Objectives (SO), funding instruments, implementing bodies, and stakeholders. Key expected outcomes include: optimisation of the D&E framework with methodological approaches; identification of adopter types and taxonomy; support to projects via advisory, business support, and acceleration services; delivery plans with monitoring metrics; stakeholder events; tools including requirements for a dedicated results platform; sustainability plans; handling security restrictions; and a database of exemplary DEP results cases.

Scope

• Programme-wide perspective across Specific Objectives, topics, projects, grants, procurements, and financial instruments.
• Capacity building and use strands, considering result types and audiences.
• Types of organisations, stakeholders, and final adopters/users.
• Project lifecycle stages and reporting obligations.
• Security and strategic autonomy, including critical infrastructures.
• Coordination within EU and beyond, exploiting complementarities between DIGITAL projects, other EU/national programmes, and implementing bodies (e.g., European Commission, HaDEA, JUs).
• Leveraging existing tools from other EU programmes and innovative D&E approaches to promote uptake beyond direct participants.

Eligibility and Who Can Apply

Eligible applicants are legal entities (public or private bodies) established in EU Member States (including OCTs), EEA countries, and countries associated to the Digital Europe Programme. Natural persons are generally not eligible (except self-employed). International organisations are eligible only if of European Interest. Entities without legal personality may participate exceptionally with guarantees. EU bodies (except JRC) cannot participate. No specific consortium composition required (n/a). Targeted entities should have experience in D&E in ICT; familiarity with DIGITAL is an asset. End-users include SMEs, public administrations, European institutions, private sector, and academia.

Funding Details

Budget:Estimated available budget: €1,800,000 for 2027. Indicative number of grants: 1.

Maximum grant amount:€1,800,000 per project.

Funding rate:Coordination and Support Actions (CSA): 100% of eligible costs.

Project duration:36 months.

Key Dates

Evaluation Criteria

• Relevance (max 5 points, min threshold 3): Alignment with objectives; contribution to policy; synergies (certain sub-criteria not applicable).
• Implementation (max 5 points, min threshold 3): Maturity; soundness of plan; applicant capacity.
• Impact (max 5 points, min threshold 3): Achievement of outcomes; competitiveness/societal benefits; environmental sustainability.
• Overall threshold: 10/15 points.

Application Process

Single-stage submission via EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Part A: administrative data (online). Part B: technical description (max 50 pages). Mandatory annex: list of previous projects (last 4 years). Proposals must be complete and submitted electronically before deadline. Detailed conditions in call document sections 5-11.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Number of stakeholders participating in framework and actions.
• Diversity coverage (SOs, implementing bodies, instruments, technologies, stakeholders).
• Number of framework activities delivered.
• Number of initiatives supported in D&E efforts.
• % of initiatives using D&E tools/methodologies.
• Number of businesses/SMEs/startups benefiting.
• Number of dissemination events and participants.
• % of tools/methodologies usable post-project.
• % of project results in database.

Specific Conditions

• Equipment costs: depreciation only.
• Access rights for continuity/interoperability obligations.
• Ethics review required; security scrutiny if classified information involved.
• Financial capacity check unless grant <= €60,000 or public body/IO.
• No financial support to third parties.

Full details in call document: Call Document. Apply via EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Contact: Write to us. Related ongoing action: DEDEP.eu.

Footnotes

1. 1All information based on official call fiche (V1.0, 01.04.2026) and portal data. Conditions refer to call document sections as noted.