Estimated time of reading: 2 minutes

In the framework of the Digital Europe programme, a call for proposals for common European data spaces in the field of cultural heritage and tourism is open for publication.

With a total budget of €12 million, the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) will manage the following two topics:

DIGITAL-2023-CLOUD-DATA-AI-05-CULTHERITAGE: Data Space for Cultural heritage. €4 million.

DIGITAL-2023-CLOUD-DATA-AI-05-DATATOURISM: Data Space for tourism. €8 million.

The deadline to submit applications is 23 January 2024 at 17:00 Brussels time.

Topic 1

The Common European Data Space for Cultural Heritage, established by a Commission Recommendation in 2021, supports the digital transformation of the European cultural sector and promotes the creation and re-use of content in the cultural and creative sectors.

A call for tenders for the installation and distribution of the data space and a call for proposals launched in 2022 have already been published for its implementation in the framework of Digital Europe.

This call for proposals aims to support and increase the supply of 3D and XR content in the common European data space for cultural heritage, and thus contribute to promoting the digital transformation of cultural institutions, as well as the re-use of such content in other sectors,  such as tourism or education.

Proposed projects must add at least one new 3D and XR scenario (not previously existing) to the cultural heritage data space, addressing all of the following:

• define or extend the frameworks and tools needed for the availability of advanced 3D and XR data in the cultural heritage data space, including the exchange of know-how and best practices with the cultural heritage community;
• cooperate with existing EU, national and regional initiatives and/or platforms for the 3D digitisation of museum artefacts, monuments and sites and, where appropriate, XR application in cultural heritage (with a particular focus on monuments and cultural goods at risk of war damage, natural disasters, etc.);
• Enrich the offer of 3D and XR data in the data space;
• Offer the public online experiences based on 3D and XR;
• Promote the re-use of XR and 3D data of cultural heritage in important areas such as education, social sciences and humanities, tourism and the cultural and creative sector in general.

For this topic, up to 4 projects will be financed, for a maximum contribution of 1,000,000 euros per project.

Topic 2

This topic aims to create a safe and reliable common European data space for tourism building on the results of the preparatory actions funded by the call for preparatory actions launched in 2021.

The new data space will have to provide the tourism ecosystem with access to the information collected, so that it can be reused and will increase data sharing, with an impact on productivity, greening and sustainability, innovative business models and upskilling. In this way it will allow companies to align the offer with the expectations of tourists, adapt service proposals to new tourist groups, make forecasts on peaks in tourist flows, and thus have a more efficient resource planning favoring new business opportunities.

The call will finance the creation and deployment of a technical infrastructure combined with governance mechanisms that facilitate access to and sharing of key data resources in the sector, including across borders. This will build on and align with existing and future initiatives concerning data sharing in the tourism sector.

A key feature of the infrastructure will be data interoperability. The data space should use mechanisms for security and privacy and develop data services corresponding to European values, in particular ethics, equality and diversity.

For this topic only one project will be funded, for a maximum contribution of 8,000,000 euros

Eligible applicants to submit a project proposal, for both topics are: 

legal entities, public and private, and in particular public administrations, government bodies, economic actors / SMEs, relevant sector associations, NGOs, universities / research institutions. Project proposals must be submitted by consortia of at least three partners from three different eligible countries, which are EU States, including Overseas Countries and Territories, and some associated non-EU countries

The actions financed fall under the Simple Grants category, which provide for a grant of up to 50% of the eligible costs, within the ceilings indicated.

The official documentation is available here

Written by: Margherita Genua