Funding programme

Digital Europe Programme is the first EU programme that aims to accelerate the recovery and drive the digital transformation of Europe.

Read more about the Digital Europe Programme.
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Call overview

This call aims to support and increase the offer of 3D and XR content in the common European data space for cultural heritage.

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Expected outcome

• Frameworks, tools, technologies, storage and processing capacities for making advanced 3D and XR data available in the data space.
• High quality 3D and XR content and documentation made available in the data space.
• New high-value datasets available for re-use, in particular 3D datasets, including for conducting scientific research, preservation and restoration purposes, re-use by the cultural and creative sector and other domains such as education.
• Training and capacity building for cultural heritage institutions in making use of 3D and XR technologies.

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Objective

This action will continue the deployment of an operational data space for cultural heritage. The objective is to make more high-quality content available, particularly in 3D, foster reuse of digitised cultural resources and provide more opportunities for the community to offer enriched services, thanks to the use of advanced technologies.

It will build on the work launched under the previous WP, which consists of two work strands. The first work strand is the deployment of the data space for cultural heritage through procurement, of which the objective is to set up and run the data space, building on the existing Europeana digital service infrastructure platform and, in so far as possible, the smart cloud-to-edge middleware platform Simpl. Its continuation may be addressed under actions in 2024. The second work strand consists of grants supporting cultural heritage institutions in making use of technologies and linking up to the data space. It focuses on seizing the opportunities of advanced technologies for increasing the quality, sustainability, use and reuse of the data, as well as building digital capacity in the cultural sector by collaborating with existing and relevant European, national and regional initiatives and platforms.

Complementarity will be sought with the new European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage to be developed under the Horizon Europe programme and the EIT Culture and Creativity, by establishing links to actions of these initiatives as appropriate. Additional complementarities may be sought with the actions in the new Work Plan for Culture 2023-2026. Synergies with the New European Bauhaus initiative are also encouraged.

The awarded projects will increase the offer of 3D and extended reality (XR) content in the common European data space for cultural heritage and will help advance the digital transformation of the cultural heritage institutions, as well as the reuse of such content in other domains, such us tourism or education.

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Scope

• Setting or extending the necessary frameworks and tools for the availability of advanced 3D and XR data in the data space for cultural heritage, including know-how references and knowledge sharing;
• Collaborating with existing and relevant European national and regional initiatives and/or platforms for 3D digitisation of museum artefacts, monuments and sites, and XR application in cultural heritage. A particular attention will be given to cultural heritage monuments and objects at risk of war damage, natural disasters, etc.;
• Enriching the offer of 3D and XR data in the data space;
• Offering online experiences for the public based on 3D and XR;
• Fostering the re-use of cultural heritage XR and 3D data in important domains such as education, social sciences and humanities, tourism and the wider cultural and creative sector.

Targeted stakeholders

Cultural heritage organisations, 3D and XR technology providers, academic and research partners, stakeholders in creative sectors, education, tourism, interested in re-use.

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Budget

Simple Grants — 50% funding rate

Indicative budget: EUR 1,000,000

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Eligibility

For this call topic, multi-beneficiary applications are mandatory and specific conditions for the consortium composition apply. Proposals must be submitted by:

• minimum 3 independent applicants (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities) from 3 different eligible countries.

In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:

+ be legal entities (public or private bodies)

+ be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:

• EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs)
• listed EEA countries and countries associated to the Digital Europe Programme or countries which are in ongoing negotiations for an association agreement and where the agreement enters into force before grant signature (together ‘DEP associated countries’, see list of participating countries)