FAQ

Q1: Where can I find official information on call timelines, requirements and eligibility?

A1: All official and up-to-date information is provided in the Call for Pilots Manual, available on the LDT4SSC website. This document outlines eligibility criteria, consortium requirements, scope and evaluation procedures.

Q2: When will more details on upcoming calls be published?

A2: Further details on upcoming calls, particularly for Work Strands 2 and 3, will be published closer to their launch dates, as indicated in the Call for Pilots Manual. Both WS2 and WS3 will feature two Open Call windows each, offering multiple opportunities to apply.

Applicants are encouraged to:

• Regularly check the LDT4SSC website
• Follow project communication channels
• Consult the News and Events section for updates and information sessions

Q3: Can information about submitted or selected applications be shared?

A3: No. Information about submitted applications or evaluation outcomes cannot be disclosed before the formal evaluation process is completed.

Q4: How many Open Calls are planned in LDT4SSC?

A4: There are five Open Calls planned within the LDT4SSC project. An overview is available on the official LDT4SSC website.

Q1: What is a Local Digital Twin?

A1: A Local (or Urban) Digital Twin is a digital representation of physical assets, systems or processes within a defined local context (e.g. city, district, building, port or airport). It uses historical, near real-time or real-time data to enable visualisation, analysis, simulation and decision-making. For additional information please refer to the Knowledge Hub.

Q2: What tools are available to support Digital Twin development?

A2: Available tools include the EU Local Digital Twin Toolbox, the SIMPL middleware, and a range of open-source components referenced in the Call documentation and collected in the Resources for Pilots section on the project's Knowledge Hub.

Q3: How can existing Local Digital Twins (LDTs) be further developed? (WS1 & WS3)

A3: Pilots are expected to expand existing LDTs by interconnecting to other LDTs, developing and further improving open-source components, proposing new services that improve decision-making, resilience and sustainability.

Q4: How is interoperability between cities ensured?

A4: Pilots must adopt open specifications and standards (e.g. DCAT, ODRL) and use the SIMPL framework to ensure interoperable and cost-effective architectures across cities.

Minimal Interoperability Mechanisms Plus (MIMs) provides a common set of standard specifications that enable a minimal but sufficient level of interoperability for data, systems, and services specifically across cities and communities in Europe. These specifications are based on open standards and best practices, ensuring that different digital twins and urban platforms can communicate and share data effectively, regardless of the technology stack used by individual cities.

Cities can also rely on the European Interoperability Framework (EIF), which gives specific guidance on how to set up interoperable digital public services. The EIF distinguishes four layers to interoperability: Legal, Organisational, Semantic, and Technical. These should all be addressed to ensure interoperability between cities.

Building on the EIF and MIMs Plus, the Proposal for a European Interoperability Framework for Smart Cities and Communities (EIF4SCC) offers definitions, principles, recommendations, and practical use cases to guide cities in delivering cross-border, cross-domain services to the public.

The LDT4SSC project will provide materials and specific training to awarded pilots, guiding them in implementing these frameworks and mechanisms.

Q1: Is participation in one Work Strand mandatory to apply for another?

A1: No. Applicants may choose to apply to one or more Work Strands, depending on their objectives and capacity. Participation in a specific Work Strand is not a prerequisite for applying to another.

Q2: Is membership in the LDT CitiVERSE EDIC required to apply?

A2: No. Participation in the LDT4SSC Calls for Pilots is not linked to membership in the LDT CitiVERSE EDIC. Being a member does not provide any advantage, nor is it required for eligibility.

Q3: Am I eligible if my organisation is based outside the Digital Europe Programme (DEP)?

A3: No. Only organisations based in eligible DEP countries can receive funding and participate in pilot consortia. Organisations based in non-DEP countries are not eligible.

Q4: Can an agency working for a city (e.g. mobility agency, waste management agency), participate in these calls?

A4: Yes, any partner regardless of the legal status can participate in a consortium, as long as the requirement of having two LRAs represented in the consortium is met. If your agency is considered a public sector agency owned by the municipality, and you are officially representing the city government, there is no issue for you to be considered one of the needed public sector partners in a consortium.

Q5: Can a city with an existing LDT participate in WS2?

A5: If you already have an LDT in place, it can serve as a basis to develop new cases in the LDT, by complying with the technical and non-technical requirements of the call and in collaboration with at least one other city or community.

Q1: What is the expected duration of pilot projects?

A1: Pilots are expected to last between 12 and 18 months

Q2: How can municipalities assess their readiness to apply?

A2: Municipalities can use the LORDIMAS framework to assess their digital maturity and readiness for participating in different Work Strands. Completing this assessment is recommended for applying but not mandatory. Applicants can find recommendations on the level of maturity to have upon application and to be achieved by the end of the piloting at the LORDIMAS assessment in the CfP Manual.

Q3: What if the timeline of a call does not fit our readiness?

A3: No deadline extensions are provided. However, the LDT4SSC project includes five Open Calls, offering multiple opportunities to apply over time.

Q1: What if the funding model is not suitable for our organisation?

A1: If an organisation cannot meet the 50% co-funding requirement, it is not eligible to participate under the LDT4SSC Calls for Pilots.

Q2: How should the 50% co-funding requirement be allocated within the consortium?

A2: The consortium must demonstrate that it collectively meets the 50% co-funding requirement. How individual partners contribute to this total is not a determining factor, as long as the consortium as a whole complies.

Q3: How much funding can a consortium receive?

A3: Each consortium may receive up to €1,000,000, with a maximum of €500,000 per third party, subject to the specific conditions of each Work Strand.

Q4: Can pilots demonstrate financial eligibility through in-kind contributions as well as monetary support?

A4: No, financial eligibility can only be demonstrated through monetary support only.

Q5: How many projects will be funded in each Work Strand?

A5: LDT4SSC will fund as many projects as there is budget to do so.

Q6: Can a city / public entity partially cover the eligible costs with ERDF (European Regional Development Fund)?

A6: Synergy grants might be used as co-funding, but in case you plan to do so, please let us know as soon as possible because this will need to be checked with the European Commission’s internal financial services

Q1: How can organisations find partners or join a consortium?

A1: The recommended way to connect with potential partners is through the LDT4SSC Matchmaking Platform, which is specifically designed to support consortium building for the Open Calls. Through the platform, organisations can:

• Create a profile describing their expertise, interests and role
• Publish a project idea or consortium proposal
• Search for and contact cities, SMEs, research organisations and other stakeholders
• Initiate meetings and consortium discussions directly with potential partners

The Matchmaking Platform is available here.

A short tutorial on how to use the platform is also available on YouTube.

Q2: Can a consortium be formed after submitting an application?

A2: No. Applications must be submitted by a fully formed consortium. Consortia are expected to implement their pilots independently and cannot merge or partner with other consortia after submission.

Q3: Can third parties apply as leads to the consortium?

A3: While there is a preference for a public authority to act as lead, third parties can also do so.

Q1: How will pilot proposals be evaluated?

A1: Applications undergo evaluation as follows:

• A pre-screening (eligibility check) - pass/fail assessment
• Full evaluation by the Evaluation Committee and Ethical Board
• Validation by the Steering Committee

Only proposals that pass the eligibility check proceed to the full evaluation.

Q2: What is checked during the eligibility screening?

A2: The eligibility check verifies that:

• All required documents were submitted on time and in the correct format (pdf & excel)
• The proposal does not deviate from the official template and comply with the page limits
• All required questions are completed
• The consortium composition meets the eligibility rules
• The 50% co-funding requirement is met
• The funding limits are respected
• The minimum technical and non-technical requirements are respected

Q3: What criteria are used to evaluate proposals?

A3: Proposals are evaluated based on excellence, impact, and quality & efficiency of implementation as follows:

• Excellence:
  • Clarity of objectives
  • Alignment with EU priorities
  • Quality of use cases
  • Technical and functional architecture
  • Robust data governance and ethics approach
  • Sound methodology
• Impact:
  • Measurable socio-economic and environmental benefits
  • Replicability across EU communities
  • Contribution to the EU LDTY ecosystem
  • Stakeholder engagement
  • Sustainability and scaling strategy
• Quality & Efficiency of implementation:
  • Consortium expertise
  • Work plan realism
  • Resource allocation
  • Risk management
  • Technical maturity

Each criterion has a minimum and maximum score defined in the evaluation grid (the minimum is 6 and the maximum is 10. Proposals must reach the minimum threshold in each category. Evaluations are carried out by an Evaluation Committee composed of internal and external experts. More information can be found in the CfP Manual.

Q4: What are the use-case eligibility criterion for each Work Strand?

A4:

• For Work Strand 1, pilots must include:
  • At least two cross-sectoral use cases
  • Each use case must feature one shared service which must integrate datasets from at least two different sectors or provide data services spanning at least two sectors within a single use case
• For Work Strand 2, pilots must include:
  • At least one cross-sectoral, innovative and citizen-focus use case
  • Each use case must feature two services and must address a shared local challenge and common need
• For Work Strand 3, pilots must include:
  • At least one cross-sectoral, innovative and citizen-focused use case
  • Each use case must feature two services and must address a shared local challenge

Q5: What are the technical eligibility criteria?

A5:

• For Work Strand 1, pilots must include:
  • The interconnection of two digitally mature existing LDTs. ‘Digitally mature’ means having an existing LDT (can be supported by a data space) with at least descriptive-level capabilities (see explanation in section 6.2 of https://www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_gr/CIM/001_099/017/01.01.01_60/gr_CIM017v010101p.pdf) and dynamic data integration
• For Work Strands 2 and 3, pilots must include:
  • The development of a new common LDT
  • At least two instance (one per public authority)
  • Advanced simulation capability (predictive, prospective or prescriptive)
  • While eligibility requirements are the same for WS2 and WS3, WS2 focuses on developing new LDT capacities based on shared needs, whereas WS3 concerns advanced or AI-enabled services building on LDT frameworks.

Please refer to the applicable WS1, WS2 and WS3 Call for Pilots Manuals for further information on eligibility criteria, requirements and recommendations.