Support to the development and certification of EU Digital Identity Wallets

Grant Purpose and Target

• Core Objective: The grant aims to support Member States in the issuance and certification of EU Digital Identity Wallets by the end of 2026. It funds the development of modular wallet solutions, joint national certification schemes, and public procurement solutions for European Business Wallets.
• Funding Organization: European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA).
• Target Recipients: Legal entities (public or private bodies), including Member State authorities, wallet providers, conformity assessment bodies, national accreditation bodies, and public procurement entities.
• Sector Focus: SECTOR-SPECIFIC. The grant is focused on digital identity, cybersecurity, and public administration technology.
• Geographic Scope: Applicants must be established in EU Member States, EEA countries, or countries associated with the Digital Europe Programme.
• Key Filtering Criteria: Project duration of 24 months. A mandatory consortium of at least 5 independent entities from at least 2 different eligible countries is required. The project must focus on developing and certifying EU Digital Identity Wallets and related systems.

Financial Structure

• Funding Range: The total available budget for this topic is €10,000,000. The call for proposals states there is no pre-defined limit on the requested grant amount per project.
• Co-financing: The grant is a 'Simple Grant' with a funding rate of 50%. This means applicants are required to co-finance the remaining 50% of the total eligible costs.
• Eligible Costs: The grant covers costs that are actually incurred, necessary for the project, and identifiable. Key eligible cost categories include:
  • A. Personnel costs: Including costs for employees, natural persons under direct contract, and seconded persons. Unit costs for SME owners and natural person beneficiaries are also eligible.
  • B. Subcontracting costs.
  • C. Purchase costs: Including travel, subsistence, and equipment. Equipment costs are eligible as depreciation costs only.
  • D. Other cost categories: Such as internally invoiced goods and services.
  • E. Indirect costs: A flat rate of 7% of the total eligible direct costs is applied.
  • Costs for a kick-off meeting organised by the granting authority are eligible.
  • Non-deductible VAT is eligible.
• Ineligible Costs:
  • Costs for creating and maintaining separate project websites are not eligible (costs for presenting the project on participants' existing websites are allowed).
  • In-kind contributions from third parties are allowed but are considered cost-neutral and cannot be declared as eligible costs.
  • Standard ineligible costs as per the EU Financial Regulation apply, such as debt service charges, provisions for losses, currency exchange losses, and deductible VAT.
• Payment & Reporting: The payment structure consists of a pre-financing payment followed by a final payment.
  • Prefinancing: A float of normally 65% of the maximum grant amount is paid after the grant signature to start the project.
  • Interim Payments: There are no interim payments for this grant.
  • Final Payment: The payment of the balance is made at the end of the project, after the final report is submitted and approved.

Eligibility Requirements

• Formal Criteria: Proposals must be submitted by a consortium of at least 5 independent legal entities from at least 2 different eligible countries. Applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must be legal entities established in an eligible country and registered in the EU's Participant Register.
• Organizational Status: Applicants must be legal entities, which can be either public or private bodies. This includes, but is not limited to, public authorities, private companies (SMEs, startups, large enterprises), non-profit organizations, and research or academic institutions. Financial support to third parties is not allowed.
• Technical Expertise: Applicants must demonstrate they possess the necessary know-how, qualifications, and resources to successfully implement the project. This includes having sufficient experience in projects of a comparable size and nature, particularly in areas like digital identity, software development, cybersecurity, and certification processes.
• Exclusion Criteria: Entities that are assessed as high-risk suppliers of mobile network communication equipment, along with any entities they own or control, are explicitly not eligible to participate in any capacity (including as beneficiaries, subcontractors, etc.). Standard EU exclusion grounds, such as being subject to an EU exclusion decision, also apply.

Application Practical Information

• Deadlines:
  • Call opening: 09 October 2025.
  • Submission deadline: 09 December 2025 at 17:00:00 CET (Brussels time).
  • Indicative timeline: Evaluation is scheduled for January 2026, with information on results in February 2026. Grant agreement signature is planned for September 2026.
• Required Documents: Applicants must submit a complete proposal package electronically, which includes:
  • Application Form Part A: Contains administrative information and is filled out directly online in the submission system.
  • Application Form Part B: The technical description of the project. A template must be downloaded, completed, and uploaded as a PDF. This part is limited to a maximum of 70 pages.
• Application Process: Proposals must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Paper submissions are not accepted. The process is a single-stage submission followed by a one-step evaluation.
• Support: The grant provides financial support in the form of a 'Simple Grant' at a 50% co-financing rate.
• Post-Award Obligations:
  • Project duration is 24 months.
  • A consortium agreement between all beneficiaries is required.
  • Mandatory deliverables include an 'additional deliverable on dissemination and exploitation' to be submitted in the first six months, and a 'roadmap for the implementation of the eco-system and a sustainability strategy' to be delivered towards the end of the project.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals are evaluated against three award criteria. Each criterion has a minimum pass score of 3 out of 5, and proposals must achieve an overall score of at least 10 out of 15 to be considered for funding.

• Scoring Factors:
  • Relevance (Max score: 5, Pass score: 3): Alignment with the call's objectives, contribution to long-term EU policies and strategies (e.g., the European Digital Identity Framework), and synergies with national activities.
  • Implementation (Max score: 5, Pass score: 3): Maturity of the project, soundness of the implementation plan, efficient use of resources, and the operational and technical capacity of the consortium to carry out the proposed work.
  • Impact (Max score: 5, Pass score: 3): The extent to which the project will achieve the expected outcomes and deliverables, the quality of plans for dissemination and communication, and the project's potential to strengthen competitiveness and bring important benefits to society.
• Innovation & Impact: Projects are assessed on their potential to deliver tangible outcomes, such as joint certification schemes for Digital Identity Wallets, modular wallet solutions, and certified wallets issued in at least 2 Member States. The impact on simplifying public procurement through European Business Wallets is also a key consideration.
• Project Quality: Evaluated under the 'Implementation' criterion, focusing on the readiness to start, the coherence of the work plan (objectives, activities, resources), and the project management and quality assurance strategies. The capacity of the project team and consortium cooperation are critical.
• Strategic Fit: A core part of the 'Relevance' criterion, proposals must clearly articulate how they fit within the broader European Digital Identity Framework and contribute to the Digital Decade goal of providing all European citizens with access to digital identification.
• Cross-cutting Themes: The call document explicitly states that the following evaluation sub-criteria are NOT applicable for this specific topic:
  • Reinforcement and security of the digital technology supply chain in the Union.
  • The project's ability to overcome financial obstacles like a lack of market finance.
  • The project's address of environmental sustainability and the European Green Deal goals.

Compliance and Special Requirements

• Regulatory Compliance: Projects must adhere to the highest ethical standards and comply with all applicable EU, international, and national laws, particularly the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Proposals undergo a formal ethics review.
• IP Policy: Results are owned by the beneficiaries. However, the beneficiaries must grant the EU a royalty-free, non-exclusive, irrevocable licence to use project materials, documents, and information for its own policy, information, communication, dissemination, and publicity purposes. This includes rights to distribute, edit, translate, and archive the materials.
• Unique Aspects:
  • Projects must align with the European Digital Identity Framework Regulation and contribute to its implementation.
  • Proposals should build upon pre-existing work and leverage existing infrastructures where possible, describing complementarities with other EU-funded projects.
  • A consortium agreement is mandatory for all successful projects.
• Industry-Specific Rules:
  • Security Restrictions: Specific restrictions are in place to protect European digital infrastructures. Entities identified as 'high-risk suppliers' of mobile network communication equipment are not eligible to participate in any capacity. This restriction applies to equipment, goods, works, and services related to 5G/6G and other communication networks.
  • Public Procurement: Beneficiaries that are 'contracting authorities' must comply with the applicable national laws on public procurement when awarding contracts.