Preparation of Works for Operational Digital Platforms

Operational digital platforms (including this Coordination and Support Action), as one of CEF Digital Synergy actions, aim to support EU environmental and energy targets as well as the ongoing energy crises, by providing both technologies and connectivity to enable a cyber-secure Internet of Energy and an optimised transport system along the major European paths, as per the 5G objectives in the Gigabit Society Communication and in the Directive 2014/61/EU on measures to reduce the cost of deploying high-speed electronic communications networks. This will optimise energy use of ICT and reduce the environmental impact, while increasing the benefits enabled by ICT.

It will be dedicated to “retro-fitting” the existing energy and/or transport infrastructures with the required cross-border digital infrastructure. ODPs will build on and integrate with existing and emerging European data, cloud and edge computing and connectivity infrastructures, in particular those supported in other parts of CEF Digital, the Digital Europe Programme, and Horizon Europe.

This CSA will prepare future works project(s) by identifying the most appropriate cases to be funded and by delivering the building blocks (such as governance, detailed design, etc.) needed for immediate deployment of the cross-border infrastructure within the works project(s). The CSA will consist of four consecutive stages lasting 27 months. These four stages include:

1. exploratory study to prepare baselines and identify and shortlist use cases in energy, mobility and cross-sector energy/mobility;
2. feasibility study for the shortlisted cases;
3. detailed preparations for the shortlisted cases; and
4. assistance to projects coming from the first call for works.

In close contact with the Commission Directorates-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology, for Energy and for Mobility and Transport, the successful applicants will co-operate closely with the relevant national and EU authorities, as well as associations and multipliers across the relevant sectors.

The proposals submitted under this topic should cover all four stages of the CSA, to be implemented as follows:

Stage 1

The first stage will consist of an exploratory study, providing the following outcomes:

• Define the needs in digitalising the cross-border energy and/or transport infrastructure between Member States;
• Identify criteria and recommendations for selecting appropriate and most credible, within standard constraints (e.g. of budget, timing, complementarity to emerging European infrastructures in the targeted sectors), lead use cases and potential project(s), (i.e. the most mature and realistic, with the highest degree of market failure, the most impactful, etc.);
• Identify relevant technologies, architectures and standards;
• Identify relevant stakeholders;
• Identify possible governance options;
• Develop the design principles and architecture for connecting the ODPs to the 5G infrastructures along transport corridors and smart communities; the emerging dataspaces in particular in the energy, mobility and related sectors; and the federation of European Cloud and edge services. In that context, the tenderers will collaborate closely with the Co-ordination and Support Actions and implementation projects supported under CEF Digital and Digital Europe Programmes;
• Identify at least 10 lead cases involving at least 7 member states (and preferably at least 12) in energy, mobility and cross-sector energy/mobility;
• Shortlist six cases, based on the criteria and recommendations identified earlier, while trying to maintain at least relative balance between energy, mobility and combined projects (priority given to combined projects).

Stage 2

The second stage will consist of a feasibility study for the six shortlisted cases from the first stage. It will deliver the following outcomes:

• For each case, create a high-level description, solution architecture and governance scheme;
• Based on these, create a cost-benefit analysis;
• Define the feasibility of each proposal, i.e. how realistic is each case within the constraints;
• Shortlist three proposals, which are feasible and with the best cost-benefit outcome. For cases with similar characteristics, priority should be given to cross-sector cases between energy and mobility;
• Prepare a draft for the call text for the works call to be handed over to the Commission.

Stage 3

The third stage will consist of the detailed preparations for the three shortlisted cases from the second stage. It will deliver, to the extent possible, the following outcomes:

• Create detailed design/architecture for each of the cases;
• Define key performance indicators for each of the cases;
• Create detailed governance scheme and get feed-back and buy-in from the identified stakeholders;
• Set up governance bodies with the most relevant stakeholders and have a governance agreement signed for each of the three cases;
• Prepare procurement templates and framework agreements;
• Prepare purchasing orders for potential suppliers for the final deployment including integration and SLAs;
• Deploy testing environment from willing suppliers and test the solution;
• Deploy pilot solutions from willing suppliers involving at least 2 and preferably 3 member states and pilot the solution.

Stage 4

The fourth and final stage will provide the assistance to the works projects coming from the first call for works. This phase will run in parallel with the first six months of the works project(s) and it will serve to transfer the outcomes to the work project(s) and to assist them in the start of implementation. It will consist of the following tasks:

• Transfer all documentation and know-how;
• Fine-tune the documentation according to the works project reality;
• Prepare recommendations for future work.

It is expected that the proposal is submitted by a well-balanced consortium across the relevant stakeholder groups and covering at least two of the three CEF sectors i.e. digital, transport and energy. Some third parties could be subcontracted for the purpose of building an advisory group, attracting additional expertise from outside the consortium (e.g. for the third sector - energy or transport – if not present in the consortium), participation in governance bodies, preparation of the works, etc.

The governance body for the emerging infrastructure should be set up by the CSA (and described in the proposal), and include several entities of each major category of stakeholders, in particular representatives involved in the long-term operations of the infrastructure such as energy companies, data centre operators, transport, telecom and/or platform operators, public authorities, etc. It shall be open to new members and in particular foresee replicability and/or eventual participation other Member States.

The governance body will be responsible for defining ownership of the ODP, at any given time, based on the size of the infrastructure and operations as well as the number of parties involved. The Commission shall not be a member of the body, but shall be granted an observer role. Subject to approval by the Commission, the governance body shall propose a legal and financial framework for the operational and financial details of the infrastructure and services support. Provisions for open and fair access to the infrastructure shall be made, including related to new entities joining at a later stage.

This CSA will identify and prepare for deployment cross-border digital infrastructure that will accelerate the digitalisation of the energy/mobility sector by enhancing interoperability and standardisation and trigger a public-private partnership virtuous circle of investment. This infrastructure will build on and integrate with existing and emerging European data, cloud and edge computing and connectivity infrastructures.

The resulting works projects will lead to a substantial reduction in GHG and improvement in the energy and environmental performance of the European digital infrastructure thus addressing and easing the current energy crises and avoiding blackouts.