NEW! Work programme 2025-2027
The European Commission has revealed a new work programme for 2025–2027 with a historic EUR 1.3 billion investment in digital skills, AI, and cybersecurity. This phase accelerates the transition of key projects—from preparatory stages to full-scale deployment—and reinforces Europe's digital transformation and tech sovereignty.
Key priorities:
- Accelerate AI deployment: Boost access to generative AI across sectors like healthcare and manufacturing, enhance testing environments (e.g., virtual worlds), and launch the AI Factories initiative.
- Enhance cyber resilience: Establish the EU Cybersecurity Reserve and support critical infrastructure protection via measures such as the Cyber Resilience Act’s reporting system.
- Expand digital skills & innovation: Strengthen the European Digital Innovation Hubs, introduce new academies in emerging fields (e.g., quantum, generative AI, semiconductors), and advance initiatives like Destination Earth.
- Modernize digital infrastructure: Develop EU education and training capacity, implement the new EU Digital Identity Wallet architecture, and promote the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) with its STEP Seal quality label.
DIGITAL Europe Programme 8th Call for Sectoral Digital Skills Academies
The European Commission has announced the launch of four cutting-edge sectoral digital skills academiesunder the Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL) work programme for 2025–2027, targeting critical talent shortages across key digital domains. The initiative aims to bolster the EU’s technological sovereignty and innovation capacity by delivering specialised education and training in quantum technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, and virtual worlds. For further details, please refer to the official EU Commission press release. Find more information about the new calls on the official EU Fundings and Tenders Portal.
The calls will open on 15 April 2025 and will close on 02 September 2025.
Register now to follow the virtual info day on 16th May 2025 at 09:30 CEST and ask questions directly to the European Commission. If you want more information on the programme of the event, check our dedicated event page and register here to participate.
Work Programmes for 2023-2024 boosting digital skills and supporting cybersecurity
On 24 March 2023 the European Commission has adopted two multiannual work programmes for the DIGITAL Programme. The programmes will receive a total of €1.284 billion in funding, out of which €553 million will be available in 2023 to support digital transformation and enhance cybersecurity.
The Main Work Programme (DIGITAL Europe Work Programme 2023-2024), worth €909.5 million, aims to reinforce the EU's critical digital capacities by focusing on key areas such as climate and environment protection technology, data, AI, cloud, cybersecurity, advanced digital skills, and deployment for the best use of these technologies. Also, it seeks to reinforce skills related to the semiconductor industry and to create a Cybersecurity Skills Academy for reskilling and upskilling purposes.
At this regard, the Commission has also published a specific work programme focusing on cybersecurity, with a budget of €375 million for the period of 2023-2024, to enhance the EU's collective resilience against cyber threats.
About the DIGITAL Europe Programme
Developments in key and emerging technologies are changing the way we define digital skills and the extent to which we depend on technology. The COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted the existing shortage of digital experts in Europe
The Digital Europe Programme provides strategic funding to answer these challenges and supports the development of a skilled talent pool of digital experts. With a total budget of €580 million for digital skills over 7 years, the Digital Europe Programme enhances cooperation between EU Member States and stakeholders in digital skills and jobs through:
- Specialised education programmes in key digital areas such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), blockchain, robotics, quantum and High Performance Computing (HPC), provided by networks of higher education institutions, research centres and businesses (€120 million contribution over the first two years of the programme).
- Short-term training courses, tailored to the needs of businesses, with an emphasis on SMEs in Europe, as well as jobseekers and citizens looking to reskill (€25 million contribution over the first two years of the programme).
These actions have 3 common goals:
- Increasing capacity and excellence of EU education and training institutions
- Encouraging cooperation between higher education, research and businesses
- Sparking interest of Europeans in digital careers and attract the best talents.
All the funded projects will be showcased on the Digital Skills and Jobs Platform.
Examples of previous funding
Digital Europe Programme does not address these challenges and goals alone, but builds upon successful past EU-funded initiatives, in particular from the Connecting Europe Facility – CEF Digital. With the support of CEF funding, consortia composed of university networks, SMEs and top AI researcher centres designed four new high-quality specialised Master programmes and courses in AI. The aim of these new high-quality training programmes is to bring AI advanced digital skills closer to non-technical people and other professionals.
Find more about the new Master programmes in our dedicated page.
New opportunities and updates
We will continue to update you on the latest on the Digital Europe Programme on this page and on our Twitter and Facebook channels.
By registering to the community and joining our dedicated Partner For DIGITAL Skills Networking Group you will be able to find partners and connect with other organisations wishing to apply for the current open calls in Advanced Digital Skills.
By signing up for the Newsletter you will never miss any updates and important resources on the DIGITAL Europe Programme and other topics.
Keep an eye out on this page for more updates!
DIGITAL Europe Programme past calls and events
If you want to find out more about the calls launched in 2021 and 2022, past events and examples of previous initiatives funded through the DIGITAL Europe Programme, you will find further information on this page.
