The Ministry of European Funds, through the Management Authority of the Competitiveness Operational Program, has recently launched for public consultation, in the period October 1st - 15th 2015 The Guide for Applicants for Axis 2 of the Competitiveness Operational Program.
The following actions can be financed:
2.1.1 – Improvement of broadband infrastructure and Internet access where the ERDF allocation is of 100.000.000 Euro,
2.2.2 – IT&C for business development, especially for the e-commerce framework where ERDF allocation is of 4.000.000 Euro,
2.3.1 – Consolidating and ensuring interoperability of type 2.0 information systems dedicated to e-government focused on events from the lives of citizens and enterprises, development of government cloud computing and social media communication, Open Data and Big Data where ERDF allocation is of 182.914.894 Euro,
2.3.2 – Ensuring cybernetic security of IT&C systems and IT networks where ERDF allocation is of 30.000.000 Euro,
2.3.3 – Improvement of digital content and of the systemic IT&C infrastructure the domains e-education, e-inclusion, e-health and e-culture where ERDF allocation is of 165.000.000 Euro.
Action | Investment priority | Principles for actions selection |
Action 2.1.1 – Improvement of broadband infrastructure and Internet access | 1. Extension of broadband connection and deployment of high-speed networks and support for the adoption of new technologies and networks for digital business | Activities of expanding IT&C infrastructure in areas with low coverage, to allow speeds of over 30 Mbps, with a special focus on areas where high speed networks have a low coverage degree. |
Action 2.2.2 – Support for the use of IT&C for business development, especially for the electronic trade framework | 2. Development of IT&C products and services, e-commerce and IT&C demand | Activities for building consumer trust in e-commerce, personal data security and financial transactions. |
Action 2.3.1 – Consolidating and ensuring interoperability of dedicated e-government information systems type 2.0 focused on events from the lives of citizens and enterprises, development of government cloud computing and social media communication, Open Data and Big Data | 3. Consolidation of IT&C e-government application, e-learning, e-inclusion, e-culture, e-health,. | Activities with national strategic impact, targeting the largest group possible and proposing more efficient solutions that would be applied systemically, horizontally, at national level. National measures with a higher impact on people, companies and public institutions will have priority in the selection process. |
Action 2.3.2 – Ensuring cybernetic security of IT&C systems and computer networks | ||
Action 2.3.3 – Improvement of digital content and systemic IT&C infrastructure in e-education, e-inclusion, e-health and e-culture |
Types of financed projects
Action 2.1.1 “Improvement of broadband infrastructure and internet access”:
Public investments in the period 2014-2020 shall continue public investments from 2007-2013 and shall be implemented in accordance with the National Plan for Infrastructure Development NGN and the National Strategy Digital Agenda for Romania.
The interventions in white areas NGN/NGA shall be financed in order to develop the national coverage of communication hubs and data transmission (backbone and blackhaul)., through the launch of new state aid schemes and by implementing additional measures to encourage private investments in the high-speed broadband infrastructure.
Action 2.2.2 “Supporting the use of IT&C for the business development, particularly in the e-commerce framework ”:
1. Development of the infrastructure required for the process of monitorization of on line transactions.
2. Granting trust certificates to online stores, by supporting the certification bodies from the market.
Action 2.3.1 – Consolidating and ensuring interoperability of dedicated e-government information systems type 2.0 focused on events from the lives of citizens and enterprises, development of government cloud computing and social media communication, Open Data and Big Data”:
E-guvernare Implemented according to the objectives of the Strategy for the Consolidation of Public Administration (SCAP) and based on the concept provided by the Digital Agenda for Romania.
The implementation of the principles of e-government 2.0 in Romania consists from a systemic approach of public services with centered on life events (EV) and requires platform installation, data publishing into the platform, maintenance of the operating system, ensuring security, creating external safety copies and receiving feedback from users and involves servers (database and back up capability), central hardware, basic software licenses, IT&C equipment at central/local level. The implementation of the e-government type 2.0 services requires multiple intervention that include interoperability, Cloud Computing, Social Media, Open Data and Big Data as part of some integrated strategic projects.
COP interventions shall target the entire infrastructure necessary for the creation and activation of level IV complexity e-government services (36 predefined life events, grouped by the action logic of the development/implementation in accordance with existing administrative responsibilities in order to ensure operational efficiency).
Public authorities which provide/coordinate public services that target the 36 life events, predefined by SNADR, shall operate in partnership for the implementation of integrated projects defined based on the administrative responsibility logic and operational efficiency.
Practically, financing will be granted to projects that implement tip Portal services in the administration for the integration of multiple types of public services and public authorities into a single instrument (platform and interface) structured around predefined needs of citizens and enterprises. E-government projects shall support the interoperability of information systems in public administration, the use of cross-organization data and existing resources.
Government cloud computing and social networks in public institutions
Projects that shall be financed must target the creation and development of a safe and scalable IT infrastructure for governmental Cloud, common for all the organization in the public sector. The infrastructure implies, mainly, digital mail services, virtual collaboration platforms, connections and databases, security platform (at the level of data centers), servers, buildings for government data centers, security systems, back-up processes etc.
The infrastructures of public institutions data centers shall also be consolidated in order to be integrated into this process of reorganization of the data storage system at the governmental level. The development of social media interaction platforms shall also be supported for a better networking between citizens and companies.
Actually, the projects to be financed for the implementation of the government Cloud must include:
a) the creation/development of Cloud specific IT infrastructure, common for all organization in the public sector
b) purchasing/commissioning of some components/services that form the central infrastructure
c) consolidation/creation of online socializing platforms and data centers
d) providing technological resources in the virtual environment to institutions which do not possess hardware şi software platforms (town halls of small localities)
e) consolidation/centralization of information/systems/data from multiple data centers
f) data migration towards/from central institutions, for a unified information structure in the data centers that are insufficiently/partially connected
g) development of social platforms at the national level
h) creating a single web portal with access to all public services from the institutions' websites
i) implementation of the real-time feedback optionon the institutions' website
Open data and Big data
The aim of the financed project is to create at the national level an infrastructure/electronic system for collecting/combining/processing relevant data and the processing/analysis infrastructure of collected data shall be thus ensured. The current infrastructure that supports the publicly displayed data requires consolidation (data needs to be moved in a portal hosted by the government Cloud) which requires an analysis of the needs of specific open/big data infrastructure that would overlap on the existing government Cloud infrastructure (servers, hardware, software, user interface, administrator interface, data platform, operating systems etc).
The purpose of using Open data consists in ensuring free access to information, providing at the same time the possibility to process data and provide structured information in order to support both administration and civil society in decision making/public policy creation, thus contributing to the results of e-government implementation.
The benefits of the Big data concepts include: reducing redundancy of payments in public area, fraud and abuse prevention, efficiency increase. Examples of domains where Big Data projects is feasible: health (statistic case analysis, telemedicine etc.), culture, e-commerce, security.
Actually, the projects that shall be financed would have to achieve the following:
For open data
a) Concentrating into a single national platform of all open data provided by public institutions
b) The development of an electronic and/or physical system of relevant data collection at a national level
c) Ensuring server security and providing backup
For Big Data
a) Hardware and adequate software applications for communications (adding/storing/advanced information analysis/reporting and alerting /warnings)
b) Security at hardware and software level
Action 2.3.2 “Ensuring cybernetic security of ITC systems and computer networks”:
The projects shall ensure the development of infrastructures and of the management capacity of cybernetic risks and the capacity of reaction at cybernetic incidents through:
a) The creation and operation of the national cybernetic security system
b) The development of the existing cybernetic infrastructure
c) Development of applications that would ensure cybernetic security of cybernetic networks of national interest
d) The development of software instruments in order to identify software and firmware vulnerabilities
e) The development of CERT entities in the public and private sectors
f) The creation of the framework necessary for conducting security audits
Action 2.3.3. “The improvement of the digital content and of the existing ITC infrastructure in e-education, e-inclusion, e-health and e-culture domains”:
E-educaţie
ITC-related interventions in education shall target the curricular activity in the pre-university education system.
The projects shall aim at ensuring the ITC infrastructures in schools through:
a) The creation of the e-learning/learning education platform, including the Virtual School Library, the creation/use of the electronic class book at the national level, as well as other national programs (collaborative networks/platforms, integrated digital educational technologies/instruments that would allow innovative management of both the teaching-learning-evaluation process at the national and institutional level and of the leadership)
b) The purchase of ITC for secondary schools based on pilot projects
c) The improvement of internet access through the imprelementation of the wirelesscampus concept, with priority in secondary schools
E-incluziune
It aims the implementation of Public Internet Access Points (PIAP) in disadvantaged communities, selected by criteria that would aim the disadvantage related to geographical positioning, hard economic circumstances, limited or non-existence of communication and internet access resources, as well as the digital competence of the people living there. PIAP, through this project, must become centers of community knowledge, of resources for new project development by providing a various range of electronic services and fast access to multiple information resources. The necessary infrastructure also includes equipping with servers, computers, Internet access, etc. The projects' aim shall be digital literacy in vulnerable communities and the development of digital competences as an instrument for fighting exclusion.
E-health
The project shall aim at ensuring security of the necessary infrastructure for the development of the IT system for health and telemedicine, as well as the development of an integrated IT system of e-health for the development/consolidation of the existing IT systems and the improvement of their interoperability. The main components of the IT system for health as a support for the decision making process shall include: data storage, analytical and reporting instruments, presentation system, administrative operating support system.
Telemedicine ensures the electronic transfer of medical data through telecommunications systems, thus ensuring:
a) The provision of outpatient medical services after hospitalization for patients discharged from hospitals
b) Facilitating access of people living in rural areas to specialized outpatient services
E-culture
The actions shall aim to ensure the necessary infrastructure for:
a) the implementation of advances and easy to use digitization systems (”culturalia.ro” platform, controlled vocabularies, specific application for displaying on mobile devices)
b) the digitization and on-line display of analogical cultural products
c) the maximization of the volume of digitized cultural material for the contribution to Europeana
Source: www.fonduri-ue.ro
