GENERAL QUESTIONS
1. What are the European eGovernment Awards?
2. What are the advantages of applying for the European eGovernment Awards?
3. What is the structure of the European eGovernment Awards?
4. What is the Ministerial eGovernment Conference 2009?
5. How is the evaluation and selection process implemented?
6. How many European eGovernment Awards 2009 winners will there be?
7. Why are there two awards for “eGovernment empowerment”?
8. How does the “Public Prize” awards category differ from the other four categories?
9. When will applicants know if they have been selected as finalists?
10. What is the purpose of the Information Day in Brussels (BE)?
11. Who is organising the Ministerial eGovernment Conference and exhibition?
12. Who are the partners of the European eGovernment Awards Consortium?

TECHNICAL QUESTIONS
13. What are the minimum system requirements?

QUESTIONS ON SUBMISSION
14. Which countries can apply for the European eGovernment Awards?
15. What dates should be taken into account when submitting an application for the European eGovernment Awards?
16. When can applications be submitted?
17. How do I submit my application?
18. Do I have to fill in every section of the submission form for application?
19. What is the difference between the “first applicant” and the “supporting applicant”?
20. What are “additional supporting applicants”?
21. Is it possible to exceed the character limit?
22. Is it possible to include supporting documents in my application?
23. Where do I submit the application?
24. How do I know if my application has been received?
25. What if something goes wrong?
26. Can I change my submission once the application process is complete?
27. Who can I contact if I have questions not covered by the Guidance Notes for Submission and the FAQs?

GENERAL QUESTIONS

What are the European eGovernment Awards?

The European eGovernment Awards programme is an award project funded by the European Commission that aims to highlight good practices and ensure the dissemination and sharing of new concepts and ideas in the area of ICT-enabled service provision.

The three categories of the European eGovernment Awards 2009 correspond to the three award themes that are closely linked to the Lisbon Agenda and i2010 objectives and to the themes of the 5th Ministerial eGovernment Conference (see below).

The European eGovernment Awards 2009 represent the fourth European eGovernment Awards edition since 2003. The current awards are an extension of the eEurope Awards Programme for eHealth in 2003 and 2004, for eGovernment in 2003 and 2005, and the European eGovernment Awards 2007. For details on past events, please refer to “Past Awards” in the awards section of the epractice.eu good practice exchange portal.

What are the advantages of applying for the European eGovernment Awards?

Applicants will have the opportunity to network, increase their visibility, exchange experiences, obtain the Good Practice Label and have their cases included on the epractice.eu good practice exchange portal. Moreover, the submitted cases will have a chance to win one of the five European eGovernment Awards in 2009 and exhibit at the 5th Ministerial eGovernment Conference in Malmö (SE).

What is the structure of the European eGovernment Awards?

The European eGovernment Awards consist of a number of interconnected elements.

• The call for applications is the invitation to submit applications.
• The award(s) refer(s) to the physical award(s), or prize(s), to be presented for the best submissions as judged by the evaluation committee on the basis of the information provided by the applicants.
• The awards ceremony is an event hosted by the European Commission (Directorate-General for Information Society and Media) and the Council Presidency which will take place during the Ministerial eGovernment Conference. The award(s) will be presented to the selected winners by the European Commissioner for Information Society and Media, Viviane Reding.
• An exhibition of the cases selected as finalists for each award will take place alongside the Ministerial eGovernment Conference and include exhibits and demonstrations by participants invited by the evaluation committee on the basis of the submissions received. Stands will be provided and an exhibition catalogue will be published containing details of the submitted ICT-enabled solutions and relevant contact details.

What is the Ministerial eGovernment Conference 2009?

The 5th Ministerial eGovernment Conference 2009 is the European eGovernment event in 2009. It will feature achievements across European Member States and showcase good practices, as well as look towards the future.

The conference entitled “Teaming up for the eUnion” will focus on three main themes relating to ICT: “eGovernment supporting the single market”, “eGovernment empowering citizens and businesses”, and “eGovernment enabling administrative efficiency and effectiveness”.

The conference will bring together European ministers and politicians responsible for eGovernment in Europe, as well as directors, senior managers and practitioners from public administrations, the ICT industry, academia and NGOs.

The Ministerial eGovernment Conference 2009 is the fifth such conference. Past conferences are detailed in the following list:

1. Ministerial eGovernment Conference 2007: Reaping the Benefits of eGovernment, Lisbon (PT).
2. Ministerial eGovernment Conference 2005: Transforming Public Administrations, Manchester (UK)
3. Ministerial eGovernment Conference 2003: eGovernment in Europe: The State of Affairs, Como (IT)
4. eGovernment Conference 2001: From Policy to Practice, Brussels (BE)

How is the evaluation and selection process implemented?

Following an eligibility screening, a panel of independent experts will evaluate the applications in order to select 52 finalists (short-listed cases).

Experts will be drawn from across Europe from a variety of backgrounds to ensure the widest possible coverage in terms of geographical balance and specialist knowledge. The list of experts will be suggested by the European Awards Consortium and endorsed by the European Commission services.

The cases will be evaluated within the three thematic groups in a three-step process: (1) remote electronic evaluation, followed by (2) a consensus meeting of the expert panel and (3) judging during the first part of the conference. The winners will be chosen from the top three short-listed finalists for each theme.

How many European eGovernment Awards 2009 winners will there be?

In total, five finalists will be announced as winners. They will include:

• One winner in the “eGovernment supporting the single market” category
• One winner in the “eGovernment empowering Citizens” sub-category
• One winner in the “eGovernment empowering Businesses” sub-category
• One winner in the “eGovernment enabling administrative efficiency and effectiveness” category
• One winner of the “Public Prize” decided by a vote among ePractice.eu members

Why are there two awards for “eGovernment empowerment”?

As citizens and businesses have very different requirements, a decision was taken to differentiate between these two groups of users within the overall topic of “eGovernment empowerment” and award two awards within this overall theme.

How does the “Public Prize” awards category differ from the other four categories?

The fourth category of the European eGovernment Awards 2009 is the “Public Prize”, voted on by the epractice.eu and eGovernment community. The process for this category is separate from the expert evaluation for categories 1-3. While the four European eGovernment awards for 2009 will be awarded following the three-phase evaluation by independent experts, the award for the “Public Prize” will be the result of an open online vote via epractice.eu. The online voting rules will be made available in due course.

When will applicants know if they have been selected as finalists?

All applicants will receive electronic notification of the outcome of the evaluation by mid-August at the latest, i.e. once the short-list of finalists has been established following two first steps of the evaluation process described above. The selected finalists will receive invitations to exhibit at the 5th Ministerial eGovernment Conference, to be held from 19 to 20 November 2009 in Malmö (SE).

The list of finalists will be published on the Awards website.

If your case is selected as a finalist, you will be invited to exhibit your project at the European Ministerial eGovernment Conference. Please note that, in order to be considered for the short-list of finalists, and therefore be eligible for the final selection of five award-winners, a case must be represented by the public sector actor (first applicant) at the exhibition.

What is the purpose of the Information Day in Brussels (BE)?

The information day, which will be held on 21 April 2009 in Brussels (BE) is organised by the European eGovernment Awards Consortium (see partners below) in cooperation with the European Commission Directorate-General for Information Society and Media.

The purpose of the information day is, first and foremost, to provide information on the call for the European eGovernment Awards 2009 and, secondly, to clarify and answer any relevant questions made by the attendees. The information day is open to everybody, in particular local, regional and national stakeholder and interest groups represented in Brussels. Prior registration is required on the Information Day website.

Who is organising the Ministerial eGovernment Conference and exhibition?

The Ministerial eGovernment Conference will be jointly hosted by the Council Presidency (i.e. the Swedish Presidency 2009) and the European Commission. Participation is by invitation only. All arrangements, including invitations, logistics and other practicalities, will be dealt with exclusively by the Council Presidency.

The exhibition will be hosted by the European Commission Directorate-General for Information Society and Media. Participation is by invitation only. All arrangements, including invitations, logistics and other practicalities, will be dealt with by the European Commission.

Who are the partners of the European eGovernment Awards Consortium?

The consortium, selected by the European Commission Directorate-General for Information Society and Media following an open call for tenders to organise the European eGovernment Awards 2007 and 2009 on behalf of the European Commission, consists of:

• Center for European Public Administration (CEPA) Danube University Krems (AT)
• Danish Technological Institute (DK)
• P.A.U. Education (ES)
• RSO (IT)

TECHNICAL QUESTIONS

What are the minimum system requirements?

For online submission, you are advised to use one of the following Internet browsers:

• Internet Explorer, version 7 or higher
• Firefox, version 3 or higher

The submission form works optimally on default browser settings. Please make sure that JavaScript is enabled.

Also, you may wish to upload supporting documentation with your submission. Please note that the accepted file types are: .DOC, .PDF, .PPT and .ZIP.

QUESTIONS ON SUBMISSION

Which countries can apply for the European eGovernment Awards?

Applicants from the following countries are invited to apply for the European awards: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.

What dates should be taken into account when submitting an application for the European eGovernment Awards?

The following dates are important:

• 21 April 2009, information day in Brussels (BE)
• 10 June 2009, close of call (16:00 CET)
• Mid-August 2009, Notification of results/invitation of Finalists to Exhibition
• 18-20 November 2009, awards ceremony and exhibition at the 5th Ministerial eGovernment Conference in Malmö (SE)

When can applications be submitted?

Applications for the European eGovernment Awards 2009 can be submitted from 3 April 2009 until 10 June 2009 at 16:00 CET. Submission after this date is not possible.

Please note that, in order to submit a case for the European eGovernment Awards, you need be registered on the ePractice.eu portal. If you are already registered, you can use the normal login procedure. If you are not yet a member of ePractice.eu, please register by clicking on the “Register” button in the upper right-hand corner of the portal.

How do I submit my application?

To submit your application successfully, you need to follow the five steps that are described in greater detail in the Guidance Notes for Submission:

• Step 1: Registration on the ePractice.eu portal (or login if you are already a member)
• Step 2: Accessing the European eGovernment Awards 2009 submission form
• Step 3: Saving, editing and printing your case
• Step 4: Uploading documents
• Step 5: Submitting your application

Do I have to fill in every section of the submission form for application?

Yes, all sections of the application form have to be filled in for your submission to be eligible. The information provided should be as detailed as possible to ensure that the evaluators can make assessments as accurately and fairly as possible. Lack of relevant information may result in a submission being evaluated less favourably than it deserves. Please remember that evaluators will have only the evidence provided in your written submission, supporting documentation that you have uploaded with your submission, or via access to your website(s).

You should carefully read the Guidance Notes for Submission to ensure that your answers cover as many relevant aspects of your case so that the evaluators have as complete a picture of your case as possible.

What is the difference between the “first applicant” and the “supporting applicant”?

The first applicant must be a public sector actor, i.e. the organisation that actually uses and/or provides the submitted case solution. No restrictions apply to the type or geographical origin of the supporting applicants. The supporting applicants may be public or private organisations, e.g. a technology supplier, co-developer, funding partner, user group, non-governmental organisation, etc. See also the section on additional supporting applicants below.

What are “additional supporting applicants”?

The additional supporting applicants may be public or private organisations, e.g. a technology supplier, co-developer, funding partner, user group, non-governmental organisation, etc. There is no limit to the number of additional supporting applicants, and you may add here any additional supporting applicant that you consider important and relevant for your case.

Is it possible to exceed the character limit?

For reasons of efficiency and standardisation, only the online application form available on the Awards website can be used.

You should aim to provide about 30,000-50,000 characters (circa 3,000-5,000 words). Anything less is likely to be insufficient for proper evaluation. Recommended character (word) limits are indicated throughout the submission form and in the Guidance Notes for Submission.

Any supporting documentation you choose to upload with your submission is not included in the character limit. However, the maximum file size per document is 2 MB.

Is it possible to include supporting documents in my application?

It is possible to upload relevant additional documents and your case logo. Please see the Guidance Notes for Submission on how to do this.

Where do I submit the application?

Applications can be submitted only electronically via the Awards website.

Please ensure that you have completed, printed and saved a copy of your full submission form before completing the application process. Please note that you may submit your case only once!

How do I know if my application has been received?

When you have completed the application process, you will receive an on-screen thank you message.

You will receive a confirmation e-mail with a registration number within three working days of your submission. If you do not receive confirmation within that time, you will need to contact the awards helpdesk for clarification, as your submission may not have been processed.

You may also check the list of all registered submissions, to be published on the Awards website after closure of the call.

What if something goes wrong?

If there is a problem that cannot be resolved by consulting the Guidance Notes for Submission or the Frequently Asked Questions, you are welcome to contact the Awards Helpdesk.

Can I change my submission once the application process is complete?

Once you have submitted your complete application, you will no longer have the opportunity to make any changes to it.

You may, during the drafting of your submission, save a draft of your application and come back with more information and edit the case before final submission.

Who can I contact if I have questions not covered by the Guidance Notes for Submission and the FAQs?

If you still have questions after having consulted the Guidance Notes for Submission and the Frequently Asked Questions, you can always contact the Awards Helpdesk.

If you wish to be contacted by telephone by a member of the Awards Helpdesk, please provide your query, telephone number and at least two separate dates and times at which you can be reached.