"Last year we already committed €89 million to 52 projects by public authorities, businesses and municipalities to improve the quality of public services. With this funding, we are building a strong digital foundation for the public sector: we are transforming and digitising government business processes and improving e-services. In the coming years, almost all public services will have to be digitally accessible," said Aušrinė Armonaitė, the Minister of the Economy and Innovation.
The second call for proposals for the development of digital solutions for the public sector attracted 105 applications worth €100 million. The projects were selected according to a specially adopted evaluation methodology and criteria: relevance and innovation of digital solutions; simplicity, usability, availability and reusability of data; openness and interoperability; and accessibility of services for vulnerable groups.
The 23 approved projects from public authorities and public enterprises include 8 digitisation projects with over €13 million in funding. The group of municipalities includes 15 digitisation projects with up to €8 million in funding.
One of the projects is the development of an information system for the protection of children's rights. This project aims to digitise the services and processes provided by the State Office for the Protection of Children's Rights and Adoption, reducing bureaucracy and the likelihood of human error. The project will provide real-time access to information about the progress and process of a child rights violation, as well as necessary information about the child and his/her family.
The provision of educational support services for children with special educational needs will be digitised in Vilnius City Municipality. Jonava district municipality, together with Biržai and Kretinga district municipalities, will develop digital solutions using artificial intelligence for the provision of health services. Healthcare institutions in the Alytus region will also implement digital solutions based on artificial intelligence and electronic consent.
In public transport, common e-ticketing and passenger information systems will be developed in Alytus and Šiauliai regions. The municipalities of Šiauliai and Panevėžys will implement digital solutions for efficient asset management. A number of municipalities plan to digitise their cemetery data and create cemetery databases.
The State Data Agency will modernise the services of the official statistics portal and develop new digital solutions for administrative services. The project will contribute to improving the quality of services provided, making statistical and government data more accessible and operational for decision-making.
"Last year, this measure attracted a lot of interest from the public sector, so we will provide an additional €21 million to implement digital solutions to ensure a higher level of digitisation of administrative and public services and their accessibility to the public. With this investment, we are strengthening Lithuania's competitive advantage as one of the most digitised countries in the world by improving services in various areas relevant to both businesses and citizens, making them simpler and easier to use," said Erika Kuročkina, the Deputy Minister of the Economy and Innovation.
Funding for public sector digitisation projects will come from the Next Generation Lithuania plan under the Recovery and Resilience Instrument.
