PROTOTYPES FOR SECURE AND USER-FRIENDLY EUDI WALLETS IN GERMANY
Green light für innovation competition
SPRIND INVITES YOU TO AN INNOVATION COMPETITION – TEAMS RECEIVE UP TO 950,000 EUR
The Federal Agency for Breakthrough Innovation SPRIND is launching the innovation competition “SPRIND Funke EUDI Wallet Prototype” today to develop prototypes for European Digital Identity (EUDI) wallets. The competition is being held on behalf of the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community (BMI).
These digital wallets aim to enable citizens and organizations to identify themselves digitally in the future and also to store, manage, and present their identity data and official documents in electronic form.
NANCY FAESER,
FEDERAL MINISTER OF THE INTERIOR AND COMMUNITY:
"With the EUDI wallet, we are creating the basis for the digital future of the state and economy in Germany and Europe. The launch of the innovation competition is a decisive milestone in developing the infrastructure for digital identity in Germany. The competition format selected by the Federal Agency for Breakthrough Innovation ensures that user-friendly and trustworthy solutions will be developed. These will not only make it easier for citizens to contact the authorities, but will also lead to considerable improvements in everyday life – from online banking and job applications to e-prescriptions."
The current eIDAS Regulation 2.0 regulates the basis for the increasing use of electronic means of identification and digital verification in Europe and defines the framework conditions necessary for this. Germany now needs a path toward eIDAS-compliant infrastructure. That is why the “Architecture and Consultation Process for EUDI Wallets” project was started. It aims to develop a concept for a personal digital wallet that citizens and organizations can use to securely identify themselves digitally in the future.
The Federal Agency for Breakthrough Innovation SPRIND is carrying out this project on behalf of the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community (BMI). To date, various architectural proposals have been developed for the implementation of EUDI wallets in Germany based on the existing infrastructure of the online ID function of the state-issued ID card. A SPRIND Funke is now being launched to implement these wallets. These small SPRIND Challenges offer fast, flexible, and unbureaucratic financing in an innovation competition and thus contribute significantly to the success of the project.
In the SPRIND Funke, up to six teams will have the opportunity to implement and prototype their innovative ideas based on the architecture concepts for a wallet app. Each team will develop at least one wallet app for Android or iOS and make it available for testing together with the necessary background systems. In particular, the SPRIND innovation competition is intended to address critical challenges in designing an EUDI wallet for users in Germany.
The aim of the innovation competition is to create a secure and trustworthy wallet that is characterized by very good usability and can be used on as many smartphones as possible. These wallet app prototypes must implement specific functions in the individual stages.
STAGE 1 In stage 1, at least one design for a wallet-based means of identification, similar to the current state- issued ID cards, is to be implemented. The teams can draw on reference designs from the architecture concept published by the project and also contribute their own ideas – as long as they meet the requirements in terms of security, data protection, and interoperability.
STAGE 2 Stage 2 involves the implementation of a simple and universally usable function for the management and use of additional digital certificates. An important goal here is the non-discriminatory support of all types of digital documents such as driving licenses, residential certificates, educational qualifications, or membership cards. This will be an important cornerstone for the digitalization of certificates that are currently available in paper form. In this digital form, the certificates can be issued in digital processes and used seamlessly.
STAGE 3 In stage 3, the wallet prototypes are to be expanded to include a login function that allows users to log in to websites and apps using a pseudonym.
With this type of innovation competition, different teams can implement their approaches, allowing the strengths and weaknesses of individual approaches to be recognized and taken into account in further development. The two best teams will assist with the EU-wide testing of their wallets as part of the Large-Scale-Pilots POTENTIAL.
The SPRIND Funke “EUDI Wallet Prototype” will last 13 months and have 3 stages. SPRIND will support up to six teams in stage 1, up to four teams in stage 2, and up to two teams in stage 3. In stage 1, the selected teams receive up to 300,000 EUR from SPRIND. For stage 2, the teams each receive up to 300,000 EUR. Up to 350,000 EUR per team are planned for funding in stage 3.
The decision on participation will be made by a jury of experts following a presentation that will take place in Leipzig on May 16, 2024. Stage 1 starts immediately afterwards and lasts three months. Stage 2 begins in August 2024 and also lasts three months. Stage 3 begins in November 2024 and ends in May 2025.
The application deadline for participation in the SPRIND Funke “EUDI Wallet Prototypes” is May 05, 2024. Further information and the conditions of participation can be found here.
