The European Union has launched the third EU Datathon aiming to further stimulate the use of open data issued by the EU.

Launched by the  Publications Office of the European Union, in partnership with the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union it allows competitors to showcase their data skills and innovative ideas.

Furthermore, it offers them the opportunity to network and gather support in order to continue developing their ideas after the competition. 

The challenges

Participants are invited to develop apps and interactive visualisations offering new services or public information insights to citizens, public authorities and businesses. They have to use at least one dataset made available by the EU Institutions, Agencies and other bodes and combine it with at least one dataset of the competition’s partners.

Project descriptions must be submitted by March 24, Shortlisted teams will be notified on April 5. The application must be submitted on June 7 and the final conference will be held in Brussels on June 13.

The participating teams can compete with their apps in one horizontal or two thematic challenges:

  • Challenge 1: ‘Innovative ideas through EU open data’
  • Challenge 2: ‘New insights into economics and finance’
  • Challenge 3: ‘Tackling climate change’

The prizes

The competition is supported by the European Parliament’s Preparatory Action “Linked Open Data in the European Public Administration” and the European Commission ISA² programme (Interoperability solutions for public administrations, businesses and citizen). Joining the 2019 competition gives the opportunity to win one of the cash prizes in each challenge:

  • 1st prize €15,000
  • 2nd prize €7,000
  • 3rd prize €3,000

 The partners

  • Eurostat;
  • The European Central Bank;
  • The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Budget;
  • The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs;
  • The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Energy;
  • The European Environment Agency;
  • The European Investment Bank;
  • The European Investment Fund;
  • The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations;
  • The Joint Research Centre of the European Commission.