The document discusses the OCRE project's efforts to drive adoption of cloud and Earth observation services among research institutions. It provides an update on the project's status, including that over 400 cloud contracts were awarded across 40 countries and that 15 out of 32 research proposals were awarded cloud funding totaling €1.2 million. It also discusses 6 Earth observation projects that were awarded funding totaling €450,000 and outlines the project's challenges and how they were resolved. Finally, it describes the project's new acceleration funding model and an opportunity for research institutions to apply for remaining adoption funds to support their projects using cloud or Earth observation services.

1. Dave Heyns, Project Director
OCRE project update &
Adoption funding
Final call
14 April 2022
OCRE is an exploratory project
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2. Project Status
Cloud (IaaS+) Framework
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40 NRENS (countries)
10,000 Institutes
➢ Market response to tender – 1100 bids
➢ Result - 473 cloud contracts across 40 lots
➢ 37 cloud platforms represented
➢ Minimum of 9 platforms per country
➢ Maximum 17 platforms per country
➢ GN4-3 WP4/CMG contract management
Supplier reporting mandatory
Anticipated growth +120% YoY
o Published on Tenders Electronic Daily
(TED) on 15 April 2020
o Framework contracts signed in Q1 2021
o Platform tested using HNSciCloud
workloads
o Peering POPs under review (GÉANT)
o Data ingress/egress waivers in place
o eduGAIN centralised onboarding (GÉANT
inter-federation)
o Additional discounting
o Online Catalogue by country Oversight provided by the
OCRE Expert Advisory Board
https://www.ocre-project.eu/services/cloud-suppliers
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https://www.ocre-project.eu/ocre-expert-advisory-board

3. HOW TO CONSUME…
Using the OCRE framework
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Legitimacy
o Framework ITT followed all guiding principles of the EU
tendering law procured under Dutch tendering law
o Competition between resellers per lot settled within
the Framework Contract
o Call-off Contract between institute and supplier
governed by local law
o Institutions responsible for scoring and awarding
decisions
o Direct award possible within conditions
Non-EU Countries
o Fundamentally harmonised procurement regulations
across Europe
o Procurements using the OCRE Framework may require
additional work like publication and stand-still on
national procurement platforms
The NREN may claim costs of up to 5% based on role
1. DOWNLOAD your infopack
2. Define your workload requirements
3. Select your procurement option:
o DIRECT AWARD – when already working on a specific
platform and if standardised on that specific
platform; only one supplier of a specific solution
available; Intellectual property justification
o MINI DESKTOP COMPETITION – Use tool (excel
sheet) in infopack to reapply initial ITT award criteria
scores based on your specific requirements
o MINI COMPETITION – Create your own competition
within the Framework and invite all OCRE suppliers in
your lot / country (see catalogue) to provide
proposals based on your awarding criteria. Evaluate -
score- award; and sign the Call-off Contract after
standstill.
o Prepare the service order
o CONSUME THE SERVICE
https://www.ocre-project.eu/infopack
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
FAQ
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4. Project Status
Adoption Funding – First calls (Sept/Oct 2020)
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Call details –
1. Research project description (Executive summary )
2. How will commercial cloud/EO services support your
project activities and improve your research outcomes?
3. Are you aware of the FAIR data principles? Yes/No
4. Does your project support the reusability of research
data? Yes/No
5. Are you interested in learning more about sustainable
hosting for your FAIR data? Yes/No
6. Has your project already procured/consumed commercial
cloud and digital/EO services? Explain
7. Would you be prepared to work with the OCRE project
team in developing a compelling case study?
8. Explain why the team is well placed to deliver the
anticipated outcomes.
9. The IT department of my organisation is aware of this
application and prepared to support it? Yes/No
10. The procurement department of my organisation is
aware of this application and prepared to support it?
11. Has your organisation received other EU funding relating
to this proposal? Yes/No
BROAD dissemination
Cloud (IaaS+) – project awards
15 of 32 Research proposals awarded -
€1.2M
excl VAT
1. Oncological PET Data in Treatment Response
Prediction
2. Galactic Research in Cloud Services
3. Human-Machine Collaboration on Perception Tasks
4. Rapid Discovery of Thermoelectric Clathrates
5. DigiFarm | From crop to cloud (Big Data And Machine
Learning)
6. Large scale brain network analysis
7. Agile HPC for Undergraduate Research
8. CVL Health Diagnosis from Mobile Phones
9. Sychrotron light experiments
10. CVL Multi-task learning
11. Automatic detection of potential contradictions in
the text of acts of law
12. Fast Ozone Profile Reprocessing
13. Molecule classification using visualization and
convolutional neural network
14. Cognitive Power Electronics
15. Active learning for Systematic Reviews
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5. Project Status
Earth Observations (EO)
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o Online Catalogue
o Call published on 15 October 2020
o Digital services consuming COPERNICUS
o 6 of 25 proposals awarded
o Oversight by OCRE EAB
o Low procurement threshold
o Projects engaged in pre-procurement activities
(3 quote process)
o Publication of process (no framework construct
necessary)
o ITT (invitation to tender)
https://www.ocre-project.eu/eo-catalogue
Projects awarded
1. World Water Quality Assessment projects using a
cloud-based near-real time and historic EO data
service
2. Sentinel-2 Semantic Data & Information Cube
3. Fluvial geomorphology and sediment yield
production
4. Remote sensing monitoring system development
for eroded lands of the Republic of Moldova
5. Coastal defence system based on 25 year analysis
6. A methodology based on aerial and satellite data
for the preliminary study of Sardinian Nuragic sites
€.45M
excl VAT
Austria Belgium Germany Hungary Israel
Italy Moldova Netherlands Norway Poland
Serbia Spain Switzerland United Kingdom
Both
Calls
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6. ✓
•IaaS+ Tender publication delays (EC review of documentation)
•Unprecedented MARKET response
•Solved through Process Automation (Score/Award/Contract)
✓
•Single purpose voucher rules in EU
•Issue of Dual VAT (initially identified in W1/P1)
•Solved by Voucher Contracts > Dutch Tax Authority ruling (EU/UK)
✓
•Restrictive Grant Agreement
•Eligibility for EC funding (funding process compliance)
•Solved by Commission workshop, analysis and signoff
✓
•DPS for EO services inappropriate for SME market due to VAT
regulations (not realistic and unreasonable)
•EO procurements below threshold (through multiple direct awards)
💥
•Innovative ACCELERATED funding mechanism
•Amendment proposal with consolidation of funding budget
•Extension granted by EC – December 2022
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Activities Delayed. Lessons Learned.
Project Challenges and Resolutions
Gained
knowledge &
experience
Scale up
Projects
Expand
time
frame
Fulfil
targets &
purpose
Effective use of
knowledge acquired
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7. NEXT

8. 8
Funding process 2020/2021
CALL for
Projects
(Institutes)
1. Publish
2. Score
3. Oversight
4. Award
5. MoU
PROCURE
Competition
(Suppliers)
1. Publish
2. Q&A - MoI
3. Proposals
4. Score (with
Institute)
5. Award
6. Standstill
7. Contract
Acceleration model 2022
(Cloud and EO)
PROCURE
(Suppliers and
Institutes)
1. Draft criteria
2. Publish
3. Q&A - MoI
4. Score
5. Oversight
6. Award
7. Standstill
8. Contract
€6.5M
Incl VAT
€1.7M
excl
Project Extension
Adoption Funds distribution
Remaining
Adoption
Budget

9. Funding Mechanism
Procurement – Driving Adoption Funding
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General Principles –
1. 2in1 procurements driving adoption from two sides
2. introduce R&E community to Cloud Services suppliers in
early stage
3. Invite supplier to pro-actively approach R&E community
to search for projects
4. Professional market approach focused on R&E demand
5. Using procurements to connect market with R&E
community
6. Frame R&E demand by using clear set minimum
requirements & criteria
7. Twofold stimulation: market > EC fund < R&E institutions
8. Both supply as demand driven towards EU funding
9. Using stakeholders like NREN’s & ESA - network for
scaling-up projects to secure returns on investment
10. VAT regulations, EU directive and threshold compliance
11. OCRE framework to be used for Cloud procurements
12. EO services will be multiple/direct awards (below
threshold) using OCRE catalogue of EO providers ADOPTION of Services
Quantitative
Criteria
Qualitative
Criteria
Minimum-
requirements
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10. OPPORTUNITY
Funding for research projects
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Identify the OCRE Earth Observation suppliers using
the EO Catalogue (below).
Reach out to the contact/s listed for the supplier/s most
likely to meet your needs. Ensure that your supplier is able
to supply services in your country.
Collaborate with your supplier on the submission of a
proposal which –
o Clearly highlights your research in terms of discipline
and relevance.
o Describes how your project can demonstrate the
significant impact that Earth Observations services will
have on the related activities and outcomes.
o Shows how your research institute and department
could tell a compelling story about Earth Observation
services accelerating European research.
Based on European procurement thresholds, the EO
funding range will be from €20,000 to €50,000 per project.
CLOUD services – be awarded up to €500,000-
worth of cloud infrastructure, platform and
software services and drive improved agility and
outcomes for your research project.
1. Identify the OCRE cloud suppliers in your country using
the Cloud Catalogue (below).
2. Reach out to the contact/s listed for the supplier/s most
likely to meet your needs.
3. Collaborate with your supplier on the submission of a
proposal which –
o Clearly highlights your research in terms of discipline
and relevance.
o Describes how your project can demonstrate the
significant impact that cloud-based digital services
will have on the related activities and outcomes.
o Shows how your research institute and department
could tell a compelling story about digital services
accelerating European research.
https://www.ocre-project.eu/services/cloud-suppliers https://www.ocre-project.eu/eo-catalogue
EARTH OBSERVATIONS
EO

11. Thank you
Please refer any questions to:
info@ocre-project.eu