Information Society DG previews tenders for 2000 Details of forthcoming open calls for tenders in 2000 from the Information Society Directorate-General have now been published. According to the prior information notice, 13 service contracts for experts will be published, seeking temporary technical assistance in the followi... Details of forthcoming open calls for tenders in 2000 from the Information Society Directorate-General have now been published. According to the prior information notice, 13 service contracts for experts will be published, seeking temporary technical assistance in the following areas: - technical assistance on regulatory framework for communications services; - technical assistance on IST (information society technologies) applications; - technical assistance on electronic commerce; - technical assistance on current RTD work and participation in the elaboration of guidelines for the development of next generation networks in Europe. The Commission plans to spend around 5.8 million euro on these contracts over a three-year period. There will also be calls for tenders to support and facilitate the concertation of activities of projects selected under the Fifth Framework Programme's IST programme. The Information Society DG would also like to establish and promote the European Information Society best practice gallery (EISBPG), as a pilot project with a duration of 15 to 18 months. The pilot project is an umbrella initiative for the emerging information society best practices initiatives in Europe, and shall inspire and offer guidance and the platform for developing excellence in information society projects, services and actions. 'The vision is to proactively support the development of the European information and knowledge-based society,' says the Information Society DG. These contracts are valued at around 4.5 million euro.
