In the digital economy, data is a strategic resource for innovation and competitiveness. The European Union promotes the creation of sectoral data spaces —ecosystems where companies and public administrations share information voluntarily and securely, following common governance, organizational, and technological standards. The Sectoral Data Spaces Promotion Plan identifies fourteen priority areas —energy, manufacturing, agriculture, public administration, mobility, cultural heritage, tourism, language, green agreements, skills, research and innovation, health, finance, and media— which will be developed under the “Digital” program. These spaces aim to boost European competitiveness and facilitate collaboration between organizations.
The Data Spaces Kit is a grant program managed by Red.es and funded by Next Generation EU. It is part of the 2025–2027 Strategic Grant Plan and the Sectoral Data Spaces Promotion Plan (PIEDS). Its objective is to cover the costs associated with the participation of public or private entities in a sectoral data space. Grants are awarded on a non-competitive basis, meaning they are granted in order of valid application until the budget is exhausted.
The program has several objectives:
- Promote digitalization in strategic sectors and encourage data interoperability.
- Facilitate participant onboarding and showcase use cases that demonstrate the value of shared data.
- Expand the data space ecosystem by increasing the number of entities sharing information.
It is aimed at companies with economic activity and tax residence in the European Union. The focus is on organizations with digital maturity interested in joining sectoral data spaces, funding their technical and legal adaptation to ensure interoperability and secure data exchange.
Eligible expenses include internal staff costs, hiring external services, and acquiring products related to data preparation and integration.
For example, AIE (the Spanish Society of Performing Artists) together with GALEO is developing Kordat, the Music Data Space, a data space for the Spanish music industry. The project aims to catalog and organize information generated by labels, publishers, platforms, and promoters to foster collaboration and position the space as a technological benchmark for the sector.
Thanks to its experience, GALEO positions itself as a Data Spaces Kit agent, offering services to help companies and public administrations:
- Assess eligibility and digital maturity: We support organizations in analyzing their capabilities and selecting the sectoral data space that best fits their objectives.
- Define and design a use case: We help identify business opportunities (traceability, service improvement, data models, etc.) and prepare a technical report with timelines, roles, and budgets.
- Integrate and connect systems: We deploy IoT and cloud infrastructure to capture, anonymize, and orchestrate data according to data space specifications. Our Chip-to-Cloud approach connects devices, platforms, and AI algorithms to generate value securely.
- Ensure regulatory compliance: We implement governance, data protection, and legal compliance solutions to make data sharing secure and aligned with GDPR and sector-specific regulations.
- Manage the application: We advise on preparing required documentation and submitting applications to Red.es, streamlining procedures until the grant is awarded.
- Develop and justify projects: Once the grant is awarded, GALEO supports organizations in project execution, evidence generation, and expense justification to comply with program requirements.
The Data Spaces Kit opens the door for companies and public administrations to participate in secure data-sharing ecosystems and develop new business models. Examples like Kordat in the music sector or the Private Healthcare Data Space demonstrate the transformative potential of these initiatives.
GALEO, with its Chip-to-Cloud approach and expertise in data capture, analysis, and governance, is the ideal partner to guide organizations through the application and execution of Data Spaces Kit projects. By combining technology, consulting, and sector knowledge, GALEO turns participation in a data space from a technical challenge into a strategic opportunity to grow and compete in the new data-driven economy