Frequently Asked Questions on TEFs

Testing and experimentation facilities (TEFs) are defined in the EU AI Act as facilities that provide technical and scientific support to AI providers and to notified certification bodies.

TEFs offer a combination of physical and virtual facilities, in which technology providers can get primarily technical support to test their latest AI-based software and hardware technologies (including AI-powered robotics) in real-world environments (physical and digital).

European TEFs are presently consortia of public and private partners funded by the European Commission and Members States.

Browse our Interactive Map to find all TEFs nodes and satellites.

The AI sectorial TEFs are funded in the framework of the Digital Europe Programme (DEP) launched by the European Commission.

The Digital Europe Programme has established 4 sectorial TEFs: agri-food, healthcare, manufacturing as well as smart cities and communities. All 4 are be co-funded by Member States.

You can find more information on the TEFs websites listed below.
Agri-food sector: agrifoodTEF
Manufacturing sector: AI-MATTERS
Smart cities sector: CitCom.ai
Health sector: TEF-Health

The prioritisation of sectors (agrifood, health, manufacturing and smart cities and communities) was developed in cooperation with the Member States in the context of the Digitisation of European Industry (DEI) - AI group.
The TEF work programme and call texts under the Digital Europe Programme (DEP) provide more details or illustrative examples for each sector, as relevant.

TEFs are an ecosystem of private-public organizations, such as research and technology organisations (RTOs), higher education institutions, companies, hospitals, and more.

Discover the partners of each TEF:
AgrifoodTEF
TEF-Health
AI-MATTERS
CitCom.ai

TEFs offer services to test customers' AI solutions under development and to prepare product certification, both in physical and digital environments.

Yes, TEFs are required to provide access to relevant data-sets to its users as is necessary for testing AI at scale. Collecting and harvesting data can contribute to improving the quality of data-sets.

TEFs are providing services to private, such as SMEs, and public organisations. Organisations located in the EU member states will be co-funded, under specific conditions and requirements, by European Commission and national / regional authorities through Digital Europe Programme.

You can get in contact with each TEF through the contact details available on TEFs websites. Details about the available service offerings can be discovered conveniently via the TEFs Catalogues.

You can easily reach out to each TEF through their websites:

Contact AgrifoodTEF
Contact TEF-Health
Contact AI-MATTERS
Contact CitCom.ai

Choosing the right TEF depends on the sector (i.e., agrifood, health, manufacturing, smart cities and communities) as well as on your specific needs and objectives. Each TEF offers specialised knowledge, facilities, and services across different technological and application areas.

To help you choosing the right TEF, please get in touch with us through our Helpdesk

Your journey begins by identifying the relevant sector-specific TEF and by exploring its Catalogue of Services to identify the expertise and support that best match your needs.

You can then contact the TEF directly via their website or submit a request through the CoordinaTEF Helpdesk to obtain further information and discuss your objectives.

Based on this initial exchange, the TEF will contact you to to assess your needs and identify the most suitable services.

Once the scope is agreed and service definition has been completed, the delivery stage begins, with the TEF supporting you throughout the process.

Finally, you and the TEF review the results and impact together.

For more information, please visit the dedicated webpages for each TEF:
Agri-food sector: agrifoodTEF
Manufacturing sector: AI-MATTERS
Smart cities sector: CitCom.ai
Health sector: TEF-Health

Entities established in countries which are not eligible countries can benefit from the TEF as long as it does not contravene any of the purposes of the restricted call (meaning, for instance, that the collaboration will not pose a security risk, will not lead to access of confidential information, and will guarantee the protection of intellectual property rights).

For further information, please visit the Questions and Answers section on the European Commission website.

The CoordinaTEF Helpdesk is your one-stop access point for expert support across Europe's AI Testing and Experimentation Facilities (TEFs).

You can submit an inquiry to any of the four TEFs or to the CoordinaTEF team, whether you have a general question or need support with a technical issue you experienced.

Your request will be reviewed by our expert team, who will contact you promptly and, where appropriate, direct you to the relevant TEF for further assistance.