eGovernment Competition: Seeking Digital Pioneers in Public Administration

Public entities from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland have until May 17 to submit projects for the 2026 eGovernment Competition. Now in its 25th year, the award highlights citizen-centric and pioneering digital administrative solutions across four categories.

It’s all about trust, transparency, and citizen-centricity: The eGovernment Competition, first launched 25 years ago, is entering a new round. The competition seeks practical solutions that make public administration more efficient, service-oriented, and modern. Public administrations, government agencies, social security providers, and healthcare institutions from DACH region can submit projects from various fields. These include, for example, projects on administrative modernization, the use of artificial intelligence in public administration, or new forms of citizen participation.

The competition’s objective is to highlight projects that tangibly drive digital transformation in public administration. The award, intiated and organized by the management and technology consulting firm BearingPoint in collaboration with the technology company Cisco, has also established itself as a platform for dialogue between administration, politics, technology, science, and business on the topics of digitalization and modernization. The eGovernment Competition is now among the most prestigious awards for innovative ideas in public administration in the DACH region.

The 2026 Competition Categories

Four categories are being offered this year. They are based on current technological trends, societal changes, and the practical challenges faced by the public sector. The topic of sustainability, previously a separate competition category, is now integrated as a cross-cutting theme across all four categories.

1. Digitalization boost through AI and modern infrastructure – Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing administrative processes, but requires secure and high-performance basic infrastructures.
2. Rethinking customer-centric administrative processes from start to finish (E2E) – End-to-end digital service chains are crucial for a user-friendly administration.
3. Sustainable change through state modernization & administrative transformation – Pressure for reform, a shortage of skilled workers, and new ways of working make comprehensive modernization indispensable.
4. Sovereignty, security, and stability of digital infrastructures – Cyber threats and geopolitical risks demand resilient and trustworthy digital ecosystems.

Application and selection of winners

Public organizations at all levels, as well as social security and healthcare organizations from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, can participate in the eGovernment competition until May 17, 2026. They can submit projects that are still in the planning stage, currently being implemented, or already successfully operating in regular service.

Apply here by May 17, 2026 (German only)

The finalists will be selected by a jury on July 6 and 7, 2026. From July 8 to August 20, 2026, the public will choose their favorite project in a public voting. The award ceremony of the eGoverment Competion 2026 will take place in early September 2026 as part of the Ministerialkongress at the Alte Münze location in Berlin. (vdo)