Tender: \u03a5\u0395\u039a\u03a8\u03a0\/2025\/18\/\u0391\/\u0394 \u2014 Creation and Operation of the Government Hybrid Cloud Cyprus has launched a \u20ac34M procurement for the creation and operation of a Government Hybrid Cloud. This ten-year project will underpin the country\u2019s digital infrastructure across ministries and public services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If implemented on proprietary terms or tied to foreign closed-cloud providers, Cyprus risks decades of vendor lock-in, dependency on transnational monopolies, and weakened digital sovereignty. This would contradict EU priorities for digital resilience, openness, and strategic autonomy, while misusing RRF funds intended to build long-term sustainability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By adopting the principle of Public Money, Public Code, Cyprus can build a sovereign digital backbone \u2014 open, auditable, interoperable, and reusable. This would:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This tender is not just about technology. It is about the future of who controls Cyprus\u2019 digital state infrastructure. With the right approach, Cyprus can avoid lock-in and align with the EU\u2019s emerging push for a common \u2018Eurostack\u2019 and the increasing body of regulations and policies supporting European digital sovereignty by showing how RRF funds can build open, democratic digital sovereignty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The call for tenders highlights a number of serious problems and democratic accountability deficits relating to digital sovereignty, resilience, and societal participation. The following points are identified through an analysis of the terms of the tender and their comparison with EU policy guidelines. Lesson<\/strong>: FLOSS-based solutions can deliver resilience, transparency, and sovereignty when supported by open standards, modular procurement, and proper governance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Key Document Pools<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Official link: https:\/\/www.eprocurement.gov.cy\/epps\/cft\/prepareViewCfTWS.do?resourceId=7751943<\/a>
Estimated value: \u20ac34.2m (without VAT)
Duration: 125 months (~10.5 years)
Funding: EU Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF)
Announcement date: 8 August 2025
Clarification deadline: 19 September 2025 (11:00)
Submission deadline: 3 October 2025 (11:00)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nThe Issue<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Danger<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Opportunity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Why It Matters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Key Problems and Democratic Deficits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Citations refer to the official Tender Notice \u03a5\u0395\u039a\u03a8\u03a0\/2025\/18\/\u0391\/\u0394 as published on the Cyprus eProcurement platform<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
The tender lacks explicit requirements for open standards or Free\/Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS).
Risks long-term dependency on proprietary ecosystems (Microsoft Azure, AWS, Oracle).
EU policy gap: undermines the EU Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles (2022) and the European Data Strategy (2020), which emphasise interoperability, openness, and data sovereignty.
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Contract length: 125 months (~10.5 years) \u2014 far longer than innovation cycles (2\u20133 years).
Locks Cyprus into a single solution for over a decade, limiting adaptability.
Conflicts with the EU Cybersecurity Strategy (2020) principle of resilience through diversification.
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Offers can be submitted only in Greek.
This blocks many EU SMEs and FLOSS consortia from competing.
Contradicts: the EU SME Strategy for a Sustainable and Digital Europe (2020) and the spirit of the Single Market.
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\u201cBest Price\u2013Quality Ratio\u201d is the award criterion, but with no transparent, measurable indicators.
Risks arbitrary evaluation and political influence.
Contradicts: EU procurement guidelines (Directive 2014\/24\/EU) on transparency and accountability.
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RRF intended to promote resilience, sustainability, and innovation.
Using \u20ac34m for potentially proprietary, closed infrastructure creates new dependency instead of resilience.
Contradicts: RRF Regulation\u2019s emphasis on sustainable, future-proof digital transformation.
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No subdivision into lots; no multiple or variant offers permitted.
Appeals mechanism restricted to economic operators; citizens and NGOs cannot challenge democratic risks.
Contradicts: Digital Compass 2030 and EU human-centric digital transition principles.
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WTO GPA rules open the tender internationally, but no safeguards for EU jurisdictional control.
Without guarantees, Cypriot government data could fall under foreign laws (e.g. U.S. CLOUD Act).
Contradicts: GDPR and EU\u2019s pursuit of digital sovereignty.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nEuropean Counter-Examples of FLOSS-Based Sovereign Infrastructure<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nRecommendations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nMobilisation Call<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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To connect, join the EL\/LAK Cyprus Assembly on matrix: https:\/\/app.element.io\/#\/room\/#ellakcy:matrix.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n