(a) raising awareness and providing or ensuring access to digital transformation expertise, knowhow and services, including testing and experimentation facilities;

(b) assisting businesses, especially SMEs and start-ups, organisations and public administrations to become more competitive and to improve their business models through use of new technologies covered by the Programme;

(c) facilitating the transfer of expertise and knowhow between regions, in particular by matching SMEs, start-ups and mid-caps established in one region with European Digital Innovation Hubs established in other regions that are best suited to providing relevant services; encouraging exchanges of skills and knowledge, joint initiatives and good practices;

(d) providing or ensuring access to thematic services, in particular services related to AI, HPC and cybersecurity and trust to the public administrations, public sector organisations, SMEs or mid-caps;

(e) providing financial support to third parties under Specific Objective 4.

For the purposes of point (d) of the first subparagraph, European Digital Innovation Hubs may specialise in specific thematic services and shall not be required to provide all thematic services or to provide those services to all categories of entities referred to in this paragraph.

7. Where a European Digital Innovation Hub receives funding under the Programme, that funding shall be in the form of grants.

CHAPTER II

ELIGIBILITY

Article 17

Eligible actions

1. Only actions contributing to the achievement of the objectives laid down in Articles 3 to 8 shall be eligible for funding.

2. The eligibility criteria for actions to be carried out under the Programme shall be set out in the work programmes.

Article 18

Eligible legal entities

1. The following legal entities shall be eligible to participate in the Programme:

(a) legal entities established in:

(i) a Member State or an overseas country or territory linked to a Member State;

(ii) a third country associated to the Programme in accordance with Articles 10 and 12;

(b) any other legal entity created under Union law and any international organisation of European interest.

2. By way of derogation from paragraph 1, legal entities established in a third country which is not associated to the Programme shall be eligible to participate in specific actions where their participation is necessary to achieve the objectives of the Programme. Such entities shall bear the cost of their participation unless specified otherwise in the work programmes.

3. Natural persons shall not be eligible to participate in the Programme, except for grants awarded under Specific Objective 4.

4. The work programme referred to in Article 24 may provide that participation is limited to beneficiaries established only in Member States, or to beneficiaries established in Member States and specific associated countries or other third countries, where there are security reasons for such limitation or where the actions directly relate to the Union’s strategic autonomy. Any limitation of the participation of legal entities established in associated countries shall comply with the terms and conditions of the relevant agreement.