Consulting services for the Digi-Expert-kommunal format for the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation in two lots

Consulting services for the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format for the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation in two lots Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation. For this lot, based on the figures from the pilot phase and an assumed number of 270 interested municipalities, a demand of 810 hours per year is estimated. This estimated quantity is for calculation purposes only. There is no entitlement to call off this quantity. Further details can be found in the service description. The Hessian municipalities are currently in very different phases of digital transformation. In the course of digital transformation and in the planning and implementation of digitization projects, municipalities have very different consulting needs. Projects with a high degree of innovation, in particular, raise diverse questions that need to be answered quickly and individually for successful implementation. This is also clearly evident in the digitization projects funded by the "Smarte Kommunen und Regionen" program as part of "Starke Heimat Hessen". The "Smarte Region" office, anchored in the Hessian Ministry of Digitization and Innovation (HMD), will therefore expand its consulting services for municipalities. The new "Digi-Expert-kommunal" consulting format is intended to offer Hessian municipalities individual, vendor- and product-neutral ad hoc consulting on various topics: from digital strategy, change management, project management to subject-specific topics such as data platforms, open source, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin, digitization of public services (Smart City/Smart Region). The HMD, through the "Smarte Region" office, will provide a pool of experts from which municipalities can choose according to their needs. They can book these experts for various occasions/settings through the "Smarte Region" office. This is intended to provide an impetus for the digital transformation of municipalities and reduce barriers to digitization. From October to December 2025, the "Digi-Expert-kommunal" format was piloted with selected topics and a limited contingent. In the three-month pilot phase, a total of 52 consulting sessions were facilitated. These were for 40 municipalities. 26 municipalities were facilitated with one consulting session each, and 14 municipalities were facilitated with two or three consulting sessions. The consulting effort (= session duration + preparation and follow-up) per municipality was limited to ten hours. Each of the municipalities advised used an average of 5.7 hours of consulting effort from the following topics during the short pilot phase: AI in administration/AI in public services, procurement consulting (not a subject of this tender), digital strategy, digital public services/Smart Region in general, change management/digital mindset, digital twin, project management/project steering, open source/proprietary solutions. The format was very well received in a very short time and with minimal communication effort. The feedback from the municipalities was consistently positive and confirmed the need for tailor-made and short-term consulting. The consulting demand could not be nearly met within the pilot phase. The municipalities requested the continuation and expansion of the offer during the evaluation. Lot 1 includes general consulting topics related to digital transformation, thus creating a basis for municipalities to deal with the technical implementation (Lot 2) later. In particular, consulting on: • Digital strategy, • Project management, • Change management, • Digital public services, • Citizen participation.