The Cyprus Shipping Deputy Ministry has issued a €3.35 mln tender for its digital transformation to provide a one-stop-shop environment for the maritime sector.
The tender submissions will close at noon on March 7, and the bids will be opened 30 minutes later.
The project is co-financed by the European Union under the NextGenerationEU programme.
Funding will come from the €1.2 bln in grants and loans under the Recovery and Resilience Facility announced in July last year, enabling Cyprus to emerge stronger from the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the tender, the aim is to transform SDM business processes and maximise operational efficiency based on three key principles: one-stop-shop service environment, seamless process integration, and operational excellence.
Under the one government agency experience, the ministry’s “customers” should interact with one agency through their touchpoints without submitting multiple separate applications.
The seamless process integration suggests that business units complement each other with information and processing activities based on lean business processes and complete software solutions.
The third pillar of operational excellence aims to provide reliable services with efficient operating costs and minimum inconveniences to customers and employees by leveraging intelligent process automation.
The main actions of this tender must include:
– analysis of the current procedures and their optimisation/transformation to a digital environment
– development of an information system that covers all SDM main processes
– provision of tools for intelligent monitoring, analysis, and reporting
Bidders have until February 15 to request clarification.
Online discussion platform
Earlier in January, the Deputy Ministry of Shipping launched an online discussion platform called COMEshipping (Cyprus Open Maritime Exchange) to engage stakeholders in the maritime community for ideas and views.
The platform, www.comeshipping.com.cy, introduced as part of the “SEAChange2030” national strategy for shipping, has five main subject areas – Green Transformation, Digital Transformation, Safety & Security, Coastal Navigation and Seafarers Issues.
In an interview with the Financial Mirror, Deputy Shipping Minister Vassilis Demetriades said the department recently presented its strategic plan, dubbed “SEAchange2030”, laying out the ministry’s goals for the decade.
He said the maritime administration had been constantly upgraded to meet the challenges of international competition.
“The action plan will further encourage research and innovation, assist in the digitisation of the services offered by creating a one-stop service shop for shipping companies, and further develop our national marine ecosystem and coastal shipping services.
“And 2022 will also mark the launch of a campaign for maritime professions among school students.”
In collaboration with the Research and Innovation Foundation, the ministry has created RISE (Research Innovation Shipping Environment).
It is a financial tool for research and innovation by encouraging the development of mature innovative initiatives by shipping companies based in Cyprus.
