DIGI-ME Double Degree Scholarship Award Procedure and Selection Rules at UNIPV (University of Pavia)

1. Aim of the Double Degree Scholarships

The aim of the Double Degree Scholarships (hereinafter referred to as SCHOLARSHIPS) is to support students to complete their full curriculum with a double degree programme at the University of Vaasa to extend their knowledge and skills in advanced digital technologies (one of the DIGI-ME target areas).

2. DIGI-ME Scholarships

The SCHOLARSHIPS are granted by the DIGI-ME project. The DIGI-ME project is co-funded by the European Union under grant agreement No. 101123009. Up to 40,000 euros are available to be distributed for the targeted scholarships at University of Pavia (hereinafter referred to as UNIPV). Through this call, up to 5 (five) selected candidates will receive a scholarship to support their economic participation into the DIGI-ME path of the double degree programme with the University of Vaasa.

3. Financial value

3.1 Scholarships are provided as lump sum to cover living and subsistence costs. Each selected beneficiary will receive a lump sum for a single mobility action of 9 to 12 months, depending on the individual Learning Agreement, in the period from August 2026 until July 2027 in Finland – University of Vaasa. The scholarship comprises minimum three (items A, B and C) and maximum 4 (items A, B, C and D) components:

3.1.1 Fix components:

ITEM A: Monthly contribution: € 400,00;

ITEM B: Travel contribution: € 395,00 (one-time fee);

ITEM C: Monthly contribution based on the economic and financial situation (ISEE), according to the following scheme:

ISEE ≤ 13.000 - € 400,00

13,000 < ISEE ≤ 21,000 - € 350,00

21,000 < ISEE ≤ 26,000 - € 300,00

26,000 < ISEE ≤ 30,000 - € 250,00

30,000 < ISEE ≤ 40,000 - € 200,00

40,000 < ISEE ≤ 50,000 - € 150,00

ISEE > 50,000 (or not declared) - € 0

3.1.2 Additional component based on special conditions: 

ITEM D: Monthly contribution for participants with fewer opportunities: €250,00;

Participants with fewer opportunities are defined as students who, prior to the start of the mobility period, meet one or more of the following criteria:

1. have a disability with a certified percentage of invalidity of at least 50%; 
2. hold refugee status and/or benefit from international or subsidiary protection, or are displaced persons; 
3. have dependent minor children (Students who have given birth to a child during the 2025/26 academic year, as proven by the birth certificate, up to the child's first birthday);
4. are engaged in employment (Students employed, other than occasionally and not employed by a family member up to and including the second degree, for a period of no less than six months within the 12 months preceding the mobility period, in any documented employment, self-employment, or professional activity, in the public or private sector. To demonstrate student-worker status, the selected applicants will be asked to provide the employment contract or VAT number (in the case of self-employed workers) and, for those employed for more than one year, the tax return and/or payslips proving annual gross income of no less than €4,000.00);
5. are recognised professional athletes (Students who are athletes of national interest must present a certificate from their relevant sports federation);
6. are orphans of at least one parent (A student is considered to be an orphan of at least one parent if their father and/or mother have died before the date of submission of the mobility application. This status is recognized provided that the student: (a) has not turned 26 years old at the date of submission of the application, and/or (b) was financially dependent on the deceased parent at the time of death, or is in a similarly economically dependent situation);
7. are children of victims of terrorism or organised crime.

Supporting documents for items C and D will be requested only from successful applicants. 

4. Payment mechanism

4.1 The DIGI-ME scholarship is paid in two instalments:

4.1.1 First tranche equal to 80% of the total estimated amount of the scholarship, and paid within 30 days of signing the Mobility Agreement, provided that the student:

1. has presented a Learning Agreement duly approved and signed by the University of Pavia and the host University;
2. has correctly entered the bank details in the Reserved Area.

In the absence of even one of the conditions indicated above, the payment of the first tranche will be made within 30 days of their actual satisfaction.

4.1.2 Second tranche with a balance of 20%, paid at the end of the mobility, subject to verification of compliance with the following conditions:

1. fulfilment of the administrative and procedural obligations set out in this call;
2. regular completion of the authorised mobility period;
3. achievement of training results consistent with the Learning Agreement;
4. correct administrative conclusion of the mobility.

Failure to comply with even one of the above conditions will result in the loss of the right to the balance payment and may lead to the total or partial recovery of the sums already received.

Acceptance of the mobility period constitutes a formal commitment by the candidate. Cancellations must therefore be limited to serious and duly documented cases of force majeure. Any cancellation of the assigned mobility period must be communicated in writing to the DIGI-ME coordinator, must be adequately justified, and must be submitted promptly. Cancellation entails the refund of any financial contributions already received. The reason for the cancellation and/or failure to communicate it may be evaluated for the purposes of possible exclusion of the candidate from the subsequent selection process for the University's international mobility programs.

4.2 Tax treatment

The scholarship mentioned in this call will be subject to the tax treatment provided for by current legislation: if the reference regulations provide for it, they must be included in the tax return. Depending on the nature of the funds allocated to the selected candidates, the contribution could be subject to IRPEF withholdings like a salary and, as such, constitutes income. The ISEE legislation provides that the aforementioned contributions, regardless of their amount, must be included in the Single Substitute Declaration to obtain the ISEE certificate. For the above purposes, the University of Pavia prepares the Single Certification (formerly CUD) relating to the amounts paid to the student. The Certification is generally available from March of each year, in relation to payments received during the previous calendar year, at the link https://unipv.u-web.cineca.it/#!/ The individual notices of payment of contributions are also available at the same link.

5. Evaluation process  

Submission will be done EXCLUSIVELY via the following dedicated form  by 7 June 2026. A complete list of applicants will be compiled, including basic information for statistical and transparency purposes (which will be also shared with the European Commission). Applications that pass the eligibility check will undergo an internal evaluation, conducted by a panel of experts from UNIPV. For more information on the selection and evaluation process please refer to the Guidelines for Applicants. The outcome of the call for awarding the DIGI-ME scholarship will be published on MIBE’s website.

6. Eligibility criteria

The following persons are eligible for scholarships: 

6.1 Students regularly enrolled in the DIGI-ME project master's degree programme “Master in International Business and Entrepreneurship (MIBE) at UNIPV (Students are regularly enrolled when they pay the tuition fees to UNIPV by the set deadlines):

1. matriculated in the academic year 2025-2026;
2. full-time students;
3. who have not exceeded the standard duration of the curriculum;
4. not on academic leave.

6.2 Citizens of the European Union (hereinafter referred to as the EU) or DEP Countries (the full list is available here: list-3rd-country-participation_digital_en.pdf ) 

6.3 Proficiency in English is a fundamental requirement, as it is the official language of both the Open Call and the master's programme. Unless the applicant is a native English speaker, they must provide a certified score report meeting minimum thresholds: an IELTS Academic score of 6.5, a TOEFL iBT score of 88, or a Cambridge English (C1/C2) score of 180; or having successfully completed a fully-English taught bachelor degree

6.4 The scholarship covered by this call is INCOMPATIBLE with other EU funds allocated for the same purpose. All applicants must declare they have not received other European Union’s funds in the dedicated form.

7. Required Documents 

7.1 Transcripts of Records: Transcripts for the past exams and related grades, within the MIBE programme (If the student has been studying at a foreign educational institution during the academic year 2025-2026, the study merits have to be provided according to existing regulations and practices of the university issuing the merits document).

7.2 Curriculum Vitae (CV): A detailed CV outlining academic history, professional experience, skills, and relevant achievements (no photo required, max 3 pages). 

7.3 Personal Statement/Motivation Letter: A statement (max. 3 pages) explaining motivation for applying, interest in the programme, and how applicant’s background aligns with the DIGI-ME path of the double degree programme at the University of Vaasa.  

7.4 English Language Competency: Certified evidence of English proficiency meeting the specified minimum scores above. 

7.5 Copy of passport or ID card: Copy of a valid passport or identity card.

7.6 Optional: Information on gender, age, and socio-economic status. In case of equal scores, these factors may be positively considered during evaluation, in line with UNIPV commitment to supporting a diverse student body.

8. Evaluation Criteria and Scoring

8.1 Only eligible candidates will be evaluated. Successful candidates must reach an evaluation threshold of 70%. 

8.2 Applications are assessed based on three components:

1. Academic background (65%) is assessed based on the weighted average grade, adjusted by the ratio of earned to expected ECTS credits. 
2. Motivation (25%) reflects applicant’s positive mindset towards advanced digital skills in innovation, international business and entrepreneurship assessed based on the motivation letter.
3. Additional experience (10%) considers both academic and non-academic achievements as reported in the applicant’s CV.

8.3 DIGI-ME and UNIPV are committed to promoting diversity, social and economic equality, and gender balance in all aspects of this open call. As part of our selection process, applicants will have the option to provide information on gender, age, and socio-economic background. In the case of equal scores assigned to more than one applicant, the selection committee will prioritize female applicants, applicants from low socio-economic backgrounds, applicants experiencing disabilities, applicants from low DESI-countries, and applicants belonging to minority groups, in this order, ensuring a fair and balanced approach to admissions.

8.4 All information provided regarding gender, age, and social background will be collected voluntarily and treated confidentially in accordance with GDPR/Data Privacy regulations. These data will be used solely to inform our diversity monitoring and inclusive selection measures. 

9. Results notification 

Following the experts’ evaluation, all eligible applicants will be ranked according to their final assessment scores. Scholarships will be awarded based on this order of merit, beginning with the highest-ranked candidates. Successful applicants must confirm their acceptance of the formal scholarship offer within five (5) business days by replying to the UNIPV Open Call team at [email protected].  

10. Redress process 

Applicants who are not satisfied with the evaluation of their application, may submit a written appeal within three (3) business days of receiving their result. Appeals will be reviewed by a panel, composed of two UNIPV DIGI-ME representatives, and one external member.  All requests for appeal must be sent to the UNIPV DIGI-ME Open Call team at e-mail address: [email protected]

11. Legal disclaimer

This call (as well as the financial support that will be provided through it) is NOT an EU action. This call is launched solely by the University of Pavia (UNIPV). The financial support to the selected successful applicants will be provided directly by UNIPV in its own name and under its own responsibility. UNIPV’s own responsibility includes the preparation and drafting of this call as well as the selection of successful applicants who will receive the said financial support. The publication of this call in the EU Funding & Tenders Portal is made solely for information purposes with the aim of increasing the visibility of this call to the general public, including to potential applicants (i.e. students). The said publication shall not be construed as direct or indirect approval of the content and conditions of this call by the relevant EU authorities or as any form of waiver from the above-described responsibility of UNIPV.

Information pursuant to the European General Data Protection Regulation. The personal data of candidates and participants will be processed by the University of Pavia for the purposes of DIGI-ME programme. These purposes involve the communication of data to bodies external to the University (EU Agencies, host institution), as required by current European legislation General Data Protection Regulation no. 2016/679 art. 13. For more information: https://privacy.unipv.it/

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