Large-Scale Pilot (LSP)

Large-Scale Pilots (LSPs) are EU-funded projects designed to test the European Digital Identity Wallet in realistic, cross-border scenarios ahead of full regulatory deployment. Under eIDAS 2.0, the European Commission launched four major LSPs in 2023, each involving consortia of Member States, public authorities, private companies, and technology providers.

The four pilots are: the EU Digital Identity Wallet Consortium (EWC), focusing on travel and organisational identity; POTENTIAL, covering areas such as eGovernment services, opening bank accounts, SIM registration, and digital signing; NOBID, centred on payment and financial services use cases; and DC4EU, addressing education credentials and social security. These pilots serve multiple purposes. First, they validate the technical specifications of the Architecture Reference Framework by implementing wallet prototypes and testing interoperability across different national implementations.

Second, they explore user experience and usability, gathering feedback from real users interacting with wallet-based services. Third, they identify legal, regulatory, and organisational barriers that need to be addressed before full deployment. Fourth, they help build the ecosystem by engaging relying parties, attribute providers, and trust service providers in practical integration exercises.

The results of the LSPs directly feed back into the refinement of the ARF, implementing acts, and certification requirements. For organisations considering early adoption, participation in or engagement with an LSP provides invaluable practical experience, access to emerging standards, and the opportunity to shape the ecosystem before mandatory requirements take effect. The LSPs are expected to run through 2025, with their findings informing the final implementation timeline.