Volunteers wanted to test the EIC Data Hub — call closed
- ›The European Innovation Council asked volunteers to help evaluate the EIC Data Hub as the site reached its first year.
- ›The call targeted (future) applicants, beneficiaries and researchers across the EU and asked for about one hour of participation.
- ›Testing was scheduled for the week of publication and the following week and the call closed on 29 July 2022.
- ›EIC said eligible volunteers would be contacted to confirm a time slot.
Call for volunteers to evaluate the EIC Data Hub
On 27 June 2022 the European Innovation Council invited volunteers to take part in user testing for its EIC Data Hub as the platform marked its first anniversary. The short recruitment notice asked for participants who are (or could be) applicants, beneficiaries or researchers from across the European Union. The activity was described as lasting about one hour. The announcement included an update that the call had closed on 29 July 2022 and thanked respondents for their interest.
What the call asked for
| Milestone | Date or window | Notes |
| Announcement published | 2022-06-27 | Original publication and last updated on same date |
| Testing window | Week of announcement and following week | One hour sessions planned |
| Call closed | 2022-07-29 | Update on the announcement confirms closure |
Why user testing matters for the EIC Data Hub
The EIC Data Hub aggregates information about projects and beneficiaries linked to the European Innovation Council. For policymakers, programme managers and ecosystem participants the hub can improve transparency and make it easier to discover relevant projects. Usability testing is a standard way to identify navigation problems, unclear labels, search weaknesses and accessibility gaps that prevent users from finding and reusing data.
Typical user testing in this context can include task-based sessions where participants try to find specific records, interpret dashboard information or export data. Tests may be moderated live by a facilitator or run as shorter unmoderated exercises. For the EIC the main goals are likely to be practical improvements to the interface and fixes to anything that prevents external stakeholders from using the hub effectively.
Practical and policy context
EIC and its managing agency EISMEA operate in an environment where stakeholder feedback is routinely sought to improve digital services. Recruiting volunteers from applicants, beneficiaries and researchers helps surface real use cases. However, volunteer testing has limits. Small samples of volunteers provide focused, qualitative insights but do not guarantee statistical representativeness across sectors, company sizes, languages or levels of digital skill.
What to expect from a short one hour test and its limits
One hour is enough to run a handful of concrete tasks and to gather immediate impressions. It is not sufficient to measure long term behaviour or to test complex flows in depth. The most useful outcomes from such brief sessions are discovery of glaring navigation problems, confusing terminology and quick fixes that improve first time user experience. Deeper redesign choices require larger samples and iterative rounds of testing.
Recommendations and caveats for similar exercises
For public innovation platforms the value of volunteer testing increases if organizers publish a short results summary and explain which issues will be addressed and when. That creates accountability and helps the ecosystem understand the practical effect of their input. Organisers should also disclose the profile of participants in aggregate so readers can judge how representative the feedback was.
If you had been eligible how to prepare for a one hour test
Where to find more information
The original announcement was published on the European Innovation Council website on 27 June 2022 and updated to indicate the call closed on 29 July 2022. For current opportunities, support and contact details consult the EIC pages on the European Commission or the EISMEA site. Agencies typically publish details about user research opportunities, helpdesks and data protection notices on those pages.
Given the closed status of this particular call, interested parties should look for future testing calls or public consultations from EIC or EISMEA if they want to participate in platform improvements.