Objection and appeal processes are resource-intensive for government agencies. They involve large numbers of cases, complex regulations, and a great deal of administrative work. AI can help make processes more efficient, provide better support for employees, and deliver faster services to residents and businesses. Yet government organizations still too often set up these processes independently. In the “AI for Objections and Appeals” buyer group, government agencies pool their knowledge, needs, and challenges. As a “designing government,” they are collaborating to establish a framework of agreements for this area of work. Acting together as a “launching customer” is one of the tools they are using to achieve this.
Focus Group: Suppliers Wanted
Are you developing AI solutions for objections and appeals? AIC4NL is putting together a sounding board group of market participants who will assess the collective needs of government agencies against what is already possible. See the bottom of this page for information on how to participate.
What is a buyer group?
A buyer group is a group of government agencies that collaborate on a single process. They begin working together at the start of the design process—the exploratory phase in which many details are still undecided. During this phase, they explore the requirements that an AI solution must meet: functional, legal, organizational, and technical. By doing this together, they can better align their decisions across the AI stack.
The buyer group operates on behalf of the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK) and works in collaboration with BZK’s AI Scaling Facility. Implementation is the responsibility of ICTU, the government’s ICT implementation agency. AIC4NL coordinates these efforts through the Digital Government division and connects government agencies, research institutions, and private-sector entities.
Why this program?
Governments face the same questions regarding AI—about security, reliability, quality, explainability, and sovereignty. These questions arise at every level of the AI stack: from infrastructure and data to models, tools, and the application itself. It makes sense to collectively identify and address these questions. Pooling these questions also makes a difference for providers and private investors. It gives them greater certainty when developing solutions for the public sector. In return, governments gain control over quality, interoperability, security, and digital sovereignty.
The government procures a large number of digital and AI solutions every year. By deliberately leveraging that purchasing power as a launching customer, it helps Dutch and European AI companies grow and attracts private investors. In this way, it builds its own AI industry and strengthens Dutch AI sovereignty. The buyer group thus aligns with AIC4NL’s broader vision of AI Fair Tech: AI that is developed and applied in a responsible, sovereign, and resilient manner.
Where do we stand now?
Following an informational session on June 16, the buyer group got underway. The initial meetings with the participating government agencies have now been completed. The next step is to identify existing applications, pilot projects, and standards. Work has also begun on the co-creation sessions, during which public organizations will further refine their requirements.
Four tracks
Implementing organizations and municipalities are working on the joint scaling-up initiative along four tracks.
- The public track ensures that the aggregate demand from the participating governments is clear.
- The technology track maps out the AI stack, from infrastructure and data to models, tools, and applications.
- The private rail sector is exploring the supplier landscape and the solutions that are already available.
- "The Path to the Future and Meaning " explores where public opinion is headed.
By the end of this year, these efforts will come together in a synthesis: the upscaling project, which will include documentation and a guide for an initial upscaling within the objection and appeal process.
Level Playing Field
The process has been deliberately designed to be open and transparent. Participation in the focus group does not confer any advantage in a subsequent procurement process. Any market consultation will be widely publicized so that every provider has an equal opportunity to respond.
Focus Group
For the private rail sector, we are seeking government AI suppliers to participate in a sounding board group. Specifically, this means:
- Market assessment. Suppliers provide an overview of the landscape and of what is already working, so that government demand can be evaluated against what is currently technically and commercially feasible.
- AIC4NL is organizing a roundtable discussion on AI in objection and appeal proceedings. Legal protection, human intervention, and explainability are central themes. We would like to incorporate the perspectives of those who are developing the solutions.
- The next phase will involve a pre-commercial dialogue with the market on co-creation and knowledge sharing.
Sign In
Would you like to participate in the focus group? Send an email to digitaleoverheid@aic4nl with your name, organization, and a brief description of your solution.
