A guide to the DSSC maturity self-assessment
The DSSC maturity self-assessment gives data space initiatives a structured way to see how far they have come and where the next effort pays off. This guide explains what the assessment covers, how the results are used and how an initiative can get started.
The assessment is open to any data space initiative, whatever its sector or size. A completed self-assessment is the entry point to DSSC support services. The Common European Data Spaces receive priority, and other data sharing initiatives can also request support once they have completed the assessment. All initiatives use it to measure themselves against a shared European method.
Six dimensions of data space maturity
The self-assessment evaluates a data space across six dimensions:
governance
business
legal
interoperability
control over data
trust and value creation
Each dimension comes with defined criteria and maturity levels. An initiative scores itself against these criteria and receives a profile that shows where it is strong and where gaps remain. Because every participating initiative applies the same method, the profile also shows where an initiative stands in relation to others.
A method maintained by CEN/CENELEC
The method behind the self-assessment originated in the DSSC's work with the Common European Data Spaces. It has since been handed over to the European standardisation organisations CEN and CENELEC, where Joint Technical Committee 25 maintains it as the technical specification CEN/CLC/TS 18331:2026, Maturity assessment of Common European Data Spaces, which is available from the national standardisation bodies of the CEN and CENELEC member countries.
Results therefore follow stable, publicly documented criteria, which makes them comparable across sectors and over time. The DSSC continues to take part in the CEN/CENELEC work so that the method stays aligned with European legislation and with the technical solutions that data spaces adopt.
How the DSSC uses the results
The self-assessment is the starting point for DSSC support. Results show which dimensions need attention and help the DSSC match an initiative with suitable support, for example value coaching or a place in an ecosystem accelerator sprint that addresses a gap shared by several initiatives.
Assessment results also provide the quantitative basis for the European Data Spaces Awards. They feed the DSSC Observatory, which maintains an up-to-date map of data space development across Europe. Each year the DSSC publishes a Maturity Assessment Report with the results from the Common European Data Spaces. The Observatory and the report present results in aggregated form only. The results of an individual data space are never published.
Taking part takes time, and the DSSC keeps the process as light as possible. The data collection tools are being simplified further so that initiatives can complete the assessment with limited effort.
Getting started in five steps
Bring the right people together. The six dimensions span governance, business, legal and technical questions. Answers improve when the person responsible for each area contributes. The assessment has a collaborative mode for this purpose. The assessment owner shares a reference code and colleagues join the assessment and contribute at their own pace.
Complete the self-assessment on dssc.eu. The assessment is available on the Knowledge Hub at dssc.eu/maturity-assessment.
Review the maturity profile. Start with the dimensions that score lowest and decide which gaps block the next stage of growth.
Use DSSC guidance to close the gaps. The DSSC Blueprint describes the building blocks behind each dimension. The DSSC Toolbox lists tools and components that implement them.
Request support and repeat the assessment. Initiatives that want tailored help can contact the DSSC support desk. Repeating the assessment each year documents progress and keeps the initiative visible in the Observatory.
Value of the assessment for initiatives
A completed assessment gives an initiative a clear picture of where it stands and a sound basis for choosing the support that closes the most important gaps. It also gives partners, funders and prospective participants a recognised and standardised reference for the state of the data space. Repeat it after each innovation cycle to track progress.