The call seeks solutions in areas such as the integration of the new European digital identity, AI applied to key positions, and the attraction and retention of talent in the sector
BeCiTi launches a new open innovation challenge to improve management processes in Benidorm hotels
Researchers or companies interested in submitting proposals can submit their applications until May 26.
The BeCiTi Smart Tourism Innovation Center, promoted by the Benidorm City Council, has launched its second open innovation challenge with the aim of identifying and validating technological solutions capable of improving management processes in the city's hotels. This new call for proposals is part of the municipal strategy to consolidate Benidorm as a leader in tourism innovation, sustainability, and digital transformation, fostering connections between the sector's real needs and the technological capabilities of the innovation ecosystem, as explained by the Councilor for Innovation, Aida García Mayor.
The new challenge, for which applications are now being accepted from individuals or companies interested in participating, stems from the strategic importance of the hotel sector in Benidorm and the need to continue moving towards more efficient, agile, sustainable management models focused on service excellence. Through this call for proposals, BeCiTi seeks to promote solutions that contribute not only to optimizing complex processes in hotel operations, but also to improving the destination's competitiveness, the well-being of employees and guests, and the sector's ability to adapt to new technological and regulatory scenarios.
The selected solutions, as García Mayor noted, will be validated through proof-of-concept trials in leading hotels in the city, in a real and complex environment, with technical and strategic support throughout the entire process. BeCiTi's model is based precisely on this ability to translate innovation into real-world use cases, facilitating the practical testing of proposals and their potential for subsequent scaling.
The call for proposals is structured around three main lines of work. The first focuses on the integration of Digital Identity according to the European EUDI Wallet standard in hotel use cases, such as check-in and check-out, identity and age verification, loyalty programs, vouchers, and access to facilities.
The second focus is on the application of artificial intelligence in key hotel operations positions, with particular interest in areas such as housekeeping, food and beverage demand forecasting, human resources, and reputation analysis.
The third focus addresses talent acquisition, retention, and development, seeking initiatives that will make the sector more attractive and strengthen opportunities for learning, professional growth, and access to employment within Benidorm ecosystem.
How and when to submit proposals
The municipal head of Innovation has announced that, as with the first challenge launched by BeCiTi, which aimed to measure and certify the water footprint of hotel establishments, companies, entrepreneurs, independent professionals, researchers, and knowledge agents can participate by presenting solutions or value propositions aligned with the challenges defined in the terms and conditions of this second call for proposals. Applications must be submitted electronically via the form available on the BeCiTi website, www.beciti.es. The application period will be open from May 12, 2026, until May 26, 2026, at 2:00 p.m.
BeCiTi invites companies, entrepreneurs, researchers, and knowledge agents to participate by submitting solutions aligned with the sub-challenges described in the terms and conditions, and by joining a results-oriented program focused on testing, validating, and scaling solutions with a real impact in Benidorm.
The application period opens on May 12, 2026, and closes on May 26, 2026, at 2:00 PM. Applications must be submitted electronically via the online form available on the BeCiTi website (https://beciti.es/retos-beciti/).
This new launch coincides with BeCiTi's progress in developing its first open innovation challenge, focused on measuring and certifying the water footprint of hotel establishments. That challenge was created to identify technological solutions capable of measuring, analysing, and managing water consumption in tourist facilities, thereby strengthening the sustainability of the destination and the operational efficiency of the sector.
Aida García Mayor explained that the program is currently in the proof-of-concept testing phase for the three selected solutions, offered by the companies SavEarth, Manglai, and Sensactive, in collaboration with five leading hotel companies in the destination: Hoteles RH, Hoteles Poseidón, MedPlaya Hoteles, Hotel Cimbel, Hotel Meliá Villaitana, and Grupo Magic Costa Blanca, with support from Veolia and HOSBEC.
The goal is to test these technologies in a real-world environment during the summer months, coinciding with the city's peak occupancy period. This will allow for analysis of their performance under particularly demanding operational conditions.
"With this second call for proposals, BeCiTi continues to consolidate a results-oriented open innovation methodology based on identifying specific challenges, connecting with innovative solutions, and validating them under real-world conditions, thus reinforcing Benidorm's position as a leading laboratory for innovation applied to tourism," the councilwoman concluded.