Deadline Date: September 23, 2026
The European Commission is inviting applications to the development and evaluation of AI chip solutions for European compute infrastructure.
The focus areas of this call include AI chip design, intellectual property development, system integration, original equipment manufacturing, AI chip demonstrators, benchmark evaluation, AI workload testing, software stack integration, energy efficiency, software maturity, and development roadmaps for full AI compute racks.
Each proposal must include at least one EU-established fabless AI chip design company responsible for the AI chip design and related intellectual property covered by the proposal. System integrators and original equipment manufacturers may also participate as beneficiaries.
The proposed AI chips must have been taped out at a commercial foundry, with engineering samples available or expected within three months after the submission deadline. A printed circuit board hosting the chip must also be designed and in production or expected within six months after the submission deadline for benchmark evaluation.
Within six months, the consortium must complete the AI chip demonstrator, including the chip, PCB, cooling, and interconnect components.
The consortium must integrate the demonstrator with the required software stack, including drivers, compiler and runtime components, and framework support needed to meet KPIs and run AI workloads provided by the Topic B consortium.
The completed demonstrator must be delivered to the common evaluation platform for benchmarking under controlled and reproducible conditions. The consortium must also submit a final technical report covering architecture, energy efficiency, software maturity, and a roadmap towards a full AI compute rack.
The total available funding is €10,000,000, with individual grants ranging from €500,000 to €1,000,000.
Eligible consortia must include beneficiaries from at least three different Member States or EEA countries. Participation is subject to conditions related to the protection of European digital infrastructures, communication and information systems, and related supply chains.
Legal entities established in EU Member States or EEA countries that are controlled from third countries may participate only if they guarantee the protection of essential security interests of the Union and Member States and ensure the protection of classified information where applicable.
For more information, visit European Commission.
