AI compute evaluation and deployment platform for EU infrastructure
Grant for developing an EU AI compute evaluation and deployment platform to boost European AI chip sovereignty.
This call funds the creation of a common EU platform to evaluate AI chips and systems. It supports pilot deployments of European AI compute infrastructure. The goal is to strengthen EU technological sovereignty and market demand for European AI chips.
Likely relevant for
- AI hardware developers
- European AI infrastructure providers
- Technology procurement agencies
- European datacenter operators
Project signals
What it funds
- Development of a common EU evaluation platform for AI chips and racks
- Pilot deployments of European AI compute systems with EU sovereign partitions
- Collaboration frameworks between buyers and suppliers for AI compute solutions
- Support for deployment, integration, and optimisation of European AI compute solutions
Expected outcomes
- Transparent KPIs, workloads, and benchmark reports for Chips JU procurement decisions
- Validated pilot deployments of European AI compute infrastructure
- Structured collaboration between buyers and suppliers
- Increased EU demand and market creation for European AI chips and racks
- Enhanced EU technological sovereignty in AI compute stack for datacentres
Who can apply / participate
- Legal entities eligible under Chips JU rules
- Consortia involving European AI hardware and infrastructure stakeholders
- Refer to Chips JU Work Programme and call documents for consortium requirements
- Eligibility based on Chips JU eligible countries
- Detailed eligibility conditions in call documents and Chips JU Work Programme
- Exact consortium size and composition requirements
- Specific country eligibility details
Must check before shortlisting
- specific eligibility criteria in call documents
- consortium composition rules
- budget and funding rate details
Money
Total budget up to €70 million for 2026 with one expected grant.
- Maximum grant amount — 70000000EURSingle grant expected
Application notes
- Single-stage submission model.
- Proposal page limits and layout detailed in Part B of Application Form
- Eligibility and evaluation criteria in Chips JU Work Programme Appendix 8
- Ownership Control Declaration form template
- National Budgets Table template
- Guide for applicants and Application Form templates
- Model Grant Agreements and related legal documents
- Prepare proposal according to call and Chips JU guidelines
- Submit via Funding & Tenders Portal by deadline
- Consult call documents for detailed conditions
- Check all eligibility and consortium rules carefully
- Review evaluation criteria and scoring thresholds
- Ensure compliance with legal and financial requirements
Derived from official EU Funding portal source · updated 1 Sep 2026, 11:22 UTC. Use this as a shortlisting aid; the official call text remains authoritative.
Official source text
Fine print from the EU source record. Expand when you need the original wording.
Topic description
Expected Outcome: The expected outcomes of this topic are : A common EU evaluation platform for AI chips and racks, with transparent KPIs, workloads and benchmark reports used for Chips JU selection and procurement decisions. First pilot deployments of European AI compute systems validated for EU sovereign partitions of AI infrastructure. Structured collaboration between buyers and suppliers, supporting deployment, integration and optimisation of European AI compute solutions. Stronger EU demand for European AI chips and racks, helping to create a market for deployment-ready solutions. Increased EU technological sovereignty across the AI compute stack for European datacentres.
Conditions and documents
Conditions
1. Admissibility conditions: Proposal page limit and layout
Proposal page limits and layout: detailed in Part B of the Application Form, which you can access from the Call documents section on the Chips JU website's Call page
The following information are all described in the Appendix 8 of the Chips JU Workprogramme
2. Eligible countries
3. Other eligibility conditions
4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion
5a. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes
5b. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds
5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement
6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants
Please refer to the call documents section on the Chips JU website's Call page to view and download all required documents and templates.
Specific Call Documents
Ownership Control Declaration form template
National Budgets Table template (xls)
Guide for applicants - DIGITAL-JU-CHIPS-2026-AI-GfP
Template of Application Form - DIGITAL-JU-CHIPS-2026-AI-GfP
Template of Evaluation Form - DIGITAL-JU-CHIPS-2026-AI-GfP
General Call Documents
Chips JU Multiannual Work Programme
Decision on the evaluation and selection procedures related to calls launched by the Chips JU
Annotated Model Grant Agreement for EU Funding Programmes 2021-2027
Appendix 8 of Work Programme - Chips for Europe Initiative
Call document and annexes:
Model Grant Agreements (MGA)
Additional documents:
Support information
For help related to this call, please contact calls@chips-ju.europa.eu Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ – Submission of proposals . IT Helpdesk – Contact the IT helpdesk for questions such as forgotten passwords, access rights and roles, technical aspects of submission of proposals, etc. Online Manual – Step-by-step online guide through the Portal processes from proposal preparation and evaluation to reporting on your ongoing project. Valid for all 2021-2027 programmes.
Raw budget overview
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