Apply AI: Challenge-Driven AI Innovation Booster in Apply AI prioritised sectors (RIA) (Partnership in AI, Data and Robotics)

Worum geht es in dieser Ausschreibung?

The topic funds consortia that run multi-stage AI challenges in healthcare, advanced manufacturing or autonomous driving and pass most of the funding to competing SMEs. User-industry companies from the sector should be core partners in each consortium.

Was fördert diese Ausschreibung?

Scope

The topic supports the Apply AI Strategy by funding consortia that organise multi-stage AI innovation competitions in one of three sectors: healthcare, advanced manufacturing (including AI-powered robotics) or in-vehicle autonomous driving. Provided proposals are of sufficient quality, at least one funded project will focus on autonomous driving. User-industry companies from the sector define the challenges and support the competing teams.

Competition stages

• Stage 1: an open call selects the 10 highest-ranked proposals from single SMEs that develop advanced AI, or small teams led by such an SME.
• Stage 2: the 10 selected teams each receive a €300,000 grant as financial support to third parties; the 4 best solutions move on.
• Stage 3: the 4 finalists each receive €2,250,000 and compete in a grand finale that identifies the best solution.

Per project, €3,000,000 is foreseen for Stage 2 grants and €9,000,000 for Stage 3 grants.

What the consortium does

Defines the challenges, timelines, KPIs and evaluation method, provides technical and business support and access to relevant data, ensures visibility of the competitions, and prepares a draft exploitation plan for uptake of the winning solutions. Projects funded under the topic collaborate under a collaboration agreement and link with AI Factories, the AI-on-demand platform and the AI, Data and Robotics partnership.

Technology readiness

Activities start at TRL 2 and reach TRL 5.

Wann endet die Einreichungsfrist?

18. März 2027 (132 Tage)

18 March 2027 (single-stage submission).