Call for Tenders for the selection of Artificial Intelligence Gigafactory Consortia and the establishment of AI Gigafactories

The EuroHPC JU has launched a public procurement (call reference EUROHPC/2026/OP/0008) to select consortia to establish and operate up to seven AI Gigafactories across two lots (medium and large) and to procure guaranteed shares of AI compute access time via a Framework Contract and subsequent Specific Contracts. The submission deadline is 12 November 2026 at 16:00 UTC with exclusive electronic submission through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. The procedure value is estimated at €10 billion in total (approximately €4 billion for medium-scale Lot 1 and €6 billion for large-scale Lot 2), with an EU contribution indicated for Phase 1 medium projects and bidders expected to finance and operate capital-intensive infrastructure. Eligible bidders are consortia or economic operators proposing AIGFs hosted in EuroHPC Participating States and proposals will be evaluated on quality and price, including technical, operational, security and impact criteria.

What it funds

Scope

Selection of consortia to establish and operate AI Gigafactories (AIGFs) and provision of AI compute access time to Contracting Parties. AIGFs are large-scale, AI-optimised supercomputing facilities including compute, storage, networking, secure cloud access environments and specialised support services hosted on environmentally sustainable infrastructure.

Who can apply:Consortia (public and private entities forming bidding groups) capable of designing, building, hosting and operating large-scale or medium-scale AI Gigafactories according to the tender documents; SMEs may participate within consortia but the procurement is not SME-targeted.

1. 1Lot 1: Medium-scale AIGFs — intended to award 4 consortia; estimated lot value €4,000,000,000.
2. 2Lot 2: Large-scale AIGFs — intended to award 3 consortia; estimated lot value €6,000,000,000.

Procurement will result in a ranked list of successful AIGF consortia and the signature of a Framework Contract and subsequent Specific Contracts for guaranteed shares of compute access time. Application and tender specifications, financial offer templates, draft framework contract and FAQs are provided in the tender dossier Tender dossier. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Official tender documents including Invitation to Tender, Tender Specifications, Annexes, Financial Offer form and Model Framework Contract are published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and accessible from the tender page.

Overview and Objectives

The European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) has published a public procurement call (Call Identifier EUROHPC/2026/OP/0008) to select consortia that will establish, host and operate Artificial Intelligence Gigafactories (AIGFs). The procurement aims to create a framework under which the Contracting Parties will acquire guaranteed shares of AI compute access time from successful AIGF Consortia through a Framework Contract and subsequent Specific Contracts. The AIGFs are defined as state-of-the-art, large-scale facilities capable of supporting the full lifecycle of very large AI models and applications, including AI-optimised compute capacity, high-capacity storage and networking, secure cloud user environments, specialised AI support services, and environmentally sustainable energy and water systems.

Specific objectives:1) Selection of AIGF Consortia following evaluation by EuroHPC JU and independent experts culminating in a ranked list of awardees; 2) Procurement of Compute Access Time via a Framework Contract and Specific Contracts with the selected consortia. The call is structured as a multi-lot tender covering medium-scale and large-scale AIGFs.

Deadlines and Key Dates:Deadline for tender submission: 12 November 2026 at 16:00:59 (Europe/Luxembourg timezone). Open tender event: 13 November 2026 at 15:00 (local time). Additional information request period ends 4 November 2026. Tender documents were published 30 July 2026. Submission method: electronic submission through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal. Invitation to tender ¹

Eligible Applicant Types

The tender targets consortia as contracting entities. Eligible applicant types that typically participate and are expected to fulfil the tender requirements include: large infrastructure operators, cloud and data centre providers, HPC centres, large enterprises (including hyperscalers and system integrators), research institutions and universities acting as partners within consortia, public authorities or publicly owned entities where relevant, and consortium members such as specialised technology vendors and service providers. SMEs may participate as consortium members but the procurement is not SME-suitable (the procurement documents indicate SME suitability: false for both lots). Individual applicants are not appropriate; the instrument requires multi-member consortia capable of delivering complex infrastructure projects.

Funding Type and Financial Mechanism

This is a public procurement tender (contracting procedure) rather than a grant. The primary financial mechanism is procurement of services through a Framework Contract and subsequent Specific Contracts. The EuroHPC JU will not provide research grants to winners via this call; instead, Contracting Parties will acquire AI compute access time as a purchased service. The estimated total procedure value (combined across lots) is €10 000 000 000 (ten billion euros), with Lot 1 estimated at €4 000 000 000 and Lot 2 at €6 000 000 000 for the planned contract periods.

Consortium Requirement

A consortium structure is required. The call explicitly seeks AIGF Consortia able to design, deploy, host and operate medium-scale and large-scale AI Gigafactories. The tender documents include an application form (Annex 1) and other specification annexes that set out selection and award criteria, indicating consortium-level capability and contractual arrangements are necessary. Single entities may potentially bid if they can demonstrate the required multi-disciplinary capabilities, but the procurement description and intent are for multi-member consortia.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility)

The opportunity is launched by the EuroHPC JU and targets hosting and operations within the European Union; the call references establishment of AIGFs in the European Union. As a EuroHPC JU procurement, participation is governed by EU public procurement rules and the Funding & Tenders Portal submission system. The tender documentation should be consulted for precise eligibility regarding participating countries, including any involvement from associated or third countries. The public call and EuroHPC JU communications emphasise EU-based deployment and integration into the EuroHPC ecosystem.

Target Sector and Technologies

The tender targets the high-performance computing and artificial intelligence sector, specifically large-scale AI infrastructure and services. Key technology and service requirements include AI-optimised compute (GPU/accelerator clusters and associated software stacks), HPC-class interconnects and networking, large-capacity storage systems, secure cloud user access environments, AI-oriented operational and support services (model development, training and inference lifecycle support), data handling and security, and environmentally sustainable energy and water systems for the data centre. CPV codes associated with the procurement include 72500000 (building construction work not elsewhere specified), 72310000 (computer consultancy services), 72317000 (IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support), 72211000 (computer equipment), and 72416000 (data processing services).

Mentioned Countries

The call text explicitly references the European Union as the region for establishment and operation of the AIGFs. No individual Member States are named in the summary content provided. The contracting authority is the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) which is an EU body acting on behalf of the EU and participating Member States.

Project Stage and Expected Maturity

This procurement targets projects at a mature infrastructure delivery and operational stage: design, construction/deployment, commissioning and long-term operation of production-grade AI supercomputing facilities. Required capabilities span from development and deployment to large-scale inference operations. The expected maturity is therefore development, demonstration, and commercialization/long-term operation rather than early-stage research.

Funding Amount and Procedure Value

Estimated overall procedure value:€10 000 000 000. Lot breakdown: Lot 1 (Medium-Scale AI Gigafactories) estimated at €4 000 000 000 across a planned period of 78 months; Lot 2 (Large-Scale AI Gigafactories) estimated at €6 000 000 000 across a planned period of 78 months. These are estimated overall contract amounts published in the tender metadata and represent procurement framework values rather than direct grant amounts to bidders.

Application Type and Submission Method

Submission method is eSubmission via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal (required). This is an open call for tenders following public procurement rules (invitation to tender published). All required documents are published as annexes and templates on the portal (Invitation to tender, Tender Specifications, Application Form Annex 1, Model Framework Contract Annex 3, Financial Offer template, FAQs, and other annexes). Tenderers must submit electronic applications by the stated deadline.

Nature of Support to Beneficiaries

Successful tenderers will conclude procurement contracts and receive monetary compensation through purchased services (payment for provision of compute access time and related service deliverables under Framework and Specific Contracts). The support is therefore monetary via contracted service payments, not grant funding. Additionally, beneficiaries will receive contractual access to a market of EuroHPC Contracting Parties and integration into the EuroHPC ecosystem, which is a non-monetary structural benefit.

Application Stages and Selection Process

The procurement follows a single-stage submission of tenders evaluated by EuroHPC JU with the assistance of independent experts, followed by an award decision by the Governing Board which establishes a ranked list of successful AIGF Consortia. Following award of the Framework Contract, the Contracting Parties will sign Specific Contracts to procure guaranteed shares of compute access time. The documents indicate: 1) tender submission; 2) evaluation by independent experts and EuroHPC JU; 3) award decision and ranking; 4) conclusion of Framework Contract and subsequent Specific Contracts.

1. 1Stage 1: Preparation and electronic submission of full tender dossier by consortium before the deadline.
2. 2Stage 2: Administrative and eligibility checks followed by quality and price evaluation by independent experts.
3. 3Stage 3: Award decision by EuroHPC JU Governing Board; establishment of ranked list of successful consortia.
4. 4Stage 4: Signature of Framework Contract with successful consortia and negotiation/issue of Specific Contracts to procure compute time.

Success Rates

No explicit success rates are published in the tender documents. However, planned awardees per lot are indicated: Lot 1 aims to award 4 consortia (medium-scale) and Lot 2 aims to award 3 consortia (large-scale). The number of submissions expected is not stated; therefore success rate depends on competition. Given the high project value and the limited number of awards, competition is expected to be strong and success rates likely low relative to number of applicants.

Co-funding Requirement

The procurement is commercially structured; the tender does not describe co-funding in the sense of grant co-financing. Consortia will be responsible for financing, investing in and delivering capital-intensive infrastructure and operations (capital expenditure and operational expenditure) as part of their contractual offer. Tenderers must price their offers in the Financial Offer template; the Framework Contract will detail payment and cost-recovery terms. Therefore, bidders should be prepared to commit own funds or financing arrangements to implement the AIGFs and deliver the service under contract terms.

Required Documents and Templates

The procurement package published on 30 July 2026 contains the full set of tender documents and templates. Key published documents include: Invitation to tender (EN-Invitation_to_tender_EUROHPC2026OP0008_AI Gigafactories_V1.pdf), Tender Specifications (CfT AIGF - Tender Specifications_V1.pdf), Annex 1 Application Form (CfT AIGF - Annex 1 - Application Form_V1.docx), Annex 2 (CfT AIGF - Annex 2_V1.pdf), Annex 3 Model Framework Contract (CfT AIGF - Annex 3 - Model FWC_V1.pdf), Financial offer template (CfT AIGF - Financial offer_V1.xlsx), and an FAQ document (FAQ AIF Gigafactories_v300726_V1.pdf). All templates and mandatory forms must be completed and submitted electronically via the portal.

• Complete Annex 1 Application Form (structure and mandatory fields defined in the docx template).
• Submit Financial Offer using the provided Excel template (price schedules and any required breakdowns).
• Provide technical proposal addressing requirements in the Tender Specifications (compute capacity, storage, networking, security, user environments, sustainability measures, operations and support services).
• Include consortium legal and financial information, declarations and certificates as specified in selection criteria (e.g., procurement qualification documents).
• Agree to and sign the Model Framework Contract if awarded; review Annex 3 for contractual obligations and service-level commitments.

Award Criteria and Evaluation

Awarding criteria are quality and price. The tender metadata specifies subordinate awarding criteria of quality and price and instructs tenderers to consult procurement documents for full evaluation methodology, weighting and sub-criteria. Quality criteria will address technical capability, operational model, security, sustainability, support services, and evidence of ability to deliver large-scale AI operations. Price will be evaluated based on the Financial Offer template. Tender validity period is 6 months.

How to Apply and Where to Find Documents

All tender documents, templates and the electronic submission portal are available through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal opportunity page for reference bc712395-692d. Access the Funding and Tenders Portal to download: Invitation to tender, Tender Specifications, Annexes 1-3, Financial Offer template and FAQs. Submission must be via the portal (eSubmission). Tender Details ¹

Summary Recommendation for Potential Bidders

Interested parties should form strong consortia combining data-centre operators, HPC system integrators, cloud service providers, advanced AI software and operation specialists, and sustainability/energy partners. Prepare a full technical proposal addressing compute architecture (accelerators, interconnect), storage and data management, security and user environments, service model for compute access time, sustainability measures (energy and water), operational plan, and commercial pricing using the provided Financial Offer template. Ensure all legal and financial selection criteria documentation required for public procurement are provided and submit via the Funding & Tenders Portal before the deadline.

This procurement represents a major EuroHPC JU initiative to build a European AI infrastructure ecosystem by procuring operational AI Gigafactories that will be integrated into the EuroHPC services offering. The Framework Contract approach enables Contracting Parties to obtain committed access to AI compute time from awarded consortia over the contract period.

Contacting the Contracting Authority:Lead contracting authority: European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU). Official EuroHPC JU information and additional context are available at the EuroHPC website EuroHPC JU homepage. All procurement contact points and procedural questions should be directed via the Funding & Tenders Portal channels specified in the tender documentation.

Footnotes

1. 1Primary tender page and procurement documents available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: ec.europa.eu. See published annexes and templates (Invitation, Tender Specifications, Annexes 1-3, Financial Offer, FAQ) dated 30 July 2026.

This is a EuroHPC JU tender to select Artificial Intelligence Gigafactory consortia and then establish AI Gigafactories, with the winning operators later providing compute access time under a framework contract and subsequent specific contracts. [1][8]

What the tender is for

The objective is to select consortia that will establish and operate AI Gigafactories and to secure a guaranteed share of AI compute access time from those selected operators. [1][8]

An AI Gigafactory is described as a state of the art large scale facility that can support the full AI lifecycle, from development to large scale inference, and that combines AI optimised compute, storage, networking, secure cloud access, specialised support services, and sustainable energy and water infrastructure. [1]

Who can apply

• Economic operators may bid as a sole tenderer or as a consortium or joint tender, and subcontracting is permitted. [2]
• The project must be tied to an AI Gigafactory hosted in an EU Member State that is also a EuroHPC Participating State and has a formal national commitment under Annex 2. [2][8]
• Briefing materials indicate that access to the procurement may extend to economic operators established in EU Member States, EEA countries, EuroHPC Participating States, associated countries of Horizon Europe and the Digital Europe Programme, and certain additional third countries such as OECD countries or countries with an AI Gigafactory cooperation agreement. [4]

Funding and operating model

The call can be structured under either a CAPEX model or an Offtake model. In CAPEX, support is provided upfront, while in Offtake, payments are spread over the typical five year amortisation period, and in both cases the Union and Member States receive a share of total compute capacity over five years. [8]

The tender specification snippet states a Phase 1 minimum technical scale of 25,000 advanced AI accelerators for medium scale projects, and briefing materials indicate a Phase 2 full scale target of at least 100,000 GPUs. [1][4]

Public reporting around the launch estimates the overall programme value at about €30 billion, with roughly €10 billion in public financing and €20 billion in private investment, although the exact allocation depends on the lot and national participation. [3][12]

The official tender materials also indicate an EU contribution of €100 million per medium scale AIGF project in Phase 1. [1]

Project size and lot structure

• Briefing materials describe one tender call with two lots: Lot 1 for medium scale AI Gigafactories and Lot 2 for large scale AI Gigafactories. [4]
• Lot 1 is described as targeting four winning consortia. [4]
• Lot 2 is described as targeting three winning consortia. [4]
• Tenderers may propose multi site AI Gigafactories, but at least one site must reach full scale and compute access time is procured only from the largest constituent site. [4]

How proposals are evaluated

• The evaluation process checks access to procurement, compliance, non exclusion conditions, and award criteria. [4]
• Technical scoring covers objectives and technical quality, the workplan, physical IT and networking infrastructure, quality of service including security, cybersecurity and trustworthiness, supply chain security, sustainability and energy efficiency, consortium experience and governance, and AI training and inference benchmark performance. [4]
• Impact scoring covers the effect on the European AI ecosystem, including competitiveness and talent, together with EU added value, strategic autonomy, and technological sovereignty. [4]
• FAQ guidance states that Member States do not take part in the evaluation and selection process, which is intended to preserve fairness and objectivity. [8]

Submission and timing

The tender should be submitted exclusively through the electronic submission system on TED eTendering and the Funding and Tenders Portal, and enquiries must be sent by email to GIGAFACTORIES@eurohpc-ju.europa.eu. [1]

The official submission deadline reported in the available sources is 12 November 2026 at 16:00 UTC, and questions must be submitted at least 7 days before the deadline; the extra 1 January 2026 timestamp in the provided metadata is not supported by the sources reviewed. [1][3][12]

Briefing and media sources indicate a phased implementation, with award decisions expected after evaluation and construction beginning in 2027, while some reports place first operational capability in 2028 and final completion as late as May 2032. [5][12][13]