International Collaboration on AI Factories and HPC-AI

The Horizon Europe call HORIZON-JU-EUROHPC-2025-INCO-01 invites proposals for a Coordination and Support Action aimed at enhancing the European high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) landscape through international collaboration. The focus is on fostering participation in initiatives like the Trillion Parameter Consortium, which concentrates on developing large-scale Generative AI models for scientific applications. Eligible applicants include research institutes, universities, and consortia involving key European players in the HPC and AI domains, with an emphasis on a core consortium structure.

The funding type is a grant with a full funding rate of 100%, allowing contributors to request up to €1.5 million, with a project funding range between €500,000 and €1.5 million. The initiative targets EU member states and associated countries, aligning with the EU's strategic priorities for maintaining technological sovereignty in HPC and AI.

The project stage is concentrated on research and development, emphasizing the coordination of technical roadmaps, establishing governance frameworks for international AI initiatives, and preparing for the convergence of supercomputing and AI technologies. The application process is a single-stage open call, with submissions open from March 4, 2025, and a deadline set for June 4, 2025.

Successful proposals are expected to address key challenges associated with advancing AI for scientific use, ensuring EU representation in international discussions, and creating robust plans for the development of Generative AI models. The selected project will coordinate EU-level engagement and disseminate findings to pertinent stakeholders across Europe, including entities within the EuroHPC initiative.

The grant represents a vital investment in bolstering the EU's capabilities in AI and HPC, promoting collaboration among European entities, and driving forward the initiatives outlined in the EU’s broader €200 billion InvestAI strategy. While the expected competition for funding suggests a low success rate, no co-funding is required as the grant covers 100% of eligible project costs.

General submission guidelines and necessary documentation will follow specified conditions available in the Horizon Europe Work Programme. Overall, this grant opportunity aims to prepare Europe to be a key player in the global GenAI and HPC ecosystem, integrating European interests and ethical standards into international initiatives.

The HORIZON-JU-EUROHPC-2025-INCO-01 call invites proposals for a Coordination and Support Action (CSA) under the Horizon Europe program, specifically targeting EuroHPC International Cooperation. The action aims to strengthen the EU's HPC-AI ecosystem, particularly AI factories, through active participation in international initiatives focused on massive Generative AI (GenAI) solutions for science and engineering. The call is managed by the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation.

The primary goal is to prepare European High-Performance Computing (HPC) for the convergence of supercomputing and AI, particularly in the context of large-scale Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) models for scientific applications. Proposals should demonstrate a clear connection to the Trillion Parameter Consortium (TPC), aiming to create extreme-scale, state-of-the-art, trustworthy, and reliable generative AI models. The action should also address and discuss key challenges related to advancing AI for science using HPC.

The expected outcomes include:

Strengthening the EU HPC-AI ecosystem and AI factories through active participation in international initiatives.
Delivering a high-quality plan for developing massive GenAI models for science in Europe.
Ensuring EU vision, priorities, and ethical standards are reflected in the TPC's discussions and activities.
Contributing to a competitive European converged HPC-AI ecosystem.
Aligning EU and national initiatives and bridging gaps between EU and international efforts.
Improving the sharing of information, best practices, and expertise at European and world levels.
Disseminating knowledge to key EU initiatives, particularly AI Factories.

Main activities include:

Coordinating and establishing EU-level representation in the TPC's governance.
Supporting EU stakeholder participation in technical activities like roadmaps and working groups.
Analyzing research and operational challenges and maintaining high-quality research roadmaps.
Engaging with and disseminating results to relevant European stakeholders and communities, including EuroHPC actors, AI Factories, and HPC Centres of Excellence.

The action should consist of a core consortium of key European players and support the participation of individuals from other scientific and industrial organizations in Europe.

The background highlights the rapid advances in GenAI, especially Large Language Models (LLMs), and the challenges of using exa and post-exascale HPC architectures for AI applications. This necessitates collaboration with global stakeholders, particularly the TPC. European initiatives, such as AI Factories, must actively involve EU stakeholders to maintain their competence in this fast-moving environment.

The call is a single-stage submission process, with the submission session opening on March 4, 2025, and a deadline of June 4, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time. The total budget for the topic is EUR 1,500,000, with contributions ranging from EUR 500,000 to EUR 1,500,000. The granting authority intends to fund one project under this topic.

General conditions for admissibility include:

Proposal page limits and layout as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form in the Submission System.
Eligible countries as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries outlined in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
Other eligible conditions as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria as described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds as described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Submission and evaluation processes as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Legal and financial setup of the grants as described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Grants awarded under this topic must submit a communication plan within six months of the grant's start, along with the Dissemination and Engagement Plan. Specific conditions are described in EuroHPC JU Decision No 66/2024.

Application and evaluation forms, as well as the Model Grant Agreement (MGA), are available in the Submission System. The application form is the Standard application form (HE CSA), and the evaluation form is the Standard evaluation form (HE CSA), which will be adapted as necessary.

Additional documents for guidance include:

HE Programme Guide
HE MGA and HE Unit MGA
HE Main Work Programme 2023–2025 (General Introduction, Research Infrastructures, Digital, Industry and Space, and General Annexes)
HE Framework Programme 2021/695
HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment
EU Grants AGA Annotated Model Grant Agreement
Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Terms and Conditions, and Privacy Statement

There are 61 partner search announcements available for collaboration on this topic. LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

The Funding & Tenders Portal provides access to the Electronic Submission Service. The Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk, ETSI Research Helpdesk, and the European Charter for Researchers offer support and guidance.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call seeks to fund a Coordination and Support Action that will enable European researchers and organizations to actively participate in and shape the direction of the Trillion Parameter Consortium (TPC), an international effort focused on developing massive GenAI models for scientific discovery using high-performance computing. The goal is to ensure that European perspectives, priorities, and ethical standards are integrated into the global effort, thereby strengthening Europe's position in the rapidly evolving field of AI and HPC. The funded project will act as a central hub for coordinating European involvement, disseminating information, and developing strategic roadmaps for future research and development in this area.

Eligible Applicant Types: The action should consist of a core consortium of key European players in the related domains, and should support the participation of individuals from other scientific and industrial players and organisations in Europe. This suggests that eligible applicants include research organizations, universities, industrial players (including SMEs and large enterprises), and other relevant organizations in the HPC and AI domains within Europe.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON JU Coordination and Support Action (HORIZON-JU-CSA) under the HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] model.

Consortium Requirement: A consortium is required. The action should consist of a core consortium of key European players.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is primarily focused on European entities. The call aims to strengthen the EU HPC-AI ecosystem and requires the core consortium to be composed of key European players. While non-EU/non-Associated Countries may have specific provisions for funding, the emphasis is on European participation.

Target Sector: The program targets the convergence of supercomputing and AI, specifically focusing on massive Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) models for science. Key sectors include High-Performance Computing (HPC), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and related scientific and engineering domains. It also mentions AI Factories, Large Language Models (LLMs), and exa and post-exascale HPC architectures.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity focuses on European initiatives and stakeholders, so EU member states and associated countries are implicitly the primary focus. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries are mentioned as potentially having specific funding provisions.

Project Stage: The project stage is focused on coordination and support actions, which implies activities that support, promote, and coordinate existing research and innovation efforts. This includes activities such as developing roadmaps, engaging stakeholders, disseminating results, and supporting participation in international initiatives. The focus is on guiding and preparing European HPC for the convergence of supercomputing and AI, suggesting a development and validation stage.

Funding Amount: The total budget for the topic is EUR 1,500,000. The contributions range from EUR 500,000 to EUR 1,500,000.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant to fund their coordination and support activities.

Application Stages: The application process is a single-stage process.

Success Rates: The indicative number of grants is 1, suggesting a low success rate.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not explicitly state a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call, HORIZON-JU-EUROHPC-2025-INCO-01, aims to bolster the EU's HPC-AI ecosystem by fostering active European participation in international initiatives, particularly the Trillion Parameter Consortium (TPC). The call seeks proposals for Coordination and Support Actions (CSAs) that will guide and prepare European HPC for the convergence of supercomputing and AI in massive Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) models for science. The primary goal is to ensure that European perspectives, priorities, and ethical standards are well-represented in the global discussions and roadmaps related to GenAI and HPC.

The selected project will coordinate EU-level representation in the TPC's governance, support the participation of EU stakeholders in technical activities, analyze research challenges, and disseminate results to relevant European communities, including AI Factories and EuroHPC actors. The call emphasizes the importance of collaboration among key European players from scientific, industrial, and other relevant organizations.

Eligible applicants must form a core consortium of European entities and should aim to strengthen the EU's AI and HPC capabilities, ensuring that Europe remains competitive in this rapidly evolving technological landscape. The funding available is EUR 1,500,000, with an expected contribution between EUR 500,000 and EUR 1,500,000 per project. The application process is a single-stage open call with a deadline of June 4, 2025. The granting authority plans to fund only one project.