Support to the secretariat for the Alliance on Processors and Semiconductor Technologies

The grant opportunity, titled "DIGITAL-2025," is a part of the Digital Europe Programme, aiming to enhance Europe’s semiconductor ecosystem through support for the "Alliance on Processors and Semiconductor Technologies." The focus is on strengthening capabilities in semiconductor technologies and processors, aligning with the EU's goal of achieving 20% of global semiconductor production by 2030. Eligible applicants include a diverse range of entities such as startups, SMEs, large enterprises, research institutes, universities, public-private partnerships, and industry associations involved in semiconductor technologies. National and regional authorities supporting industrial alliances are also eligible. A consortium comprising at least three entities from different eligible countries is required, with a strong recommendation to include representatives from the semiconductor industry, academia, and public sector stakeholders. The funding model for this opportunity involves a grant classified as a Coordination and Support Action (CSA), providing a funding rate of 50%. The geographic eligibility encompasses EU Member States, EFTA/EEA countries, and EU-associated countries. The funding amount allocated for this particular topic is €1 million, sourced from a larger budget across five AI-related topics under this call. The application process is a single-stage open call, with a submission deadline set for September 2, 2025, necessitating proposals to be submitted through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. A co-funding requirement exists where applicants must cover 50% of their project costs. Although specific success rates are not stated, typical ranges for competitive EU grants fall between 10% and 39%. The outcomes expected from this initiative include the development of strategic roadmaps, identification of end-user needs, and the establishment of a digital collaboration platform for communication among Alliance members. The secretariat will also facilitate annual assemblies and provide support for upskilling opportunities. Overall, this grant aims to consolidate and coordinate efforts among a wide array of stakeholders to support the semiconductor value chain while enhancing Europe's digital sovereignty in critical technology sectors.

This is a call for proposals under the Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL) with call identifier AI Continent (DIGITAL-2025-AI-08). The topic is "Support to the secretariat for the Alliance on Processors and Semiconductor Technologies" with topic identifier DIGITAL-2025. It is a DIGITAL Coordination and Support Action (DIGITAL-CSA) with a DIGITAL Action Grant Budget-Based [DIGITAL-AG] type of Model Grant Agreement.

The call is currently open for submission with a single-stage deadline model. The opening date was 15 April 2025, and the deadline for submission is 02 September 2025 at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcome is that the Secretariat of the European Alliance will support the European Commission in making the Alliance a sustainable stakeholder platform. Deliverables include:

1. The development and promotion of strategic roadmaps and action plans for the objectives and deliverables as established within the thematic Working Groups of the Alliance, in coordination with the members of the Alliance and the European Commission.

2. The identification of the needs of end-users for the next decade.

3. Creation and maintenance of the Alliance’s website, a digital collaboration platform and day-to-day content creation to inform the broader audience about the Alliance’s activities.

4. Preparation and organisation of the annual General Assembly and Forum, and follow-up with all members of the Alliance, in close coordination with the European Commission and the Steering committee of the Alliance.

5. The support of upskilling and reskilling opportunities for workers and students.

The Secretariat should offer a platform of support services to Alliance members and working groups.

The objective of this action is to support the activities of the Industrial Alliance on processors and semiconductor technologies. The purpose of the Alliance is to gather relevant stakeholders, including industry, Member States representatives and other experts, from across Europe in view of strengthening Europe’s capacities in advanced processors and other electronic components. The Alliance aims to identify gaps in the production and development of microchips and the technology developments needed for companies and organisations to thrive, no matter their size. This will help the competitiveness of companies, increase Europe’s digital sovereignty and address the demand for the next generation of secure, energy-efficient, powerful chips and processors.

The scope of the action is that the Secretariat shall support the day-to-day work of the members of the Alliance in carrying out the main tasks of the Alliance. These include the identification of critical gaps in the semiconductor value chain and the development of targets and roadmaps for a number of working groups. In addition to representatives from industry, RTOs, and academia, Member States’ delegates are invited to participate in the work of the Alliance in relevant working groups. This action consists in providing the following support services to the Alliance:

1. Organisation and administrative support of relevant thematic working groups, and their follow up, in view of ensuring progress towards and delivering on the Alliance’s milestones, in close collaboration with the Chair/Vice-Chairs.

2. Supporting communication and exchanges between the European Commission, Alliance members and all other stakeholders with an interest in the fields of work of the Alliance.

3. Disseminating the Alliance’s work.

4. Supporting providing advice and guidance to the European Semiconductor Board, when requested.

5. Expand and ensure a representative Alliance community by promoting the Alliance towards relevant stakeholders that meet the eligibility criteria.

6. Support the on-boarding of new members in the Alliance’s work.

7. Organise physical meetings for the General Assembly at least once per year.

The submission session is now available for DIGITAL-2025-AI-08-DS-SUPPORT, DIGITAL-2025-AI-08-AGRIFOOD, DIGITAL-2025-AI-08-COMPLIANCE, DIGITAL-2025, DIGITAL-2025-AI-08-SUPPLY-AI.

The admissibility conditions include:

1. Proposal page limit and layout described in section 5 of the call document and Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.

2. Eligible Countries described in section 6 of the call document.

3. Other Eligible Conditions described in section 6 of the call document.

4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion described in section 7 of the call document.

5a. Evaluation and award:Submission and evaluation processes described section 8 of the call document and the Online Manual.

€5B. Evaluation and award:Award criteria, scoring and thresholds described in section 9 of the call document.

5c. Evaluation and award:Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement described in section 4 of the call document.

6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants described in section 10 of the call document.

The call document is available online. Application form templates include the Standard application form (DEP) available in the Submission System and a Detailed budget table also available in the Submission System. Additional documents include the Digital Europe Programme - General MGA v1 Guidance Classification of information in DIGITAL projects, Guidelines on How to Complete your Ethics Self-Assessment, Digital Europe Work Programme 2025-2027, Digital Europe Programme Regulation 2021/694, and EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509.

The budget overview for the year 2025 is as follows:

DIGITAL-2025-AI-08-AGRIFOOD - DIGITAL-JU-GFS:€15,000,000, single-stage, 1 indicative grant

DIGITAL-2025-AI-08-COMPLIANCE - DIGITAL-SIMPLE:€8,000,000, single-stage, 3 indicative grants

DIGITAL-2025-AI-08-DS-SUPPORT - DIGITAL-CSA:€10,000,000, single-stage, 1 indicative grant

DIGITAL-2025 - DIGITAL-CSA:€1,000,000, single-stage, 1 indicative grant

DIGITAL-2025-AI-08-SUPPLY-AI - DIGITAL-GP:€21,000,000, single-stage, 4 indicative grants

There are 37 partner search announcements available. LEARs, Account Administrators or self-registrants can publish partner requests for open and forthcoming topics.

To access the Electronic Submission Service, click on the submission button next to the type of action and the type of model grant agreement that corresponds to your proposal. Select the type of submission: DIGITAL Coordination and Support Actions [DIGITAL-CSA], DIGITAL Action Grant Budget-Based [DIGITAL-AG].

For help related to this call, contact the provided link. Additional resources include the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, IT Helpdesk, and Online Manual.

In summary, this Digital Europe Programme call aims to establish a secretariat to support the Industrial Alliance on processors and semiconductor technologies. The goal is to strengthen Europe’s capabilities in this critical sector by identifying gaps, developing roadmaps, and fostering collaboration among industry, research organizations, academia, and Member States. The secretariat will provide administrative, communication, and advisory support to the Alliance and its working groups, contributing to Europe’s digital sovereignty and competitiveness in the global semiconductor market. The call encourages participation from a wide range of stakeholders and provides resources and support for proposal preparation and submission.

Eligible Applicant Types:The eligible applicant types are industry, Research and Technology Organizations (RTOs), academia, Member States representatives and other experts.

Funding Type:The funding type is a grant, specifically DIGITAL Coordination and Support Actions (DIGITAL-CSA) and DIGITAL Action Grant Budget-Based [DIGITAL-AG]. There are also DIGITAL JU Grants for Financial Support (DIGITAL-JU-GFS), DIGITAL Simple Grants (DIGITAL-SIMPLE), and DIGITAL Grants for Procurement (DIGITAL-GP).

Consortium Requirement:The information does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required, but it mentions the involvement of various stakeholders, including industry, RTOs, academia, and Member States' delegates, suggesting that a consortium approach is possible or even preferred.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):The geographic eligibility is across Europe.

Target Sector:The target sector is processors and semiconductor technologies, artificial intelligence, agrifood, compliance, and digital services.

Mentioned Countries:Europe, Member States of the EU.

Project Stage:The project stage appears to be focused on supporting and coordinating existing activities and initiatives within the Industrial Alliance, rather than funding new research or development. It is more about supporting the day-to-day work, identifying gaps, developing roadmaps, and providing support services.

Funding Amount:The funding amounts vary by topic:

DIGITAL-2025-AI-08-AGRIFOOD:€15,000,000

DIGITAL-2025-AI-08-COMPLIANCE:€8,000,000

DIGITAL-2025-AI-08-DS-SUPPORT:€10,000,000

DIGITAL-2025:€1,000,000

DIGITAL-2025-AI-08-SUPPLY-AI:€21,000,000

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

Nature of Support:The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of grants.

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

Success Rates:The success rates cannot be determined from the provided text. The indicative number of grants is provided for each topic, but without knowing the expected number of applications, the success rate cannot be calculated.

Co-funding Requirement:The information does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required.

Summary:This opportunity is a call for proposals under the Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL) focusing on AI and semiconductor technologies. The primary goal is to support the activities of the Industrial Alliance on processors and semiconductor technologies, aiming to strengthen Europe’s capacities in these critical areas. The call is structured around several specific topics, each with its own budget and objectives. The main topics include Agrifood, Compliance, Digital Services Support, Processors, and AI Supply. The funding mechanisms vary, including Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), grants for financial support, simple grants, and grants for procurement. The call aims to gather relevant stakeholders from across Europe, including industry, RTOs, academia, and Member States representatives, to identify gaps in the semiconductor value chain, develop strategic roadmaps, and enhance Europe’s digital sovereignty. Applicants are required to submit their proposals electronically through the Funding & Tenders Portal, adhering to specific guidelines and templates provided in the call documents. The overall objective is to bolster the competitiveness of European companies, increase Europe’s digital independence, and meet the growing demand for secure, energy-efficient, and powerful chips and processors. The Secretariat of the European Alliance will play a crucial role in supporting the European Commission in making the Alliance a sustainable stakeholder platform. This involves developing strategic roadmaps, identifying end-user needs, maintaining a digital collaboration platform, organizing annual assemblies, and supporting upskilling opportunities. The call is a single-stage process, with the submission deadline on September 2, 2025.