This grant aims to develop new approaches, tools, and techniques for decentralized and sustainable AI data processing. The focus is on overcoming the limitations of centralized AI compute techniques and addressing issues related to energy availability, data quality, and scalability, utilizing diverse hardware architectures and innovative computational paradigms.
General information
- Programme
- Horizon Europe (HORIZON)2021–2027
- Call
- DIGITAL HORIZON-CL4-2027-04
- Programme part
- Pillar II · Global Challenges & CompetitivenessCluster 4 · Digital, Industry and Space
- Destination
- Developing an agile and secure single market and infrastructure for data-services and trustworthy artificial intelligence services (2026-27)
- Type of action
- HORIZON-RIA Research and Innovation Actions
- Type of MGA
- HORIZON-AG HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based
- Status
- Forthcoming
- Deadline model
- Single-stage
- Opening date
- 17.11.2026
- Deadline date
- 18.03.2027, 17:00 Brussels time
- Cross-cutting priorities
Budget overview
| Type of action | Budget 2027 | EU contribution per project | Grants | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HORIZON-RIAResearch and Innovation Actions | €35M | €17.5M | 2 | 18.03.2027 |
Expected outcome
Project results are expected to contribute to developing new approaches, tools and techniques that overcome the obstacles of today's centralised AI compute techniques: limits in the availability of energy and AI compute capacity in centralised standalone environments, limited availability of types of AI chips, data quality and security and latency in AI data processing. The ultimate objective is to help overcome EU’s AI compute capacity bottlenecks by offering alternative decentralised and sustainable AI compute models that enable exploitation of diverse hardware processing architectures and scaling approaches.
Scope
This topic focusses on technologies and techniques that enable AI data processing to leverage distributed compute resources across the cloud and edge computing continuum throughout the whole AI model lifecycle from data collection, training, fine-tuning, and deployment. To overpass today’s state of the art in the area, the considered research areas include:
- To research on distributed, decentralised, and federated “compute continuum” enabled AI architectures beyond federated learning and integrating model compression tools and new mechanisms to enable AI data processing to scale across multiple and diverse computing infrastructures.
- Development, deployment, and operation of AI workflows across heterogeneous and distributed infrastructures along the compute continuum (edge, cloud, HPC), including the possibility of incorporating innovative computing paradigms (neuromorphic and quantum computing) and hardware efficiency enhancements ((e.g., including in-memory computing, and hardware and software approximation).
- Novel methods and techniques to improve data availability and consistency for decentralised AI data processing. These consider tools to ensure data quality (e.g. prevention of data sets imbalance or inconsistency across distributed data sources), volume optimisation for data transfers across environments, and distributed data management, all while preserving data privacy and preventing data leaks (e.g. via advanced cryptographic protection such as post-quantum cryptography for resistance to emerging quantum threats).
- New tools and mechanisms to measure, monitor and improve end-to-end energy efficiency and sustainability of AI data processing across the compute continuum, including the exploration of energy and sustainability implications of the heterogeneous AI processing architectures and their impact in the compute infrastructure design and long-term sustainability.
Successful project proposals should showcase proposed developments in at least two complementary use cases in different domains. These use cases should demonstrate the value gained and potential impact of project achievements in real-world situations, as well as address key applications and sectors critical to Europe's competitiveness. Use cases should provide compelling examples and scenarios and cater for the reproducibility of results' added value and impact in additional economic sectors.
Who can apply
- A consortium of at least three independent organisations from three different EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries, at least one from an EU Member State.
- Ukraine has been associated to the programme since 2022: Ukrainian organisations can coordinate and receive funding on equal terms.
- Universities, research organisations, companies (including SMEs), public authorities and NGOs can take part.
Topic-specific condition: In order to achieve the expected outcomes, and safeguard the Union’s strategic assets, interests, autonomy, and security, it is important to avoid a situation of technological dependency on a non-EU source, in a global context that requires the EU to take action to build on its strengths, and to carefully assess and address any strategic weaknesses, vulnerabilities and high-risk dependencies which put at risk the attainment of its ambitions. For this reason, participation is limited to legal entities established in Member States, Iceland and Norway and the following additional associated countries: Canada, Israel, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. In addition, entities established in third countries which may become associated to Horizon Europe during 2026 and 2027 may be eligible to participate in this topic if the third country is identified for this topic as an eligible country in the List of Participating Countries in Horizon Europe at the time of submission of the application[[See the List of Participating Countries in Horizon Europe available at https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/common/guidance/list-3rd-country-participation_horizon-euratom_en.pdf.]]. In any case, the association agreement to the Programme must apply by the time of the signature of the grant agreement.For the duly justified and exceptional reasons listed in the paragraph above, in order to guarantee the protection of the strategic interests of the Union and its Member States, entities established in an eligible country listed above, but which are directly or indirectly controlled by a non-eligible country or by a non-eligible country entity, may not participate in the action unless it can be demonstrated, by means of guarantees positively assessed by their eligible country of establishment, that their participation to the action would not negatively impact the Union’s strategic assets, interests, autonomy, or security . Entities established in an eligible country, but which are directly or indirectly controlled by China or by a legal entity established in China cannot submit guarantees.[[ The guarantees shall in particular substantiate that, for the purpose of the action, measures are in place to ensure that: a) control over the applicant legal entity is not exercised in a manner that retrains or restricts its ability to carry out the action and to deliver results, that imposes restrictions concerning its infrastructure, facilities, assets, resources, intellectual property or know-how needed for the purpose of the action, or that undermines its capabilities and standards necessary to carry out the action; b) access by a non-eligible country or by a non-eligible country entity to sensitive information relating to the action is prevented; and the employees or other persons involved in the action have a national security clearance issued by an eligible country, where appropriate; c) ownership of the intellectual property arising from, and the results of, the action remain within the recipient during and after completion of the action, are not subject to control or restrictions by non-eligible countries or non-eligible country entity, and are not exported outside the eligible countries, nor is access to them from outside the eligible countries granted, without the approval of the eligible country in which the legal entity is established.]]
Applicant types in our database: Higher Education Institutions (HEI), Research Institute or Organization (RnD), Small and Medium Enterprise (SME), Start-Up.
How to apply
- Register your organisation on the Funding & Tenders portal and get a PIC (9 digits).
- Build a consortium or join one: use Partner Search on the topic page.
- Download the proposal template (Part A forms, Part B narrative) in the submission system on the topic page.
- Submit by 18.03.2027, 17:00 Brussels time. The system opens on 17.11.2026.
The official topic text, templates and submission are on the Funding & Tenders topic page.
Frequently asked questions
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