[European Commission](https://commission.europa.eu/index_en)

January 20, 2026 (single-stage)

€1,000,000–€2,500,000 per grant; up to 4 awards expected; EU funding rate up to 50% of eligible costs

Funds Centres of Excellence to advance HPC/AI application development, tools, training, and collaboration across Europe.

Consortia must include both HPC specialists and domain experts; private sector participation is strongly encouraged.

--- ## Description This call supports the creation of Transversal Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in High Performance Computing (HPC) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to strengthen the European HPC and AI ecosystem. These centres will act as technical hubs, providing critical expertise, tools, and services to HPC application developers and advanced users. The focus is on optimizing and supporting HPC/AI application development, integrating user-driven tool development, improving interoperability across computing environments, and enhancing knowledge transfer and skills in HPC and AI integration. Key activities include: - Providing performance assessments, optimization advice, and continuous support for HPC/AI applications. - Developing and delivering structured training (workshops, tutorials, webinars) in HPC and AI. - Fostering collaboration across the European HPC ecosystem, including links to Community CoEs, Lighthouse Codes, and national/EU initiatives. - Promoting the uptake of new tools, technologies, and best practices for software development and deployment. - Addressing cross-cutting technical domains such as application profiling, deployment, portability, co-design, automated testing, data processing, resilience, security, and energy-efficient computing. Consortia should integrate both HPC specialists and domain experts, with strong encouragement for private sector involvement to maximize impact. --- ## Due Dates - Opening date: June 10, 2025 - Submission deadline: January 20, 2026, 17:00 Brussels time --- ## Funding Amount - Total budget for this topic: €1,000,000–€2,500,000 per grant - Up to 4 grants expected to be awarded - EU funding rate: up to 50% of eligible costs --- ## Eligibility - Open to legal entities established in eligible countries as defined in [Annex B of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/wp-call/2023-2024/wp-13-general-annexes_horizon-2023-2024_en.pdf). - Consortia must include a balanced mix of HPC specialists and domain experts. - Participation of private sector entities is strongly encouraged. - Proposals should generally allocate at least 12 person-months for collaboration with other grants under this call. - Security and strategic autonomy considerations apply due to the critical nature of HPC infrastructure. --- ## Application Process - Single-stage submission via the [EU Funding & Tenders Portal](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-JU-EUROHPC-2026-COE-LH-01-02?isExactMatch=true&status=31094501%2C31094502&order=DESC&pageNumber=3&pageSize=50&sortBy=startDate). - Application page limit: 70 pages. - Required deliverables include a data management plan, communication plan, and a dissemination and exploitation plan. - Proposals must address a specific, coherent transversal technical area supporting HPC application development. - See [application form template](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/temp-form/af/af_he-ria-ia_en.pdf) and [evaluation form template](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/temp-form/ef/ef_he-ria-ia_en.pdf). - Detailed guidance is available in the [Horizon Europe Programme Guide](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/programme-guide_horizon_en.pdf). --- ## Additional Information - Beneficiaries must ensure open access to software, algorithms, and relevant information for the European HPC user community. - Training activities should be coordinated with linked grants and relevant Coordination and Support Actions. - Proposals should establish strong links with Community CoEs, Lighthouse Codes, and the Support Centre for HPC-powered AI Applications, as well as broader AI and HPC initiatives (e.g., RISC-V, EPI, AI Factories). - The funding rate is an exception from the standard Horizon Europe rate (up to 50% for this topic). - For full legal and financial conditions, consult the [General Annexes](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/wp-call/2023-2024/wp-13-general-annexes_horizon-2023-2024_en.pdf). --- ## External Links - [Call Topic & Submission Portal](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-JU-EUROHPC-2026-COE-LH-01-02?isExactMatch=true&status=31094501%2C31094502&order=DESC&pageNumber=3&pageSize=50&sortBy=startDate) - [Horizon Europe Programme Guide](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/programme-guide_horizon_en.pdf) - [General Annexes (Eligibility, Evaluation, etc.)](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/wp-call/2023-2024/wp-13-general-annexes_horizon-2023-2024_en.pdf) - [Application Form Template (HE RIA, IA)](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/temp-form/af/af_he-ria-ia_en.pdf) - [Evaluation Form Template (HE RIA, IA)](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/temp-form/ef/ef_he-ria-ia_en.pdf) - [Partner Search Tool](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/how-to-participate/partner-search?order=DESC&pageNumber=1&pageSize=50&sortBy=lastModified&isExactMatch=true&type=ORGANISATION,PERSON&frameworkProgramme=43108390) - [National Contact Points (NCPs)](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/support/ncp) --- ## Contact Information | Purpose | Contact/Link | |------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | General EC Contact | [Contact the European Commission](https://commission.europa.eu/about-european-commission/contact_en) | | Research Enquiry Service | [Research Enquiry Service](https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/contact-us/research-enquiry-service_en) | | IT Helpdesk (Funding & Tenders Portal) | [IT Helpdesk](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/support/helpdesks/contact-form) | | National Contact Points (NCPs) | [Find your NCP](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/support/ncp) |

Transversal Centres of Excellence

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