European External Action Service

01/28/2026 | News release | Distributed by Public on 01/28/2026 06:37

UK businesses and academia eligible for new EU funding on AI and related technologies

On 15 January, the European Commission launched two new calls of €307.3 million to bolster Europe's digital innovation and competitiveness. As part of the UK's association to Horizon Europe, UK-based researchers are eligible for this funding.

A total of €221.8 million is dedicated to an initiative focusing on the development of trustworthy artificial intelligence (AI) services and innovative data services. The call will fund projects contributing to AI development, including actions supporting the Apply AI Strategy, robotics, quantum technologies, photonics and virtual worlds. With over €40 million dedicated to the "Open Internet Stack Initiative", both end-user applications and inside the stack technologies will be developed to support European sovereign digital commons.

An additional €85.5 million is available for the second call, which will focus on topics like next-gen AI agents, robotics for industrial and service applications, and the development of new materials with enhanced sensing functionalities.

These calls are open to businesses, public administrations, academia, and other entities from EU Member States and a number of countries associated to Horizon Europe, including the United Kingdom.

The application window remains open until 15 April 2026.

On 29 and 30 January, the European Commission is organising a virtual Horizon Europe info day on the "Digital, Industry and Space" cluster of Horizon Europe, under which these calls fall. This will give prospective applicants the opportunity to get information and ask questions. The sessions will be livestreamed and available to follow here.

European External Action Service published this content on January 28, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on January 28, 2026 at 12:37 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]