Top 15 Grants for AI Startups in Europe in 2025
The European landscape for AI startups is set to expand significantly in 2025, thanks to various funding opportunities provided by governments and organizations. Here is a detailed list of the Top 15 Grants for AI Startups in Europe in 2025, offering essential details such as funding amounts, target audiences, and focus areas.
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1. EU AI Factories Initiative
Description: Aims to bolster European AI capabilities by establishing "AI Factories" that leverage EU supercomputers for AI model training.
Funding Source: Digital Europe Programme and Horizon Europe, supported by Member States.
Funding Amount: €2 billion total (€1 billion from the EU and €1 billion matched by Member States).
Target Audience: Startups, industry players, and researchers specializing in AI development.
Focus Areas: Healthcare, energy, automotive, transport, defense, and various tech sectors.
2. European Innovation Council (EIC) Funding
Description: Supports deep tech research and nurtures high-potential startups through Pathfinder, Transition, and Accelerator schemes.
Funding Source: Horizon Europe Programme.
Funding Amount: €1.4 billion in total, including grants of up to €4 million (Pathfinder) and equity investments from €0.5 to €10 million (Accelerator).
Target Audience: Research teams, startups, and SMEs.
Focus Areas: Deep tech innovation across digital, biotech, and clean technologies.
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3. The European AI & Society Fund - AI Accountability Grants
Description: Provides grants for projects that ensure accountability concerning harms caused by AI in the European context.
Funding Amount: Up to €200,000 per project.
Target Audience: Organizations focusing on AI accountability and digital rights.
Deadline: January 6, 2025.
Focus Areas: Investigative projects addressing the impacts of AI technologies.
4. TALOS Consortium Open Call
Description: Funding designed for startups and SMEs with innovative applications in robotics and AI technologies for photovoltaic applications.
Funding Amount: Up to €200,000 for startups and up to €140,000 for SMEs.
Target Audience: Startups and SMEs from EU Member States.
Focus Areas: AI applications in solar energy, including fire detection and algae growth prevention technology.
5. Horizon Europe - Digital Europe Programme
Description: Supports projects focused on digital transformation in Europe, covering key areas like AI and cybersecurity.
Funding Amount: Amount varies by project.
Target Audience: SMEs and startups engaged in digital technologies.
Focus Areas: AI development, cybersecurity initiatives, and enhancement of digital skills.
6. EU Funding Portal – Various Calls
Description: A centralized portal highlighting various EU funding opportunities, including multiple grants for AI initiatives.
Funding Amount: Varies by specific calls.
Target Audience: RTOs, startups, academia, and researchers across Europe.
Focus Areas: AI projects along with social impact initiatives and various technological sectors.
7. European AI Fund
Description: Funds initiatives aimed at shaping AI policy in Europe, particularly focused on social justice and digital rights.
Funding Amount: €2 million for 18 selected grantee partners.
Target Audience: Organizations advocating for civil society interests in AI policy.
Focus Areas: AI policy development and social equity.
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8. Large AI Grand Challenge
Description: An initiative designed to provide funding for AI startups, facilitating access to supercomputing resources.
Funding Amount: Funding amount unspecified but aims to provide additional financial resources.
Target Audience: Startups and SMEs focused on innovative AI solutions.
Focus Areas: Development and scalability of AI technologies.
9. European Research Council (ERC) Grants
Description: Provides funding for investigator-driven research in all disciplines, including AI.
Funding Amount: Determined by specific research projects.
Target Audience: Researchers and academic teams in AI sectors.
Focus Areas: Cutting-edge frontier research including AI innovations.
10. UKRI Technology Missions Fund / Innovate UK BridgeAI Programme
Description: Targets businesses looking to experiment with AI technologies to boost productivity.
Funding Amount: £7 million allocated across 120 projects.
Target Audience: SMEs and research organizations in the UK.
Focus Areas: AI tools applicable to sectors like agriculture, transport, and construction.
11. AI for Earth Innovation Program
Description: Supports projects that utilize AI in tackling environmental challenges.
Funding Amount: Up to €200,000 available per selected project.
Target Audience: Startups focusing on sustainability and technology.
Focus Areas: AI applications for environmental sustainability.
12. Blockchain and AI for Smart Mobility Grant
Description: Focuses on projects integrating AI and blockchain for innovative mobility solutions.
Funding Amount: Up to €500,000 for impactful projects.
Target Audience: Startups innovating in transport and mobility.
Focus Areas: Smart urban mobility solutions using AI and blockchain technology.
13. Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs) Grant
Description: Provides funding for digital transformation through AI innovation facilitated by DIHs.
Funding Amount: Funding varies based on the project proposal.
Target Audience: SMEs requiring digital transformation assistance.
Focus Areas: AI solutions to enhance business efficiency and growth.
14. AI4Good Fund
Description: Focused on leveraging AI for social good initiatives.
Funding Amount: Up to €250,000 per project funding.
Target Audience: Organizations targeting social impact through AI.
Focus Areas: Social innovation using AI technology for community benefits.
15. AI Research Networks Program
Description: Invests in collaborative networks of researchers focusing on AI methodologies.
Funding Amount: Various funding opportunities available up to €1 million.
Target Audience: Academic institutions and collaborative research bodies.
Focus Areas: Research collaborations enhancing AI frameworks and methodologies.
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FAQ
Q: What is the EU AI Factories Initiative?
A: The EU AI Factories Initiative aims to enhance European leadership in AI by establishing "AI Factories" around EU supercomputers. These factories will provide computing power, data access, and talent for AI model training. Learn more about the EU AI Factories Initiative.
Q: What are the different funding schemes under the European Innovation Council (EIC)?
A: The EIC offers three main schemes: Pathfinder (up to €4 million for early-stage research), Transition (up to €2.5 million for market conversion of research results), and Accelerator (grants up to €2.5 million plus equity). Explore EIC Funding and femaleswitch.com.
Q: Who can apply for the European AI & Society Fund - AI Accountability Grants?
A: Organizations focused on AI accountability, digital rights, and social justice can apply for these grants, which provide funding of up to €200,000 per project. Find out more about AI Accountability Grants.
Q: What is the TALOS Consortium Open Call funding opportunity?
A: The TALOS Consortium Open Call provides funding for startups and SMEs working on innovative robotics, AI, and data technologies related to photovoltaic plants, with up to €200,000 for startups. Learn more about TALOS Consortium.
Q: What kind of projects does Horizon Europe - Digital Europe Programme fund?
A: Horizon Europe focuses on projects that contribute to Europe’s digital transformation, particularly in AI, cybersecurity, and advanced digital skills. Explore Horizon Europe.
Q: What types of opportunities does the EU Funding Portal offer?
A: The EU Funding Portal provides various funding opportunities, including grants for AI projects, with amounts varying by call. It targets RTOs, academia, SMEs, startups, and researchers. Discover EU Funding Portal.
Q: Who is eligible for the European AI Fund?
A: The European AI Fund primarily supports civil society organizations focused on shaping AI policy in Europe, with a total of €2 million in renewed funding available for 18 grantee partners. Learn about the European AI Fund.
Q: What is the goal of the Large AI Grand Challenge?
A: The Large AI Grand Challenge aims to enhance AI development and scalability by providing funding and supercomputing access to startups and SMEs. Its funding amounts are unspecified but intended to support AI strategy development. Find out more about the Large AI Grand Challenge.
Q: What type of research do the ERC Grants support?
A: The European Research Council (ERC) Grants support investigator-driven research across all fields, including top-tier AI research, providing varying amounts of funding per project. Explore ERC Grants.
Q: What is the funding opportunity provided by UKRI Technology Missions Fund / Innovate UK BridgeAI Programme?
A: This funding initiative helps SMEs and research organizations trial AI tools across various sectors, with £7 million awarded for 120 projects. Get more details on UKRI BridgeAI Programme and computerweekly.com.
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond and launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks.
