When to Choose Each
The key question is: are you building something new (Horizon Europe) or deploying something that works (Digital Europe)? If your AI model is still in research, apply to Horizon Europe. If it's proven and you need to roll it out across hospitals, factories, or cities, Digital Europe is your programme. For AI startups specifically, Digital Europe's TEFs and AI Factory programmes offer testing infrastructure and cascade funding that can be more practical than a research grant.
Which Fits Your Situation?
“AI startup with a working product seeking deployment partners”
Digital Europe funds deployment, not research. Apply to an AI TEF for testing facilities or an EDIH for digitisation support. You'll get infrastructure access and potential cascade funding.
“Research team developing a novel machine learning approach”
Horizon Europe (Cluster 4 or EIC Pathfinder) funds R&D of new technologies. Your work is too early-stage for Digital Europe's deployment focus.
“Public-private consortium building digital infrastructure”
Digital Europe's core mission is building European digital capacity — supercomputing centres, cybersecurity operations, AI factories. This is exactly your profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not for the same costs, but the EU explicitly encourages synergies. A Horizon Europe project can develop a technology that a subsequent Digital Europe project deploys. The two programmes are designed to be complementary — research to deployment pipeline.
Horizon Europe has a larger total budget (€95.5B vs €7.5B), but Digital Europe has a more concentrated AI focus. Digital Europe's AI component specifically funds AI Factories, Testing Facilities, and AI-on-demand platforms — practical infrastructure for AI deployment.
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Not sure which fits?
Ask our AI to help you decide — describe your project and get a personalised recommendation.