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Overview
AI Factories give eligible AI startups and SMEs access to Europe's supercomputing infrastructure and supporting expertise. The industrial innovation access routes are designed to help teams develop and test AI systems when compute is a real bottleneck.
Compute credits do not solve data readiness, engineering capacity or model governance.
Is this for you?
Success rates — the honest picture
| Mode | Use / allocation | Review and duration |
|---|---|---|
| Playground | Entry-level industrial exploration | Eligibility and technical checks; target two working days; 1–3 months. |
| Fast Lane | Up to 50,000 GPU hours; one system | Experienced HPC users; target four working days; 1–3 months. |
| Large Scale | More than 50,000 GPU hours | Technical and peer review; target ten working days after cut-off; 3, 6 or 12 months. |
| AI for Science / EU projects | Scientific users, public sector, eligible EU-funded R&I | Separate call and cut-offs; industrial innovation modes are not the default research route. |
AI SMEs and startups can use Industrial Innovation access free for innovation; other industrial use can be commercial. These are compute allocations, not cash grants. Review targets depend on an eligible, suitable proposal and available capacity.
Eligibility
- 1Apply through the access mode appropriate to the organisation and workload; industrial innovation access targets eligible AI SMEs and startups.
- 2Meet the relevant country, usage and access conditions in the official call.
- 3Prepare a technically credible workload and comply with security, data and acceptable-use requirements.
Eligible AI SMEs can receive compute access without a cash award. Academic/public-research use has its own access route.
The available systems and capacity change. Check the live call before naming a machine in a proposal.
Public-sector and scientific users should use AI for Science and Collaborative EU Projects. Industry participating in Horizon Europe or Digital Europe R&I projects can also fit that route; other industrial users select the industrial modes.
Fast Lane currently marks MareNostrum5 ACC and Jupiter Booster unavailable. Large Scale marks MareNostrum and LUMI-G unavailable for new allocations. These are temporary operational restrictions; check the live page before choosing a system.
What the support covers
Eligible industrial innovation access is free. Fast Lane covers requests up to 50,000 GPU hours; Large Scale addresses larger workloads. Other users and commercial access routes can have different terms.
How to apply — step by step
- 1Choose an access modeBefore application
Match experiment size, readiness and GPU-hour needs to Playground, Fast Lane or Large Scale.
Official instructions - 2Prepare the compute requestContinuous or cut-off
Describe models, datasets, software, scaling needs and the system requested using the portal forms.
Official instructions - 3Allocation and reportingMode-specific
Use the granted resources within the allocation window and complete required reports.
Official instructions
What evaluators look for
Technical suitability
Demonstrate that the workload can use the requested system and justify the compute resources.
Large Scale peer review
Larger allocations undergo peer review as well as technical assessment.
Documents you'll need
Choose the appropriate compute-access route.
- Contains:
- Choose the appropriate compute-access route.
- Why:
- Use the issuing body’s current version when preparing an application.
- When:
- Before submission
Allocation limits, technical assessment and access conditions.
- Contains:
- Allocation limits, technical assessment and access conditions.
- Why:
- Use the issuing body’s current version when preparing an application.
- When:
- Before submission
Published cut-offs, review, allocation duration and report templates.
- Contains:
- Published cut-offs, review, allocation duration and report templates.
- Why:
- Use the issuing body’s current version when preparing an application.
- When:
- Before submission
Formal terms of the AI Factories access calls.
- Contains:
- Formal terms of the AI Factories access calls.
- Length:
- 11 pages
- Why:
- Use the issuing body’s current version when preparing an application.
- When:
- Before submission
General allocation, eligibility and use policy.
- Contains:
- General allocation, eligibility and use policy.
- Length:
- 36 pages
- Why:
- Use the issuing body’s current version when preparing an application.
- When:
- Before submission
Entry route for exploration and initial use.
- Contains:
- Entry route for exploration and initial use.
- Why:
- Use the issuing body’s current version when preparing an application.
- When:
- Before submission
Submit an access request and use current forms.
- Contains:
- Submit an access request and use current forms.
- Why:
- Use the issuing body’s current version when preparing an application.
- When:
- Before submission
Dedicated access call for scientific, public-sector and eligible EU-funded collaborative work.
- Contains:
- Dedicated access call for scientific, public-sector and eligible EU-funded collaborative work.
- Why:
- Use the programme operator’s current material for this stage.
- When:
- Before applying
Operator questions and answers.
- Contains:
- Operator questions and answers.
- Why:
- Use the programme operator’s current material for this stage.
- When:
- Before applying
Official final-report template linked from the access call.
- Contains:
- Official final-report template linked from the access call.
- Why:
- Use the programme operator’s current material for this stage.
- When:
- After allocation
Official progress-report template linked from the access call.
- Contains:
- Official progress-report template linked from the access call.
- Why:
- Use the programme operator’s current material for this stage.
- When:
- During allocation
Official final-report template linked from the access call.
- Contains:
- Official final-report template linked from the access call.
- Why:
- Use the programme operator’s current material for this stage.
- When:
- After allocation
Official final-report template linked from the access call.
- Contains:
- Official final-report template linked from the access call.
- Why:
- Use the programme operator’s current material for this stage.
- When:
- After allocation
2026 Deadlines
- ContinuousContinuousFast Lane applications
Typically 1–3 months of access, up to 50,000 GPU hours; technical review target is four working days.
- 2026-10-152026-10-15Large Scale cut-off
10:00; verify portal timezone and machine availability.
- 2026-10-302026-10-30Large Scale cut-off
10:00; verify portal timezone and machine availability.
- 2026-11-132026-11-13Large Scale cut-off
10:00; verify portal timezone and machine availability.
- 2026-11-302026-11-30Large Scale cut-off
10:00; verify portal timezone and machine availability.
- 2026-12-152026-12-15Large Scale cut-off
10:00; verify portal timezone and machine availability.
- 2027-01-042027-01-04Large Scale cut-off
10:00; verify portal timezone and machine availability.
- After each cut-offAfter each cut-offLarge Scale assessment
Target: ten working days; technical and peer review.
- 2026-10-302026-10-30AI for Science cut-off
10:00 CET as displayed by the issuing page; separate from Industrial Large Scale.
- 2026-12-112026-12-11AI for Science cut-off
10:00 CET; use the science call’s own submission route.
After you're funded
Large Scale offers more than 50,000 GPU hours for 3, 6 or 12 months. Fast Lane allocations are smaller and shorter.
The official access pages provide progress/final-report templates; allocation and data-use conditions are governed by the access terms.
Practical notes
Compute credits do not solve data readiness, engineering capacity or model governance. Scope the workload and confirm that the platform supports your software before applying.
Official sources checked on 12 October 2026. Calls can be amended; confirm the current terms and exact submission time in the linked official documents.
Key Features
Official links & resources
Frequently Asked Questions
An AI startup or SME with a concrete workload, a technical team and a clear need for accelerated computing. The value is access to resources and expertise rather than money for salaries or marketing.
Eligible industrial innovation access is free. Fast Lane covers requests up to 50,000 GPU hours; Large Scale addresses larger workloads. Other users and commercial access routes can have different terms.
There is no single annual cash-grant deadline. Follow the schedule and conditions of the selected access mode and facility.
Related Programmes
AI TEFs
Service access; no universal cash grant
View programme →Digital Europe AI
Topic-specific grants; recent AI rounds closed 1 October 2026
View programme →Horizon Cluster 4
Topic-specific project grants
View programme →Explore Further
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