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Artificial intelligence, cloud computing, cybersecurity, advanced digital skills — these are not just buzzwords. These are areas in which the European Union is actively investing through the Digital Europe programme. If your company operates in the digital space, you have a real chance of receiving funding for scaling.

Why Does the EU Fund Digitalisation?

The European Commission has set an ambitious goal — to achieve digital sovereignty by 2030. This means building own capacities in artificial intelligence, independent digital infrastructure, and training millions of specialists with advanced digital competencies.

The Digital Europe programme (DIGITAL) is the main financial instrument for achieving these goals. Unlike Horizon Europe, which focuses on research, Digital Europe is aimed at the practical deployment and scaling of existing digital solutions.

Five Priority Areas

The programme operates along five key axes. The first — high-performance computing (HPC): support for projects utilising supercomputer capabilities for scientific calculations, industrial modelling, and big data processing.

The second axis — artificial intelligence. In 2026, particular emphasis is placed on generative AI (GenAI) — technologies that are transforming entire industries from healthcare to manufacturing. Europe aims to create its own AI ecosystem, and companies working in this direction can count on serious support.

The third area — cybersecurity: protecting critical infrastructure, developing threat detection tools, and creating a secure digital environment. The fourth — advanced digital skills: training specialists capable of working with cutting-edge technologies. The fifth — deploying digital technologies through the network of European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH).

Who Can Apply?

SMEs, mid-sized companies, consortia, research organisations, public authorities, and EDIH hubs can participate in Digital Europe. Minimum requirements depend on the specific call topic. Many direct grants require a consortium of several organisations from programme-participating countries, though some calls also accept single applicants.

The programme is particularly interesting for companies that already have a working product or platform and want to scale it across the European market. Digital Europe is precisely about deployment and implementation, not fundamental research.

Funding and Budgets

Grant amounts vary depending on the call — from several hundred thousand euros to several million euros per project. Co-financing rates also differ by topic but typically range from 50% to 75% of eligible costs.

For startups and SMEs, this means the opportunity to receive significant funding for adapting their product to European market needs, integrating with EU infrastructure, and expanding their customer base.

2026 Deadlines

Among already published calls for 2026, some had a deadline of 3 March 2026, while new topics dedicated to AI and GenAI have a deadline of 1 October 2026. This provides sufficient time for thorough proposal preparation, especially if you start working now.

It is important to monitor updates on the Funding & Tenders portal, as new calls are published regularly and cover an increasingly broad spectrum of digital topics.

How We Can Help

Navigating Digital Europe competitive calls can be challenging — each topic has its specific requirements, selection criteria, and expectations from applicants. Our team will help you identify the most suitable call, shape your proposal according to the evaluation methodology, and prepare all necessary documents.