Second call for studies on innovation for the development of generative AI models - FF+ (EuroHPC JU)

The FFplus project, funded by the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking, aims to strengthen the competitiveness and innovation capacity of European SMEs by enabling them to use High Performance Computing (HPC) systems to advance digital R&D and business processes. Through six open calls, with more than €24 million distributed through financial support to third parties (FSTP), FFplus will finance business experiments and innovation studies, including projects related to generative artificial intelligence such as large language models (LLMs).

About this call

This second open call targets SMEs and start-ups with experience in AI and HPC and supports them in developing large generative AI models to support technological growth, innovation and scalability across Europe.

Target Groups 

• Small and medium-sized companies
• Start-ups

Eligible funding

• Total funding: EUR 4 million
• Maximum funding for each innovation study: EUR 300 000.
• The beneficiaries shall receive 100 % of the financing of the incurred, eligible direct costs necessary for the completion of the experimental activities.

Expected results:

• They shall demonstrate full compliance with the objectives of FFplus and explain why generative AI is necessary to address business challenges and why existing models are not sufficient.
• They define a clear vision of success that shows the business impact of using HPC, sets specific objectives and outlines an action plan structured around the ML lifecycle (data preparation, model development, evaluation).
• They will provide a full description of training datasets, model characteristics (type, size, parameters, architecture) and expected performance, including metrics, benchmarks and reproducibility plans.
• They shall identify and design risk mitigation strategies, such as bias, hallucinations or drift of the model, in line with EU trustworthy AI guidelines.
• They shall justify the allocation of resources (staff, IT, costs) and present a comprehensive data management plan addressing FAIR principles, data access, privacy protection and sharing principles.
• It will support FFplus in creating success stories that highlight the impact on business, society and the environment, and submit a preliminary report on results and impacts within 7 months to assess eligibility for continuation.

Timeline

• Start date: 3 December 2025
• Closing date: 25 February 2026 at 17.00 (Brussels time)
• Estimated length: 10 months, scheduled for 1 July 2026