A new funding opportunity for European artificial intelligence (AI) innovators opens today as the AI-on-Demand Platform (AIoD) launches its first Open Call for the Private Sector, inviting companies and research organisations to integrate and deploy their AI solutions within Europe’s growing AI ecosystem. The call offers up to €60,000 in funding for AI providers and additional support for organisations willing to adopt and deploy these solutions in real-world environments. Applications open on 9 April 2026 and will remain open until 8 June 2026 at 17:00 CEST. 

The initiative aims to accelerate the market uptake of trustworthy AI technologies by connecting solution providers with businesses and organisations ready to implement AI in practice. Selected participants will have the opportunity to integrate their solutions into AIoD, Europe’s central hub for AI tools, datasets, services and expertise. 

The Open Call targets AI providers with market-ready solutions (Technology Readiness Level 7 or higher) developed by SMEs and research organisations established in EU Member States or countries associated with the Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL). The selected parties are expected not only to integrate their technologies into the platform but also to demonstrate their practical value through real deployments with an AI Adopter. 

Participants will go through a structured three-stage process running from September 2026 to April 2027. In the first stage, up to 50 AI providers will receive €5,000 to refine their business plans and present their solutions during a European pitching event, gaining early visibility within the AI-on-Demand ecosystem. The second stage will see 20 selected providers move forward with technical integration of their solutions into the platform and further development of their user base, supported by mentoring and dedicated programme activities. In the final stage, ten consortia composed of an AI Provider and an AI Adopter will deploy their solutions in real operational settings. During this phase, Providers may receive up to €20,000, while Adopters can receive €15,000 to support implementation. The process will conclude with a European Demo Day, where the selected projects will showcase their results. 

Beyond funding, participants will gain visibility and access to a pan-European ecosystem of adopters, institutions and investors, along with expert mentoring to help them scale their solutions and reach new markets. 

Applications must be submitted through the F6S platform before 8 June 2026 at 17:00 CEST. More information about the 1st Open Call for Private Sector, including application guidelines, is available at: https://www.f6s.com/aiod-oc1privatesector/apply. 

To support applicants throughout the process, a series of informational webinars will take place in the weeks leading up to the application deadline. The first webinar, “AIoD and Open Call overview” (30 April, 10:00–11:00 CEST), will introduce the platform’s vision, funding stages, and eligibility criteria, and interested participants can register here. This will be followed by “AIoD Technical and Business concept” (13 May, 11:00–12:00 CEST), offering a deeper dive into technical requirements of the Platform core components and Marketplace integration. A final session, “Live Q&A / Office Hours” (28 May, 11:00–12:00 CEST), will provide an open forum for participants to address remaining questions ahead of the submission deadline. 

Background and funding 

The AI-on-Demand Platform is developed through two projects funded by the European Commission’s Digital Europe Programme and Horizon Europe Programme: DeployAI (€28M) and AI4Europe (€9M). DeployAI, coordinated by Fraunhofer IAIS, unites 28 partners across 13 countries and runs from January 2024 to December 2027. AI4Europe, led by the University of Cork, brings together 24 partners focused on expanding and enhancing the AIoD ecosystem for researchers, academics, innovators, and SMEs. The project started in June 2022 and concluded in December 2025. 

More Information  

AI-on-Demand Platform: www.aiodp.ai 

Open Calls: https://www.aiodp.ai/open_calls/ 

Email: aiod.opencalls@f6s.com (for requests related to the Open Calls)

For any further information about the platform: contact@deployaiproject.eu