New IPCEI call in the field of artificial intelligence

Under the IPCEI framework, Member States may provide funding based on the “funding gap” principle, subject to approval by the European Commission. The aid intensity may reach up to 100% of the funding gap or eligible costs.

This new wave of the programme focuses on two strategic areas: artificial intelligence (AI) and related technologies, with the goal of establishing a next-generation AI ecosystem. The Ministry’s call provides an opportunity for companies operating in relevant industries to present project proposals that exceed the current global technological standards.

Project proposals (preliminary applications) must be submitted by 12:00 PM on 5 December 2025 to the following e-mail address: ipcei@ngm.gov.hu. Applications should include the problem the project aims to address, the market gap and proposed solution, cross-border elements of the project, and its European relevance.

The project proposal must be submitted under a specific area of the IPCEI. Under the current call, applications may be submitted in the following six specific thematic areas:

1. Data processing, organization and services

2. Sovereign foundation models

3. Sovereign, industry-specific foundation models

4. AI deployment and operations

5. Open AI platforms

6. AI services and sector-specific use cases

Eligible projects must demonstrate innovation that exceeds the global technological state-of-the-art and has cross-border impact, or enable the development of novel products or services through innovative production processes.

PwC CEE will host an English-language online webinar on 21 October 2025 at 9:30 AM, where experts will provide a detailed overview of the IPCEI framework. You can register for the webinar via this link.