France 2030 — Pioneers of Artificial Intelligence Call for Projects
Purpose: supporting R&D projects with strong potential for technological breakthrough, capable of having a lasting impact on the economy and contributing to national sovereignty through artificial intelligence innovations. Phase 1 applications are closed; phases 2 and 3 are submitted on a rolling basis. Beneficiaries listed in the catalogue: Single-partner projects: high-potential SMEs and mid-caps positioned on a key technology segment and able to scale up quickly; public research organisations, universities and engineering schools carrying an entrepreneurial project in line with the objectives of "Pionniers de l’IA" (the first phase must include one of the start-up support schemes coordinated by the Digital Programme Agency); and research and higher education institutions carrying a technology transfer project based on an industrial need. Amount listed: Mixed support as grants and repayable advances: phase 1, €100k to €200k (6 to 12 months); phase 2, €400k to €800k (6 to 18 months); phase 3, €3M to €8M (over 1 to 3 years). Catalogue parameters are not a confirmation of eligibility; check the official rules and current timetable.
AI Pioneers supports research and development projects with strong breakthrough potential, notably in model architectures, training methods and integrating AI into complex environments. The programme has three phases, from feasibility to demonstrator and then application to a use case. Check the availability of each phase on the current application platform.
Funded by Bpifrance
Run a personalised scan to identify the public grants and funding your company may be able to access.
Who can apply
Beneficiaries listed in the catalogue: Single-partner projects: high-potential SMEs and mid-caps positioned on a key technology segment and able to scale up quickly; public research organisations, universities and engineering schools carrying an entrepreneurial project in line with the objectives of "Pionniers de l’IA" (the first phase must include one of the start-up support schemes coordinated by the Digital Programme Agency); and research and higher education institutions carrying a technology transfer project based on an industrial need. Check company size, location, role in the consortium and any exclusions.
Eligibility conditions
Detailed conditions are not fully provided in the catalogue. The current availability of phases 2 and 3 must be confirmed on the application platform and in the current specifications.
What the scheme covers
Operations described in the catalogue: implementing a technological innovation with a transformative impact on an application area, demonstrated through an identified use case. Projects will build on new AI developments, for example model interaction with complex environments (notably AI applied to robotics and agentic AI, such as action models), model architecture (to improve understanding of the physical world, common sense, persistent memory, etc.) and training methods (synthetic data, multimodal corpora, etc.). They will focus on the strategic sectors of industrial design and production, health, the green transition and security; other applications may be considered on a lower-priority basis. The specifications prevail for eligible costs, excluded costs, combination rules and reporting obligations.
Amount and funding terms
The catalogue states: Mixed support as grants and repayable advances: phase 1, €100k to €200k (6 to 12 months); phase 2, €400k to €800k (6 to 18 months); phase 3, €3M to €8M (over 1 to 3 years). The programme targets breakthrough AI; do not assume a phase is open without checking the current platform. The amount, rate, base and form (grant, recoverable advance or other) must be checked in the applicable specifications.
How to apply
1) Open the official page of the scheme and download the specifications (cahier des charges). 2) Check the status of the call and the next deadline. 3) Confirm the eligibility of the lead applicant, the partners and the area covered. 4) Prepare the budget and the required supporting documents. 5) Obtain the operator's confirmation before committing any costs. Official source: https://presse.bpifrance.fr/france-2030-lancement-de-lappel-a-projet-pionniers-de-lintelligence-artificielle/?lang=fra
Timeline
According to the catalogue, phase 1 is closed and phases 2 and 3 can be submitted on a rolling basis. Confirm actual availability, the expected maturity and the documents required on the Bpifrance platform.
Key facts
- Funder
- Bpifrance
- Type of funding
- Grant
- Status
- Ongoing
- Maximum amount
- €8,000,000
- Automatically extracted — check the official source
- Minimum amount
- €100,000
- Automatically extracted — check the official source
- Geographic scope
- All of France
Frequently asked questions
What is the "AI Pioneers" call for?
It supports R&D projects with strong potential for technological breakthrough, capable of having a lasting impact on the economy and contributing to national sovereignty through artificial intelligence innovations.
Who can apply and on what conditions?
Beneficiaries listed in the catalogue: Single-partner projects: high-potential SMEs and mid-caps positioned on a key technology segment and able to scale up quickly; public research organisations, universities and engineering schools carrying an entrepreneurial project in line with the objectives of "Pionniers de l’IA" (the first phase must include one of the start-up support schemes coordinated by the Digital Programme Agency); and research and higher education institutions carrying a technology transfer project based on an industrial need. The availability of phases 2 and 3 must be confirmed.
What funding and which costs can be covered?
Mixed support as grants and repayable advances: phase 1, €100k to €200k (6 to 12 months); phase 2, €400k to €800k (6 to 18 months); phase 3, €3M to €8M (over 1 to 3 years).
Is the call still open and how do I apply?
According to the catalogue, phase 1 is closed and phases 2 and 3 can be submitted on a rolling basis. Confirm actual availability, the expected maturity and the documents required on the Bpifrance platform. Before applying, check the official page and the specifications.
Official source
No official URL is available in our data for this grant.
Other grants of type “grant”
Other grants from Bpifrance
Related needs and funding
Competitive calls for projects
Ecological transition and CSR
Capital and investment funds
Support and acceleration
Diagnostics and audits
Takeover and transfer
Employment and HR
Discover the funding that fits your company
Check your eligibility for public grants
This scheme is only one of the grants your company may be able to access. Run a personalised scan to identify the funding opportunities that match your activity, location and project.
See the opportunities identified by the scan, then access your personalised report.