Chips Joint Undertaking (JU)
For whom?
International consortia of companies and knowledge institutions and/or research organisations
For what?
Development of advanced nanoelectronic chip technologies
Budget in 2026?
€ 300 million
The Chips Joint Undertaking (JU) is a European public-private partnership that promotes the development and deployment of advanced nanoelectronic chip technologies and systems manufactured in Europe. The programme funds projects that contribute to strengthening Europe’s competitive position in semiconductor technology and is one of the largest funding programmes for the semiconductor and electronics sector.
Which projects fall under the Chips JU programme?
The Chips Joint Undertaking (JU) programme consists of two pillars that address the needs of the European semiconductor ecosystem, each with its own calls:
- Chips for Europe Initiative
- Electronic Components and Systems Research & Innovation (ECS R&I)
Chips for Europe Initiative
The Chips for Europe Initiative pillar supports the development of technological capacity and innovation within the EU. This includes pilot projects, the design platform, competence centres and skills development.
Electronic Components and Systems Research & Innovation (ECS R&I)
The Electronic Components and Systems Research & Innovation (ECS R&I) pillar focuses on developing materials, equipment, technologies and methods to strengthen the competitiveness and strategic autonomy of the ECS industry within the EU.
Who is eligible for the Chips JU programme?
You can apply for Chips JU funding as part of an international consortium. This means that companies working together with knowledge institutions and/or research organisations are eligible for Chips JU funding. It is therefore not possible to apply for this funding as an individual organisation.
For most calls, an international consortium must consist of participants from at least three different participating countries.
Applying for Chips JU funding in 2026
In 2026, the Chips JU programme includes a total of 16 different calls with a budget of € 300 million. These calls support research, innovation, skills and infrastructure across the two programme pillars.
- Chips for Europe Initiative: six calls with a budget of € 130 million;
- Electronic Components and Systems Research & Innovation (ECS R&I): ten calls with a budget of € 180 million.
The calls opened for applications on 7 July 2026, but have different deadlines:
| Calls | Deadline | Budget 2026 |
| Chips for Europe Initiative | ||
| AI chip demonstrators for EU compute infrastructure | 23 September 2026 | € 10 million |
| AI compute evaluation and deployment platform for EU infrastructure | 23 September 2026 | € 70 million |
| Pilot Federation | 24 September 2026 | € 10 million |
| Stimulation of Chip Design | 24 September 2026 | € 15 million |
| Skills Hubs of Excellence | 24 September 2026 | € 20 million |
| International collaboration EU and Japan on semiconductors | 24 September 2026 | € 5 million |
| ECS R&I | ||
| ECS GLOBAL IA (second phase) | 17 September 2026 | € 40 million |
| ECS GLOBAL RIA (second phase) | 17 September 2026 | € 50 million |
| Call for Reinforcing Europe’s strength in power electronics | 16 September 2026 | € 20 million |
| Call for Reinforcing Europe’s strength in photonics | 16 September 2026 | € 20 million |
| Call for Reinforcing Europe’s strength in health | 16 September 2026 | € 20 million |
| RIA “Resilience”: Call on the 6G Front End Module | 16 September 2026 | € 20 million |
| ECS International collaboration – Call with Digital Partnership and TTC countries | 16 September 2026 | € 5 million |
| ECS Supply chain resilience CSA | 22 September 2026 | € 2 million |
| Preparing a European autonomous driving stack ecosystem building on next-generation SDV software and hardware computing architectures | 22 September 2026 | € 2 million |
| Impact Monitoring and Assessment Framework for the Chips JU | 30 September 2026 | € 1 million |
Support with your Chips JU project
Would you like to know whether your project is eligible for one of the Chips JU calls, or do you need support in preparing your application? Our specialists are happy to help. Thanks to their extensive sector knowledge and broad experience within the funding landscape, our specialists can provide you with expert support throughout the application process. Would you like more information or to arrange an introduction? Please contact us via 088 495 20 00 or info@hezelburcht.com.
