AI GUIDE FOR BUSINESS
# EU Grants for Artificial Intelligence in Business 2026: How to Secure up to €70,000 in Funding
The Innovation Agency announces new calls for SME digitalization. Discover how to cover 50–70% of costs when implementing POSKAI digital employees and start generating real returns without new hiring expenses.
POSKAI · May 2026
What is EU Support for Artificial Intelligence in Business in 2026?
In modern business, digitalization is no longer just a buzzword from presentations – it's a matter of survival. The European Union and the Innovation Agency understand that Lithuanian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often lack the free capital for large technological investments. Therefore, new calls will be launched in 2026, specifically for the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) solutions in companies.
This means that the state is prepared to cover the majority of your expenses when implementing systems that automate routine tasks and increase company productivity. One of the main and most anticipated calls is "Implementation of Artificial Intelligence Solutions" (measure No. 02-126-K), under which support can reach up to 70,000 euros per project.
Applications for this measure are planned to be accepted from February 27, 2026, to June 18, 2026, giving businesses an ideal window to plan their digitalization strategy and choose technologies that will truly bring in money, not just gather dust on a server.
What Problem in Business Should EU Support Solve?
Let's look at the daily life of a typical Lithuanian logistics company, medical clinic, or factory. Your people pick up the phone dozens of times a day, answering the same questions: _"Where is my cargo?"_, _"When is the next available time for an appointment?"_, _"Can you confirm pickup?"_
A company director often thinks: "We need more people." However, the truth is that a new employee in the Lithuanian region (or even in major cities) costs a huge amount of money today. With taxes, workplace setup, and training, one person performing a simple phone dispatcher or sales assistant job costs thousands of euros annually. In addition, employees get sick, go on vacation, or leave for competitors.
This is where the true potential of EU support for SME digitalization is revealed. Instead of hiring expensive people for repetitive work, you can receive support for an investment in the POSKAI platform. A POSKAI AI assistant takes over all repetitive inbound and outbound calls, communicates fluently in Lithuanian (and any other language), and allows your existing team to focus on complex, revenue-generating tasks.
Latest Calls from the Innovation Agency: Figures and Deadlines
To successfully utilize the support, it is essential to know the exact framework. In 2026, the most important parameters for SMEs aiming to implement AI solutions are as follows:
- Program Name: "Implementation of Artificial Intelligence Solutions"
- Maximum Grant per Project: Up to €70,000
- Funding Intensity: 50–70% (depends on company size and region – the Central and Western Lithuania region often receives more favorable conditions).
- Application Submission Deadline: February 27, 2026 – June 18, 2026.
It is important to mention that the support is provided through expense reimbursement. This means that the company implements the system (for example, POSKAI AI), and EU funds cover half or even more of these investment costs over a specified period. Let's face it, getting technology that does the work of ten people and paying only a third of the price for it is an opportunity not to be missed.
Why Do Many Digitalization Projects Fail? (And Why POSKAI Is Different)
Lithuanian businesses have already seen several waves of EU support. A common mistake is spending money on complex, multi-million euro CRM or ERP systems that employees don't know how to use, or on one-off "custom" solutions from IT agencies.
What happens when you hire a local IT agency to create a "custom AI voice assistant" for you with EU funds?
- They create a one-off tool. You pay €30,000, you get a system, but after a month, it turns out to have errors. The agency asks for another €5,000 for updates.
- Security vulnerabilities and GDPR. American bases, poorly configured servers – your customer data travels through the US, thus violating EU data protection regulations. If a data leak occurs, _your_ company pays the fines.
- Lack of support. Technology changes every month. The agency disappears after the project ends, and you are left with an outdated, broken system.
The POSKAI approach is completely different. We are not an IT agency selling one-off projects. POSKAI is a fully managed _SaaS_ (Software as a Service) platform.
| Criterion | One-off IT Agency Solution | POSKAI Platform |
|---|---|---|
| :---------------------------- | :---------------------------------------------------------- | :---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Maintenance and Updates | Paid for every fix. System ages. | Free, continuous updates from POSKAI engineers. |
| Data Security and GDPR | Often unclear architecture, data on US servers. All risk is yours. | EU data residency. Full end-to-end encryption. 100% GDPR compliance. |
| Lithuanian Language Quality | Standard translators used, unnatural "robotic" voice. | POSKAI voice engine, specifically trained for natural Lithuanian without delays. |
| Price and Implementation | Tens of thousands upfront, long development process. | Starting from €500/month. (can be covered by EU support). Works quickly. |
Why is POSKAI an Ideal Investment for EU Funds?
If you are submitting an application to the Innovation Agency, you must justify how the implementation of innovation will increase the company's productivity, revenue, or reduce costs. POSKAI in this case, is probably the most easily justifiable solution on the market.
1. Clearly Measurable Financial Return (ROI)
A traditional employee can make 40-50 sales or customer service calls per day. This costs about €2000 per month with taxes. POSKAI AI can handle 500+ calls simultaneously, speaking several languages (German, Polish, English) without an accent. For less than the cost of one employee, you get capabilities equivalent to a ten-person call center. For application evaluators, such figures demonstrate a clear and fast return on investment.
2. Compliance with Strict Security Standards
The European Union strictly evaluates the Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) and GDPR. By using inexpensive American platforms, your company risks violating these laws because customer conversations are stored outside the EU. The POSKAI platform was created specifically with security in mind: we ensure 100% EU data residency, and all conversations are encrypted. You are buying security, and EU funds highly value this.
3. Adaptability to All Industries
Whether you are a logistics company (driver coordination, status updates) or a dental clinic (appointment reminders, registration), POSKAI adapts to you. Our system connects to your calendars, CRM systems, and acts as an independent member of your team. It can even call sick patients to inquire about their well-being after a procedure.
How to Get Funding? A Step-by-Step Process
Taking advantage of the "Implementation of Artificial Intelligence Solutions" call is not as complicated as it might seem at first glance, especially if you know what you want.
- Assess the Need (Now): Look at your company's processes. How much time do your employees spend on the phone? How many calls go unanswered on weekends? How many sales do you lose because you don't have a German-speaking manager?
- Contact the POSKAI Team: We will assess your technical needs. We will prepare a preliminary estimate and integration plan that will be required for your EU application. The POSKAI system price starts from €500/month.
- Prepare the Application with Consultants: We recommend collaborating with EU project writing consultants. They will help prepare the documents, and the technical data and ROI calculations we provide will ensure high evaluation scores.
- Submit to the Innovation Agency (from February 27, 2026): Complete all documents by the deadline.
- Implementation and Compensation: Upon receiving a positive response, we launch POSKAI in your business. Your company starts working more efficiently, and the Innovation Agency compensates 50–70% of the project costs incurred.
Summary: The AI Assistant is Not the Future, It's the Present
Some managers still think that artificial intelligence is only for large corporations. Meanwhile, your competitor might already be implementing a system today with EU money that will process thousands of customer calls tomorrow without interruptions or sick leaves.
POSKAI not only makes this technology accessible but also adapts it to the Lithuanian business reality: with the best Lithuanian language on the market, strictest security, and full support. It's not just a calling robot – it's your business advantage, allowing you to grow without the constant headache of employee shortages.
