We’re pleased to announce the launch of two new funding opportunities under our Making Regulation Work Programme: AI Accountability Grants and AI Act Implementation Grants, ranging between €10,000 and €200,000.
THESE PROGRAMMES ARE NOW CLOSED.
Over the past few years, the European Union has developed a range of tech legislation, with the ambition of becoming the home for ‘trustworthy Artificial Intelligence’. Alongside Europe’s existing equalities, rights, consumer, and worker protection legislation, this creates a set of tools to challenge harms caused by the development and use of AI.
Through the AI Accountability Grants, we want to find out how to use new and existing laws to deliver accountability and justice. Our funding will support public interest advocates from different fields to come together to analyse and experiment with the new rules, demand redress for injustice and close gaps where there are insufficient protections.
While supporting this work we don’t want to lose sight of the need to finish the job on the AI Act. While the adoption of the European Union’s AI Act in 2024 was a significant milestone in itself, the implementation and enforcement phase that is now underway will decide whether it can have a practical impact on how AI is developed and used.
Through the AI Act Implementation Grants, we will support immediate work on the implementation of the recently adopted European AI Act. As our recent report highlighted, there is significant scope for civil society to influence this process and promote social justice priorities so that the AI Act is not further weakened by tech lobbying.
The AI Accountability Grants
The AI Accountability Grants totalling €2m, offer funding of up to €200,000 for bold, adventurous projects that explore how to hold those responsible to account for harms caused by the use of AI in Europe. This programme is now closed.
The AI Act Implementation Grants
The AI Act Implementation Grants totalling €400,000, offer funding of up to €60,000 to support immediate work to promote social justice objectives in the implementation of the European AI Act. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
This programme is now closed.
These are the first grants to be launched as part of our Breakthrough Initiative which aims to scale philanthropy’s response to rapid developments in AI. They have been made possible through the generous support of our funding partners.