NATIF Director Bùi Quang Minh addresses the workshop. Photo courtesy of MST

HÀ NỘI — The National Technology Innovation Fund (NATIF) has announced plans to provide grants of up to VNĐ3 billion (US$117,500) from the State budget for each artificial intelligence (AI) technology innovation project in 2026.

Under the announcement issued on September 9, eligible applicants include enterprises and organisations seeking to use AI to develop new products, services, processes or business models, or make significant improvements to existing ones.

Applicants must have legal status and functions, responsibilities or business activities relevant to the proposed project. They must also have the capacity to complete it on schedule and to the required standards.

Applications will be assessed based on the feasibility of their objectives, content, methodology, implementation plans, timeframes and overall budgets, as well as the completeness and clarity of the proposals.

Other criteria include the potential for practical application and the ability to generate economic benefits or address social issues. Projects must also meet requirements set by competent State authorities and comply with regulations on intellectual property, technology transfer, technical standards, safety, environmental protection and other relevant legislation.

Applicants proposing AI projects must clearly identify their data sources, accessibility, usage rights and quality, and provide a data preparation plan aligned with technical requirements and the implementation schedule.

Projects must meet requirements relating to functions, technical specifications, data, the Vietnamese language, integration capacity, operational processes and deployment costs. The implementation period must not exceed 12 months.

NATIF has identified several priority sectors, including manufacturing and processing; agriculture and agricultural processing; healthcare and pharmaceuticals; logistics and supply chains; commerce, services and corporate governance; and State administration.

Priority will also be given to projects involving State administrative agencies in Hà Nội, HCM City, Đà Nẵng, Tây Ninh and other interested localities.

Applicants that have contracts, agreements or other legally binding commitments with research institutes, universities or small and medium-sized enterprises providing AI technology solutions will also receive priority consideration.

If the number of eligible projects exceeds the planned number of grants or the funding allocated for 2026, NATIF will select projects in the order in which valid applications are received, subject to available funding.

State budget support will not exceed VNĐ3 billion per project. The lead organisation must submit a plan and supporting documents demonstrating its ability to mobilise lawful funding from non-State budget sources.

Applications may be submitted in person, by post or through the fund’s online portal at oms.natif.vn. The deadline is 5pm on October 10, 2026. — VNS