No paid figure stated in the government’s documents
The Education Ministry opened its national call for the AI Factory service centre in September 2026, allotting EUR 10 000 000 for 2026–2032; no award or payment from it appears in any document read, and no national instrument for buying KarolAIna was found. The ministry's broader EuroHPC projects programme paid CZK 22 472,54 thousand in 2025 (final account) under its earlier calls MC21 to MC25, none of them CZAI's.
Education Ministry call for national support of AI Factory service-centre projects selected in EuroHPC call EUROHPC-2024-CEI-AI-02
A part of the programme. The call pays the national part of 'AI Factory – service centre' projects whose Czech participants succeeded in EUROHPC-2024-CEI-AI-02, the call under which the EuroHPC JU selected CZAI on 10 October 2025; it names no applicant and does not name CZAI. It covers the service centre only: no government document read funds KarolAIna's purchase and operation, the other half of the project by the host's account. Applications close on 30 December 2026 and are evaluated in order of arrival until the allocation is used.
In a budget estimate: the Education Ministry’s €10 million AI Factory service-centre call for 2026–2032, January 2026 to December 2032. Printed as “10 000 000 EUR”. About $12M at the reference rate of 16 Sep 2026. Předmětem této výzvy je podpora „AI Factory – service centre“ v letech 2026-2032. [...] Výše finančních prostředků určená na realizaci Výzvy v letech 2026-2032 činí 10 000 000 EUR, tj. 250 000 000 Kč s omezením max. 4 000 000 EUR/rok, tj. 100 000 000 Kč/rok. (The subject of this call is support for the 'AI Factory – service centre' in 2026–2032. [...] The funds allotted to the Call for 2026–2032 amount to EUR 10,000,000, i.e. CZK 250,000,000, capped at EUR 4,000,000 a year, i.e. CZK 100,000,000 a year.)
Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (Ministerstvo školství, mládeže a tělovýchovy, MŠMT), Výzva Ministerstva školství, mládeže a tělovýchovy k podání žádostí o poskytnutí dotace ze státního rozpočtu na podporu projektů mezinárodní spolupráce ve výzkumu, vývoji a inovacích, které uspěly ve výzvě EUROHPC-2024-CEI-AI-02 (výzva na projekty EuroHPC JU – AI Factory), section 2 (Věcné zaměření Výzvy, page 1) and section 6 (Alokace výzvy, page 2); the call prints no date: 16 Sep 2026 is the PDF's creation date and the call page's sitemap date
Announced: €40 million, 10 Oct 2025. Printed as “40 miliónů eur”. Statement by the host, IT4Innovations of VSB - Technical University of Ostrava, not a government record (tier 3, context only): the whole CZAI project costs almost CZK 1 billion (EUR 40 million), half paid by the EuroHPC JU and half by the Czech Republic. No amount for the Czech half is printed, and no government document read states one. Celkové náklady na Czech AI Factory jsou téměř 1 miliarda Kč (40 miliónů eur). Polovina těchto prostředků je hrazena z EuroHPC JU, které bude čerpat 50 % výpočetního času superpočítače KarolAIna a navazujících AI služeb, a 50 % přispěje Česká republika. (The total cost of the Czech AI Factory is almost CZK 1 billion (EUR 40 million). Half is paid by the EuroHPC JU, which will use 50% of the computing time of the KarolAIna supercomputer and the related AI services, and the Czech Republic will contribute 50%.)
IT4Innovations National Supercomputing Center, VSB - Technical University of Ostrava (the AI factory's host; not a government body), Česko získalo svou továrnu na umělou inteligenci a s ní i nový AI superpočítač, news item of 10 Oct 2025, paragraph on costs
EuroHPC projects programme: national co-financing of Czech participants in EuroHPC Joint Undertaking projects (Education Ministry, chapter 333)
A budget covering more than the AI programme. The programme (2018–2033) pays the national share of Czech participants in projects the EuroHPC JU selects and co-funds; the final account adds that since 2024 its aims include AI-optimised supercomputers and AI factories, and that it plans for about EUR 3 million a year. Its 2025 spending went to projects of its calls MC21, MC23, MC24 and MC25; the final account names no CZAI project, the R&D register lists none, and CZAI's national call opened only in September 2026, so none of it is CZAI money. It also holds the Czech grants for the LUMI AI Factory, a different AI factory, at IT4Innovations (commitments below). Whether the AI Factory call is paid from this programme is not stated in the call.
Voted by parliament: the EuroHPC projects programme’s 25.8 million CZK final budget for 2025, January 2025 to December 2025. Printed as “25 802,84”. About $1M at the reference rate of 31 Dec 2025. Výdaje v programovém třídění rozpočtové skladby (tis. Kč) [...] Z3318 EuroHPC projekty 15 046,63 19 095,05 25 802,84 22 472,54 117,7 87,1 (Expenditure by programme (CZK thousand) [...] Z3318 EuroHPC projects: approved 15,046.63; after changes 19,095.05; final 25,802.84; actual 22,472.54; 117.7% and 87.1%.)
Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (Ministerstvo školství, mládeže a tělovýchovy, MŠMT), Závěrečný účet kapitoly 333 Ministerstvo školství, mládeže a tělovýchovy za rok 2025 (včetně příloh), Příloha č. 1, Tabulka č. 5, row Z3318, PDF page 184, 25 Mar 2026
Paid out: 22.5 million CZK by 31 Dec 2025. Printed as “22 472,54 tis. Kč”. 12 of the budget’s 12 months had passed. About $1M at the reference rate of 31 Dec 2025. Na projekty v rámci iniciativy byla poskytnuta podpora ve výši 22 472,54 tis. Kč, v tom 862,51 tis. Kč pro veřejnou výzkumnou instituci a 21 610,03 tis. Kč pro veřejné vysoké školy. (Support of CZK 22,472.54 thousand was provided to projects under the initiative, of which CZK 862.51 thousand to a public research institution and CZK 21,610.03 thousand to public universities.)
Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (Ministerstvo školství, mládeže a tělovýchovy, MŠMT), Závěrečný účet kapitoly 333 Ministerstvo školství, mládeže a tělovýchovy za rok 2025 (včetně příloh), section on R&D programmes, bullet 'EuroHPC projekty', PDF page 56, 25 Mar 2026
Annual appropriation: 15 million CZK, 3 Dec 2024. Printed as “15 046,63”. The 2025 budget as the Chamber of Deputies approved it on 3 December 2024 (schválený rozpočet); the year’s actual spending was 149% of it, against 117.7% of the budget after changes and 87.1% of the final budget. V Poslanecké sněmovně Parlamentu ČR byl rozpočet kapitoly 333 dne 3.12.2024 schválen usnesením PSP ČR č. 1178 jako součást zákona č. 434/2024 Sb., o státním rozpočtu České republiky na rok 2025. [...] Výdaje v programovém třídění rozpočtové skladby (tis. Kč) [...] Z3318 EuroHPC projekty 15 046,63 19 095,05 25 802,84 22 472,54 117,7 87,1 (In the Chamber of Deputies, the budget of chapter 333 was approved on 3 Dec 2024 by Chamber resolution No. 1178 as part of Act No. 434/2024 Coll. on the 2025 state budget. [...] Expenditure by programme (CZK thousand) [...] Z3318 EuroHPC projects: approved 15,046.63; after changes 19,095.05; final 25,802.84; actual 22,472.54; 117.7% and 87.1%.)
Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (Ministerstvo školství, mládeže a tělovýchovy, MŠMT), Závěrečný účet kapitoly 333 Ministerstvo školství, mládeže a tělovýchovy za rok 2025 (včetně příloh), page 8 (section 1.1.1) and Příloha č. 1, Tabulka č. 5 (Výdaje v programovém třídění rozpočtové skladby, tis. Kč), row Z3318, PDF page 184; current-expenditure columns: schválený, po změnách, konečný, skutečnost, % of budget after changes, % of final budget, 25 Mar 2026
Revised estimate: 19.1 million CZK, 31 Dec 2025. Printed as “19 095,05”. 2025 budget after in-year changes (rozpočet po změnách); actual spending was 117.7% of it. Výdaje v programovém třídění rozpočtové skladby (tis. Kč) [...] Z3318 EuroHPC projekty 15 046,63 19 095,05 25 802,84 22 472,54 117,7 87,1 (Expenditure by programme (CZK thousand) [...] Z3318 EuroHPC projects: approved 15,046.63; after changes 19,095.05; final 25,802.84; actual 22,472.54; 117.7% and 87.1%.)
Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (Ministerstvo školství, mládeže a tělovýchovy, MŠMT), Závěrečný účet kapitoly 333 Ministerstvo školství, mládeže a tělovýchovy za rok 2025 (včetně příloh), Příloha č. 1, Tabulka č. 5, row Z3318, PDF page 184, 25 Mar 2026
Committed: 66.6 million CZK, 8 Jul 2026. Printed as “66 604 tis. Kč”. State support for 'LUMI AI Factory - Service Center' at IT4Innovations (VSB - Technical University of Ostrava) in the EuroHPC projects programme, 1 Mar 2025 to 29 Feb 2028, contract MSMT-23999/2025-3, as recorded in the government R&D project register. This is the Czech share of the LUMI AI Factory, not CZAI. The record shows the last release of support on 23 Jun 2026 but not the amount paid to date. LUMI AI Factory - Service Center [...] Číslo smlouvy MSMT-23999/2025-3 [...] Zahájení řešení 1. 3. 2025 Ukončení řešení 29. 2. 2028 [...] Výše podpory ze státního rozpočtu 66 604 tis. Kč (LUMI AI Factory - Service Center [...] Contract number MSMT-23999/2025-3 [...] Start 1 Mar 2025, end 29 Feb 2028 [...] Support from the state budget CZK 66,604 thousand)
Technology Agency of the Czech Republic (TA ČR), Starfos, showing the government R&D project register (CEP), LUMI AI Factory - Service Center (MC2503), project record, project record, sections Veřejná podpora, Termíny řešení and Finance; CEP data delivery CEP26-MSM-MC-R of 8 Jul 2026
Committed: 25.3 million CZK, 10 Apr 2026. Printed as “25 288 tis. Kč”. State support for 'LUMI AI Factory - Advanced experimental AI-optimised quantum based platform (LUMI-IQ)' at IT4Innovations in the EuroHPC projects programme, 1 Jan 2026 to 30 Apr 2032, contract MSMT-15499/2025-7, as recorded in the government R&D project register; LUMI AI Factory, not CZAI. No release of support is recorded. LUMI AI Factory - Advanced experimental AI-optimised quantum based platform (LUMI-IQ) [...] Číslo smlouvy MSMT-15499/2025-7 [...] Zahájení řešení 1. 1. 2026 Ukončení řešení 30. 4. 2032 [...] Výše podpory ze státního rozpočtu 25 288 tis. Kč (LUMI AI Factory - Advanced experimental AI-optimised quantum based platform (LUMI-IQ) [...] Contract number MSMT-15499/2025-7 [...] Start 1 Jan 2026, end 30 Apr 2032 [...] Support from the state budget CZK 25,288 thousand)
Technology Agency of the Czech Republic (TA ČR), Starfos, showing the government R&D project register (CEP), LUMI AI Factory - Advanced experimental AI-optimised quantum based platform (LUMI-IQ) (MC2504), project record, project record, sections Veřejná podpora, Termíny řešení and Finance; CEP data delivery CEP26-MSM-MC-R of 10 Apr 2026
Searched, 12 places
Education Ministry (MŠMT) website, EuroHPC section and its calls: Call for national support of AI Factory projects selected in EUROHPC-2024-CEI-AI-02 (page and PDF of 16 Sep 2026, deadline 30 Dec 2026, with application forms); call for NCC HPC projects (page of 29 Sep 2026); pages located through msmt.gov.cz/sitemap.xml and its section sitemaps. The AI Factory call allots EUR 10 000 000 (CZK 250 000 000) for 2026–2032 to the national part of 'AI Factory – service centre' projects; it names no applicant and reports no award. The NCC HPC call concerns the national competence centre, not the AI factory. Education Ministry (MŠMT) website, EuroHPC section and its calls, 2 Nov 2026
MŠMT final accounts of chapter 333: Final account of chapter 333 for 2025 (signed 25 Mar 2026; 377 pages): R&D programme section, Table 5 (expenditure by programme), annex 2 sheet Z331801 'EuroHPC projekty', large research infrastructures and OP JAK infrastructure calls. EuroHPC projekty: 2025 approved budget CZK 15 046,63 thousand and support provided CZK 22 472,54 thousand, with AI factories among its aims since 2024. No mention of CZAI, KarolAIna, the AI Factory call or IT4Innovations; large research infrastructures are not itemised by infrastructure. MŠMT final accounts of chapter 333, 2 Nov 2026
MŠMT budget pages: Pages 'Rozpočet MŠMT', 'Rozpočet' and 'Rozklikávací rozpočet' as served to a plain HTTP request; the site's content API (cms.msmt.gov.cz/wp-json) and its search results, which load in the browser, as served on 2 November 2026. The budget pages serve no documents or figures; the content API refused requests (HTTP 403) and search results are not in the served page, so the 2026 programme budget could not be read. Older msmt.gov.cz/uploads links now return the new site's shell. MŠMT budget pages, 2 Nov 2026
Chamber of Deputies (psp.cz): government's draft state final account for 2025, print 179: Návrh státního závěrečného účtu České republiky za rok 2025, volumes B, C, D, E, F and I (Word files of print 179). No mention of EuroHPC, AI factories, KarolAIna, IT4Innovations or supercomputers; the Education Ministry's spending is described through its largest projects only. Chamber of Deputies (psp.cz): government's draft state final account for 2025, print 179, 2 Nov 2026
Government Council for Research, Development and Innovation (vyzkum.gov.cz): STÁTNÍ ROZPOČET 2026 – Výdaje státního rozpočtu na výzkum, vývoj a inovace (actuals 2021–2024, budgets 2025 and 2026; file of 15 May 2026); web searches for the 2027 R&D budget proposal. Totals by chapter only, no programme lines; the 2027 proposal was not found. Government Council for Research, Development and Innovation (vyzkum.gov.cz), 2 Nov 2026
Starfos (Technology Agency of the Czech Republic), which shows the government R&D project register (CEP): Records of the 'EuroHPC projekty' programme MC2501 to MC2505 (data deliveries of 10 Apr and 8 Jul 2026); codes MC2506 to MC2508 and MC2601 to MC2606; searches for 'CZAI', 'Czech AI Factory', 'KarolAIna', 'LUMI AI Factory' and 'EuroHPC'. MC2503 (LUMI AI Factory - Service Center, CZK 66 604 thousand, 2025–2028) and MC2504 (LUMI-IQ, CZK 25 288 thousand, 2026–2032) at IT4Innovations; MC2501, MC2502 and MC2505 are other EuroHPC projects; no record for the later codes and no CZAI project. Starfos (Technology Agency of the Czech Republic), which shows the government R&D project register (CEP), 2 Nov 2026
IS VaVaI, the government R&D information system: Project register (CEP) and programme register, which answered with a bot check on 2 November 2026. The site answered with a bot-detection challenge, which was not bypassed; its project data were read through Starfos instead. IS VaVaI, the government R&D information system, 2 Nov 2026
Government resolutions (Office of the Government): Resolution database hosts kormoran.vlada.cz and albatros.vlada.cz; web searches for a resolution approving national co-financing of CZAI or an AI factory; the hosts did not answer on 2 November 2026. The database hosts did not answer from here (connection failed); web searches found no resolution on CZAI, only press reports of AI Gigafactory resolutions, which were not read. Government resolutions (Office of the Government), 2 Nov 2026
State Treasury MONITOR (Ministry of Finance): Budget execution views for chapter 333 (Education Ministry), opened on 2 November 2026 (the fiscal years viewed are not recorded). Execution by chapter and budget classification; no programme line for EuroHPC projects or AI factories was found. State Treasury MONITOR (Ministry of Finance), 2 Nov 2026
Chamber of Deputies interpellations (web searches): Web searches for written interpellations on CZAI, KarolAIna, IT4Innovations or AI supercomputers, run on 2 November 2026. No interpellation or answer found; the Chamber's interpellation records were not searched one by one. Chamber of Deputies interpellations (web searches), 2 Nov 2026
EuroHPC Joint Undertaking and CORDIS (EU records, for context): EuroHPC JU release of 10 Oct 2025 and its Czechia page; CORDIS record of grant 101314740 (CZAI). CZAI was selected in the third cut-off (30 June 2025) of EUROHPC-2024-CEI-AI-02. CORDIS: 1 May 2026 to 30 Apr 2029, total cost €19 993 050,00, EU contribution € 9 996 525,00; no national amount is shown. EuroHPC Joint Undertaking and CORDIS (EU records, for context), 2 Nov 2026
Host and consortium releases and press (web searches): IT4Innovations release of 10 Oct 2025; consortium and press items on the May 2026 launch found by web search. IT4Innovations puts the whole project at almost CZK 1 billion (EUR 40 million), half Czech (kept as tier-3 context); no government figure in any of them. Host and consortium releases and press (web searches), 2 Nov 2026
Still open
Which instrument pays the Czech share of KarolAIna's purchase and operation, and how much? No government document read names one: not the AI Factory call, the 2025 final account, the government R&D register (MC2501 to MC2505) or the state final account.
Has the Education Ministry decided any application under the AI Factory call (deadline 30 Dec 2026), and is CZAI the recipient? The call names neither; CORDIS dates CZAI's EU grant 1 May 2026 to 30 Apr 2029 while the call runs 2026–2032. A new project in the government R&D register or the 2026 final account would settle it.
Is the AI Factory call paid from the EuroHPC projects programme (Z3318) or from another line? The call does not say.
The call asks applicants to put 'Projekt výzvy DIGITAL-2024-AI-06' in the subject line, an identifier the 2025 final account uses for the language-technology programme; whether this matters for the call's scope is unverified.
Did the government adopt a resolution approving the national co-financing? The resolution database did not answer from here.
The 2026 programme budget (EuroHPC projects and any AI Factory line) could not be read: the ministry's budget pages serve no documents, and the 2027 R&D budget proposal with programme tables was not found.
Open Sovereign AI funding