EU programmes · European Commission (DG DEFIS)
Emergency instrument adopted in July 2023 to ramp up EU ammunition and missile production. Its €500 million funded 31 projects across explosives, powder, shells, missiles and testing/reconditioning, leveraging total investment of around €1.4 billion. The funding period ran to 30 June 2025; the programme is wound down and production ramp-up support continues under EDIP's Industrial Reinforcement Actions.
Closed to new applicants; relevant only as the predecessor of EDIP IRA calls, which is where ammunition capacity funding now sits.
European Commission (DG DEFIS), with EUSPA and the EIF
Space is treated as dual-use across EU funding; CASSINI gives space-defence start-ups an equity pipeline and visibility instruments that stack with EDF and EUDIS applications.
European Investment Fund with the European Commission, under InvestEU
Not a programme you apply to as a company, but it determines which European VCs have fresh defence-mandated capital; track its fund commitments to know who can actually write you a cheque.
European Investment Bank Group
Debt, not grants: the EIB now finances defence companies that banks still avoid, and venture debt from its one-stop shop can extend runway without dilution once you have revenue or strong contracts.