National · Poland · Akces NCBR (subsidiary of Poland's National Centre for Research and Development, NCBR), with sectoral co-funding from the Polish Ministry of National Defence (MoND) for the MilTech track
Akces NCBR is Poland's only dedicated deep-tech accelerator, established as a subsidiary of NCBR (the country's largest R&D funding agency) to bridge the gap between laboratory research and market deployment. It runs both horizontal programmes open to all innovations and vertical sector-specific tracks — notably MilTech (defence/dual-use, co-developed with the Ministry of National Defence) and SpaceTech — targeting startups and research teams at TRL 3–8. Each cohort receives a combination of non-repayable grants, expert mentoring packages, and optional equity investment, supporting the full journey from proof-of-concept to commercialisation.
For defence-tech and dual-use startups, Akces NCBR offers one of the very few Polish public instruments that explicitly combines grant funding with mentoring and equity in a single accelerator vehicle, with direct Ministry of Defence involvement in defining priority technology areas. The MilTech track provides validated access to defence procurement stakeholders and a pathway into Poland's rapidly expanding national security innovation ecosystem, including a planned follow-on MilTech Plus programme with a larger budget. Companies that progress through the programme also gain visibility with institutional investors such as the Polish Development Fund and the defence-industrial complex.
Danish Ministry of Defence / Danish Ministry of Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation (FMI/DALO)
The single largest pot of near-term Danish defence procurement money, with an explicit invitation for industry to propose what to buy. Speed to fielding is the main selection criterion.
German Federal Government (BMVg and BMI)
One of very few German vehicles paying companies directly for security and defence-relevant research, with multi-million-euro phased contracts. Procurement-law process means longer lead times; watch the partnering events.
Next deadline 6 Oct
Industrial Development Agency (Agencja Rozwoju Przemysłu S.A.), Polish state development agency
A flexible state lender willing to bank defence-industry companies that commercial banks often avoid, useful for contract financing and liquidity in scaling defence production. No fixed calls: financing is negotiated case by case.