EU programmes · European Commission (DG DEFIS), under the European Defence Fund
The EDF's innovation arm, bundling nine tracks: a Business Accelerator (8-month programme, five bootcamps, €120,000 voucher per company plus €50,000 for the three best teams, no equity taken), non-thematic SME grant calls, disruptive-technology calls, cascade funding, defence hackathons, technological challenges, business coaching, matchmaking, and the Defence Equity Facility. In 2026 it supports 40 accelerator companies across Spring and Autumn cohorts and runs €65 million of non-thematic SME calls.
The lowest-friction EU entry point for defence start-ups: accelerator vouchers require no consortium and no equity, and the SME calls are reserved competitions where small companies do not face primes.
Closes 29 Sept 2026 · €65 million (€35m research actions, €30m development actions)
Research actions funded at 100% and open to SMEs plus research organisations; development actions SME-only. Consortium of three companies from three Member States required.
Dates not announced
First cascade funding call announced on the EUDIS portal offering €60,000 per innovation challenge; check the project page for its exact deadline.
Opens 13 Apr 2026 · Closes 30 May 2026
Cohort of 20 companies starting September 2026. Two calls run per year; the previous Spring cohort call opened 16 December, so the next application window is expected around December 2026.
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.