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EU programmes · European Commission, DG DEFIS

EU Defence Innovation Scheme

GrantsEquityAcceleratorsPrizes & challengesDefenceDual-use
Ticket size
EUR 4–6m per project (SME R&D calls); EUR 120,000 seed funding (Business Accelerator); EUR 175m Defence Equity Facility (via EIF)

About the programme

EUDIS is an instrument established under the European Defence Fund (EDF) to lower entry barriers for SMEs, start-ups, and non-traditional defence players into the EU defence market.

  • It offers a suite of mechanisms including open SME R&D grant calls, cascade (third-party) funding, a Business Accelerator programme, Defence Hackathons, Technological Challenges, spin-in calls for civil EU-funded R&D, and equity access via the Defence Equity Facility managed by the European Investment Fund.
  • The scheme operates on annual EDF work programme cycles, with EUDIS measures accounting for approximately EUR 231 million of the total EDF 2026 budget.

Why it matters

For defence-tech SMEs and start-ups, EUDIS is the primary EU-level on-ramp to the European Defence Fund, specifically designed to reduce the complexity and scale requirements that exclude smaller firms from mainstream EDF calls.

  • The combination of non-dilutive grants, equity co-investment, and structured acceleration (with direct matchmaking to investors and defence end-users) makes it a multi-stage funding pathway rather than a single call.
  • Participation in EUDIS also positions companies for larger EDF consortium projects and builds visibility within Europe's defence industrial base.

Calls & cycles

none tracked
No call cycle on record. Check the official programme page.

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