EU programmes · European Commission, DG DEFIS
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.
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.
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.