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EU programmes · European Commission, DG DEFIS (Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space)

European Defence Fund

GrantsDefenceDual-useDeep tech
Ticket size
EUR ~1 billion allocated per annual work programme across 50+ projects; ~EUR 7.3 billion total for 2021–2027

About the programme

The EDF is the EU's primary instrument for supporting collaborative defence research and capability development across Member States, with a budget of approximately €7.3 billion for 2021–2027 (€2.7 billion for research, €5.3 billion for capability development).

  • Funding is delivered primarily through competitive grants covering up to 100% of eligible research costs, with bonuses for SME participation and PESCO-linked projects.
  • It operates via annual work programmes structured across 34 thematic categories, targeting industrial and research consortia.
  • Recent amendments have simplified application procedures for disruptive technologies and introduced a STEP Seal for high-quality proposals to unlock complementary funding.

Why it matters

With roughly €1 billion deployed per annual cycle, the EDF is one of the largest single sources of non-dilutive R&D funding available to European defence-tech companies and SMEs.

  • The 2026 work programme amendments have halved application length and reduced award criteria, significantly lowering the barrier to entry for smaller firms.
  • Companies awarded a STEP Seal gain access to additional complementary EU funding streams, making EDF participation a gateway to the broader EU defence-funding ecosystem.

Calls & cycles

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

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