EU programmes · European Commission / European Defence Agency (EDF, GA No. 101167891, administered by the MaJoR consortium)
MaJoR Open Call 1 is a Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) / cascade funding sub-call issued under the European Defence Fund (EDF)-backed MaJoR project (GA 101167891), which focuses on modernising defence systems through innovative maintenance, joining, and repair technologies for multi-material structures across air, sea, and land domains. It seeks up to 30 SMEs or start-ups to act as technology/solution providers across five topics spanning hybrid structures, advanced joining, structural health monitoring, non-destructive testing, and AI-based decision-support tools. Eligible applicants are SMEs and start-ups established in EU Member States, Norway, or Ukraine that meet ownership-control and ethics requirements. Beyond the grant, recipients receive a six-month mentoring, coaching, and infrastructure-access support programme.
For SMEs and start-ups new to the defence sector, this call offers a low-barrier, non-dilutive entry point (up to EUR 60,000) into the EDF ecosystem without the complexity of a full EDF proposal. The accompanying six-month coaching programme and access to test infrastructure provides direct pathways to defence-market qualification and future larger-scale EDF opportunities. The inclusion of Ukrainian entities and the explicit newcomer-friendly eligibility criteria make it particularly relevant for deeptech companies looking to pivot into or validate their technologies for defence applications.
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.