EU programmes · European Commission, DG Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS)
AGILE is a €115 million EU pilot programme proposed in March 2026 and politically agreed in July 2026, designed to accelerate the development, testing, and market uptake of emerging and disruptive defence technologies. It targets high-TRL, mission-driven innovation (not fundamental research) and provides rapid, targeted grants to individual entities — particularly SMEs, start-ups, and scale-ups — developing solutions to priority capability needs identified with Member States. The programme is expected to become operational in early 2027, with funding sourced from internal reallocations within the existing EU defence industry and space budget.
AGILE is the EU's first dedicated fast-track innovation instrument for defence SMEs and start-ups, explicitly designed to cut time-to-field from years to months for AI, quantum, drone, and other disruptive technologies. Unlike EDF (which requires transnational consortia and covers research), AGILE allows single-entity applications at up to €5m per project and includes a direct link to procurement, making it a highly accessible and commercially relevant pathway for scale-ups seeking EU defence customers. Companies that align their product with Member State capability priorities and can demonstrate high TRL stand to benefit most from AGILE's simplified procedures and speed-focused mandate.
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.