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EU programmes · European Commission, DG Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS)

Programme for Agile and Rapid Defence Innovation

GrantsAcceleratorsDefenceDual-use
Ticket size
Up to EUR 5m per project; EUR 115m total programme budget across ~20–30 projects

About the programme

AGILE is a €115 million EU pilot programme proposed in March 2026 and agreed in July 2026, designed to fund the development, testing, and market uptake of disruptive defence innovations — including AI, quantum systems, and drones — with an unprecedented time-to-grant target of four months.

  • It exclusively targets New Defence Players: SMEs, start-ups, and scale-ups, operating on mission-driven challenges co-defined with EU Member States.
  • The programme supports single entities (not consortia), focuses on high-TRL innovation (not research), and includes a direct link to procurement to accelerate deployment to Member States and associated countries (EEA/EFTA + Ukraine).
  • It is expected to be operational from 1 January 2027.

Why it matters

AGILE fills a critical gap left by slower instruments like EDF/EUDIS by offering a four-month time-to-grant and up to €5m per project — making it the fastest EU defence funding path available for SMEs and start-ups.

  • The mission-driven, procurement-linked structure means successful projects have a clear route to actual deployment by Member States, reducing the typical valley of death between development and fielding.
  • Companies developing dual-use technologies (e.g. AI, autonomy, quantum) adapted for defence applications are explicitly in scope, broadening eligibility beyond traditional defence primes.

Calls & cycles

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

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