EU programmes · European Commission
ReArm Europe Plan / Readiness 2030 is a European Commission strategic initiative presented in March 2025 to mobilise over EUR 800 billion in defence investment through five financial pillars: activation of the Stability and Growth Pact national escape clause, the EUR 150 billion SAFE loan instrument for joint procurement, reorientation of cohesion funds, expanded European Investment Bank lending, and mobilisation of private capital. SAFE, the instrument's first and most concrete pillar, provides competitively priced long-maturity loans to Member States on demand, conditioned on national defence investment plans and collaborative procurement with at least one partner country. The overarching goal is to close critical European capability gaps — in areas such as air and missile defence, drones, ammunition, and cyber — and achieve full defence readiness by 2030.
For defence-tech companies and SMEs, the plan channels unprecedented public capital into the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB), creating a surge in state procurement that will favour European-headquartered contractors and subcontractors. The collaborative procurement requirement under SAFE incentivises cross-border partnerships, opening new teaming opportunities across EU, EEA, and Ukrainian defence primes. Startups and innovators in AI, quantum, cyber, and autonomous systems are explicitly called out as beneficiaries of upcoming contracts and the broader industrial ramp-up underpinned by this funding architecture.
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.