At a glance
Grant only
Six to nine
€6 million and above
Defence
The Process
Turning your innovation into funded reality, one step at a time.
Where to find calls
- EDF publishes calls each year. Deadlines vary by topic, so check the EDF calls page. You can also find the calls on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.
- To find development actions, select the current programming period, choose “European Defence Fund (EDF)” as the programme and use the filters to look for calls labelled “DA” (development actions).
Registration
- All organisations involved must register on the portal and have a Participant Identification Code (PIC). If you have questions about the process, watch the PIC registration and validation process video.
Proposal submission
Applications must be submitted via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and have two parts:
- Part A (administrative details) completed online by applicants on the portal.
- Part B (the technical description) prepared separately by applicants using the official template.
- Part B and all required annexes must be combined in a single password-protected ZIP file. Submit the ZIP file via the portal and send the password separately to the European Commission.
- For more information, check the official slides and video on the submission process.
Evaluation
- After submission, independent experts appointed by the European Commission review the proposals. Funding decisions are generally communicated within a few months, as explained in the EDF submission tutorial.
Support materials
The following resources can guide your application:
Eligibility criteria
Not sure if you qualify? We will help make it clear.
Who can apply
- To be eligible for EDF funding, your organisation must be established in an EU Member State or Norway. It must not be controlled by a non-associated third country unless you provide specific guarantees. See the EDF official webpage for details.
- Startups can participate as beneficiaries, affiliated entities or subcontractors. However, affiliated entities cannot act as subcontractors within the same consortium. See the EDF FAQ for details.
- The EDF work programme guide details that consortia usually include at least three entities from three eligible countries. Calls for disruptive technologies may allow smaller consortia.
- The EDF strongly encourages cross-border cooperation, especially involving small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and mid-caps, which can enhance your proposal’s score under the award criteria.
Funding rate
- As described in the funding rates presentation, funding is activity-based: for example, prototyping is funded at 20% to 55%, testing at 45% to 80% and integrating knowledge at 65% to 100%. The actual funding rate depends on the activity and can be increased with bonuses.
General tips
Tips from previous successful applicants to strengthen applications.
Listen to more tips
EU Defence Innovation Scheme (EUDIS)
The EUDIS is an EDF initiative that aims to lower entry barriers for startups, SMEs and non-traditional players in the defence sector. The EUDIS offers tailored support to help innovative companies mature technologies, scale up and connect with defence end users across Europe.
Startups can benefit from:
- Business Accelerator: an eight-month programme with coaching, networking and €65 000 in seed-financing vouchers.
- Hackathons and technological challenges: opportunities to test and showcase solutions in competitive settings.
- Spin-in calls: support to adapt civil research and development results to defence applications.
- Access to finance: equity funding via the Defence Equity Facility and matchmaking with investors.
- Cascade funding and coaching: grants and expert guidance to accelerate growth and market readiness.
EUDIS
A gateway for startups to enter the European defence ecosystem with the tools, funding, and connections needed to succeed.
Resources
This site covers the essentials. For additional information, visit the links below.
Where to find the information
- Learn more about EDF through this factsheet.
- The EDF work programme describes call topics, budget allocations and strategic priorities in detail.
- The programme also offers cascade funding opportunities and support to take part in defence hackathons, especially for SMEs and startups, as described in the EDF 2025 factsheet.
- To stay informed and connect with potential partners, attend the EDF Info Days. They include networking sessions and presentations on best practices.
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