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EU programme guide

European Defence Fund

Open-call snapshot checked 2026-04-18

The European Defence Fund supports collaborative defence research and capability development across the EU, with a budget of around €8 billion for 2021-2027. It funds consortia of companies and research organisations from several member states.

Budget period 2021-2027
Total budget ~€8 billion
Research actions Up to 100% funded
Minimum consortium 3 entities, 3 states

What the European Defence Fund funds

The fund supports two phases of work. Research actions fund defence research up to the point of demonstrating a technology, and are generally funded at up to 100% of eligible costs. Development actions fund the design, prototyping, and testing of defence capabilities, and are co-funded with member-state contributions.

Topics span domains such as sensors, cyber, space, materials, energy, and naval, air, and land systems.

Who is eligible

Applicants are usually consortia of at least three eligible entities from at least three EU member states or associated countries. Companies of all sizes, including SMEs, research organisations, and universities can take part, and calls often include incentives for SME participation.

Eligibility includes ownership-and-control conditions designed to protect the EU's strategic interests. These are detailed in each call.

Dual-use technology

Many civil deep-tech companies hold technology relevant to defence — in AI, autonomy, sensing, cybersecurity, or advanced materials. The European Defence Fund can be a route to non-dilutive funding for that work, though the eligibility and security rules are stricter than in civil programmes.

Open European Defence Fund calls

These European Defence Fund calls are open in the current index snapshot, soonest deadline first. fundingme.eu tracks the EU Funding & Tenders Portal continuously — run a free match to see everything open today and how your company fits.

Frequently asked questions

Can an SME apply to the European Defence Fund?

Yes. SMEs can participate in European Defence Fund consortia, and calls frequently include measures and incentives to encourage SME and mid-cap involvement alongside larger defence companies.

How much does the European Defence Fund cover?

Research actions are generally funded at up to 100% of eligible costs. Development actions are co-funded, with member states contributing alongside the EU. Exact rates are set per call and action type.

Are there security restrictions?

Yes. The fund applies ownership-and-control and security conditions to protect EU strategic interests. Each call sets out the applicable eligibility and security requirements in detail.

European Defence Fund by sector

EU grants for dual-use & defence companies Dual-use and defence-technology companies can access EU funding through the European Defence Fund (for collaborative defence research and capability development) and, for civil applications of the same technology, through Horizon Europe and the Digital Europe Programme. EU grants for AI companies AI companies in Europe can access EU grant funding mainly through Horizon Europe (for research and innovation), the Digital Europe Programme (for AI deployment and testing facilities), and the EIC Accelerator (for breakthrough single-company innovation). EU grants for deeptech companies Deeptech companies can access EU grant funding mainly through the EIC Accelerator (for single-company breakthrough innovation), Horizon Europe (for collaborative research and innovation), and Eurostars (for SME-led international R&D projects). EU grants for advanced manufacturing companies Advanced manufacturing companies can access EU funding through Horizon Europe (for industrial research and innovation), Eurostars (for SME-led international development projects), and the Innovation Fund (for clean, low-carbon industrial demonstration).

Other EU funding programmes

Horizon Europe Horizon Europe is the European Union's main research and innovation funding programme for 2021-2027, with a budget of around €93.5 billion. EIC Accelerator The EIC Accelerator is the European Innovation Council's flagship scheme for single startups and small companies. Eurostars Eurostars is a funding programme for research-and-development-performing SMEs that lead international collaborative innovation projects. Digital Europe Programme The Digital Europe Programme is the EU's funding programme for deploying digital technology, with a budget of around €7.5 billion for 2021-2027. LIFE Programme The LIFE Programme is the European Union's dedicated funding instrument for environment and climate action, with a budget of around €5.4 billion for 2021-2027. Innovation Fund The Innovation Fund is one of the world's largest funding programmes for the demonstration of innovative low-carbon technologies. EU4Health EU4Health is the European Union's funding programme for health, with a budget of around €5.3 billion for 2021-2027.