European Defence Fund – Call for EDF research actions, dedicated to SMEs and research organisations, implemented via lump sum grants – 2024

Objective

To encourage the driving role of innovative SMEs and Research Organisations (RO) in bringing forward innovation defence research, possibly by adapting technologies from civil applications or addressing hybrid warfare.

Among funded activities

• Activities that aim to create, underpin and improve knowledge, products and technologies, including disruptive technologies, which can achieve significant effects in the area of defence (generating knowledge)
• Activities that aim to increase interoperability and resilience, including secured production and exchange of data, to master critical defence technologies, to strengthen the security of supply or to enable the effective exploitation of results for defence products and technologies (integrating knowledge)
• Studies, such as feasibility studies to explore the feasibility of new or upgraded products, technologies, processes, services and solutions
• Design of a defence product, tangible or intangible component or technology as well as the definition of the technical specifications on which such a design has been developed, including any partial test for risk reduction in an industrial or representative environment

Eligibility

• Be a legal person
• Be a public or private entity
• Be established in one of the eligible countries:
  • EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories)
  • Non-EU states: listed EEA countries and countries associated to the European Defence Fund (Click here)
• Have its executive management structure established in eligible countries
• Must not be subject to control by a non-associated third country or non-associated third-country entity
• Be SMEs or research organisations
• The coordinator must be an SME
• A consortium composed of at least 3 independent entities, established in at least 3 different EU Member States or associated countries to the programme must be constituted

Additional information

• Initial duration of the action: between 12 and 48 months
• Contact : DEFIS-EDF-PROPOSALS@ec.europa.eu

Useful

• Guidelines: Click here
• Other call documents: Click here
• DG website: Click here
• More information: Click here

• Total budget of the call: 34 million euro
• Amount of the grant: 4 million euro
• Funding rate: up to 100% of the total eligible costs