EUROPEAN DEFENCE FUND – Research actions implemented via actual cost grants – 2025

Objectives:

• To develop and validate innovative Robotic and Autonomous System, autonomous and robotic-assisted capabilities that address the specific challenges of military battlefield triage and evacuation in mass casualty scenarios, including CBRN contamination and ongoing high intensity fighting spots with limited or no access of first responders
• To develop an EU Multifunctional Information Distribution System mids
• To develop and mature the technologies required for a new stateof-the-art, breakthrough, affordable, efficient, and high-power engine for future generation of EU military rotorcraft systems
• To explore the possibilities the chiplet technology in combination with heterogeneous packaging can add to systems used for defence applications
• To explore and mature the technologies required to destroy or neutralise all enemies’ artillery potential, thereby ensuring the survival of own forces and safeguarding their operational capacity
• To enable surface warships to engage and neutralize submarines outside their weapon range, ensuring readiness without relying on aerial assets
• To explore the benefits of applying DT (digital twins) technologies across the entire lifecycle of military systems, from design and development to operation and maintenance
• To design and evaluate Live, virutal and constructive (LVC) training to ascertain training value to both live and Virtual participants

Priorities:

• Priority 1: To increase knowledge on technology and requirements and accelerate the development of life-saving technologies by capitalising on the unmanned vehicle development and develop complimentary defence medicine related autonomous functionalities
• Priority 2: To improve EU sovereignty and autonomy of EU Member States’ and EDF Associated Countries’ Armed Forces when deployed in coalitions
• Priority 3: To develop a versatile European propulsion system that meets the growing power demands of systems
• Priority 4: To develop and share a common hardware library of chiplets building blocks
• Priority 5: To develop and increase maturity of innovative technologies specifically adapted to counter-battery systems for all armies of EU Member States and EDF Associated Countries
• Priority 6: To reduce development risk for EDTIB
• Priority 7: To enhance operational superiority and lifecycle management
• Priority 8: To structure and develop a European ecosystem to support simulation technology for military usages

Among financed actions:

• Activities that aim to generate and intergate knowledge
• Studies
• Design

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
• Project proposals must be submitted by a consortium of at least 2 entities based in at least 2 member states or associated countries

Additional information:

• Initial duration of the action: 24 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: 182 million euros
• Budget per topic:
  • EDF-2025-RA-C4ISR-MIDS-STEP: 39 million euros
  • EDF-2025-RA-ENERENV-PSR: 25 million euros
  • EDF-2025-RA-GROUND-CBC: 20 million euros
  • EDF-2025-RA-MATCOMP-CDA-STEP: 25 million euros
  • EDF-2025-RA-MCBRN-ATE: 10 million euros
  • EDF-2025-RA-SIMTRAIN-DAFAS: 28 million euros
  • EDF-2025-RA-SIMTRAIN-LVC-STEP: 15 million euros
  • EDF-2025-RA-UWW-SOASW: 20 million euros
• Funding rate: up to 100% of the total eligible costs