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The European Defence Fund is the European Commission's initiative to support industrial defence cooperation across the European Union.

The Fund supports collaborative defence research and development and will foster an innovative and competitive defence industrial base. The European Defence Fund contributes to the strategic autonomy and resilience of the Union and its Member States. It coordinates, supplements and amplifies national investments in defence.

Without substituting Member States’ efforts, the Fund promotes cooperation among companies and research players throughout the EU, in research and development of state-of-the-art and interoperable defence technology and equipment. It fosters breakthrough innovation and the participation of small and medium-sized enterprises in collaborative projects.

The Fund has a budget of nearly €7.3 billion for 2021-2027, with €2.7 billion allocated for collaborative defence research and €5.3 billion for collaborative capability development projects that complement national contributions. 

EDF Factsheet 2026 

The EU Defence Innovation Scheme (EUDIS) is an instrument enabled by the European Defence Fund (EDF) to strengthen defence innovation in the European Union. EUDIS offers a set of instruments for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), including start-ups, and other non-traditional players in defence industrial ecosystem to ensure more opportunities to access the European Defence Fund. 

The European Defence Industry Programme is an EU programme providing €1.5 billion to ramp up Europe's defence readiness for the period 2025-2027. EDIP aims to enhance the competitiveness and the responsiveness of the European defence industry and to boost common procurements as well as facilitate equity funding and support for Ukraine. 

EDIP factsheet  

The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) aims to strengthen economic, social and territorial cohesion in the EU by correcting imbalances between its regions.
In 2021-2027 it will enable investments in a smarter, greener, more connected and more social Europe that is closer to its citizens. It is jointly managed by the European Commission and the EU countries.

The defence sector can access ERDF to co-fund productive cross-border investment projects and modernise supply chains. These funds help SMEs prepare for commercialisation and to boost regional competitiveness

Around EUR 80 billion out of the EUR 226 billion of the ERDF envelope will be concentrated on promoting innovative and smart economic transformation. The ERDF may fund defence and dual-use activities in research and innovation, as part of a smart specialisation strategy. Several defence-related SMEs have already successfully applied for funding by the ERDF. A Commission study showed how ERDF has funded defence and dual use projects in the period 2014-2020.

INTERREG Europe will support cross-border mobility, and efforts to develop environmental protection, emergency services, skilled jobs and access to public services for the next EU generation. Two new objectives will also steer European territorial cooperation: ‘Better cooperation governance’ and ‘A safer, more secure Europe’.

With a budget of over €99 billion for the 2021-2027 period, the European Social Fund+ (ESF+) will invest in the following priority areas:

• Supporting young people who have been particularly affected by the COVID-19 crisis
• Helping children in need by allocating ESF+ resources to targeted actions to combat child poverty, and supporting the most vulnerable in society suffering from job losses and income reductions
• Reskilling and upskilling people for the transition to a green and digital economy
• Capacity building for social partners and civil society organisations
• Transnational cooperation for promoting social innovation across the EU
• Direct support to social innovation through the Employment and Social Innovation strand

The ESF+ supported Operational Programmes will be able to fund defence-related and dual use projects focused on skill acquisition and labour market. A Commission study showed how the European Social Fund has funded defence and dual use projects in the period 2014-2020.

Horizon Europe is the main framework programme of the EU for research and innovation with calls being published between 2021 and 2027. The budget amounts to EUR 95.5 billion and targets challenges related to climate change, UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, competitiveness of the EU and growth. Horizon Europe aims to strengthen the research and innovation capabilities in the EU, creating and supporting the European Research Area. Legal entities from the EU and associated countries can participate in these calls.

Horizon Europe is exclusively a framework programme for civilian applications. However, there are opportunities for applications and innovations for dual use.

One novelty of Horizon Europe is the European Innovation Council, the EIC. The EIC builds on the success under the predecessor Horizon Europe and SME Instrument, and supports innovations with potential breakthrough and disruptive nature with scale-up potential that may be too risky for private investors. In the EIC, 70% of the budget is earmarked for SMEs.

SMEs can participate by joining a consortium that responds to a specific call for proposals. The funding opportunities can be found in the work programmes. Through the Funding and Tenders Portal it is possible to find all the information about the calls and how to apply. In particular, Pillar II, Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness, lists opportunities for civil applications that can be adapted for defence applications.

Existing projects and programme information can give you further details on the functioning of the Horizon Europe Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.

DIANA is the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic, an organisation established by NATO to find and accelerate dual-use innovation capacity across the Alliance.

NIF is a standalone venture capital fund backed by 24 NATO allies, deploying €1 billion+ in deep tech. It aims to empower deep tech founders to address challenges in defence, security, and resilience. 

HEDI, the EU Hub for Defence Innovation is a platform within the European Defence Agency to foster innovative solutions for military capabilities. HEDI aims to stimulate, facilitate and support cooperation on defence innovation among Member States.