The European Defence Fund (EDF) has reached a new milestone, attracting a record 612 project proposals under its 2026 calls for collaborative defence research and development actions. This marks an unprecedented level of interest from European defence players since the launch of the Fund in 2021.
The proposal numbers represent an increase of 49% compared to last year, a further growth following the 38% increase from 2024 to 2025, demonstrating the growing relevance and attractiveness of the Fund. The €1.006 billion available under the 2026 calls has attracted both established industrial actors and emerging innovators eager to collaborate on next-generation defence technologies. For a first time the calls were open to Ukrainian applicants, in anticipation of the imminent entry into force of the association agreement of Ukraine to EDF.
The EDF 2026 calls mark a significant step towards delivering concrete, next-generation defence technologies capabilities for the armed forces. Half of the budget is earmarked for collaborative R&D on major defence capabilities with many topics calling for proposals that are expected to build on projects funded under previous editions of the EDF and to mature results into prototypes ready for production and acquisition. This includes the development of a European endo-atmospheric interceptor for missile defence, a next generation main battle tank, a multiple rocket launcher, and a semi-autonomous naval vessel.
Notable areas of focus are critical technologies and capabilities in forward-looking areas, including quantum-secured networks, electronic warfare, multi-domain operations cloud and high-performance energy systems.
A quarter of the budget is dedicated to implementing the EU Defence Innovation Scheme (EUDIS), which supports innovation and disruptive technologies for defence applications. This includes around €60 million specifically allocated to disruptive technologies. Particularly high numbers of proposals were submitted under the €60 million in non-thematic calls dedicated to Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). This strong interest demonstrates the programme’s continued relevance to small companies and highlights the positive impact of the new, simplified application process that has benefitted from the simplification effort under the Mini-Omnibus.
The submitted proposals will now undergo a rigorous evaluation process, including admissibility and eligibility reviews by the Commission services, followed by an evaluation of scientific excellence, award criteria, and ethics screenings conducted with the assistance of independent experts. The results are expected to be announced by March 2027.