The European Defence Fund at a glance

The EDF is the Commission's instrument for supporting defense research and development.

Its main objectives are :

• Promote cooperation between companies, including SMEs, and research organizations throughout the EU.
• Stimulate the development of defense capabilities through investment.

• Help EU companies develop advanced, interoperable defense technologies and equipment.

The European Defence Fund in detail

The EDF helps companies in the Member States to develop competitive, collaborative defense projects that will produce innovative, interoperable defense technologies and equipment. It offers support and advice to participants throughout the R&D cycle.

EDF 2025 work programme

The EDF 2025 work program covers a total of 33 call topics, structured around 7 thematic calls for proposals, 2 non-thematic calls for proposals and 2 actions in support of the Alliance for Defense Medical Countermeasures.

The Commission has adopted the European Defense Fund Annual Work Programme 2025, which allocates 1.065 billion euros to collaborative defense research and development. It supports the development of key defense technologies and capabilities in all military fields, including land, air, naval, space and cyber, in line with EU capability priorities agreed by member states. The work program also contains a number of specific measures to support SMEs and medium-sized enterprises under the EU Defense Innovation Program. (EUDIS).

The EDF helps to reduce the fragmentation of investment in the development of European defense technologies and capabilities. It also strengthens industrial competitiveness and promotes interoperability throughout Europe. With the adoption of the 2025 work program, the Commission has committed 5.4 billion euros since the EDF regulation came into force in May 2021, making it one of the leading investors in defense R&D.

The European Commission is pleased to announce that the next edition of the EDF Information Days will take place on April 2 and 3, 2025 in Brussels and online.

The EDF 2024 Information Days brought together over 3,000 participants from across the EU, Norway and beyond, both on-site and online. It was a unique opportunity to learn all about applying to EDF 2024 calls for proposals and to discover and network with potential partners in future EDF projects.

What to expect:

Day 1

Information from the Directorate General for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS) on EDF calls for projects and application guidelines.

Day 2

• Action-packed brokerage and networking sessions with pitch opportunities, targeted information sessions and in-depth roundtables with leading investors and entrepreneurs.
• The second day offers a unique opportunity to :
• Present your ideas and expertise to other potential partners,
• Schedule one-on-one meetings to form winning consortia,
• Join a networking and pitching session dedicated to this year's Human AI Dialogue technology challenge,
• Take part in the EU Defense Investor Day, where you'll hear from leading investors and representatives from the EU and member states about key technology, market and investment trends in the defense sector. If you're raising funds, you'll also have the opportunity to present your project to potential investors.