European Defense Fund: EUR 1.1 billion to support research and development projects, application is open till 15 November 2024

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The European Commission has approved the 4th annual work program of the European Defence Fund (EDF) and published the corresponding calls for proposals. An additional EUR 1.1 billion has been made available, including EUR 225 million under the EU Defense Innovation Scheme (EUDIS) to support start-ups in the field of innovation and defense. The deadline for submitting proposals is November 5, 2024.

The work program comprises 32 call areas from the defence sector. These are bundled into six thematic calls and two calls for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). These include topics such as defense against hypersonic missiles, the development of unmanned aerial and ground vehicles and ensuring secure space communications. In addition, the work program offers support measures through an EUDIS Business Accelerator and matchmaking opportunities with investors.

Member States have agreed on common funding priorities, taking into account the need for defense technologies and capabilities as well as new threats arising from the current security situation.