The European Defence Fund is the Commission's key initiative to support the collaborative research and the development of defence capabilities with the EU budget.

In the period 2021 - 2027, the Fund will financially support consortia of companies from different Member States undertaking cooperative defence research and development of defence products and technologies. The Fund also includes mechanisms to stimulate the opening of supply chains and promote cooperation between companies and other actors in the research and development of state-of-the-art and interoperable defence technologies and equipment. The Fund also supports competitive and collaborative projects throughout the research and development cycle for greater impact on the European defence capability and industrial landscape. It strongly encourages the participation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in collaborative projects and promotes revolutionary innovative solutions.

The financial envelope for the period 2021 - 2027 is 7.95 billion (current prices).

The programme was preceded by two trial programmes with limited duration and budget: the Preparatory Action on Defence Research (PADR) and the European Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP).

European Defence Fund Work Programme 2026 published

The EDF 2026 Work Programme, with a total budget of more than EUR 1 billion, supports collaborative projects across the entire industrial cycle, from research to mature capacity building, in 16 thematic categories covering strategic areas such as advanced sensors, cyber and quantum, space, digital, energy, materials, land, sea and air platforms, as well as disruptive and dual-use technologies. Consistent with Europe's security and strategic autonomy priorities, the Work Programme 2026 sets a strong emphasis on strengthening critical industrial capabilities, interoperability and reducing strategic dependencies, offering companies opportunities to position themselves in future European defence value chains.

There are also two topics independent of the action categories that focus on SMEs.

In the restricted area you can find the fact sheet prepared by the Brussels Delegation.