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Grant Analysis

GRANT PURPOSE AND TARGET

Core objective: To encourage innovation in defence research by SMEs and Research Organisations, including adapting technologies from civil applications, and strengthening European defence supply chains.
Target recipient type: SMEs and Research Organisations.
Size: Not specified for SMEs or Research Organisations.
SECTOR-SPECIFIC: Defence.
Geographic scope: Not explicitly specified in the provided documents, but typically applies to EU Member States and EDF Associated Countries given the European Defence Fund (EDF) context.
Key filtering criteria for initial grant screening: Applicants must be an SME or a Research Organisation, and their project must focus on innovative defence research, potentially by adapting civil applications.
Grant frequency and program context: This is a specific call (EDF-2025) under the broader European Defence Fund (EDF) programme, indicating a recurring program with annual calls.

FINANCIAL STRUCTURE

Total call budget: €34,000,000.0.
Funding type: Lump Sum Grants (EDF Lump Sum MGA).
Minimum grant amount: Not specified in the provided documents.
Maximum grant amount: Not specified in the provided documents.
Currency: Not explicitly specified in the provided documents.
Funding rate: Not applicable for lump sum grants, as they provide a fixed amount rather than a percentage of eligible costs.
Eligible costs: Not specified, but generally covered by the lump sum framework.
Ineligible costs: Not specified.
Matching fund requirements: Not specified.
Co-financing requirements: Not specified.
Financial reporting requirements: Described in section 10 of the call document (Legal and financial set-up of the grants), which was not provided.
Audit requirements: Not specified.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Organisation type:
- Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).
- Research Organisations (RO).
Specific qualifications:
- Expected to play a 'driving role' in bringing forward innovation in defence research.
- If adapting civil applications, applicants must have the necessary rights to access and commercialise the results of precursor projects.
Geographic requirements:
- Eligible countries are described in section 6 of the call document, which was not provided. Therefore, specific countries cannot be listed.
Exclusion criteria:
- Proposals must NOT cover studies only.
- The following types of activities are NOT eligible:
  - System prototyping of a defence product, tangible or intangible component or technology.
  - Testing of a defence product, tangible or intangible component or technology.
  - Qualification of a defence product, tangible or intangible component or technology.
  - Certification of a defence product, tangible or intangible component or technology.
  - Development of technologies or assets increasing efficiency across the life cycle of defence products and technologies.

APPLICATION PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Application deadline: 2025-10-16 00:00:00+00:00.
Submission procedure: Single-stage via the Electronic Submission Service.
Application forms:
- Standard application form (EDF) specific to this call, available in the Submission System.
- Detailed budget table (EDF LS RA).
- Participant information (EDF).
- List of infrastructure, facilities, assets and resources (EDF).
- Actual indirect cost methodology declaration (EDF).
- Ownership control declaration.
- PRS declaration (EDF).
Submission format: Electronic submission as specified by the portal.
Timeline for evaluation: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in section 4 of the call document, which was not provided.
Support availability:
- Email contact: [email protected].
- Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ and Online Manual for general submission help.
- EDF Info-days 2025.
- IT Helpdesk for technical questions.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in section 9 of the call document, which was not provided. However, the 'Expected Impact' and 'Objective' sections suggest the following focus areas for evaluation:
Innovation and Impact:
- Ability to deliver innovative and cost-effective solutions for defence applications.
- Potential for ground-breaking or novel concepts and approaches.
- Introduction of new promising future technological improvements.
- Application of technologies or concepts previously not applied in the defence sector (spinning-in from civil applications).
Organisational Capacity and European Value:
- Contribution to enhanced innovation capacity across Europe through SME involvement.
- Potential for future market creation for SMEs, facilitating access to defence markets and supply chains.
- Development of European research and technology ecosystems.
- Strengthening of EU Member States’ and EDF Associated Countries’ defence supply chains.

COMPLIANCE AND SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Regulatory compliance requirements:
- Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout are described in section 5 of the call document.
- Legal and financial set-up of the grants: Described in section 10 of the call document.
- Overall compliance with EDF Regulation 2021/697.
- Compliance with EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509.
- Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment.
Security requirements:
- Compliance with EDF Programme Security Instruction (PSI).
Intellectual Property policies:
- If proposals integrate results from EU-funded programs with a focus on civil applications, applicants must have the necessary rights to access and commercialise these precursor projects' results.
Risk management expectations:
- Proposals should describe clear criteria to assess work package completion.
Scope and focus requirements:
- Proposals must address innovative technologies and solutions for defence, including those that improve readiness, deployability, reliability, safety, and sustainability of forces.
- May address any area of interest for defence.
- Welcomes proposals for add-on research actions to adapt solutions originally developed for civil applications.
- Projects must describe a clear work breakdown structure and link proposed tasks to eligible activities.
- Open to any technological research for defence, requiring descriptions of targeted functionalities and foreseen means to measure progress.