Grant name: EDF-2025-LS-DA-SME
Funding organization: European Defence Fund (EDF)
Total funding amount: EUR 33,000,000
Duration: 12 to 48 months
Primary objective: Support innovative SMEs in developing defense products
Key stakeholders: SMEs, EU Member States, EDF associated countries
Beneficiaries: SMEs involved in defense technology development
Eligible organization types: SMEs as defined by EU Recommendation 2003/361
All applicants must be legal entities established in eligible countries
Organizations must not be controlled by non-associated third countries
Eligible countries include EU Member States and EDF associated countries
Proposals must relate to activities taking place in eligible countries
Proposals must address innovative defense products, solutions, and technologies
Must include at least one of the eligible activities: design, prototyping, testing, qualification, certification, or increasing efficiency
Maximum grant amount: EUR 6,000,000
Subcontracting limit: 30% of total eligible costs
Co-financing declarations required if the requested EU grant does not cover total eligible costs
Application deadline: 16 October 2025
Evaluation period: October 2025 - April 2026
Grant agreement signature by 31 December 2026
Proposals must demonstrate that costs not covered by EDF funding are financed by other means
No double funding from EU budget is allowed
Application Form Part A and Part B
Detailed budget table
Participant information and co-financing declarations
Proposals evaluated based on operational capacity and award criteria
Criteria include excellence, innovation, competitiveness, and cross-border cooperation
Proposals checked for admissibility and eligibility
Evaluation committee assesses applications with independent experts
Multi-beneficiary applications are mandatory
Specific conditions for consortium composition apply
Proposals must comply with high ethical standards and applicable laws
Projects involving classified information must undergo security scrutiny
Demonstrate clear innovation potential and market impact
Ensure compliance with eligibility and financial capacity requirements
Failing to address all eligibility criteria may lead to rejection
Inadequate documentation or incomplete proposals can result in inadmissibility