Grant Name: EDF-2025-DA-SI-GROUND-DAMM
Funding Organization: European Defence Fund (EDF)
Total Funding Amount: EUR 49,000,000
Project Duration: Up to 24 months
Objective: To develop affordable loitering munitions and small Unmanned Combat Aerial Systems (UCAS) for tactical and operational level effects.
Mission Statement: Enhance the capabilities of the EDTIB and reduce non-EU dependencies in the field of munitions.
Key Stakeholders: EU Member States, EDF Associated Countries, SMEs, and start-ups.
Beneficiaries: Entities involved in the development of drone-based munitions, particularly those not previously active in the defence sector.
Eligible organization types: Public or private legal entities established in EU Member States, EDF Associated Countries, or Ukraine.
Minimum of 3 independent applicants from 3 different eligible countries required for consortium.
Eligible countries: EU Member States, EDF Associated Countries, and Ukraine.
Proposals must relate to activities taking place in the eligible countries.
Core focus areas: Development of affordable loitering munitions and small UCAS.
Proposals must address at least one of the specified ranges for loitering munitions (5-10 km, 10-50 km, 50-200 km).
Maximum grant amount per project: EUR 9,800,000.
Financial support to third parties (FSTP) is mandatory, with a maximum of EUR 60,000 per third party.
Submission Deadline: 16 October 2025.
Evaluation period: October 2025 - April 2026.
Proposals must build upon or integrate results from previous EU-funded projects.
Application Form Part A and Part B, detailed budget table, participant information, and various declarations.
Criteria include excellence, innovation, competitiveness, EDTIB autonomy, and implementation.
Proposals will be evaluated for admissibility and eligibility before scoring against award criteria.
Priority will be given to proposals demonstrating significant innovation and potential for disruption.
Financial support to third parties is a mandatory component of the grant.
Proposals must not address fully autonomous weapon systems.
Proposals should integrate lessons learned from the Ukrainian conflict.
Involvement of SMEs and start-ups is encouraged to enhance innovation capacity.
Strong collaboration among consortium members and integration of innovative technologies.
Failure to meet eligibility criteria or submission deadlines.
Focus on demonstrating the innovative aspects of the proposed technologies.
Highlight the potential for cross-border cooperation and the involvement of smaller entities.