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Non-thematic development actions by SMEs
Details
Location:EU 27
Funding agency:
Grantmaking entity: DG DEFIS - European Commission Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space
Grantmaking entity type:Multilateral organization
Quick summary
Objectives: The objective of this call is to empower innovative SMEs to quickly and efficiently convert technology and research findings into viable defence products. This involves potentially...
Eligibility criteria: Eligible applicants for this grant are innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with registered executive management structures in a European Union (EU) Member State or an EDF associated country. Such entities must be recognized as S...
Description
Topic updates
22 October 2025
The call EDF-2025-LS-DA-SME closed at 17.00 on 16 October 2025. 43 proposals were submitted for evaluation.
Non-thematic development actions by SMEs
TOPIC ID: EDF-2025-LS-DA-SME-NT
Type of grant: Call for proposals
General information
Programme:
Call: Non-thematic development actions by SMEs (EDF-2025-LS-DA-SME)
Type of action: EDF-LS EDF Lump Sum Grants
Type of MGA: EDF Lump Sum Grant [EDF-AG-LS]
Status: Forthcoming
Deadline model: single-stage
Planned Opening Date: 18 February 2025
Deadline dates: 16 October 2025 17:00 (Brussels time)
Topic description
Expected Impact:
The outcome should contribute to:
- Innovative, rapid and cost-effective solutions for defence applications.
- Ground-breaking or novel concepts and approaches, new promising future technological improvements or the application of technologies or concepts previously not applied in the defence sector.
- Enhanced innovation capacity across Europe by involvement of SMEs that can make a difference in the future.
- Potential for future market creation for SMEs, especially by facilitating access of SMEs to defence markets and supply chains.
- Contribution to the development of EDTIB ecosystems and to the strengthening of EU Member States’ and EDF Associated Countries’ defence supply chains.
Objective:
This call topic encourages the driving role of innovative SMEs to turn technology and research results into defence products in a fast and cost-efficient way, possibly by adapting technologies from civil applications or addressing hybrid warfare.
Scope:
The proposals must address innovative defence products, solutions and technologies, including those that can improve readiness, deployability, reliability, safety and sustainability of forces in defence tasks and missions, for example in terms of operations, equipment, infrastructure, energy solutions, surveillance systems or digital solutions.
The proposals must address any area of interest for defence.
In addition, to best complement R&D efforts already targeting civil applications and to encourage the efficient spinning-in of knowledge, innovation and technological development to the defence sector, this call topic also welcomes proposals for add-on development actions to adapt solutions originally developed for civil applications and previously not applied in defence sector. The proposals should drive forward or integrate results of projects funded under EU funded programme calls with a focus on civil applications and under the provision that the applicants have the necessary rights to access and commercialise the results of the precursor projects.
Types of activities
The following types of activities are eligible for this topic:
|
Types of activities (art 10(3) EDF Regulation) |
Eligible? |
|
|
(a) |
Activities that aim to create, underpin and improve knowledge, products and technologies, including disruptive technologies, which can achieve significant effects in the area of defence (generating knowledge) |
No |
|
(b) |
Activities that aim to increase interoperability and resilience, including secured production and exchange of data, to master critical defence technologies, to strengthen the security of supply or to enable the effective exploitation of results for defence products and technologies (integrating knowledge) |
Yes |
|
(c) |
Studies, such as feasibility studies to explore the feasibility of new or upgraded products, technologies, processes, services and solutions |
Yes |
|
(d) |
Design of a defence product, tangible or intangible component or technology as well as the definition of the technical specifications on which such design has been developed, including partial tests for risk reduction in an industrial or representative environment |
Yes |
|
(e) |
System prototyping of a defence product, tangible or intangible component or technology |
Yes |
|
(f) |
Testing of a defence product, tangible or intangible component or technology |
Yes |
|
(g) |
Qualification of a defence product, tangible or intangible component or technology |
Yes |
|
(h) |
Certification of a defence product, tangible or intangible component or technology |
Yes |
|
(i) |
Development of technologies or assets increasing efficiency across the life cycle of defence products and technologies |
Yes |
The proposals must address at least one activity among design, system prototyping, testing, qualification, certification and increasing efficiency.
The proposals must describe a clear work breakdown structure and link the proposed tasks to eligible activities.
The proposals should include clear descriptions of the proposed criteria to assess work package completion.
Functional requirements
This call topic is open to any technology development for defence. The proposals should describe the targeted functionalities and the foreseen means to measure progress toward the achievements of these functionalities.
Conditions
1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout
described in section 5 of the call document. (available shortly)
Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.
2. Eligible Countries
described in section 6 of the call document.
3. Other Eligible Conditions
described in section 6 of the call document.
4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion
described in section 7 of the call document.
5a. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes
described section 8 of the call document and the Online Manual.
5b. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds
described in section 9 of the call document.
5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement
described in section 4 of the call document.
6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants
described in section 10 of the call document.
Call document and annexes:
Call document (available shortly)
Application form templates
Standard application form (EDF) — the application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System (available shortly)
Detailed budget table (EDF LS DA) (available shortly)
Participant information (EDF)
List of infrastructure, facilities, assets and resources (EDF)
Cofinancing declaration (EDF DA, DA LS AND ASAP)(available shortly)
Actual indirect cost methodology declaration (EDF)
Harmonised capability declaration (EDF DA AND DA LS)
Declaration on procurement intent and common specifications (EDF DA AND DA LS)
Ownership control declaration
PRS declaration (EDF)
Model Grant Agreements (MGA)
EDF, ASAP and EDIRPA Lump Sum MGA
Additional documents:
EDF Annual Work Programme
EDF Regulation 2021/697
EDF Programme Security Instruction (PSI)
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment
EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement
Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual
Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions
Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement
Start submission
The submission system is planned to be opened on the date stated on the topic header.
Get support
Please read carefully all provisions below before the preparation of your application.
For help related to this call, please contact [email protected]
Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ – Submission of proposals.
IT Helpdesk – Contact the IT helpdesk for questions such as forgotten passwords, access rights and roles, technical aspects of submission of proposals, etc.
Online Manual – Step-by-step online guide through the Portal processes from proposal preparation and evaluation to reporting on your ongoing project. Valid for all 2021-2027 programmes.
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grant Background
About the Funding Agency
EuropeAid is an agency responsible for designing European international cooperation and development policy and delivering aid worldwide. Its purpose is to aid in the reduction and eventual abolition of poverty in developing nations by fostering sustainable development, democracy, peace and security. With its partner nations, EuropeAid walks alongside them on their journey to sustainable development, continually adapting its help to their changing requirements. EuropeAid is also concerned with increasing the value and impact of aid money by ensuring that help is provided appropriately.
Under the donor EC - European Commission, DevelopmentAid covers the following entities:
Departments / Directorate Generals
- AGRI - Agriculture & Rural Development
- BUDG - Budget
- CLIMA - Climate Action
- COMM - Communication
- CNECT – Communications Networks, Content & Technology (formerly Digital Agenda)
- COMP - Competition
- ECFIN - Economic & Financial Affairs
- EAC - Education & Culture
- EMPL - Employment, Social Affairs & Inclusion
- ENER - Energy
- ENV - Environment
- ESTAT - Eurostat
- FISMA – Financial Stability, Financial Services & Capital Markets Union
- SANTE - Health & Food Safety
- ECHO - Humanitarian Aid & Civil Protection
- HR - Human Resources & Security
- DIGIT - Informatics
- GROW - Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship & SMEs
- DEVCO – International Cooperation & Development - EUROPEAID
- SCIC - Interpretation
- JRC - Joint Research Centre
- JUST - Justice & Consumers
- MARE - Maritime Affairs & Fisheries
- HOME - Migration & Home Affairs
- MOVE - Mobility & Transport
- NEAR – Neighbourhood & Enlargement Negotiations
- REGIO - Regional & Urban Policy
- RTD - Research & Innovation
- SG – Secretariat-General - no procurement opportunities available
- FPI – Service for Foreign Policy Instruments
- TAXUD - Taxation & Customs Union
- TRADE - Trade
- DGT - Translation
Agencies
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
- Eurojust
- European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
- European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)
- European GNSS Agency (GSA)
- European Union Agency for Network and Information Security
- The European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy ("Fusion for Energy")
- European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights
- European Stability Mechanism (ESM)
- Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency (CHAFEA), Health and Food Safety Unit
- European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA)
- European Fisheries Control Agency
- Single Resolution Board
- Office of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC Office)
- The Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME)
- European Asylum Support Office
- European Union Intellectual Property Office
- European Union Agency for Railways
- European Environment Agency
- European Agency for the operational management of large-scale IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice (eu-LISA)
- Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA)
- European Defence Agency
- EU Grant Programmes
EU Bodies
- European Parliament
- Council of the European union
- Court of Justice of the European Union
- European Court of Auditors
- European Economic and Social Committee
- European Committee of the Regions
- Publications office of the European Union
- European Patent Office
- European External Action Service
- Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators
- Energy Community Secretariat
About the Sectors
Security & Peacebuilding
Focuses on strengthening safety and security systems while supporting conflict prevention, stabilization, and long-term peacebuilding efforts.
Key areas:
- Security sector support and oversight mechanisms
- Protection systems, surveillance, and access control
- Risk reduction programs
- Conflict prevention, mediation, and peacebuilding initiatives
Private Sector & Trade
Entails initiatives that promote entrepreneurship, strengthen competitive markets, and expand domestic and international trade opportunities.
Key areas:
- Private sector development and SME/MSME support
- Entrepreneurship, start-ups, and business growth initiatives
- Trade facilitation, import/export, and market access
- Commerce, retail/wholesale, and free trade mechanisms
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