EUDIS (EU Defence Innovation Scheme)

EUDIS Cascade Funding — BATTLEVERSE Project

Funds small businesses developing defense training and simulation technologies through small innovation grants.

Eligibility · EU member states

BATTLEVERSE is a project awarded EDF funding in 2024 with a total budget of €15 million. Under the European Defence Fund's Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) mechanism — also known as cascade funding — 16% of the EU contribution to BATTLEVERSE is reserved for redistribution to third-party SMEs and start-ups outside the original consortium, equating to approximately €2.4 million across two sub-grant calls during the project's implementation period. The BATTLEVERSE consortium will publish two sequential cascade call rounds; the first is expected in Autumn 2026, with a second call following during project execution. Each sub-call targets 10–20 recipient organisations, with a maximum of €60,000 per recipient and a project duration cap of 6 months per sub-grant. The call scope addresses simulation and training reality gaps — technologies that bring training environments closer to operational conditions — consistent with BATTLEVERSE's core research mission in defence simulation.

Eligible applicants include SMEs and start-ups established in EU Member States or EDF-associated countries; other entities including universities and research organisations may also be eligible per the call terms. Applicants must be established under the laws of an EU Member State, Norway, or Ukraine; Ukrainian entities are explicitly encouraged and must demonstrate Ukrainian control or equivalent safeguards. Individual applicants are not eligible. Applications are submitted through both the EU Funding and Tenders Portal and the EUDIS platform when the call is formally opened.

The BATTLEVERSE cascade follows a pattern established by the earlier EDF MaJoR project, which launched its first FSTP sub-call on 28 January 2026 with a 25 March 2026 deadline, targeting 30 SMEs at up to €60,000 each for innovations in multi-material structures, joining technologies, and AI-driven platform maintenance. BATTLEVERSE sub-grants are similarly structured: lump-sum awards paired with a six-month business development support programme. Start-ups with existing simulation, synthetic training data, or virtual-environment technology relevant to military training scenarios are best positioned. Applicants should monitor the EUDIS portal and BATTLEVERSE consortium communications for the Autumn 2026 call opening notice.