EDF Research Actions

EDF Research Actions

Funds collaborative European defense research consortia delivering disruptive solutions across security, space, and quantum technologies.

Eligibility · EU member states

The European Defence Fund (EDF) is managed by DG DEFIS (Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space) and provides EU-level funding for collaborative defence research and capability development. The 2026 Annual Work Programme was adopted on 17 December 2025, allocating approximately €1 billion across 31 call topics. Of that total, €329 million is dedicated to Research Actions, which target fundamental and applied defence research at TRL 2 to 4. The 2026 Work Programme organises Research Actions across thematic clusters including Advanced Passive and Active Sensors, Cybersecurity and Quantum Tactical Networks, Digital Transformation, Energy Resilience, Materials and Components, Air and Missile Defence, and the Alliance for Defence Medical Countermeasures. All 2026 Research Action calls share a submission deadline of 29 September 2026 on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal.

Research Actions are funded at up to 100% of eligible costs. Consortia must include at least three independent legal entities established in at least three different EU Member States or EDF-associated countries — Norway is currently the only associated country. Switzerland, Iceland, and Liechtenstein are not associated. Recipients and subcontractors must be EU-based with their executive management structure in the EU, and must not be controlled by a non-associated third country unless approved security guarantees apply. Non-associated third-country entities may participate but receive no EDF funding. The UK is not eligible post-Brexit. Individual topic budgets published in the EDF 2026 Call Topic Descriptions range from €14 million for smaller topics to more than €80 million for flagship capability topics.

All submissions are processed via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal, requiring each consortium member to hold a Participant Identification Code (PIC). Proposals are evaluated by topic-specific panels against criteria of excellence, impact, and quality of the implementation. SMEs and mid-caps receive bonus evaluation points under certain topics, and inclusion of industrial partners across multiple Member States strengthens cross-border scoring. Organisations new to EDF are advised to engage National Contact Points and attend EDF Information Days, held in early 2026, before drafting their proposal.