EU opens nearly EUR700m call for proposals

The European Commission has launched a slate of calls for proposals to industry, offering funding opportunities worth a combined EUR691.50 million under specific technology areas. 

Seven funding calls were launched on 17 June on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal as part of its European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP) 2026-2027 Work Programme, covering next-generation defence systems, space-related capabilities, munitions, uncrewed systems and critical electronic components, among others. 

Current opportunities

The funding calls include the following: 

• Missiles, ammunition and bombs: EUR184.50 million budget, closes early on 13 October 2026. 
• Platforms and end-products: EUR152.75 million budget, closes 16 February 2027. 
• Key electronic components: EUR122.25 million budget, closes 16 February 2027. 
• Uncrewed systems and counter-uncrewed systems: EUR82 million budget, closes 16 February 2027. 
  
  
• Ground and naval platforms and systems: EUR150 million budget, closes 16 February 2027. 
• Air and missile defence systems: EUR60 million budget, closes 16 February 2027. 
• C5ISR and space-related products: EUR30 million budget, closes 16 February 2027. (C5ISR: command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance).

Funding mechanisms

The first four of the funding calls use European Defence Fund (EDF) ‘Lump Sum Grant’ agreements, where manufacturers and industrial consortia apply directly for EU co-financing to expand their own production capacity. These make up the largest tranche of funding available.  
 
Two of these – covering “missiles, ammunition and bombs” and “uncrewed and counter-uncrewed systems” – are part of the Ukraine Support Instrument (USI), which aims to enable cross-border cooperation with the EU and strengthen the Ukrainian industrial base.

The remaining three calls, which provide funding for “ground and naval platforms”, “air and missile defence systems” and “C5ISR and space-related products” are all Common Procurement Actions (CPAs).

CPAs are focused on enabling joint purchases by groups of EU member states, rather than direct industrial production, and each carries a minimum project size threshold. Companies cannot apply directly, eligible applicants are contracting authorities such as defence ministries or procurement agencies, which must form a consortium of at least three participating entities. Manufacturers only enter the process later, when a funded consortium runs its own tender for suppliers.

Most calls run until 16 February 2027, apart from the grant for “missiles, ammunition and bombs” which closes earlier on 13 October 2026. 

Full information on each is available through the EU Funding and Tenders portal.