EDF records unprecedented year for proposals from industry

The European Defence Fund (EDF) saw a 49% increase in proposals from industry for its ‘Work Programme’ between 2025 and 2026, amid the addition of Ukrainian companies for the first time. 

The EDF Work Programme releases a series of thematic and non-thematic calls for proposals each year, designed to support innovation and mature defence technologies. Established in 2021, the programme has a budget of EUR1.7 billion allocated to fund selected proposals until 2027.  

A total of 612 proposals were received in 2026, up from around 410 in 2025, and 289 in 2024, the European Commission said on 2 October. 

Company proposals for 2026 are now undergoing “a rigorous evaluation process”, with outcomes expected to be announced by March 2027. 

What explains the rise? 

The increase in proposals is particularly noteworthy because neither the amount of money available under the Work Programme, nor the number of calls for proposals, changed significantly between 2025 and 2026. 

In 2025, the EDF released nine calls for proposals with a funding pot of EUR1.065 billion, compared to 10 calls for proposals in 2026 with EUR1.006 billion in funding available. 

The hike in the number of proposals is therefore unlikely to be linked to the amount of opportunity within the Work Programme; however, it could be tied to the addition of Ukrainian companies for the first time. 

Since the start of the Ukrainian conflict in 2022, the country’s defence sector has grown significantly, with investment seen as key to helping companies scale production to meet demand. 

The EDF has not responded to DSEI Gateway’s request for comment regarding how many of the companies that submitted proposals are based in Ukraine, or what other factors may have accounted for the rise in proposals, at the time of publication. 

What did the EDF’s 2026 Work Programme include? 

Some of the EDF calls for 2026 build on Work Programmes from previous years, such as “the development of a European endo-atmospheric interceptor for missile defence, a next generation main battle tank, a multiple rocket launcher, and a semi-autonomous naval vessel”, the EDF says. 

In addition, in 2026 there were also calls for “quantum-secured networks, electronic warfare, multi-domain operations, cloud, and high-performance energy systems”, which are all highlighted as “critical” future priorities. 

Meanwhile, the EU Defence Innovation Scheme – which sits within the EDF’s Work Programme – has specifically allocated “nearly EUR60 million for disruptive technologies and over EUR60 million to non-thematic” SME opportunities for 2026.