To support the defence sector in accessing European funding, the EDA now provides industry, Ministries of Defence/Armed Forces, research-and-technology organisations, academia with a comprehensive European Funding Gateway for defence, encompassing:
- EDA ad-hoc schemes: both Cat.A and Cat.B;
- European Defence Fund (EDF): Preparatory Action (PADR) and forthcoming European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP);
- European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF), including the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), its 'Interreg' share and the European Social Fund (ESF);
- European Investment Bank (EIB)’s major project financing;
- EU COSME Programme: financial instruments and grants supporting access to markets;
- Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and its Single European Sky ATM Research-window (SESAR);
- Erasmus+: Learning mobility, Strategic Partnerships and Knowledge Alliances;
- Horizon 2020 for dual-use projects: Thematic areas, SME instrument and financial instruments.
This interactive Gateway to European funding serves defence priorities under the Strategic Research Agendas in defence and their Technology Building Blocks (OSRA-TBBs), as well as Key Strategic Activities (KSA). It also supports EDA industry engagement.
All defence-related stakeholders can access a:
- comparative view per funding dimension to compare each relevant criterion one-by-one across the many funding opportunities; and
- detailed view per funding source to explore each specific European funding opportunity in detail.
The EDA’s European Funding Gateway is a result of the collaboration between EDA and several Institutions, including the European Commission (DG GROW, DG EMPL, DG EAC, DG RTD, DG REGIO) and the European Investment Bank Group.