Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
The European Defence Fund (EDF) is the Commission’s initiative to support collaborative defence research and development, and to foster an innovative and competitive defence industrial base.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
The specific challenge is to lay the foundations for radically new future technologies of any kind with unexpected impact that aims to bring radical technological superiority over potential adversaries. This topic also encourages the driving role of new actors in defence research and innovation, including excellent researchers, ambitious high-tech SMEs and visionary research centres of big companies, universities or research and technology organisations.
NOTE: Successful SME beneficiaries will be offered Business Coaching, to reduce the time of bringing the results to the next phase, e.g., development.
Detailed Call Description
The proposals are sought for cutting-edge, high-risk/high-impact research leading to game-changing impact in a defence context. They must have the following essential characteristics:
- a disruptive impact in a defence context: the proposals need to clearly address how the proposed solutions would create a disruptive effect when integrated in a realistic military operation;
- radical vision: the proposals must address a clear and radical vision, enabled by a new technology concept that challenges current paradigms. In particular, research to advance on the roadmap of a well-established technological paradigm, even if high-risk, will not be funded;
- breakthrough technological target: the proposals must target novel and ambitious scientific or technological breakthroughs that can be experimentally assessed, and the suitability of the concept for new defence applications must be duly demonstrated. Basic research without a clear technological objective targeting defence applications will not be funded.
The proposals must address disruptive technologies.
The proposals may address any area of interest for defence, such as, but not limited to, the following ones:
- blockchain applications (e.g. for identification of friend or foe);
- tools and applications improving cybersecurity talents screening;
- artificial intelligence and robotic autonomous systems;
- future naval platform control and management;
- smart damage control related to future naval platforms;
- ship signature management;
- secure and reliable underwater communication solutions and interfaces (radiofrequency, acoustic, optic or others);
- measurement and monitoring of physiological and cognitive state of soldiers;
- solutions for mechanical and “green” chemical recycling of waste of soldier individual equipment (uniforms, helmets, boots, rucksacks, plastic elements, harness, etc.);
- concepts and corresponding technologies to ensure a safe water reuse throughout the entire water cycle of a deployable camp or a deployed combat group;
- synthetic fuel production from waste and biomass for military use.
Call Total Budget
Thematic Categories
- Justice - Security
- Other Thematic Category
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
- Small-Medium Enterprises and Competitiveness
Eligibility for Participation
- Central Government
- Educational Institutions
- Large Enterprises
- Other Beneficiaries
- Private Bodies
- Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
- State-owned Enterprises
Eligibility For Participation Notes
Applications will only be considered eligible if their content corresponds wholly (or at least in part) to the topic description for which it is submitted.
In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:
- be legal entities (public or private bodies)
- be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
- EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs)
- non-EU countries :
- listed EEA countries (‘EDF associated countries’, see list of participating countries)
have their executive management structure established in eligible countries must not be subject to control by a non associated third country or nonassociated third-country entity (unless they can provide guarantees – see Annex 2 – approved by the Member State or EDF associated country where they are established)
Consortium composition – Proposals must be submitted by:
minimum 2 independent applicants (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities) from 2 different eligible countries.
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Ministry of Defense
172-174 Strovolos Avenue, 2048 Strovolos, Nicosia,
website: https://mod.gov.cy/
Telephone: 22 807500
Email: defence@mod.gov.cy
Department of Research and Innovation
Phones: 22 807755, 22 807754
Email: research.innovation@mod.gov.cy
EU Contact Point
European Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DEFIS): https://ec.europa.eu/info/departments/defence-industry-and-space_en
For help related to this call, please contact: DEFIS-EDF-PROPOSALS@ec.europa.eu