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.
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 inherently high risks of the research proposed must be mitigated by a flexible methodology to deal with the considerable science-and-technology uncertainties and for choosing alternative directions and options.
The proposals must address disruptive technologies and should include clear descriptions of the proposed criteria to assess work package completion.
The proposals may address any area of interest for defence.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
100%
Thematic Categories
- Justice - Security
- Other Thematic Category
- Shipping - Marine Transports
- Small-Medium Enterprises and Competitiveness
Eligibility for Participation
- Legal Entities
- Other Beneficiaries
- Private Bodies
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
- State-owned Enterprises
Eligibility For Participation Notes
In order to be eligible, all applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must cumulatively:
- 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’; list of participating countries)
- have their executive management structure established in eligible countries
- not be subject to control by a non-associated third country or non-associated 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.
Eligible actions and activities: Applications will only be considered eligible if their content corresponds wholly (or at least in part) to the topic description for which they are submitted.
Financial support to third parties is not allowed.
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Ministry of Defense
Address: 172-174 Strovolos Avenue, 2048 Strovolos, Nicosia
Telephone: 22 807500
Email: defence@mod.gov.cy
Website: https://mod.gov.cy/
Department of Research and Innovation
Telephones: 22 807755, 22 807754
Email: research.innovation@mod.gov.cy
EU Contact Point
For help related to this call, please contact: DEFIS-EDF-PROPOSALS@ec.europa.eu