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
New solutions regarding, for instance, hardware (HW), software (SW, including operating systems, middleware, system services, etc.) and framework, need to be defined in order to comply with new requirements for processing, network, interfaces, storage, power supply, etc.
Military aerial platforms, from fighters to helicopters and other specific mission platforms require dedicated solutions to comply with specific military requirements (e.g. SWAP, multi-level security data flow, real time reactive response, etc.). In particular, modular architectures for avionics are widely recognised as key to reduce development cycles and costs and to increase interoperability in multi-industrial collaborative development, compared to classical federated systems. However, the next generation military aerial platforms, both manned and unmanned, will operate through a system-of-systems approach which implies much higher data sharing and processing needs than in the civil market, as well as new specific requirements in terms of development cycle (cf. need for faster adaptability of mission solutions applying DevSecOps type of development, but also involvement of more industrial entities) and in terms of defence-related missions.
The general objective is then to exploit the knowledge and solutions conceived for civil purposes in the application of such technologies on various military platforms in accordance with defence requirements.
Detailed Call Description
The proposals must address the study and the development of key technologies supporting the next generation of military integrated modular avionics (NG-MIMA). The proposals should consider multiple military aerial platforms that should operate in a defence air cloud context, both manned and unmanned, including other than fighters.
Use cases analysis and identification of the NG-MIMA key technologies must be addressed and possible future architectures, including possible applicable methodologies and processes, should be described.
In addition, the proposals should include proofs of concept, demonstrations and even prototyping of a selection of the envisioned key technologies to be determined according to the studies to be performed, hence paving the foundations for future development actions in this area. The proposals may consider simulations and model-based system engineering.
In any case, the use of EU and EDF associated countries (Norway) technologies without restrictions from non-associated third countries must be highly prioritised, leveraging on sovereign European technological components, systems and know-how.
The proposals must cover at least the following tasks as part of the mandatory activities:
- Studies
- Design
(further details in the Funding&Tenders)
Moreover:
- projects addressing activities referred to in point (d) above must be based on harmonised defence capability requirements jointly agreed by at least two Member States or EDF associated countries (or, if studies within the meaning of point (c) are still needed to define the requirements, at least on the joint intent to agree on them)
- projects addressing activities supported by at least two Member States or EDF associated countries that intend to procure the final product or use the technology in a coordinated manner, including through joint procurement and are based on common technical specifications jointly agreed by the Member States or EDF associated countries that are to co-finance the action or that intend to jointly procure the final product or to jointly use the technology (or, if design within the meaning of point (d) is still needed to define the specifications, at least on the joint intent to agree on them).
Call Total Budget
Thematic Categories
- Information and Communication Technologies
- Justice - Security
- Other Thematic Category
- Public Administration
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
Eligibility for Participation
- Central Government
- Other Beneficiaries
- Private Bodies
- 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.
Eligible participants (eligible countries) – 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).
Associated partners which are not established in one of the eligible countries (or which are subject to control by a non-associated third country or non-associated third-country entity) may however participate exceptionally if certain conditions are fulfilled (not contravene EU and MS security and defence interests; consistent with EDF objectives; results not subject to control or restriction by non-associated third countries or non-associated third-country entities; no unauthorised access to classified information; no potential negative effects over security of supply of inputs which are critical for the project), subject to agreement by the granting authority and without any funding under the grant.
Consortium composition – For all topics under this call, proposals must be submitted by: minimum 3 independent applicants (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities) from 3 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