European Defence Fund: €1.07 Billion Allocated to 57 Collaborative Projects

Key Information

On April 15, 2026, the European Commission approved the allocation of €1.07 billion from the European Defence Fund (EDF) to 57 collaborative research and development projects. 634 entities from 26 Member States, as well as Norway, are participating in this selection. Industry professionals note the strong presence of the French Defence Industrial and Technological Base (Base industrielle et technologique de défense, BITD).

Key Points

• €1.07 billion allocated to 57 projects by the EDF under the 2025 call for proposals (European Commission, April 15, 2026, source: Le Moci).
• According to Defense News (16/04/2026), 32 projects focus on capability development (€675 million), while 25 projects address research (€332 million).
• SMEs represent 38% of the beneficiaries and receive more than 21% of the total allocated funds.

Context and Challenges

The EDF was established by Regulation (EU) 2021/697 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2021 (JOUE L 170 du 12/05/2021). Its objective is to enhance Europe’s strategic autonomy and strengthen the European defence industry. Lessons learned from the conflict in Ukraine have accelerated the integration of projects focused on drone manufacturing, swarm munitions, cyber defence, and direct involvement of Ukrainian actors (Defense News, 16/04/2026). For the first time, Ukrainian entities are eligible as subcontractors in EDF projects.

Specific projects, such as FAMOUS (light armoured vehicles, phase 3 – €79 million grant) led by Patria (Army Technology, 20/04/2026), and SHARP (next-generation helicopter engines, EURA consortium – €25 million), involve pan-European consortia and impact the entire industrial supply chain (FlightGlobal, 20/04/2026).

Impact for the Profession

Customs declarants and importers are seeing the emergence of new industrial flows, particularly in the value chain for drones, autonomous vehicles, helicopter engines, and C4I systems. The distribution of funds to SMEs lowers the entry barriers for new exporters and subcontractors (Defense News, 16/04/2026). The gradual integration of the Ukrainian ecosystem leads to new requirements for customs classification and export compliance.

Next Steps

The profession is monitoring the finalisation of the association agreement between Kyiv and the Commission for Ukraine’s full participation scheduled for 2027. Manufacturers anticipate the start of production of new equipment as early as 2027, including the Patria TRACKX (Army Technology, 20/04/2026). Calls for SME sub-projects are expected in the second half of 2026.

1,07 milliard d’euros alloués à 57 projets de défense en Europe le 15 avril 2026.
("€1.07 billion allocated to 57 defence projects in Europe on April 15, 2026.")

Source: Le Moci, 15/04/2026, Defense News, 16/04/2026, Army Technology, 20/04/2026, FlightGlobal, 20/04/2026.