Advisory on the European Defence Fund (EDF)

The European Defence Fund (EDF) is the EU's programme for defence industry research and development, and Norway participates through the EEA Agreement. Its aim is to develop shared defence equipment more cost-effectively and foster collaboration across Europe's defence industry. We provide advisory and guidance to help Norwegian companies succeed in the EDF.
European Defence Fund
© European Defence Fund
Type of service
Advisory on EU funding
Target audience
Defence companies, as well as other businesses that can provide solutions to meet defence and security needs.
Application deadline
Depends on the call for proposals
Cost
Free

The European Defence Fund is primarily aimed at companies that can develop or supply equipment to European countries' armed forces. Projects must include participants from at least three EDF countries, and you can collaborate with research organisations or other relevant partners. Participation is subject to a number of requirements, and specific security requirements may apply. Additional funding is available for SMEs and cross-border collaboration, among other things.

You can apply for research and development funding across a range of topics through annual calls, including cyber, sensors, digital transformation, medical services and space. Open categories are also available.

Each call specifies the level of EU funding available, with up to 100% funding for research. Your business must cover the remaining costs and apply to the Norwegian Ministry of Defence for co-funding. The Ministry provides between 0% and 100% of the co-funding, depending on available funds and defence priorities. You should therefore prioritise activities that support your business development and be prepared to become a supplier to the defence sector.

The Norwegian Ministry of Defence has compiled information about the EDF, including links to the European Commission's information pages on the Norwegian Defence Fund website.

There are also activities aimed at early-stage companies through EUDIS (European Defence Innovation Scheme). NATO has a similar initiative, DIANA (Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic). You can find information and links to both on the Ministry of Defence's information page.

The Norwegian Ministry of Defence has primary responsibility for advisory services related to the European Defence Fund, while we share responsibility and focus specifically on advising Norwegian companies that want to participate.

We can advise Norwegian companies that want to learn more about opportunities for collaborative projects and calls for proposals, and help you find relevant business partners in Norway and internationally.

The Norwegian Ministry of Defence works with the Research Council of Norway on project establishment support and with us on information meetings.

The Ministry of Defence provides contact details for different types of enquiries on the Norwegian Defence Fund's contact page.

The defence industry representative at the Norwegian Mission to the EU is a joint initiative between us, the Norwegian Defence and Security Industries Association and the Ministry of Defence. One of the representative's responsibilities is to advise companies.

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