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DEFRA: Thematic call for proposals Pulsed Directed Energy Effectors

Published on | 2 months ago

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The Royal Higher Institute for Defence aims to launch a thematic call for proposals on 21 August 2026 on “Pulsed Directed Energy Effectors”. The call focuses on technology brick demonstrations up to TRL 4 for directed-energy Counter-UAS technologies, with a budget of €5 million. Pre-proposals are due by 11 September 2026 at 14:00, and full proposals by 16 October 2026 at 14:00.

The Royal Higher Institute for Defence aims to launch a thematic call for proposals on 21 August 2026 on “Pulsed Directed Energy Effectors”.

The call is designed to support directed-energy Counter-UAS technologies, with a specific focus on pulsed microwave and waveform-controlled laser approaches. It targets technology brick demonstrations up to TRL 4 as a first step towards later proof-of-concept and technology demonstrator activities.

Projects must be submitted by triple helix partnerships, including at least one public or private non-profit research institute and at least one company. Projects are expected to run for 12 to 18 months. The evaluation timeline is intended to be short, as projects aim to be awarded before the end of 2026.

An online information session is planned for 31 August 2026 - Register already for the online information session

More information is expected to appear on the DEFRA website: https://www.defra.be

The budget of the call is 5M€.

Deadline for pre-proposals: 11 September 2026 (14h00)

Deadline for full proposals: 16 October 2026 (14h00)

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