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Updated EDF (European Defence Fund) Work Programme for 2026

Published on | 3 weeks ago

Programmes
Defence EDF

The European Commission has revised the EDF Work Programme for 2026, aligning it with the Mini-Omnibus Regulation. Key changes involve simplified procedures and new investment areas aimed at supporting SMEs and research organisations.

The updates to the EDF Work Programme 2026 halve the length of applications, reduce the number of award criteria, and streamline the proposal evaluation process. These amendments are designed to benefit small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and research organisations.

The STEP initiative now includes a fourth investment area for defence technologies.

Furthermore, high-quality EDF proposals will automatically receive STEP certification, granting access to additional funding opportunities.

The Mini-Omnibus Regulation also paves the way for Ukraine to potentially become an associated country within the EDF after further negotiations.

The calls for EDF 2026 have been published on the European Union's 'Tenders & Funding' portal at https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/home.

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The ATHENA project addresses emerging risks for the water sector in operational technology created by digitalisation. The project responds to Digital Europe call DIGITAL-ECCC-2022-CYBER-03-UPTAKE-CYBERSOLUTIONS – Uptake op Innovative Cybersecurity Solutions. The project started in September 2023 and will run until November 2026. De Vlaamse Waterweg - The Flemish Waterway participates in the project to enhance the resilience of the organisation by co-developing targeted training modules for operational technology environments.