Glossary
EDF (European Defence Fund)
The EU's flagship instrument for co-funding collaborative defense research and capability development across member states.
The EDF operates through annual work programmes that fund collaborative projects — typically a consortium of companies and research institutions across multiple member states, rather than a single national contractor. EDF funding covers both early-stage research and later-stage development, and eligibility generally requires participation from entities across at least three EU member states, pushing member states toward joint capability development instead of duplicating national programs.