Counter-drone systems

Counter-Drone Systems Common Procurement Action EDF-EDIP-P is a call under the European Defence Fund and the European Defence Industry Programme to support common procurement of integrated counter-drone systems and components. Eligible applicants are consortia of contracting authorities from EU Member States and associated countries or appointed procurement agents (for example national contracting authorities, EDA, SEAP, OCCAR, NSPA) based on a binding agreement. The topic shows an indicative €90 million budget, requires a minimum estimated procurement value of €20 million per action, may provide grants up to around €20 million per project, and actions must be completed by 31 December 2033. The planned opening is 30 April 2026 with a single-stage deadline of 13 October 2026, 17:00 Brussels time and submissions are via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Counter-drone systems — EDF common procurement call

What it funds

Scope and objectives

Grants to support common procurement of integrated counter-drone systems or parts (sensors, kinetic and non-kinetic effectors including directed energy, command-and-control) to counter unmanned aerial, ground, surface or underwater vehicles. Actions may establish or manage defence industrial readiness pools and must allow rapid upgrades based on battlefield lessons.

Eligible applicants:Consortia of contracting authorities from EU Member States and associated countries (including Norway). Procurement must be based on a binding agreement signed by participating Member States/associated countries and appoint a procurement agent (national contracting authorities, EDA, SEAP, OCCAR, NSPA or other eligible organisation).

1. 1Actions must concern common procurement of systems, parts or variants and can use framework contracts.
2. 2Cooperation can be newly created for the proposal or build on an existing framework provided activities started after 5 March 2024 and were not completed before grant signature.
3. 3Estimated value of the common procurement must be at least €20,000,000.

Proposals submitted through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Full eligibility, admissibility, evaluation and contractual rules are detailed in the call document and annexes available on the portal EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Counter-drone systems — EDF 1st call for common procurement actions (CPA)

Call and administrative summary

Key facts

Call title: 1st call for proposals for common procurement actions under the Programme (EDF-EDIP-P-2026-FNLC-CPA). Topic ID: EDF-EDIP-P. Programme: European Defence Fund (EDF) / European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP). Type of action: EDF-LS (EDF Lump Sum Grants). Type of Model Grant Agreement: EDF Lump Sum Grant [EDF-AG-LS]. Planned opening date: 30 April 2026. Deadline (single-stage): 13 October 2026, 17:00 Brussels time. Estimated total EDIP/CPA contribution across related CPA topics: part of €240,000,000 allocated to common procurement actions under EDIP; this specific call topic is within an overall EDIP CPA budget year 2026 contribution of €90,000,000 across relevant topics.

Deadline and procedure:Single-stage submission; deadline 13 October 2026, submission through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. The submission system planned to open on 30 April 2026 ¹.

Scope, objective and expected impact

Objective

This topic funds actions supporting common procurement of integrated counter-drone systems or parts thereof. Examples include VSHORAD/SHORAD integrated systems or components such as sensors, kinetic and non-kinetic effectors (including direct energy weapons), and command-and-control solutions to counter unmanned aerial, ground, surface or underwater vehicles (including remotely controlled or autonomous systems using advanced software and sensors).

Scope and requirements

Eligible actions are common procurement activities related to cooperation between legal entities in procuring integrated counter-drone systems, parts or variants at any lifecycle stage, including establishing, managing and maintaining defence industrial readiness pools. Procurement contracts are expected to include provisions enabling rapid upgrades of procured counter-drone capabilities based on evolving lessons from operations. Common procurement may be organised as a framework contract. Actions must be completed no later than 31 December 2033.

A binding agreement must be signed by participating Member States and associated countries and appoint a procurement agent. Permissible procurement agents include national contracting authorities of Member States/associated countries, the European Defence Agency (EDA), a Structure for European Armament Programme (SEAP) or other international organisations such as OCCAR or NSPA. Cooperation may be newly created for the proposal or based on an existing cooperation framework provided that activities under that framework did not start before 5 March 2024 and are not completed before signature of the grant agreement.

Minimum procurement value requirement:To achieve the expected impact, the estimated value of the common procurement proposed must be at least €20,000,000, aiming to fill capability gaps and strengthen cooperation among Member States and associated countries.

Eligibility and applicant requirements

Eligible applicant types

Primary applicants and consortia are contracting authorities from Member States and Norway under EDIP common procurement actions. In practice eligible applicant/legal entity types include: national contracting authorities of EU Member States, contracting authorities of associated countries, Structures for European Armament Programme (SEAPs), international organisations acting as procurement agents (e.g., EDA, OCCAR, NSPA). Other legal entities may participate in cooperation arrangements but the call targets consortia of contracting authorities and procurement agents. The EDIP framework also references that Member States, Norway and Ukraine are beneficiaries in related actions elsewhere in the programme, but for this CPA topic the emphasis is on Member States and associated countries acting through contracting authorities or designated procurement agents.

Eligible countries and geographic scope:Geographic eligibility is described in the call document (section 6). The EDIP/CPA instrument is primarily targeted at EU Member States and associated countries; EDIP publicly references eligibility for Member States, Norway and (in other EDIP strands) Ukraine. For this common procurement actions topic, participating Member States and associated countries must be signatories of the binding procurement agreement and appoint a procurement agent. Applicants should consult section 6 of the official call document for the definitive list of eligible countries and rules ¹.

Other eligibility conditions

The cooperation shall either be newly created in the context of the application or based on an existing cooperation framework provided that the activities under that framework did not start before 5 March 2024 and have not been completed before signature of the grant agreement. The proposed common procurement must be for integrated systems, parts or variants and must meet the minimum estimated procurement value of €20,000,000. Full legal and financial eligibility, operational capacity checks and exclusion criteria follow the rules described in the call document (sections 6 and 7). Applicants must respect admissibility conditions regarding page limits and layout as specified in Part B of the Application Form in the Submission System.

Financial, evaluation and award information

Funding type and amount

Primary funding mechanism: grant in the form of EDF Lump Sum Grants. The EDIP Common Procurement Actions strand has a dedicated budget (part of €240,000,000 for Member States and Norway). The call listing shows an indicative budget of €90,000,000 across relevant CPA topics for 2026; individual CPA grants can be awarded up to €20,000,000 per project in EDIP common procurement actions (this is the maximum per project for certain CPA calls described in EDIP documentation). The call topic requires the common procurement to have an estimated procurement value of at least €20,000,000; the grant amount allocated to support the procurement action will be subject to the call document and budgeting provisions.

Nature of support and co-funding:Beneficiaries receive financial support (grant lump sum) to facilitate and enable the common procurement action. Specific co-funding rules and eligible cost definitions are described in the call document and the Model Grant Agreement; consult section 10 and the legal and financial set-up sections. EDIP lump sum grants may include specific funding rates or lump sums defined per action; the call document will specify whether co-funding by applicants is required and how the lump sum is calculated ¹.

Evaluation and award process

Submission and evaluation procedures are described in section 8 (submission and evaluation) and section 9 (award criteria, scoring and thresholds) of the call document along with the Online Manual. The call follows a single-stage deadline model. Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is referenced in section 4 of the call document. Applicants must satisfy financial and operational capacity checks and exclusion rules described in section 7. Detailed scoring, thresholds and award criteria will be set out in the call document.

Project and technical details

Target technologies and capabilities

The topic targets procurement of integrated counter-drone capabilities and components. Technology and capability elements explicitly mentioned include: very short range air defence (VSHORAD) and short range air defence (SHORAD) integrated systems or parts; sensors (multispectral, radar, electro-optical/IR, RF detection); kinetic effectors and munitions; non-kinetic effectors including electronic warfare suites and direct energy weapons; command, control and communications solutions enabling integrated detection, tracking and engagement; upgrades and modular interfaces to incorporate software, sensor or effector improvements; solutions to counter unmanned aerial systems (UAS), unmanned ground vehicles, unmanned surface vessels and unmanned underwater systems, including remotely piloted and autonomous variants with advanced software and sensors.

Procurement contracts should include provisions for quick upgrades to reflect battlefield lessons and evolving threats; establishment and maintenance of defence industrial readiness pools is within scope.

Project stage and lifecycle

The call targets procurement across any point of the lifecycle of defence products: acquisition of mature systems ready for operational use, procurement of parts or variants, framework contracts for repeated procurement, upgrades and sustainment, and establishment of industrial readiness pools. Expected maturity of procured items is therefore development to commercialization and operational deployment rather than basic research.

Application process and templates

Application forms and templates (Application Form Part A and Part B, annexes) will be available in the Submission System and the call document; the call page indicates Application form templates are available shortly. Admissibility conditions such as page limits and layout are specified in Part B of the Application Form within the Submission System. The Model Grant Agreement (EDF Lump Sum Grant) and legal/financial guidance documents are referenced as call annexes and supporting materials.

1. 1Application submission method: Single-stage open call through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal submission system.
2. 2Required documentation: Completed Application Form (Part A and Part B), supporting documents as specified in call document and annexes, binding procurement agreement between participating Member States/associated countries, designation of procurement agent, evidence of procurement estimated value (>= €20,000,000) and schedules for delivery/upgrades and readiness pool arrangements.
3. 3Templates: Application Form templates and Model Grant Agreement (EDF-AG-LS) — available in the portal; follow Part B layout and page limits for admissibility.

Assessment of selection parameters

Consortium requirement

Consortium: multilateral cooperation between contracting authorities is required (consortium of participating Member States and associated countries contracting authorities or procurement agents). The procurement must be based on a binding agreement signed by participating states/associated countries and appointing a procurement agent. Therefore a consortium or formal cooperation is mandatory rather than single applicant.

Eligible applicant types (concise list):Contracting authorities of Member States and associated countries, procurement agents such as EDA, SEAPs, OCCAR, NSPA, and legal entities representing national procurement consortia.

1. 1Eligible participants: national contracting authorities (Member States and associated countries)
2. 2Procurement agents: European Defence Agency (EDA), Structure for European Armament Programme (SEAP), OCCAR, NSPA
3. 3Cooperation formats: newly created cooperation under the application or existing frameworks complying with start/completion date restrictions

Beneficiary scope (geographic eligibility)

Primary geographic scope: EU Member States and associated countries as defined in the call document. EDIP documentation references Norway and the Ukraine support instrument for other EDIP components; for CPA topics the eligibility focuses on Member States and associated countries. Applicants must consult section 6 of the call document for the definitive list of eligible countries and any participation of Norway/Ukraine for this specific topic ¹.

Target sector

Thematic/industry sectors: defence (counter-unmanned systems), defence electronics, sensors, command-and-control systems, electronic warfare, directed energy weapons, munitions/kinetic effectors, maritime and land defence systems, defence procurement and industrial readiness.

Project stage

Expected project maturity: procurement and acquisition of mature operational systems, upgrades, sustainment and stockpile replenishment; lifecycle stages from acquisition to deployment and industrial readiness (development activities not the primary intent).

Funding amount and scale

Minimum procurement value required by the topic: €20,000,000 (estimated value of the common procurement). The EDIP CPA budget line for Member States and Norway is €240,000,000 in total; this call listing shows €90,000,000 for the 2026 budget across CPA topics. Individual CPA grants under EDIP common procurement actions can be awarded up to a maximum (per project) referenced in EDIP documentation, commonly up to €20,000,000 per project under CPA strands; consult the call document for the definitive maximum EU contribution and co-funding rules ¹.

Evaluation stages, success rates and co-funding

Application stages

Single-stage application process (one submission deadline). Evaluation and award follow the processes described in the call document (sections 8 and 9). The call page references an indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement in section 4 of the call document.

Success rates

The portal does not publish project-specific historical success rates for this forthcoming topic. Success rate will depend on number and quality of eligible proposals and available budget. Applicants should assume competition and prepare proposals aligning tightly to expected impact, eligibility and minimum procurement value requirements.

Co-funding requirement

Co-funding rules are specified in the call document and in the legal/financial set-up sections (section 10) and Model Grant Agreement. EDIP lump sum grants may define funding rates or lump-sum amounts and may require co-funding from participating contracting authorities or procuring states. Applicants must consult the call document for exact co-funding obligations and whether the grant covers part of eligible costs or specific lump sums ¹.

Documents, guidance and support

Key documents referenced on the portal: call document and annexes (Application Form Part A and Part B), Model Grant Agreement EDF-AG-LS, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, Rules for Legal Entity Validation and Financial Capacity Assessment, EU Grants AGA annotated model, Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, and other portal guidance. Application templates (available shortly) and the Online Manual provide step-by-step guidance for submission and evaluation.

Contact for call-specific help: DEFIS-EDIP-PROPOSALS@ec.europa.eu. For IT assistance use the Portal IT Helpdesk. Additional resources and videos are referenced on the Funding & Tenders Portal pages.

Mentioned countries and organisations

1. 1European Union Member States (general reference — see call document section 6 for list)
2. 2Associated countries (general reference — see call document section 6 for list)
3. 3Norway (referenced in EDIP common procurement context and EDIP components)
4. 4Ukraine (referenced in EDIP other strands such as USI components; participation context differs by topic)
5. 5European Defence Agency (EDA) — potential procurement agent
6. 6Structure for European Armament Programme (SEAP) — potential applicant/agent
7. 7Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) — potential procurement agent
8. 8NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) — potential procurement agent

Templates and application structure guidance

Application templates (Part A and Part B of the Application Form) and the Model Grant Agreement EDF-AG-LS will be available through the Submission System. Admissibility and page layout rules are specified in Part B. Applicants should prepare the following sections and supporting documents according to standard Funding & Tenders Portal structure:

1. 1Administrative data (Part A) including applicant legal identities, LEARs, contacts, and roles of consortium members and procurement agent.
2. 2Technical description (Part B) including detailed description of the common procurement action, procurement scope (systems/parts), procurement timeline, upgrade provisions, lifecycle and sustainment plan, plan for establishment/management of defence industrial readiness pool if applicable, and justification that the procurement value is at least €20,000,000.
3. 3Consortium and cooperation evidence: binding procurement agreement signed by participating Member States/associated countries, appointment letter or mandate for the procurement agent, governance and decision-making arrangements.
4. 4Workplan and schedule: procurement milestones, delivery timelines, upgrade/upgradeability clauses, testing/acceptance regimes and sustainability measures to 2033 completion date.
5. 5Budget and financial delineation: requested lump sum rationale, any co-funding contributions and national commitments, procurement estimated value documentation, cost breakdown where required for lump sum calculation.
6. 6Legal and compliance annexes: evidence of contracting authority status, legal mandates to procure on behalf of Member States, any required national approvals, and compliance with exclusion and financial capacity checks.
7. 7Risk management and security: security classification handling, supply chain resilience measures, interoperability and standardisation considerations, and measures to allow rapid upgrades based on battlefield lessons.
8. 8Supporting technical documentation: technical specifications for systems/parts, interoperability and interface specifications, upgrade modularity specifications, and test/acceptance criteria.

Concluding summary

This call topic finances and supports common procurement actions by Member States and associated countries to acquire integrated counter-drone systems or parts (sensors, kinetic/non-kinetic effectors including directed energy, command-and-control) to counter unmanned aerial, ground, surface and underwater vehicles. The instrument is an EDF Lump Sum Grant under EDIP CPA, single-stage submission with deadline 13 October 2026. Proposals must be based on a binding cooperation agreement between participating states/associated countries, appoint a procurement agent (national contracting authorities, EDA, SEAP, OCCAR, NSPA or similar), and propose a common procurement with an estimated value of at least €20,000,000. Actions must complete by 31 December 2033. Applicants must consult the call document for full eligibility, financial rules, templates and evaluation criteria and should prepare robust evidence of procurement commitment, governance, upgradeability provisions and lifecycle sustainment to meet the expected impact of strengthening cooperation, interoperability, stockpile replenishment and defence industrial readiness. For detailed rules, templates and submission, consult the EU Funding & Tenders Portal call page and the call document ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Official call page and documentation on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: EDF-EDIP-P topic page EU Funding & Tenders Portal - Counter-drone systems.

Counter-Drone Systems Common Procurement Action (EDF-EDIP-P-2026-FNLC-CPA-CDS)

This call under the European Defence Fund (EDF) and European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP) supports common procurement actions by Member States and associated countries (notably Norway) for counter-drone systems to address capability gaps, enhance interoperability, and replenish stockpiles amid rising drone threats.

Programme and Context

Part of the 1st call for proposals for common procurement actions under the EDF-EDIP-P-2026-FNLC-CPA programme. This topic focuses on counter-drone systems within EDIP's Common Procurement component, which allocates €240 million overall to reduce fragmentation and boost interoperability in defence equipment procurement, building on the EDIRPA initiative.

EDIP is a €1.5 billion initiative to strengthen Europe's defence industry, ramp up production, and ensure supply of military equipment. This call aligns with broader EU efforts, including the Action Plan on Drone and Counter-Drone Security (February 2026), emphasizing joint procurement for critical infrastructure and defence readiness.

Objectives and Expected Impact

Objective: Support common procurement of integrated counter-drone systems (e.g., VSHORAD or SHORAD) or components such as sensors, kinetic/non-kinetic effectors (including directed energy weapons), and command/control solutions to counter unmanned aerial, ground, surface, or underwater vehicles (remotely controlled or autonomous).

• Strengthen cooperation and interoperability among Member States and associated countries.
• Replenish depleted stockpiles, increase existing ones, or establish defence industrial readiness pools.
• Develop and reinforce counter-drone solutions against pressing drone threats.

Scope and Eligible Actions

Activities involve cooperation of legal entities (primarily national contracting authorities) in procuring integrated counter-drone systems or parts thereof at any lifecycle stage, including establishing/managing readiness pools. Contracts must allow quick upgrades based on battlefield lessons. Common procurement can be via framework contracts.

Procurement based on binding agreements signed by participating Member States/associated countries with an appointed procurement agent, such as national contracting authorities, EDA, SEAP, OCCAR, or NSPA. Cooperation must be newly created for this call or based on existing frameworks (activities not started before 5 March 2024 or completed before grant signature). Actions complete by 31 December 2033.

Who Can Apply

Consortia of contracting authorities from EU Member States and associated countries (e.g., Norway). Legal entities acting as procurement agents. Detailed eligibility in section 6 of the call document (available shortly).¹

Key Dates and Process

Timeline:Planned opening: 30 April 2026. Deadline: 13 October 2026, 17:00 Brussels time. Single-stage submission.

• Admissibility: Proposal page limits/layout in section 5 of call document and Application Form Part B.
• Evaluation: Sections 8-9 of call document (processes, award criteria, thresholds). Indicative timeline in section 4.
• Type of action: EDF-LS (Lump Sum Grants). MGA: EDF-AG-LS.

Funding Details

Budget:€90 million for this topic (part of broader call). Minimum estimated procurement value: €20 million per action to achieve impact.

Grant support:Up to €20 million per project (based on EDIP Common Procurement precedents).² Legal/financial set-up in section 10 of call document.

Conditions and Requirements

• Financial/operational capacity and exclusion: Section 7 of call document.
• Eligible countries: Section 6.
• Other conditions: Section 6.
• Call document, templates, and MGAs available shortly via EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Applicants should monitor the portal for updates, as documents are forthcoming. Contact: DEFIS-EDIP-PROPOSALS@ec.europa.eu for call-specific help; IT Helpdesk for technical issues. Partner search available on portal.

Application Portal

Submit via EU Funding & Tenders Portal: EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Online Manual and FAQs available.

Strategic Context

Supports EU priorities like the Drone and Counter-Drone Security Action Plan, Eastern Flank Watch, and defence readiness amid rising threats. Complements industrial reinforcement and innovation under EDIP.

Footnotes

1. 1Full details in forthcoming call document sections; check portal regularly.
2. 2Derived from EDIP Common Procurement factsheet indicating up to €20 million grants per project.