Dual-Use Drones Innovative Programme

The Dual-Use Drones Innovative Programme (ECDI) provides equity-free funding of up to €35,000 per manufacturing SME combined with tailored technical, regulatory and business support and mentorship. Participation is expected to last about six months and selected SMEs must implement an Innovation Plan and commit to raising a drone product's Technology Readiness Level by at least one level. Eligible applicants are manufacturing SMEs established in EU Member States or COSME Strand countries with at least one drone product at TRL 6 or higher; software-only, service-only and third-party hardware resellers are ineligible. Applications must be submitted in English via the Wiin.io platform by 30 September 2026 at 17:00 CEST.

What it funds

Support for dual-use drone SMEs to mature technology, adapt business models and products for civil, digital, social and environmental needs through mentorship, tailored technical/regulatory services, training, testing and ecosystem access.

Maximum funding per SME:Equity-free grants up to €35,000 per SME.

Who can apply

Manufacturing SMEs established in an EU Member State or a country participating in the COSME strand, that already operate in the dual-use drone market and have at least one drone product at TRL 6 or higher (and commit to increasing TRL by at least one level). SMEs must meet EU SME thresholds and complete the SME self-assessment ¹.

1. 1Excluded: software-only firms, service/operators, data-only providers, consultancies, companies commercialising only third-party hardware, or SMEs without a TRL>=6 product.
2. 2Must not be bankrupt or otherwise excluded from EU funding; ethics and dual-use risks must be declared where applicable.

Practical details

Applications submitted in English via the Wiin.io platform. Each SME may submit one application. Selected SMEs implement an Innovation Plan and receive tailored support; some activities are mandatory, others optional depending on needs.

Apply via the online call page (Wiin.io). Contacts:vidal@aerospace-valley.com and carbon@aerospace-valley.com.

Footnotes

1. 1EU SME definition and self-assessment: eur-lex.europa.eu

Key facts and administrative information

Call Title:Dual-Use Drones Innovative Programme. Call identifier: SMP-COSME. Project acronym: ECDI (European Cluster for Drone Innovation). Grant Agreement number: 101236201. Programme: Single Market Programme / Euroclusters (2021-2027). Total available budget for this call entry: €350,000. Maximum equity-free funding per SME: up to €35,000. Programme duration for this specific award activity: 6 months. Project start date (listed): 2026-06-30 (subject to the project schedule). Official application submission platform: Wiin.io online platform Wiin.io submission page.

Deadlines and timing:Application deadline: 30 September 2026, 17:00 CEST (or 18:00 Europe/Bucharest as listed on some pages). Submission model: single-stage open call. Start and end of programme activities (indicative): May 2027 to July 2027 (to be confirmed).

Objective and scope

Purpose:to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that already belong to the dual-use drone market to mature technologies, adapt business models and products, and develop or strengthen dual-use applications that address civil, digital, social and environmental needs. The Programme forms part of the European Cluster for Drone Innovation (ECDI) and targets innovation, testing, regulatory and business support to move drone products and components to higher technology readiness and market preparedness.

Detailed eligibility and applicant requirements

Eligible applicant profile:manufacturing SMEs operating in the drone sector that develop and manufacture a tangible drone-related product, component, subsystem or infrastructure and that belong to the dual-use market. Start-ups and young SMEs may be eligible if they meet SME rules and the TRL requirement. The Programme excludes software-only firms, SaaS providers, pure service/operations companies, data/analytics/AI-only companies without a proprietary drone hardware product, consultancies, training providers, and companies commercialising solutions based exclusively on third-party drone hardware.

SME status requirements:applicants must qualify as an SME under the European Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC. That means: independent or compliant with EU definitions of partner/linked enterprises; fewer than 250 employees; annual turnover of not more than €50 million OR annual balance sheet total not more than €43 million. Applicants must complete the EC SME self-assessment and upload the result with their application. SMEs that temporarily exceed thresholds during the Programme remain eligible.

Technology readiness requirement:applicants must have at least one drone product at TRL 6 or higher at the time of application and must commit to upgrading the TRL by at least one level during participation. Proof of TRL is required with the application.

Geographic eligibility:legal entities established and operating in an EU Member State or in a country participating in the EU Single Market Programme / COSME Strand. The call explicitly includes partners from EU Member States and countries in the COSME list; Ukrainian cluster partners are part of the consortium and there is a specific warning for Ukrainian applicants regarding file links and requests for Guide for Applicants. See the Guide for Applicants and List of Countries COSME Strand for the precise list of eligible non-EU countries. List of Countries COSME Strand

Ineligibility highlights:SMEs without an eligible product (below TRL 6), proposals focused solely on market access without product development, solutions that do not belong to the dual-use market as defined in the Guide for Applicants, companies with bankruptcy or insolvency status, enterprises considered in difficulty under Regulation (EU) No 651/2014, entities convicted of fraud or illegal business practices, and entities subject to exclusion from EU funding or double funding restrictions.

Dual-use and ethics considerations:The call explicitly targets dual-use solutions. The Ethics Form includes items for research having direct military application and for potential terrorist abuse. Selecting these is required only when the project has a direct military objective or raises specific security or ethical concerns beyond standard dual-use positioning. Dual-use potential alone does not automatically require selecting those items; a short explanation is required if selected. The Guide for Applicants contains specific instructions for completing ethics-related sections ¹.

1. 1Eligible applicant types: manufacturing SME, start-up or young SME if meeting SME definition, legal entity established in EU Member State or COSME Strand country.
2. 2Ineligible applicant types: software-only companies, service-only or operations companies, data/analytics/AI-only without hardware, consultancies/training-only entities, companies selling third-party hardware-only solutions, entities without TRL>=6 product.

What the Programme offers (support package and restrictions)

Selected SMEs receive a mix of financial and non-financial support:equity-free funding up to €35,000 per SME plus tailored non-monetary services. The non-financial support components include individual assessment and roadmap definition, mentorship throughout the Programme, tailored technical, regulatory, business and testing services (details in Annex 3 of the Guide for Applicants), access to training and internationalisation support, and the possibility to participate in the Innovation Drone Alliance. Each SME must implement an Innovation Plan that acts as the reference for programme activities. Some activities are mandatory; others optional depending on company needs.

Financial and budget rules:the maximum grant per SME is €35,000. Subcontracting is allowed but capped at 10% of the total project budget and requires justification and approval. Eligible costs, travel costs, and detailed budget items follow the Guide for Applicants and the call's financial rules. Co-funding is not required according to call information available (no applicant co-funding requested).

Number of beneficiaries and selection

Target number of SMEs to be supported is around 10 SMEs. The consortium reserves the right not to award all available funds. Given the total labelled budget (€350,000) and the maximum award per SME (€35,000), the arithmetic indicates support for roughly 10 SMEs at the maximum grant level.

Selection thresholds:to be selected applications must reach a minimum overall score of 50 out of 100 and must achieve at least 50% of the maximum points in each evaluation criterion. Independent experts will evaluate eligible applications. Applicants may be contacted for clarifications during evaluation; failure to respond in time may render the application ineligible.

Application process and required documents

Submission channel:electronic submission only via the Wiin.io platform. Each SME may submit only one application. Applications must be written in English. Incomplete applications will be rejected. Applicants should upload all required supporting documents as detailed in Section 3.2 of the Guide for Applicants, including the SME self-assessment result and TRL proof. Ukrainian applicants are instructed to email the coordinator to receive the Guide for Applicants and annexes if the links are inaccessible from Ukraine.

Application templates and forms:Applications use the online application form on Wiin.io and require uploads of mandatory supporting documents. The Guide for Applicants and annexes include an Ethics Questionnaire (Annex 1) and a Declaration of Honour (Annex 2). Required uploads include: SME self-assessment, technical documentation proving TRL >= 6, company registration details, financial statements or evidence required under SME rules, completed ethics questionnaire if applicable, and any other documents listed in Section 3.2 of the Guide for Applicants. The Guide for Applicants contains detailed instructions for each upload field.

1. 1Complete the online application form in English on Wiin.io.
2. 2Upload SME self-assessment result (EC tool output).
3. 3Upload proof of TRL 6 or higher for the drone product and commitment to raise TRL by at least one during the Programme.
4. 4Upload Declaration of Honour and Ethics Questionnaire (Annexes provided in cloud folder).
5. 5Upload any technical, financial and legal documents specified in Section 3.2 of the Guide for Applicants.

Evaluation process, stages and selection statistics

Call model:single-stage open call. Number of stages: 1 formal submission stage followed by evaluation by independent experts and selection decisions (contact for clarifications may be an intermediate step). The published information references steps like selection of winners and announcement of results but does not describe multiple formal funding stages (the call is single-stage).

Success rates:the call aims to fund around 10 SMEs. The call documentation does not publish the expected number of applications; therefore, the raw success rate cannot be determined from the provided materials. Applicants should assume competition for a limited number of slots and prepare applications to meet the scoring thresholds and criteria.

Nature of support and co-funding

Beneficiaries receive both monetary support (equity-free grant up to €35,000) and substantive non-monetary services (mentorship, tailored technical/regulatory/business/testing services, training, internationalisation support, and access to the Innovation Drone Alliance). The call information indicates no co-funding obligation for beneficiaries for the grant component (co-funding not required) as per FAQ material.

Subcontracting rule:subcontracting is permitted but capped at 10% of total project budget, subject to justification and approval. Budget modifications during the Programme may be possible but require compliance with the rules and approval; applicants should consult the Guide for Applicants for detailed budget management procedures.

Other operational, legal and IP points

Intellectual property:the Guide for Applicants and legal documentation set out IP ownership rules; typically, SMEs retain ownership of their developed results but must comply with grant reporting and dissemination obligations. Confidentiality: applications will be treated in confidence by the consortium and evaluators, with personal data processing compliant with GDPR. Applicants involved in other EU-funded projects can apply but must respect rules on double funding and declare other EU support.

Contacts and additional resources:For questions and support contact the ECDI consortium: vidal@aerospace-valley.com and carbon@aerospace-valley.com. Programme pages and documents: Guide for Applicants, Annexes (Ethics Questionnaire, Declaration of Honour), List of Countries COSME Strand, and the ECDI project website ECDI website and the official call page on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Call page.

1. 1Primary submission channel: Wiin.io online platform Wiin.io submission page.
2. 2Guide for Applicants and Annexes available in the consortium cloud folder and referenced on the call page.
3. 3If the Guide is inaccessible (notably in Ukraine), request it by email to the contacts above.

Structured categorization of the opportunity

Eligible Applicant Types:manufacturing SMEs (including start-ups that meet SME definitions) developing tangible drone-related products, components, subsystems or infrastructure; research institutes, universities or purely research organisations are not targeted unless they form part of an eligible SME legal entity. Service-only, software-only, analytics-only, consultancies and third-party hardware resellers are ineligible.

Funding Type:equity-free grant (financial support combined with programme services).

Consortium Requirement:single applicant (individual SME application). This is not a consortium call for multi-partner research projects; selected SMEs will receive services from the consortium partners.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):legal entities established and operating in EU Member States or countries participating in the EU Single Market Programme / COSME Strand. Ukrainian cluster partners are included in the consortium; Ukrainian applicants have guidance about accessing documentation.

Target Sector:drones / UAVs and related enabling technologies; focus on dual-use applications (civil and defence-relevant), including technical hardware, subsystems and infrastructure linked to drones.

Mentioned Countries:France, Spain, Poland, Ukraine are cited as consortium partner countries. EU Member States in general and COSME Strand countries are referenced; consult the List of Countries COSME Strand for the full list List of Countries COSME Strand.

Project Stage:technology maturity expected at TRL 6 or higher at submission; the Programme expects progression and further TRL advancement during the award (development toward demonstration/commercialisation readiness).

Funding Amount:up to €35,000 per SME; total budget shown for this call entry €350,000 (supporting roughly 10 SMEs if maximum grants are awarded).

Application Type:open call, single-stage, electronic submission via Wiin.io.

Nature of Support:mixed monetary (grant) and non-monetary services (mentorship, technical/regulatory/business/testing services, training, internationalisation support, access to Innovation Drone Alliance).

Application Stages:one formal submission stage followed by expert evaluation and selection (single-stage model); clarifications requests may occur during evaluation.

Success Rates:target to fund around 10 SMEs. No published historical acceptance rate; applicants should assume competitive selection and must meet evaluation thresholds (minimum 50/100 overall and at least 50% of points per criterion).

Co-funding Requirement:no co-funding required according to the available call information; beneficiaries are not required to provide matching funds for the grant component.

Summary and recommendation

What this opportunity is about and how to interpret it:The Dual-Use Drones Innovative Programme under the ECDI Eurocluster is a targeted SME support call combining small equity-free grants (up to €35,000) with tailored non-financial services to accelerate the technological maturation, business model adaptation and market readiness of drone hardware and related products that have dual-use potential. The programme is designed for manufacturing SMEs with a demonstrable product at TRL 6 or above, established in EU Member States or countries participating in the COSME Strand. The selection is competitive and scored on excellence & innovation, implementation quality, and impact, with clear minimum scoring thresholds. Subcontracting is allowed but limited (10% cap). Applications are made electronically in English through Wiin.io and must include proof of SME status and TRL. The consortium provides mentorship, regulatory, testing and business support, and seeks to foster internationalisation and integration into a European Innovation Drone Alliance. Interested SMEs should download and study the Guide for Applicants and annexes, ensure they meet the TRL and SME criteria, prepare the required supporting documents (SME self-assessment, TRL proof, Declaration of Honour and Ethics Questionnaire where relevant), and submit one complete application via the Wiin.io portal before 30 September 2026, 17:00 CEST. Contact the consortium at vidal@aerospace-valley.com or carbon@aerospace-valley.com for clarifications or to request application materials (notably for Ukrainian applicants who may need emailed files).

Relevant links:Official call page on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Call page, ECDI project website ECDI website, Wiin.io submission page Wiin.io submission page.

Footnotes

1. 1Detailed instructions on ethical self-assessment and the selection of ethics items are provided in the Guide for Applicants and Annex 1 (Ethics Questionnaire). Dual-use potential alone does not automatically mandate the selection of 'direct military application' or 'potential terrorist abuse' items; these should be selected and briefly justified only when the project has a direct military objective or raises specific ethical/security concerns beyond standard dual-use functionality.

Who Should Apply

Eligibility and Exclusion Criteria

This programme is a European initiative specifically designed for manufacturing SMEs that already operate in the dual-use drone market to develop projects adapting their business models, processes, and products to address civil, digital, social, and environmental needs [[15]].

Funding Amount:Selected SMEs receive equity-free funding of up to €35,000 per SME, linked to the implementation of an Innovation Plan [[1]].

Programme Duration:The expected duration of participation for each SME is 6 months [[1]].

1. 1Manufacturing SMEs operating in the drone sector
2. 2Companies with at least one drone product at TRL 6 or higher
3. 3Entities established in EU Member States or COSME Strand countries
4. 4SMEs seeking to upgrade technology and strengthen dual-use applications

Eligible applicants must be manufacturing SMEs according to EU rules (Recommendation 2003/361/EC), employing fewer than 250 persons with an annual turnover ≤ €50 million or balance sheet ≤ €43 million [[15]].

Crucially, applicants must have at least one drone product at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6 or higher and commit to upgrading the TRL by at least one level during the programme [[15]].

Applications focused solely on market access without product development, software-only companies (including SaaS), service providers, and companies commercialising solutions based exclusively on third-party hardware are explicitly NOT eligible [[15]].

The programme aims to support approximately 10 SMEs, though the consortium reserves the right not to award all available funds [[15]].

Applications must be submitted electronically via the Wiin.io online platform in English only, with a deadline of 30 September 2026 at 17:00 CEST [[15]].

Support includes individual assessment, mentorship, tailored technical/regulatory/business/testing services, training, internationalisation support, and access to the Innovation Drone Alliance [[15]].

Footnotes

1. 1Official programme details are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal at ECDI Portal.
2. 2Ukrainian companies must contact the consortium directly via email to receive the Guide for Applicants and annexes as the online link is not supported in Ukraine [[17]].