High-performance energy systems

European Defence Fund call EDF-2026-DA invites multi-beneficiary consortia to develop greener modular multi-energy systems for stationary military applications (FOBs, MOBs) with mandatory studies, design, system prototyping and testing focusing on technologies such as hydrogen, storage, interoperability and cyber-secure communications. The topic has an indicative budget of €20 million, requires consortia from at least three EU Member States or associated countries, and foresees activity-specific funding rates with possible SME, mid-cap and PESCO bonuses and co-financing needs for prototyping and testing. Proposals must align with military standards (e.g. STANAG 4370, MIL-STD-3071), exclude vehicle propulsion, demonstrate interoperability and Member State procurement intent where applicable, and address ownership/control and security requirements. Opening is 11 February 2026 and the submission deadline is 29 September 2026, 17:00 Brussels time via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Opportunity Overview — High-performance energy systems (EDF-2026-DA-ENERENV-HPES-STEP)

What it funds

Scope and activities

Development actions to advance high-performance multi-energy systems for military stationary applications, with emphasis on unexplored technologies (notably hydrogen conversion, storage and logistics), innovative building blocks and functional modules, demonstrators that improve power/energy KPIs and grid operability of operational bases, and work to create/revise military standards. Eligible tasks include studies, design, system prototyping, testing and related development activities.

Funding amount:Indicative budget for this topic: €20,000,000; indicative funding of one proposal (more may be funded depending on quality and budget availability) ¹.

Who can apply

Call under the European Defence Fund (EDF) — multi-beneficiary proposals are mandatory. Eligible participants are legal entities established in EDF-eligible countries (EU Member States and EDF-associated countries such as Norway) with executive management in those countries; associated partners and subcontractors rules apply. Special ownership/control, security and national eligibility requirements apply (e.g. facility/personnel security clearances where classified information or EUCI is involved).

1. 1Consortia must meet EDF eligibility and consortium composition rules; consult the call document for required Member State involvement and procurement intent declarations.
2. 2Start-ups, SMEs, research organisations and large industry can participate; SME and mid-cap bonuses may increase funding rates.
3. 3Entities controlled from non-associated third countries face ownership/control restrictions and may need national guarantees or approvals.

Key practical details

Call: EDF-2026-DA — Development actions implemented via actual cost grants. Type of MGA: EDF Action Grant (budget-based). Submission model: single-stage. Opening: 11 February 2026. Deadline: 29 September 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time.

Application and compliance notes

Proposals must follow the EDF call document requirements (Part A application forms + Part B technical description and annexes). Financial and operational capacity checks apply at grant preparation. Equipment costs follow EDF rules (depreciation vs full cost options); grants are subject to security, ethics and ownership/control provisions. FSTP (financial support to third parties) is permitted only within the ceilings described in the call.

How to apply:Submit via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal using the EDF-2026-DA submission entry for topic EDF-2026-DA. Use the standard EDF application templates and required annexes EU Funding & Tenders Portal. ¹

1. 1Prepare consortium and mandatory declarations (co-financing, ownership/control, security where relevant).
2. 2Complete Part A in the Portal and upload Part B (technical narrative) as password-protected zip per call rules.
3. 3Ensure participants complete PIC registration and SME/mid-cap self-assessments if claiming bonuses.

Footnotes

1. 1Full topic description, eligibility rules, budget details and submission instructions are in the EDF-2026-DA call document and topic page on the Funding & Tenders Portal: EDF topic page.

High-performance energy systems (EDF-2026-DA-ENERENV-HPES-STEP) — Call for Proposals

Programme: European Defence Fund (EDF) — Development actions implemented via actual cost grants (EDF-2026-DA)

Topic ID on portal: EDF-2026-DA. Note: The Call Topic ID on the Participant Portal slightly differs from the call documentation (EDF-2026-DA-ENERENV-HPES) due to technical reasons; this has no legal or practical consequences.

Opening date: 11 February 2026. Deadline: 29 September 2026, 17:00 Brussels time. Deadline model: single-stage. Submission: via EU Funding & Tenders Portal EU Funding & Tenders Portal Topic Page.

Indicative topic budget: €20,000,000. Indicative number of grants: 1 (more than one may be funded depending on quality and budget availability).

Scope and Objectives

This development action aims to follow up and complement previous EDF activities on high-performance energy systems for defence, focusing on multi-energy generation, storage, management and distribution tailored to military applications. It targets unexplored or underexploited technologies, including hydrogen (conversion, storage, logistics) and alternative synthetic fuels, alongside advanced communication and digitisation, monitoring, control and prediction, robust cyber protection, interoperability standards and operational interconnection towards smart consumers such as weapon systems and unmanned vehicles.

The action addresses system-wide and standards-based modularity and interoperability across energy, communication, data and application layers to enable adaptive, customisable energy generation that meets specific military consumption needs at forward operating bases (FOBs), main operating bases (MOBs) and other stationary settings (e.g. air bases, garrisons). It also seeks to improve demonstrator power and energy targets and key performance indicators (KPIs), including operational efficiency, interoperability, availability, security, life-cycle aspects, and connectivity to energy grids of operational bases, with coexistence of legacy power generation systems.

The topic further aims to advance the creation, revision or consolidation of military standards for products and processes for energy generation, distribution and storage, and to standardise data exchange for management and control (e.g. in line with commonly applicable standards such as MIL-STD-3071 Tactical Microgrid Communications and Control). It will explicitly consider operation in challenging future climate conditions across diverse climate zones, including Arctic winter and extreme summer heat.

Contribution to STEP: Beyond defence, this topic contributes to the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) objectives in the area of clean and resource-efficient technologies.

Targeted Activities and Mandatory Tasks

Type of action: EDF Development Actions (actual cost grants). Financial support is structured by activity type with baseline funding rates and possible bonuses (see Funding Model section).

Eligible activities and their status for this topic:

• Studies (Art 10(3)(c)) — mandatory
• Design (Art 10(3)(d)) — mandatory
• System prototyping (Art 10(3)(e)) — mandatory
• Testing (Art 10(3)(f)) — mandatory
• Qualification (Art 10(3)(g)) — optional
• Certification (Art 10(3)(h)) — optional
• Increasing efficiency across lifecycle (Art 10(3)(i)) — optional
• Integrating knowledge (Art 10(3)(b)) — optional
• Generating knowledge (Art 10(3)(a)) — not eligible

Mandatory tasks under Studies:Study advanced multi and parallel smart charging systems for rapid recharging of electrical UxVs including swarms, integrated into the FOB smart energy grid; study demand-side energy management targets and constraints for IoBT applications and AI capabilities in FOBs/MOBs; assess deployable FOB solutions leveraging high-TRL civil technologies and promising lower-TRL options; investigate, develop and validate interoperable predefined FOB/MOB energy load profiles for improved demand management (with battery buffering connected to a common preferably 800 V DC bus), covering UxV charging stations and swarm charging, vehicle charging, DC/AC conversion, and integrated AI for energy production, management and control.

Mandatory tasks under Design:Design an energy system-of-systems that complements prior EDF work, with emphasis on hydrogen chains, system-wide interoperability, modularity, connectedness, security, resilience, and advanced optimisation on production and consumption sides; design active and passive cybersecurity capabilities; design demonstrators involving building blocks (BBs) and functional modules (FMs) interoperable at hardware, energy grid, data network and software levels; design and demonstrate (i) interoperable units including generation, storage and distribution (unit-to-unit and unit-to-consumers), (ii) advanced edge management and energy optimisation at the tactical edge, and (iii) fully secure communications at all levels.

Mandatory tasks under System prototyping:Prototype functional modules for production, storage, refuelling and logistics, with focus on mobile solutions and building-block design; prototype functional modules for tactical edge and cloud, resilient communications and cyber protection; prototype interoperable units including generation (renewables and legacy), storage and distribution (unit-to-unit and unit-to-consumer); prototype modules for energy supply and data exchange enabling rapid charging/refuelling of smart consumers, and rapid data exchange for grid stability; prototype tactical microgrid management aligned with commonly applicable standards (e.g. MIL-STD-3071).

Mandatory tasks under Testing:Test and demonstrate standardised data interchange at EMSs, IoBT platforms and cybersecurity mechanisms levels; test and demonstrate BB and FM interoperability at hardware, energy grid, data network and software levels; ensure operational conditions coverage in line with commonly applicable environmental standards (e.g. STANAG 4370 Environmental testing), across varied geographies and climates.

Stationary applications for air bases and garrisons and modular blocks for production, storage and distribution of alternative energies (e.g. hydrogen, synthetic fuels) may be addressed. Propulsion of vehicles is explicitly out of scope.

Functional Requirements

• Use greener energy sources; improve energy and power generation to meet rising auxiliary loads including unmanned aerial and naval vehicles.
• Improve energy storage density without compromising safety.
• Enable retrofitting to typical EU armed forces solutions and future solutions, aligning with Green Deal objectives.
• Be compatible with NATO/EU logistics to support common refuelling solutions.
• Include improved communication and cloud/edge architectures using wireless 5G/6G/SatCom/fibre-optics with performance targets for energy management, resilience, security, seamless deployment, and energy-efficient/adaptive operation for various military applications.
• Comply with relevant national, European and global regulations and standards; be tested in representative military environments.
• Improve digitalisation and integration of traditional and legacy equipment into common IoBT platforms and EMSs.
• Enhance standardisation of interoperability at IT and OT levels; deploy cybersecurity across all equipment/solution levels.
• Support potential civil use with minor modifications; include interoperability concept development and piloting for unit-to-unit and unit-to-edge energy controller communications, interoperable data structures and equipment profiles.
• Transportability in military standard 20-feet containers and compliance with general, logistics, deployment and operational conditions.
• Reduced noise and electromagnetic signatures, especially for modular blocks and charging/refuelling stations; plug-and-play; fast recovery and self-healing.
• Compliance with commonly applicable standards (e.g. MIL-STD-3071 for tactical microgrids).
• Advanced energy and energy management features, including a common preferably 800 V DC bus for energy exchange between modules with full DC bus interoperability and demand response management of loads.

Expected Impact

• Support the EU objective of climate neutrality by 2050 and spin-in of civilian European R&D into defence.
• Enable EU and associated countries’ armed forces to meet EU Green Deal targets with minimal loss of operational capability.
• Accelerate introduction and evaluation of new propulsion and integrated energy systems technologies with reduced time and cost, delivering tactical advantages.
• Develop an autonomous EU industrial sector with stronger cross-border cooperation across large industry, SMEs, research institutes and universities; strengthen European technological sovereignty and strategic autonomy.
• Enhance security of European energy supply and complementarity between civil and defence solutions.
• Improve European deployment and sustainment capabilities worldwide.
• Boost dual-use and COTS integration transformed to military standards; aggregate SME cooperation and critical mass of know-how; reinforce system resilience at communication and data layers.
• Deploy private 5G in military camps; standardise interconnectivity at energy grid and data management levels; reduce strategic dependencies.

Funding Model, Rates and Co-financing

Grant type: Action grant (budget-based), actual costs; some categories may use unit costs, flat-rates or lump sums as foreseen by the Model Grant Agreement (MGA). This call authorises Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) within the set ceiling (generally up to €60,000 per third party unless otherwise authorised) and allows special equipment reimbursement options (see below).

Baseline funding rates by activity (indicative, per EDF Regulation):

• Studies (c): 90% baseline (up to 100% with bonuses).
• Design (d): 65% baseline (up to 100% with bonuses).
• System prototyping (e): 20% baseline (up to 55% with bonuses).
• Testing (f): 45% baseline (up to 80% with bonuses).
• Qualification (g): 70% baseline (up to 80% with bonuses).
• Certification (h): 70% baseline (up to 80% with bonuses).
• Lifecycle efficiency (i): 65% baseline (up to 100% with bonuses).

Bonuses (additive percentage points to the baseline rate per activity): PESCO bonus (+10%) if developed in the context of a PESCO project; SME bonus based on share of eligible costs allocated to SMEs, with higher weight for cross-border SMEs; Mid-cap bonus (+10%) if ≥15% of eligible costs allocated to mid-caps. Caps apply by activity as indicated above. Co-financing will be required notably for prototyping and testing (and potentially others) unless bonuses bring the funding to the maximum per activity.

Equipment cost reimbursement: For this topic, the MGA permits both depreciation and full cost reimbursement for listed equipment specifically indicated in the grant (topic-specific allowance). Check Annex 2/2e of the Grant Agreement during preparation for the definitive list and conditions.

Eligibility and Consortium Requirements

Application format: multi-beneficiary applications are mandatory for this topic.

Standard EDF consortium baseline: typically at least three eligible legal entities established in at least three different EU Member States and/or EDF associated countries (currently Norway), meeting EDF ownership and control conditions. All beneficiaries, affiliated entities and subcontractors involved in the action must be established in the EU or Norway and have their executive management structure in these countries. Entities controlled by non-associated third countries may participate only with approved guarantees by national authorities under Article 9(4) of the EDF Regulation.

Special Member State involvement requirements linked to activity types:

• For Design (d): projects must be based on harmonised defence capability requirements jointly agreed by at least two Member States or EDF associated countries; if studies are still needed, a joint intent to agree on the requirements suffices at proposal stage.
• For System prototyping (e), Testing (f), Qualification (g) and Certification (h): projects must be supported by at least two Member States or EDF associated countries intending to procure the final product or use the technology in a coordinated manner (including joint procurement), and be based on common technical specifications jointly agreed by the supporting countries (or a joint intent to agree on them if design is still needed). Declarations must be provided using the EDF templates.

Participation from non-associated third countries: Entities established in non-associated third countries are in principle not eligible as beneficiaries, affiliated entities or subcontractors involved in the action. They may exceptionally participate as associated partners under conditions and without access to classified information or control over results; their costs are not EDF-funded. Ukrainian entities cannot be beneficiaries, affiliated entities or subcontractors; they could be associated partners under strict conditions.

What Will Be Developed and Demonstrated

Proposals must identify, design and develop technologies spanning production, storage and consumption into a multi-energy system responding to new power consumption needs of smart end-users such as soldier systems, weapon systems, UxVs and AI workloads. The work must adopt COTS components and civil solutions where feasible, and deliver integration and standardisation for smart charging/refuelling across multiple, parallel users (e.g. soldiers, UxV swarms, manned and unmanned FOB material handling equipment). Stationary modular blocks for hydrogen and synthetic fuel production, storage and distribution may be developed. Vehicle propulsion is excluded.

Standards, Interoperability and Security

• Adopt and extend commonly applicable standards for tactical microgrids and energy management (e.g. MIL-STD-3071) and environmental testing (e.g. STANAG 4370).
• Deliver interoperability at hardware, energy grid, data network and software layers; define interoperable data structures and equipment profiles; implement secure-by-design communications across unit-to-unit and unit-to-consumer links.
• Integrate cloud-edge, 5G/6G, SatCom, fibre optics and IoBT; enable seamless deployment and operation with resilience and energy efficiency.
• Implement full-stack cybersecurity (passive and active), segmented architectures, and compliance with the EDF security framework including handling of sensitive and potentially classified information per the EDF Programme Security Instruction.

Synergies and Prior Work

Proposals should harness synergies and complementarities with at least EDF-2021-ENERENV-D-NGES (Next generation electrical energy storage for military forward operation bases), and relevant civil high-TRL technologies. Clear mapping to any past PADR/EDIDP/EDF projects referenced should be provided to avoid duplication and maximise coherence.

Evaluation, Award and Topic Conditions

Single-stage submission and evaluation. Admissibility, eligibility, financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria apply as per the call document. Award criteria, scoring and thresholds are set in section 9 of the call document. Proposals may undergo security scrutiny and classification level determination post-evaluation during Grant Agreement Preparation. Business coaching will be offered to successful SME beneficiaries.

Topic-specific conditions:

• Multi-beneficiary consortia are mandatory.
• Equipment cost reimbursement allows depreciation and full cost for listed equipment for this topic.
• Financial support to third parties (FSTP) is allowed within the call ceiling (generally up to €60,000 per third party as per MGA; specify and justify in Part B and Annex 4).
• Part B and annexes must be submitted as a single password-protected ZIP (AES-256) via the Portal, as per EDF instructions.

Administrative Data and Timeline

Application Package and Required Templates

Applicants must use the official Application Form (Part A administrative, Part B technical) and annexes provided via the Portal. The Part B and annexes must be uploaded as a single password-protected ZIP as per the call instructions. The following templates and documents are part of the package and should be prepared where applicable:

• Standard application form (EDF) — Part A (online) and Part B (upload).
• Detailed budget table (EDF DA).
• Participant information (EDF): legal data, establishment and executive management locations, key staff and operational capacity, prior projects; affiliated entities/associated partners details and justifications if non-eligible countries are involved.
• List of infrastructure, facilities, assets and resources (EDF): precise locations, ownership, FSC status if needed; exceptional justification for any use outside eligible countries (non-reimbursable).
• Co-financing declaration (EDF DA/DA LS/ASAP): mandatory template with amount, status, indicative availability date, process and timeline, expected IPR-related return; consistency with the detailed budget table required.
• Actual indirect cost methodology declaration (EDF DA): for participants opting for actual indirect costs, with national authority confirmation.
• Harmonised capability requirements declaration (EDF DA/DA LS): required for projects with design activities; support and harmonised requirements by competent authorities of at least two Member States/associated countries.
• Declaration on procurement intent and common technical specifications (EDF DA/DA LS): required if prototyping, testing, qualification or certification are covered; intent to procure/use and common specifications jointly agreed.
• Ownership control declaration and, if applicable, Ownership control guarantee: for entities controlled by non-EU/NO owners requiring Article 9(4) guarantees approved by national authorities.
• PRS declaration: only if Galileo PRS access is needed (not typical for this energy topic).
• Model Grant Agreement (EDF/ASAP/EDIRPA MGA) terms, including security, IPR, costs, reporting, audits and special rules.

Who Should Apply (Eligibility Summary by Applicant Type)

• Startups and SMEs in defence energy, power electronics, hydrogen systems, microgrids, communications (5G/6G, SatCom), edge/cloud, cybersecurity, IoT/IoBT.
• Mid-caps and large enterprises in energy systems, grid integration, storage, hydrogen, smart charging, digital platforms and EMSs.
• Universities and research institutes with expertise in energy systems, AI for energy management, microgrid control, cyber-physical systems, standardisation.
• Nonprofit and public research organisations contributing to standards, testing and validation under defence-use constraints.
• Public bodies/ministries and test centres as supporting authorities (not typically beneficiaries) to issue harmonised capability and procurement intent/common specifications declarations.

Geographic Eligibility and Mentioned Countries

Beneficiaries, affiliated entities and subcontractors involved in the action must be established in EU Member States or the EDF associated country Norway, with executive management in these countries. Entities controlled by non-associated third countries may participate only with approved guarantees and under conditions safeguarding EU security and defence interests; associated partners from non-eligible countries may participate exceptionally without access to classified information and without EDF funding.

Mentioned countries/regions in the call and FAQs:European Union (EU) Member States; Norway (EDF associated); Ukraine (cannot be beneficiary/affiliated entity/subcontractor, may be associated partner under conditions). UK is not currently eligible under EDF.

Project Maturity and Results

Expected maturity spans from design through prototyping and testing of interoperable modules and microgrid demonstrators, with optional qualification/certification deliverables. Target TRLs are consistent with development actions (typically TRL 5-7 by end of action), with field-representative testing in military-like environments.

Application Process and Stages

• Single-stage open call submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.
• Evaluation against EDF award criteria; potential security scrutiny after evaluation to determine classification and security arrangements; invitation to Grant Agreement Preparation for successful proposals.
• Grant Agreement signature with detailed Annexes including funding rate calculator (if applicable), equipment list for full-cost reimbursement, security aspects letter and programme security instruction references.
• SME business coaching offered to successful SME beneficiaries.

Nature of Support, Budget Scale and Success Rates

Nature of support: financial grants (money). Additional non-financial support: SME business coaching. The indicative budget for this topic is €20 million. The call indicates one grant foreseen; actual number may vary subject to proposal quality and budget. No success rate is provided in the call documentation.

Co-funding Requirement

Co-funding from applicants or other sources is required for activities where EU funding does not reach 100%. Prototyping and testing have low to moderate baseline funding rates (20% and 45% respectively), which may be increased via bonuses (PESCO, SME, mid-cap) up to their caps (55% for prototyping; 80% for testing). Studies, design and lifecycle efficiency activities can reach higher funding rates with bonuses (up to 100% where allowed). Co-financing declarations are mandatory and will be assessed in award criteria; funds must be made available in a timely manner.

Key Compliance Notes

• Ownership and control: Ensure compliance with EDF Article 9. Provide ownership control declarations and, if needed, guarantees approved by the competent national authority.
• Security: Classified information handling, PSI compliance, facility/personnel clearances if needed; non-classified projects still require proportionate security measures.
• Procurement intent and common specifications: For activities (e)-(h), collect Member State declarations on intent to procure/use and common technical specifications.
• Harmonised capability requirements: For design activities, provide harmonised requirement declarations by competent Member State authorities.
• Equipment costs: Align with topic’s allowance for full cost of listed equipment; otherwise apply depreciation.
• Part B packaging: Upload as a single password-protected ZIP (AES-256); follow EDF-specific Part B instructions rather than generic portal prompts.
• FSTP: Describe governance, selection criteria, ceilings, and support areas if using cascade funding.

Partner Search and Support

Partner search announcements can be published on the Portal by LEARs, Account Administrators, self-registrants or users with a public profile. National Focal Points (NFPs) in EU Member States and Norway can guide on partners and consortium building under EDF. For help on this topic: DEFIS-EDF-PROPOSALS@ec.europa.eu. Portal Online Manual and IT Helpdesk are available for submission and account issues.

Categorisation and Structured Information

Eligible Applicant Types:Startup, SME, mid-cap, large enterprise, university, research institute, nonprofit research organisation, government research centre (as beneficiary if eligible), with public authorities acting as supporting competent authorities for declarations. All beneficiaries and affiliated entities must be EU/Norway established with executive management therein; subcontractors involved in the action must also comply.

Funding Type:Grant (action grant, budget-based actual costs; with activity-specific rates and bonuses). FSTP allowed within ceiling.

Consortium Requirement:Consortium (multi-beneficiary mandatory). EDF baseline typically at least three independent eligible entities from at least three different EU Member States or Norway. Additional Member State support is required for design and for prototyping/testing/qualification/certification as described.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):EU Member States and EDF associated countries (Norway) for beneficiaries, affiliated entities, and subcontractors involved in the action; executive management must be in eligible countries. Non-associated third-country entities can only participate as associated partners under strict conditions and without EDF funding.

Target Sector:Defence; energy systems; environment/cleantech; communications and ICT (5G/6G, SatCom, fibre); edge/cloud; IoT/IoBT; cybersecurity; hydrogen and synthetic fuels; microgrids and EMS; advanced materials/power electronics (as enabling tech); standardisation/interoperability.

Mentioned Countries:European Union (EU), Norway; Ukraine (not eligible as beneficiary). UK not currently eligible under EDF.

Project Stage:Development, prototyping, testing, with optional qualification/certification; demonstration in representative environments; expected TRL progression to mid/high TRLs (typically TRL 5-7).

Funding Amount:Indicative topic budget is €20,000,000. One large grant is envisaged (potentially more subject to budget and quality).

Application Type:Open call, single-stage submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Nature of Support:Money (grants). Non-monetary SME business coaching is offered to successful SME beneficiaries.

Application Stages:1 (single-stage). Evaluation, potential security scrutiny, and Grant Agreement Preparation follow.

Success Rates:Not provided in the call documentation.

Co-funding Requirement:Yes for activities not reaching 100% EU contribution (notably prototyping and testing). Co-financing declarations must be submitted using the mandatory template with clear timelines and sources.

Tips for a Competitive Proposal

• Demonstrate concrete, interoperable multi-energy system-of-systems solutions with clear BBs/FMs and integration pathways across hardware, grid, data, and software.
• Evidence harmonised requirements and Member State intent to procure/use (with signed declarations) and common technical specifications where applicable.
• Quantify KPIs: energy density, efficiency, interoperability levels, availability, cyber resilience, recovery/self-healing, noise/EM signatures, grid-connectivity, 800 V DC-bus compatibility, charging/refuelling throughput for UxV swarms and vehicles.
• Detail standards compliance and propose contributions to standardisation (e.g. data models, interfaces) tied to military operational constraints.
• Present a robust security-by-design and cyber posture across IT/OT, edge/cloud, comms and data; explain classification approach and PSI compliance if relevant.
• Substantiate TRL progression, testing in representative military environments and pathways to qualification/certification as optional tasks.
• Use COTS and civil high-TRL components with clear militarisation steps and lifecycle efficiency gains; align with STEP clean/resource-efficient tech objectives.
• Plan co-financing realistically, ensure bonus eligibility (SME/mid-cap/PESCO) and reflect these in budget tables and co-financing declarations.

Summary: What This Opportunity Is About

EDF-2026-DA funds a large, multi-country defence development project to design, prototype and test interoperable high-performance energy systems for stationary military applications. It targets a full energy system-of-systems spanning generation (including renewables and fossil-free options such as hydrogen and synthetic fuels), storage, distribution and intelligent demand-side management, underpinned by interoperable data and communications architectures (5G/6G, SatCom, fibre) and robust cybersecurity. The project will deliver interoperable building blocks and functional modules, validated through representative demonstrations, to meet the rapidly growing and variable energy needs of smart defence consumers — soldier systems, weapon platforms, unmanned systems and AI workloads — across FOBs/MOBs and garrisons. The topic requires comprehensive studies, detailed design, prototyping and testing as mandatory activities, while qualification and certification are optional. Proposals must be supported by Member State declarations for capability requirements and, for prototyping and downstream activities, procurement intent and common technical specifications. The funding model offers activity-specific grant rates with bonuses (SME, mid-cap, PESCO), and expects significant co-financing especially for prototyping and testing. The project outcomes will enhance operational energy resilience, standardisation, and lifecycle efficiency, reduce strategic dependencies, and support EU Green Deal and STEP objectives while strengthening the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base.

High-performance Energy Systems - EDF-2026-DA-ENERENV-HPES-STEP

This call topic under the European Defence Fund (EDF) Development Actions programme supports the development of advanced multi-energy systems for military applications, focusing on stationary use cases such as forward operating bases (FOBs) and main operating bases (MOBs). It builds on prior activities in high-performance energy systems, emphasising unexplored technologies like hydrogen conversion, storage, and logistics, alongside enhanced interoperability, modularity, security, resilience, and optimisation.

Objectives and Scope

The general objective is to develop greener, modular multi-energy systems for military operations, integrating civilian technologies adapted to defence needs. Specific aims include identifying new stationary military use cases, developing innovative building blocks and functional modules, improving demonstrators' power/energy targets, key performance indicators (including life cycle), operability, and grid connectivity. It also advances military standards for energy generation, distribution, and storage, contributing to STEP Regulation objectives in clean technologies.

Targeted Activities:

• Studies (mandatory): Feasibility studies on multi-parallel smart charging, demand-side management, FOB/MOB load profiles, energy system solutions.
• Design (mandatory): Energy system-of-systems design focusing on hydrogen, interoperability, cyber security, demonstrators.
• System prototyping (mandatory): Functional modules for production/storage/refuelling/logistics, tactical microgrid management.
• Testing (mandatory): Interoperability testing of building blocks and modules at hardware, grid, data, and software levels.

Proposals must not address vehicle propulsion. Synergies with prior EDF projects like EDF-2021-ENERENV-D-NGES are required. Activities must align with operational conditions per STANAG 4370.

Eligibility and Who Can Apply

Multi-beneficiary applications are mandatory, with consortia from at least three EU Member States or associated countries (Norway). Beneficiaries must be legal entities established in eligible countries, with executive management in EU/associated countries. Non-EU entities may participate under strict conditions ensuring no control by non-associated third countries, without EDF funding. SMEs and mid-caps are encouraged for bonuses.

Key Requirements:

• Design activities: Based on harmonised defence capability requirements from at least two Member States/associated countries.
• Prototyping/testing/qualification/certification: Supported by at least two Member States intending coordinated procurement/use, based on common technical specifications.
• Ownership control declarations required for entities with non-EU ownership/control.
• Financial/operational capacity checks apply.

Funding Details

Indicative Budget:€20 million for this topic. One proposal expected to be funded, but more possible based on quality and available budget. Part of EDF-2026-DA call with total €422 million.

Bonuses: PESCO (+10%), SME (up to 10% non-cross-border/20% cross-border), mid-cap (+10%). WP1 (management) uses studies rate. Equipment: Depreciation and full cost for listed items. FSTP allowed up to ceiling. Indirect costs: 25% flat-rate or actual (with declaration).

Timeline and Submission

Key Dates:

1. 1Opening: 11 February 2026.
2. 2Deadline: 29 September 2026, 17:00 Brussels time (single-stage).
3. 3Evaluation timeline: Per call document section 4.
4. 4Submission: Via EU Funding & Tenders Portal, EDF-DA type, EDF-AG MGA.

Admissibility: Page limits/layout per call document section 5. Eligible countries: Section 6. Evaluation: Sections 8-9 (award criteria, thresholds). Documents: Call document, templates (e.g. budget table, declarations), MGAs.

Functional Requirements

• Greener energy sources, improved storage density/safety.
• Interoperability with NATO/EU logistics, standards (e.g. MIL-STD-3071).
• Cyber-secure communication (5G/6G/SatCom/fibre), IoBT integration.
• Transportable in 20-ft containers, low signatures, plug-and-play, self-healing.
• Common DC bus (pref. 800V), demand response management.
• Robust for diverse climates (STANAG 4370).

Expected Impact

Supports EU climate neutrality by 2050, spins in civilian tech, meets Green Deal targets without capability loss, enhances EDTIB autonomy/security of supply, boosts dual-use innovation, reduces dependencies.

Additional Considerations

Security: Possible classified handling per PSI. Ethics: Per self-assessment. IPR: Consortium-owned. Contact: DEFIS-EDF-PROPOSALS@ec.europa.eu. Portal: EU Funding Portal. Call Document: Call Fiche.

Footnotes

1. 1Detailed templates and guidance available in metadata documents (e.g. Participant Information, Cofinancing Declaration). Topic updates: Submission session available from 12 February 2026.