Key electronic components

Call EDF-EDIP-P (Key Electronic Components) under the European Defence Industry Programme funds industrial reinforcement actions to increase EU production capacity and resilience for critical defence electronic components (guidance and propulsion electronics, RF/laser modules, multispectral cameras, avionics, PCBs/substrates, batteries and key semiconductor building blocks). The topic has an indicative allocation of €122.25 million, maximum EU contribution of €20 million per project, lump-sum grants covering up to 35% of eligible costs (up to 50% under specific conditions), and requires measurable KPIs, a risk-management plan and optional physical/cyber protection work packages. Eligible applicants are legal entities established in EU Member States and Norway, the call opens on 17 June 2026 and the single-stage submission deadline is 16 February 2027 via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, with projects indicatively lasting 3–5 years and completed by 31 December 2033.

Key electronic components — EDF Industrial Reinforcement Actions

What it funds

Scope and objectives

Industrial reinforcement projects to increase EU-based production capacity and resilience for critical electronic components and related raw materials used in defence products (guidance and propulsion electronics, RF and laser modules, multispectral cameras, avionics, PCBs and substrates, Li‑ion polymer batteries, power electronics, and key semiconductor building blocks). Actions must deliver measurable KPIs (throughput, lead-time reduction, yield, qualified output, reserved capacity, workforce training) and integrate risk management; an optional work package for physical and cyber protection of production sites is allowed.

Who can apply:Legal entities established in EU Member States and Norway (industry actors seeking to reinforce production capacity under the EDIP/IRA framework). Proposals must follow eligibility and admissibility rules in the call documents Call page ¹.

1. 1Type of action: EDF Lump Sum Grants (EDF-LS)
2. 2Project duration: indicative 3 to 5 years; projects must not start before 5 March 2024 and must be completed by 31 December 2033
3. 3Applicants must define, baseline and track industrial KPIs and present a risk-management plan; physical/cyber protection WP is optional

Applications are single-stage through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal; proposals must respect page limits, eligibility, financial/operational capacity and other conditions described in the call documents.

Footnotes

1. 1Full call documents, templates and detailed conditions are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal topic page EDF Key electronic components topic.

Key electronic components — EDF Industrial Reinforcement Actions (IRA) 2nd Call

Call identity, deadlines and administrative facts

Call title: 2nd call for proposals for industrial reinforcement actions under the Programme (EDF-EDIP-P-2027-LS-IRA). Topic identifier: EDF-EDIP-P. Programme: European Defence Fund (EDF). Type of action and MGA: EDF-LS EDF Lump Sum Grants, EDF Lump Sum Grant [EDF-AG-LS]. Opening date (planned): 17 June 2026. Submission deadline (Brussels time): 16 February 2027 at 17:00. Deadline model: single-stage. Actions must not have started before 5 March 2024 and must be completed no later than 31 December 2033. Indicative action duration: three to five years. Total indicative topic budget (for Key Electronic Components and associated topic EDF-EDIP-P-2027-LS-IRA-PE combined): see budget table below.

Call budget and maximum EU contribution per project:Indicative total for the 2nd call lines (aggregate figure shown on the Portal): €282,150,000.00. Topic Key Electronic Components EDF-EDIP-P indicative allocation: €122,250,000. Maximum EU contribution per project for Key Electronic Components: €20,000,000 ¹.

Opportunity summary and objective

Objective: strengthen competitiveness, responsiveness and production capacity of the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB) for key electronic components that are critical bottlenecks for defence products across land, air, naval and underwater domains. The action supports Industrial Reinforcement Actions in line with Regulation (EU) 2025/2643 and EDIP implementing rules.

Scope: what proposals must target and deliver

Scope: Proposals shall implement Industrial Reinforcement Actions targeting production capacities for defence-relevant electronic components and their associated raw materials (when intended exclusively for defence product production). Applicants must: demonstrate the criticality and urgency of the targeted production capacity; deliver a concrete industrial reinforcement plan; include a robust risk-management approach (safety, supply-chain and obsolescence, life-cycle and maintainability, industrialisation); baseline and track dedicated KPIs; and, where relevant, include a physical and cyber protection work package (WP) as a supporting action under Article 13(d) of Regulation (EU) 2025/2643.

1. 1Targeted defence product families to which the component supply is critical: (swarming) Uncrewed systems (UxSs) and loitering munitions (FPV, interceptor drones), counter-UxS systems, missile (defence) systems including seekers/terminal sensing, precision-guided munitions (PGM), mobile communication nodes and C2 systems (including datalinks, relays, underwater communications, cryptosystems, LTE/5G variants where relevant), and C4ISR (including EW, underwater ISR/ASW, sonar, radars, EO sensors, wideband RF and associated processing).
2. 2Component production capacities to secure: guidance electronics (flight controller stacks, IMUs, Galileo PRS receivers, sensor-fusion electronics); propulsion electronics (ESCs, motor control units, PDBs, BMS electronics, propulsion power-conditioning modules); RF and laser modules (RF front-end blocks, T/R modules, datalink chipsets, high-speed mixed-signal components, precision timing/frequency references, laser driver/control electronics, transmit/receive sub-modules); multispectral cameras (thermal/EO sensing modules, video transmission modules, low-observable underwater sensors); avionics (including EW systems and edge compute integration for autonomy); PCBs and IC substrates (HDI/secure PCBs, high-frequency laminates, trusted interconnects, substrate assembly); lithium-ion polymer batteries, power electronics, and critical semiconductor building blocks (ESCs, propulsion control electronics, FPGAs/SoCs/ASICs, secure processing, GaN/GaAs/SiGe/RF-CMOS, high-power laser diodes).
3. 3Optional physical and cyber protection WP: threat assessment, procurement and integration of proportionate counter-UxS site protection measures (detection/alerting), cyber protection of production networks and systems (monitoring, hardening, secure access), efforts to obtain EU cybersecurity certifications (EUCC where relevant), acceptance testing and operational setup to work towards NIS2 compliance and align with ISO/IEC 27001 and IEC 62443 where applicable.

Detailed requirements, KPIs and compliance

Expected results and KPIs: Proposals must define, baseline and track KPIs demonstrating industrial impact and risk mitigation. Expected results include capacity increases, improved supply resilience and distribution, strengthened availability and security of supply for priority defence production lines, lead-time reductions, establishment of reserved capacity where applicable, and workforce training to operate and sustain reinforced lines.

1. 1Example KPI categories: added throughput (units/month), time-to-rate, lead-time reduction, yield/quality improvements, qualified output delivered, reserved capacity parameters, numbers of staff trained.
2. 2Risk and supply-chain indicators: supply-chain robustness metrics, obsolescence management outcomes, threat coverage and detection/alert performance for protected sites, response readiness, critical vulnerabilities mitigated.
3. 3Security KPIs (if physical/cyber WP implemented): coverage of protected areas/assets, detection/alert performance metrics, response readiness indicators, measured mitigation of critical vulnerabilities, interfaces between security systems and production continuity KPIs.

Proposals must link KPIs to the project risk register, quantify how risk exposure is reduced, and demonstrate how production continuity and delivery reliability are improved to avoid delays in ramp-up or output delivery.

Eligibility, applicants and geographic scope

Eligible applicant types: legal entities established in eligible countries (see Eligible countries). The Portal and call documents indicate that potential applicants include industry (SMEs, mid-caps and large enterprises), suppliers of electronic components and sub-assemblies, manufacturing providers, research and technology organisations, universities and other research institutes, public entities, national contracting authorities where relevant (separate calls), and legal structures such as SEAPs where applicable. Projects may be submitted by single applicants or consortia; consortium participation is common for complex industrial reinforcement projects but the call does not impose a single exclusive requirement for consortiums in the public summary. Specific eligibility and other conditions are described in section 6 of the call document.

Eligible countries / geographic scope:This IRA line is for industry established in EU Member States and Norway (the EDIP Industrial Reinforcement Actions targeting Member States and Norway). Separate USI-IRA calls exist for Ukraine and joint EU-Ukraine activities with different funding rules and higher funding rates; applicants should consult the call document for precise eligible country lists and any associated country participation rules ¹.

Other eligibility and timing constraints

Actions must not have started prior to 5 March 2024. Duration must be set in the Grant Agreement and shall be indicative three to five years, with completion no later than 31 December 2033. Additional admissibility criteria (proposal page limits and layout), legal and financial set-up requirements, financial and operational capacity checks, exclusion grounds, and specific eligible country lists are detailed in sections 5-7 of the full call document and in the Application Form templates available in the Submission System.

Funding modality, co-funding and financial arrangements

Funding type: EDF lump sum grants. The EDF-LS mechanism awards fixed lump sums for pre-defined work packages or milestones rather than cost-reimbursement budgets. Specific MGA and lump sum rules apply (model grant agreement EDF-AG-LS).

Funding rate and co-funding:For Industrial Reinforcement Actions under EDIP aimed at Member States and Norway industry, Union financial support will take the form of lump sum grants of up to 35% of eligible costs of projects. Under defined conditions for increased funding rates (see call document), the funding rate may be increased up to 50%. Applicants must therefore provide co-funding to cover the remainder of eligible costs. Exact eligibility of costs, lump-sum calculation method, and conditions to access increased funding rates are specified in the call documentation ¹.

Project maturity, expected activities and technology scope

Project stage and expected maturity: The call targets industrial reinforcement and scale-up activities: demonstration, industrialisation, production ramp-up, capacity establishment, manufacturing process adaptation, supply-chain mitigation, and workforce training. Proposals should be at a maturity where industrialisation decisions, investment plans and supply-chain commitments can be executed and measured over the project lifetime (demonstration/industrialisation/commercial-scale production readiness).

1. 1Technology and component scope: guidance electronics (IMUs, flight controller stacks, Galileo PRS receivers, sensor-fusion electronics); propulsion electronics and power conditioning; RF and laser modules including T/R modules and RF/EO enabling components; multispectral camera modules and associated video transmission modules; avionics including EW and edge compute integration; PCBs and IC substrates (HDI/secure PCBs, high-frequency laminates); lithium-ion polymer batteries, BMS electronics and critical semiconductor building blocks (FPGAs, SoCs, ASICs, GaN/GaAs/SiGe/RF-CMOS elements, laser diodes).
2. 2Cross-cutting and supporting technical activities: process capacity expansion, substrate and assembly capacity, high-frequency PCB manufacturing, trusted interconnect and substrate trust measures, secure processing integration, testing and qualification, supply-chain traceability and obsolescence management, workforce training and retention measures, and physical/cyber protection integration for production sites.

Application procedure, evaluation and award

Application type and submission: single-stage open call through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Submission System. The Submission System will provide Part A (administrative data) and Part B (technical description) templates and page limits. Applicants are directed to use the Application Form templates and follow the Online Manual for portal procedures.

Evaluation and award process:Submission, evaluation and award processes are described in sections 8 and 9 of the call document and in the Portal Online Manual. Award criteria, scoring and thresholds are set out in the call document. The Portal indicates an indicative evaluation timeline in section 4 of the call document. Applicants will pass a single-stage evaluation; details on scoring, thresholds and ranking will be in the call document ¹.

Evaluation will verify admissibility, eligibility, operational and financial capacity, and then assess proposals against award criteria (likely including relevance and impact, implementation and feasibility, cost-effectiveness, risk management and security measures, and contribution to EDTIB competitiveness). Applicants must provide KPIs and a clear risk register. Where a physical and cyber protection WP is included, evaluators will assess its proportionality and how it integrates with production continuity and KPIs.

Legal, financial and compliance documentation

Model Grant Agreement (MGA) and legal documents: EDF Lump Sum Grant MGA will apply (EDF-AG-LS). The call refers to the EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, Rules for Legal Entity Validation and Financial Capacity Assessment, and the EU Grants Annotated Model Grant Agreement. Applicants must comply with legal and financial set-up described in section 10 of the call document and with Funding & Tenders Portal rules and validation procedures.

Administrative & technical templates and application structure

Application templates: Application form templates (Part A and Part B) and the Model Grant Agreement are made available in the Portal. Part B will include sections covering: technical description, work packages and deliverables, KPIs and baseline, risk register and mitigation measures, industrial reinforcement plan, timelines and milestones, workforce and training plan, physical and cyber protection WP (if relevant), legal status and eligibility information, consortium descriptions (if applicable), and justification of requested lump sum and funding rate. Proposal page limits and layout rules are described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System and in section 5 of the call document. Applicants must also provide annexes and supporting documents per the call guidance (legal entity validation, LEAR appointment where relevant, and financial capacity documents where required).

1. 1Suggested Part B structure (high-level): Executive summary; Relevance to topic and targeted defence capabilities; Industrial reinforcement plan and investment rationale; Work packages, tasks, deliverables, milestones and schedule; KPIs and baseline; Risk register and mitigation measures; Security measures and physical/cyber WP details (if included); Consortium and partners (roles and CVs); Financial plan, funding request and co-funding arrangements; Compliance and ethical considerations; Annexes (letters of support, supplier commitments, legal documents).
2. 2Mandatory Portal documents and checks: Part A administrative data, legal entity registration and validation, LEAR appointment or account administrator details, declaration on exclusion and absence of double funding, and any financial capacity evidence requested in the call document.

Evaluation stages, success rates and timeline

Application stages: single-stage submission and evaluation. Applicants submit once; evaluators assess and rank proposals, and successful applicants proceed to signature of a Grant Agreement. The Portal indicates a single-stage deadline model for this topic.

Success rates: not specified in the call public summary. Success rates depend on the number and quality of proposals received within the topic envelope. The call document and evaluation reports provide historical guidance where available; applicants should assume competitive selection and design proposals to meet award criteria and KPIs precisely.

Co-funding and financial conditions

Co-funding requirement and funding rate details: Projects receive lump sum funding covering up to 35% of eligible costs; an increased funding rate up to 50% may be available if the applicant meets conditions specified in the call document (e.g., policy priorities, geographical distribution, SME participation or other criteria defined in the call). The remainder of eligible costs must be co-funded by the beneficiary(ies) and/or third-party financing sources. Lump sum amounts and eligibility rules are detailed in the call documentation and the MGA ¹.

Indicative timeline for applicants

Selection advice and key proposal design points

High-impact proposal elements that evaluators will look for: clear and measurable industrial KPIs with baselines and targets; demonstrable production capacity increases and reduced lead times; credible supply-chain mitigation and obsolescence management; workforce training and retention plans; robust risk register with quantified risk-reduction impact; evidence of facility, process and technology readiness for the proposed industrial investments; proportional physical and cyber protection measures where relevant; and realistic financial co-funding and commercial sustainability beyond the grant period.

1. 1Provide precise KPIs and baseline data (units/month, time-to-rate, lead-time days, yield percentages, qualified output numbers, reserved capacity specifications, staff numbers trained).
2. 2Link each KPI to expected risk-reduction outcomes in the risk register and to supply continuity/production continuity metrics.
3. 3If including a security WP, specify protected assets, site threat assessments, integration steps with national/European security systems and required certifications (EUCC, NIS2 alignment, ISO/IEC 27001, IEC 62443).
4. 4Justify urgency and criticality with evidence (market/supply-chain analysis, references to defence product production lines and bottlenecks).
5. 5Demonstrate governance, project management, procurement and industrialisation experience, and provide letters of commitment from suppliers or end-users where possible.

Categorisation and extracted structured data

Below are the structured answers to the requested categorisation questions, derived from the call information published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and EDIP pages.

1. 1Eligible Applicant Types: industry (startups where applicable, SMEs, small mid-caps, large enterprises), manufacturing service providers, universities, research institutes, RTOs, public entities, national contracting authorities in separate CPA calls, SEAPs (where applicable). Legal entities eligible per section 6 of the call document. Consortiums and single applicants are permitted depending on project design; consortiums are common for cross-cutting industrial reinforcement projects.
2. 2Funding Type: grant — EDF Lump Sum Grants (lump-sum fixed-amount grants with an EDF-LS Model Grant Agreement).
3. 3Consortium Requirement: other — the call is single-stage and permits single applicants or consortia. The call text does not mandate a consortium; projects may be submitted by one legal entity or a consortium depending on the industrial reinforcement need and eligibility rules in the call document.
4. 4Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): EU Member States and Norway for this specific IRA call line. Parallel USI-IRA calls exist for Ukraine with different eligibility and funding rates; consult the call documents for precise country lists and rules ¹.
5. 5Target Sector: defence-related electronics and associated industrial manufacturing sectors: electronics, semiconductors, power electronics, RF/laser modules, photonics/optics, sensors (EO/thermal/multispectral), PCBs and IC substrate manufacturing, batteries, avionics, C4ISR/EW systems, communications and underwater systems. Cross-cutting manufacturing and industrialisation sectors (production lines, substrate assembly, test and qualification).
6. 6Mentioned Countries: explicitly mentioned in the call and EDIP context: EU Member States and Norway. Ukraine is mentioned in separate USI-IRA calls but not as the primary eligible country for this specific Member States and Norway IRA line. The Portal and EDIP docs reference the Union, Member States, Norway and Ukraine in the wider programme context ¹.
7. 7Project Stage: expected maturity is industrialisation, scale-up and production ramp-up (demonstration to full production readiness). Actions should be capable of delivering measurable production capacity increases and reduced lead-times during the project lifetime.
8. 8Funding Amount: topic indicative allocation around €122,250,000 for Key Electronic Components. Maximum EU contribution per project: €20,000,000. Overall 2nd call envelope across topics shown on Portal: €282,150,000. Typical funding rate: up to 35% of eligible costs, potentially up to 50% if conditions are met. Exact lump-sum amounts and eligible cost calculations are specified in the call documents ¹.
9. 9Application Type: open single-stage call submitted through the Funding & Tenders Portal (Submission System).
10. 10Nature of Support: money (lump sum grants) combined with non-monetary requirements: operational and reporting obligations, KPIs tracking, and possible security certification activities; the grant is monetary but expects technology and process implementation as deliverables.
11. 11Application Stages: 1 (single-stage submission and evaluation).
12. 12Success Rates: not specified in the public summary. Selection is competitive and depends on proposals received relative to the topic budget; applicants should assume limited slots and design proposals to score highly against award criteria.
13. 13Co-funding Requirement: yes — applicants must co-fund the project: Union support covers up to 35% of eligible costs (potentially up to 50% under specified conditions). The remainder must be provided by the applicant(s) and/or third-party financing. Exact co-funding rules and conditions for increased funding rates are in the call document and MGA ¹.

Where to find the call documents and support

Primary source: EU Funding & Tenders Portal topic page for EDF-EDIP-P. The full Call Document, Application Form templates (Part A and Part B), Model Grant Agreement (EDF-AG-LS), and ancillary guidance (Online Manual, Financial Regulation references, legal entity validation rules) will be available on the Portal and should be consulted for definitive eligibility, administrative rules, scoring matrix and financial modalities ¹. For questions related to this call contact DEFIS-EDIP-PROPOSALS@ec.europa.eu.

Key portal resources and documents:Call document and annexes (Call document, Application form templates, Model Grant Agreements), EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, Rules for Legal Entity Validation and Financial Capacity Assessment, EU Grants AGA annotated guidance, Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, and call-specific guidance notes and videos will be available on the Portal. Applicants must follow these documents closely for admissibility, eligibility, evaluation and grant management requirements ¹.

Summary: what this opportunity is about and how to approach it

This EDF-funded Industrial Reinforcement Action topic (Key Electronic Components) finances industrial investments and actions that rapidly and measurably increase EU-based production capacity for critical electronic components used in defence systems. The call is part of EDIP/IRA and aims at addressing supply-chain bottlenecks for guidance and propulsion electronics, RF and laser modules, multispectral sensors, avionics, PCBs and substrates, batteries, and critical semiconductor building blocks. The grant modality is an EDF lump sum grant, awarded via a competitive single-stage call through the Funding & Tenders Portal, with a maximum EU contribution of €20 million per project and funding rates normally up to 35% of eligible costs (up to 50% under specific conditions). Proposals must present a concrete industrial reinforcement plan, baseline and track precise KPIs linked to a clear risk register, demonstrate supply-chain and obsolescence mitigation, plan workforce training, and—if chosen—include a physical and cyber protection work package aligned with EU cybersecurity certification schemes and NIS2/ISO/IEC/IEC standards where relevant. Actions must not have started before 5 March 2024 and must finish by 31 December 2033. Applicants should consult the full call document and application templates on the Funding & Tenders Portal, follow page limits and layout rules, gather evidence of production criticality and urgency, secure co-funding, and prepare detailed work packages and KPI baselines to maximise evaluation scores and alignment with EDTIB reinforcement objectives.

Footnotes

1. 1Full call documentation, application form templates and Model Grant Agreement will be available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal topic page for EDF-EDIP-P and the EDIP pages. Consult the call document sections referenced on the Portal for admissibility conditions (section 5), eligible countries and other eligibility conditions (section 6), financial and operational capacity and exclusion (section 7), submission and evaluation processes (section 8), award criteria and scoring (section 9), and legal/financial set-up (section 10). Contact DEFIS-EDIP-PROPOSALS@ec.europa.eu for call-specific queries.

Key Electronic Components - Industrial Reinforcement Action (EDF-EDIP-P-2027-LS-IRA-KEC)

Overview

This call under the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP) targets industrial reinforcement actions to strengthen EU production capacity for key electronic components critical for defence products across land, air, naval, and underwater domains. It addresses bottlenecks in components for systems such as UxS, missiles, PGMs, C2 systems, and C4ISR including EW, sonar, radars, and EO sensors.

The initiative aims to enhance competitiveness, resilience, and supply security of the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB) by increasing EU-based manufacturing, reducing lead times, and mitigating risks.

Objectives and Expected Impacts

Objectives focus on reinforcing production of specific components: guidance electronics (e.g., IMUs, Galileo PRS receivers), propulsion electronics (e.g., ESCs, BMS), RF and laser modules, multispectral cameras, avionics, PCBs/IC substrates, and lithium-ion batteries/power electronics/semiconductors (e.g., FPGAs, GaN/GaAs).

• Tangible increases in EU production capacity and competitiveness
• Improved supply resilience and geographical distribution
• Strengthened availability for priority defence lines against military threats
• Lead-time reductions, reserved capacity, and trained workforce

Proposals must define and track KPIs including throughput (units/month), time-to-rate, yield improvements, qualified output, staff trained, and risk mitigation indicators (e.g., supply-chain robustness).

Eligibility and Who Can Apply

Open to legal entities from EU Member States, Norway, and potentially Ukraine under related instruments. Detailed eligibility in section 6 of the call document (available shortly). Proposals must demonstrate criticality of targeted capacities and urgency for reinforcement.

Key Requirements

• Implement Industrial Reinforcement Actions per Regulation (EU) 2025/2643
• Industrial reinforcement plan with risk management (safety, supply-chain, obsolescence, etc.)
• Optional work package for physical/cyber protection against UxS threats, including threat assessments, counter-UxS measures, cyber hardening, EUCC certification, NIS2 compliance, ISO/IEC 27001, IEC 62443
• Actions not started before 5 March 2024; not completed before Grant Agreement signature

Funding Details

Total Budget:€122.25 million for this topic (part of €282.15 million for the 2nd IRA call including platforms/end-products). Maximum EU contribution: €20 million per project.

Funding Rate:Lump sum grants up to 35% of eligible costs, potentially up to 50% if increased rate conditions met (details in call document).

Timeline and Process

Admissibility, eligibility, financial/operational capacity, evaluation criteria in call document sections 5-9. Contact: DEFIS-EDIP-PROPOSALS@ec.europa.eu. Apply via EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Additional Considerations

Proposals must justify alignment with defence priorities, include upgrade provisions for battlefield lessons, and link security measures to industrial KPIs. Call documents and templates available shortly.

This topic is part of EDIP's Industrial Reinforcement Actions (IRA), the largest component with over €700 million total, focusing on ramping up defence production in Europe and Ukraine¹.

Footnotes

1. 1EDIP overview: EDIP Forging Europe’s Defence.