Privacy-preserving human-AI dialogue systems – Participation in a technological challenge

The **EDF-2025-LS-RA-CHALLENGE-DIGIT-HAIDP-STEP** grant aims to promote the development of privacy-preserving human-AI dialogue systems for defence applications. It targets enhancing the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base and aims for technological autonomy in defence-oriented AI systems. The focus is on using generative AI, large language models, and chatbots effectively while ensuring data sovereignty and security.

Eligible applicants include consortia composed of small and medium-sized enterprises, large enterprises, research organizations, and other relevant entities from EU Member States and associated countries. A consortium requires at least two independent legal entities from different EU/associated countries.

The funding type is a lump sum grant covering 100% of eligible costs, with no co-funding requirement. The total indicative budget for this grant call is €20 million, and individual proposals can receive between €1 million and €5 million.

The call encourages participation in a single-stage open application process, which is set to open on February 18, 2025, and close on October 16, 2025. Proposals should include collaborative R&D activities aimed at developing and integrating AI dialogue systems capable of managing sensitive information. These systems must be tested and integrated into user-friendly demonstrators for defence users.

Successful projects must focus on creating multilingual AI dialogue systems that are explainable and can learn from user interactions while protecting classified information. The research should address high-performance dialogue systems and participate in technological evaluations in common testing environments.

Mandatory activities include research on such systems, participation in evaluation campaigns, and integration of technologies into demonstrators. The call excludes system prototyping, testing, and development aimed solely at enhancing efficiency across the life cycle of defence products.

In conclusion, this grant emphasizes advancing human-AI dialogue systems for defence applications by funding collaborative research, ensuring robust evaluation measures, and promoting trust in AI technologies used in defence settings.

This is a call for proposals under the European Defence Fund (EDF) focusing on privacy-preserving human-AI dialogue systems, specifically targeting participation in a technological challenge. The call aims to strengthen the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB) and enhance technological autonomy in defence-oriented Human-AI dialogue systems. It also seeks to promote broader, trusted usage of generative AI, large language models, and chatbots in defence systems, while ensuring data sovereignty and security of information. The ultimate goal is to enable better and faster decision-making in complex operational scenarios.

The call addresses the need for further research into high-performance human-AI dialogue systems for defence, given the rapid advancements in generative AI but also the potential for errors and the need for defence-specific adaptations. A key aspect is the objective and comparative evaluation of these systems through a technological challenge. Consortia supported under this call will participate in evaluation campaigns within a common testing environment established by a third-party consortium.

To ensure trust and usability across EU Member States and Associated Countries, the developed systems should: Justify their answers (explainable AI), Properly handle and protect sensitive or classified information, Continuously learn from user supervision without developer intervention or regression, Interact both in writing and by voice, Cover all EU official languages, and be integrated into demonstrators for testing by defence users.

The scope of the proposals must include multilingual written and spoken human-AI dialogue systems capable of managing need-to-know principles for classified information, learning from users, and explaining their answers. These systems must be evaluated within the technological challenge and integrated into user-friendly demonstrators.

Eligible activities include: Activities that aim to create, underpin and improve knowledge, products and technologies, including disruptive technologies, which can achieve significant effects in the area of defence (generating knowledge) which is mandatory. Activities that aim to increase interoperability and resilience, including secured production and exchange of data, to master critical defence technologies, to strengthen the security of supply or to enable the effective exploitation of results for defence products and technologies (integrating knowledge) which is also mandatory. Studies, such as feasibility studies to explore the feasibility of new or upgraded products, technologies, processes, services and solutions which is optional. Design of a defence product, tangible or intangible component or technology as well as the definition of the technical specifications on which such design has been developed, including partial tests for risk reduction in an industrial or representative environment which is also optional. System prototyping, testing, qualification, certification and development of technologies or assets increasing efficiency across the life cycle of defence products and technologies are not eligible.

Mandatory activities include: Research on dialogue systems, Participation in evaluation campaigns (exchanging with stakeholders, submitting systems for performance measurements, participating in debriefing workshops), and Integration of technological modules into demonstrators for testing by defence users. Proposals should describe work packages, tasks, and deliverables to enable clear assessment of completion, including participation in test campaigns and delivery of system descriptions.

Functional requirements include: State-of-the-art system performance (with quantitative information and references), Submission of software components for evaluation in the technological challenge, Integration into demonstrators with user-friendly interfaces and near real-time operation, and Demonstrators capable of running locally without wide area network connection (with justified exceptions).

The call document and annexes provide detailed information on admissibility conditions, eligible countries, financial and operational capacity, evaluation and award processes, legal and financial setup, application forms, budget tables, participant information, model grant agreements, and relevant regulations.

There are two topics: EDF-2025-LS-RA-CHALLENGE-DIGIT-HAIDO with a budget of 7,000,000 EUR and EDF-2025-LS-RA-CHALLENGE-DIGIT-HAIDP-STEP with a budget of 20,000,000 EUR. Both are single-stage calls, opening on February 18, 2025, and closing on October 16, 2025.

The call encourages partner searches and provides contact information for help and support.

In summary, this EDF call seeks to advance human-AI dialogue systems for defence applications by funding research, development, and integration activities. A key element is the participation in a technological challenge to ensure objective evaluation and promote trust and usability of these systems within the EU defence landscape. The focus is on multilingual systems that can handle classified information, learn from users, and provide explainable answers, ultimately contributing to enhanced decision-making and technological autonomy in the defence sector.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated but can be inferred to include entities capable of conducting research, development, and integration activities in the area of defence, such as research institutes, universities, SMEs, large enterprises, and other relevant organizations from eligible countries. The focus on consortia suggests a preference for collaborative projects.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically EDF Lump Sum Grants (EDF-LS).

Consortium Requirement: A consortium is required, as the call specifies that each consortium supported will benefit from a common testing environment.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States and Associated Countries.

Target Sector: The target sector is defence, with a focus on digital technologies, specifically artificial intelligence (AI), large language models, and human-AI dialogue systems.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the eligibility extends to EU Member States and Associated Countries.

Project Stage: The project stage ranges from research and development to integration and demonstration. The call encourages activities that generate and integrate knowledge, design defence products, and conduct feasibility studies. System prototyping, testing, qualification, certification, and development of technologies for increasing efficiency across the life cycle of defence products are not eligible.

Funding Amount: There are two topics: EDF-2025-LS-RA-CHALLENGE-DIGIT-HAIDO with a budget of 7,000,000 EUR and EDF-2025-LS-RA-CHALLENGE-DIGIT-HAIDP-STEP with a budget of 20,000,000 EUR.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of lump sum grants.

Application Stages: The application process is single-stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not mentioned.

Co-funding Requirement: The co-funding requirement is not mentioned.

Summary:
This European Defence Fund (EDF) call focuses on advancing multilingual human-AI dialogue systems for defence applications. The call aims to improve the performance, trustworthiness, and usability of generative AI, large language models, and chatbots in defence contexts. The projects should develop systems that can manage classified information, learn from users, explain their answers, and interact in multiple languages through both written and spoken interfaces. The selected consortia will participate in a technological challenge, using a common testing environment to evaluate their systems. The projects must integrate their solutions into demonstrators that can be tested by defence users. Eligible activities include research, design, and feasibility studies, with a focus on generating and integrating knowledge. System prototyping, testing, qualification, certification, and development of technologies for increasing efficiency across the life cycle of defence products are not eligible. The call is open to consortia from EU Member States and Associated Countries, and the funding is provided as lump sum grants. There are two topics, one with a budget of 7,000,000 EUR and another with a budget of 20,000,000 EUR. The submission deadline is October 16, 2025.