The European Union has formally approved a new €115 million programme to help smaller companies develop innovative defence technologies and move them from prototypes to operational use.
The Council of the EU adopted the regulation for the Agile and Rapid Defence Innovation programme, known as AGILE, on 12 October. The scheme is designed to support small and medium-sized enterprises, including start-ups and scale-ups, working on emerging or disruptive defence products.
Funding intended to speed up development
AGILE will focus on the development and testing of new defence products, including adapting civilian technologies for military applications. The programme is intended to help bridge the gap between a working prototype and technology that can be used by armed forces.
The EU expects grant decisions to be made within four months. Products and technologies supported by the scheme are expected to be capable of reaching armed forces within one to three years, depending on the project.
First calls expected in 2027
The regulation will be signed by the presidents of the European Parliament and the Council before publication in the EU’s Official Journal. It will enter into force 20 days after publication. The first call for proposals is expected in early 2027.
Illustrative image: Winston Chen / Unsplash. The image does not depict a project funded by AGILE.
