Navigating EU Defense Funding: Policy, Compliance and TRL Stages

​Europe is reshaping how it funds defense innovation, with a clear focus on “New Defense” players: start-ups, scale-ups and dual-use deep tech. This introductory online session gives you a general overview of how EU defense funding works. It covers the policy framework behind current funding priorities, what to keep in mind when building defense and dual-use technology, and how funding works across TRL stages.

​Part 1. The EU policy framework
The policies already implemented or being put in place that determine funding priorities and eligibility:

• ​White Paper on European Defence Readiness 2030

• ​ReArm Europe

• ​Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030 and its flagship projects

• ​The Defence Industry Transformation Roadmap and its focus on start-ups, scale-ups and dual-use deep tech

​Part 2. Building defense and dual-use technology

• ​Military, dual-use and civil: where the lines are, and why classification decides which funding, customers and export rules apply

• ​Who the customer is: ministries of defense, procurement agencies, primes, NATO agencies, joint procurement for emerging and disruptive technologies, and Ukraine as partner and test environment

• ​Compliance as part of design: export controls, security clearances, ownership and control rules (including the defense mini-omnibus changes), IP, and how investors view defense under EU sustainable finance rules

• ​Designing for the new battlefields: modularity, open architectures, software-defined systems and fast iteration, alongside the standards and testing military users still require

​Part 3. Funding across TRL stages

• ​TRLs explained: what each level means, what evidence you need, common self-assessment mistakes, and how EU, NATO and DoD definitions differ

• ​Funding map by stage and what to expect when applying

• ​Grants, procurement and equity compared: consortium rules, funding rates, timelines, and combining instruments as your company grows

• ​Future horizons: the proposed European Competitiveness Fund and its defense and space window

• ​Where to start: a short checklist for your next step, and who can get you into the conversation before you apply

​Speaker: Maria Nenkova, EU Programmes & Projects Manager, Infinitus Ltd.

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