ECDI Dual-Use Drones Innovative Programme
1. What is the ECDI Dual-Use Drones Innovative Programme?
The ECDI Dual-Use Drones Innovative Programme is a six-month support programme funded by the European Union. It provides manufacturing SMEs operating in the drone ecosystem with equity-free funding of up to €35,000, mentoring, tailored services and training to accelerate the development of Dual-use drone products.
2. Who can apply?
Applicants must be manufacturing SMEs established in an EU Member State or a country participating in the Single Market Programme (COSME Strand), developing a drone-related product at TRL 6 or above and operating in the Dual-use market.
3. Are startups eligible?
Yes. Startups may apply provided they meet all eligibility requirements, including SME status, TRL 6 minimum, manufacturing activities and proof of belonging to the Dual-use market.
4. Which companies are not eligible?
The Programme does not support software-only companies, drone operators or service providers, consultancy or training companies, companies commercialising only third-party hardware, data analytics or AI companies without proprietary drone hardware, or companies without a tangible drone-related product.
5. What type of products are eligible?
Eligible products include drones, drone components, subsystems, payloads, propulsion systems, communication systems, ground infrastructure and other tangible drone-related technologies developed and manufactured by the applicant.
6. What does "Dual-use" mean?
For this Programme, a Dual-use product is a product, software or technology that can be used for both civil and military purposes, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2021/821. Applicants must provide evidence demonstrating their belonging to the Dual-use market.
7. How can I prove that my company belongs to the Dual-use market?
Applicants may provide supporting documents such as a Regulatory Compliance Statement, a Declaration of Conformity with the EU Dual-use Regulation, or a Letter of Interest from a Military Unit, Ministry of Defence or Ministry of Interior from an EU Member State or a COSME country.
8. What is the maximum financial support?
Selected SMEs may receive up to €35,000 in equity-free funding.
9. Is co-financing mandatory?
Yes. SMEs must provide a minimum financial contribution of 20% of the total Innovation Plan budget.
If an SME requests the maximum grant of €35,000, the total Innovation Plan budget must be at least €43,750, including a minimum SME contribution of €8,750.
The co-financing must come from the SME's own financial resources or guaranteed external financing and cannot consist of in-kind contributions, personnel costs or other non-monetary contributions.
10. Which documents can be used to prove co-financing?
Applicants must provide evidence that the required co-financing is already available or formally secured.
The following supporting documents are accepted:
Latest annual financial statements demonstrating sufficient liquidity;
Recent bank statements;
Official accounting certificate confirming the internal funds available;
Signed loan agreement or bank commitment letter;
Signed investment agreement or documents relating to a capital increase;
Official grant award letter (where compliant with EU double-funding rules).
Documents demonstrating planned or future fundraising without a formal commitment are not accepted.
11. What proof is required for TRL 6?
Applicants must provide evidence demonstrating the maturity of their product, such as flight-test reports, demonstration videos, pilot customer reports, certification documents, operational deployment records or independent validation reports.
12. What costs are eligible?
Eligible costs include:
Personnel costs of staff directly involved in the project;
Equipment, components and consumables;
Prototype development, pilot testing and validation activities;
External services and procurement (e.g. testing, certification or specialised technical services);
Travel costs directly linked to approved internationalisation activities.
Travel costs are limited to a maximum of €5,000 per SME and must be fully justified in the application. Applicants must explain how these activities will support the innovation of their product, facilitate access to a new international market and generate a concrete impact on their organisation. Costs that do not meet these requirements may be removed from the Innovation Plan.
13. Is subcontracting allowed?
Yes, subcontracting is permitted up to a maximum of 10% of the total project budget, provided it is duly justified.
However, subcontracting cannot cover the core Dual-use innovation activities. Tasks related to the design, development and ownership of the innovation must remain under the responsibility of the applicant SME.
Examples of eligible subcontracting activities include specialised testing or validation, non-core engineering support, regulatory or certification support, and specific studies or analyses that are not central to the innovation.
14. Can a company apply if it does not yet have a military customer?
Yes. Having an existing military customer is not an eligibility requirement.
However, applicants must provide evidence demonstrating that they operate in the Dual-use market, as required in the Guide for Applicants. Accepted documents include, for example, a Regulatory Compliance Statement, a Declaration of Conformity with the EU Dual-use Regulation, or a Letter of Interest from a Military Unit, Ministry of Defence or Ministry of Interior from an eligible country.
15. Can software be funded?
Software-only companies are not eligible.
However, software integrated into a proprietary drone-related hardware product may be eligible, provided the applicant develops and manufactures a tangible drone-related product, component, subsystem or infrastructure that meets all Programme eligibility criteria.
16. Can travel costs be used to attend trade fairs or international events?
Yes, where these activities are directly linked to the approved internationalisation strategy described in the Innovation Plan.
Travel costs must be justified during the application process and approved by the ECDI consortium during the evaluation.
17. What happens if mandatory supporting documents are missing?
If mandatory supporting documents are missing, the ECDI consortium may contact the applicant and request the missing information.
Applicants will have three (3) working days from the date of notification to provide the requested documents.
Failure to submit the requested documents within this period may result in the application being declared ineligible.
18. Can I apply if my product has both civil and defence applications?
The Programme follows the definition of dual-use set out in Regulation (EU) 2021/821.
Applicants must demonstrate that their product belongs to the dual-use market by providing the evidence requested in the Guide for Applicants, such as a Regulatory Compliance Statement, a Declaration of Conformity with the EU Dual-use Regulation, or a Letter of Interest from a Military Unit, Ministry of Defence or Ministry of Interior from an eligible country.
If you are unsure whether your product meets the Programme requirements, we encourage you to contact the ECDI Helpdesk before submitting your application.
19. Can I submit more than one application?
No. Each SME may submit only one application to this Open Call. If multiple applications are submitted, only the latest submitted version will be considered.
20. Can I update my application after submitting it?
Yes. Applications may be modified before the submission deadline.
Requests to reopen a submitted application must be sent no later than two calendar days before the deadline. After the deadline, applications can no longer be modified.
21. How many service tracks can I choose?
Applicants must select up to three preferred service tracks in the application form.
Following the initial assessment, the final package of tailored services will be defined jointly by the SME and the ECDI consortium according to the company's needs and the Programme objectives.
22. Are all Programme activities mandatory?
Some activities are mandatory for all selected SMEs, including the initial assessment, mentoring and participation in at least three consortium services defined in the Innovation Plan.
Other activities, such as internationalisation support and participation in the Innovation Drone Alliance, are optional.
23. How will the funding be paid?
The financial support is paid in three instalments:
40% after signature of the Grant Agreement;
30% after approval of the mid-term report;
30% after approval of the final report.
24. How are applications evaluated?
Eligible applications are evaluated against three criteria:
Excellence & Innovation (30 points)
Quality & Implementation (40 points)
Impact (30 points)
To be considered for selection, proposals must obtain:
at least 50/100 overall;
at least 15/30 for Excellence & Innovation;
at least 20/40 for Quality & Implementation;
at least 15/30 for Impact.
25. How many SMEs will be selected?
The Programme intends to support around 10 SMEs, subject to the quality of applications received and the available budget.
26. Can I ask whether my company is eligible before applying?
Yes. If you are unsure whether your company or product meets the eligibility requirements, you are encouraged to contact the ECDI Helpdesk before submitting your application.
Please provide a brief description of your company, your product, its current Technology Readiness Level (TRL), and any available evidence supporting its Dual-use positioning. The ECDI team will provide preliminary guidance based on the information provided.
Please note that this preliminary guidance does not constitute a formal eligibility decision. Final eligibility will only be determined after the official evaluation of the submitted application.
27. Who can I contact if I have questions?
If you have any questions regarding your eligibility or the application process, please contact the ECDI Helpdesk:
carbon@aerospace-valley.com
vidal@aerospace-valley.com
This project has received funding from the European Union's Single Market Programme (call: SMP-COSME-2024-CLUSTER-01) under Grant Agreement no. 101236201.
This project is implemented under the Euroclusters programme and complies with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation – GDPR). Any personal data collected within the framework of the project are processed solely for the purposes of project implementation, communication, dissemination activities and reporting to the European Commission. The project coordinator acts as the data controller. Personal data are processed lawfully, fairly and transparently, and are protected by appropriate technical and organisational measures. Personal data will not be shared with third parties outside the project consortium, unless required by law or by the funding authority. Data subjects have the right to access, rectify or erase their personal data in accordance with GDPR.
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EISMEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.