The AGILE programme will distribute grants between one and five million euros
EU negotiators on Wednesday evening agreed on a new short-term €115 million funding programme to support small defence businesses and their disruptive innovations in 2027.
The AGILE programme will distribute grants between one and five million euros for defence projects by smaller players in the industry that otherwise struggle to receive financing from commercial banks that are still hesitant. The programme is meant to bridge the financing gap between development and scaling production.
“With AGILE, we are creating the conditions for new defence technologies to be developed, tested and deployed more quickly, so that innovation reaches Europe’s armed forces faster,” the Chair of the European Parliament’s Defence Committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, said following the agreement.
EU countries and the Parliament found a quick agreement following the presentation of the text by the Commission four months ago.
