The European Cluster for Drone Innovation (ECDI) is inviting applications from manufacturing SMEs in the drone sector for the Dual-Use Drones Innovative Programme.

The programme supports SMEs that already operate in the dual-use drone market and want to advance their technologies while strengthening their innovation strategy, business models, processes and products for civil, digital, social and environmental applications.

Each selected SME will implement an Innovation Plan over a six-month programme, supported by technical expertise, mentoring, tailored services and direct financial support. 

Support Available

Selected SMEs will receive:

• Equity-free funding of up to €35,000 per SME.
• Individual assessment and roadmap definition.
• Mentorship throughout the programme.
• Tailored technical, regulatory, business and testing services.
• Training and internationalisation support.
• The possibility to participate in the Innovation Drone Alliance. 

The financial contribution can cover up to 80% of the Innovation Plan costs, requiring a minimum 20% co-financing contribution from the SME. The co-financing must come from the SME's own financial resources or guaranteed external financing and cannot be provided through in-kind contributions or personnel costs.

What the Programme Supports

The programme is designed to help SMEs:

• Advance the technological maturity of their drone products.
• Move their technology to the next Technology Readiness Level (TRL).
• Strengthen dual-use applications.
• Improve digital and green transition strategies.
• Address technical, regulatory, business and market challenges.
• Develop stronger industrial and supply-chain partnerships. 

Tailored Support Areas

SMEs can select preferred service tracks, with the final support package determined following the initial assessment. Areas include:

• Certification, Regulation & Compliance
• Technology Validation & TRL Advancement
• Internationalisation & Market Expansion
• Access to Finance & Investment Readiness
• Green & Digital Transformation
• Industrial Partnerships & Supply Chain Integration 

Who Can Apply

Eligible applicants must be manufacturing SMEs operating in the drone sector that seek to technologically upgrade their product and develop or strengthen dual-use applications.

Applicants must:

• Qualify as an SME under EU rules.
• Employ fewer than 250 people.
• Have annual turnover of no more than €50 million, or an annual balance sheet total of no more than €43 million.
• Have at least one drone product at TRL 6 or higher.
• Commit to increasing the product's TRL by at least one level during the programme.
• Be legally established and operating in an EU Member State or an eligible country participating in the EU Single Market Programme/COSME Strand.
• Submit the full application in English with all required supporting documentation. 

Eligible Countries

The programme is open to SMEs established in:

EU Member States, as well as the following countries participating in the COSME strand:

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Türkiye and Ukraine.

Technology Requirement

Applicants must already have a qualifying drone product at TRL 6 or above and provide evidence demonstrating this level of technological maturity.

Required evidence may include:

• Flight-test reports.
• Demonstration videos.
• Pilot customer reports.
• Certification documents.
• Operational deployment records.
• Independent validation reports. 

The programme aims to support SMEs in advancing their technology to the next TRL during participation.

What Is Not Eligible

The programme does not support:

• Applications focused solely on market access without product development.
• Software-only companies or SaaS providers.
• Drone service or operations companies.
• Data processing, analytics or AI companies without proprietary drone-related hardware.
• Consultancy, engineering or training providers.
• Companies commercialising solutions based exclusively on third-party drone hardware.
• Companies that do not develop and manufacture a tangible drone-related product, component, subsystem or infrastructure.
• SMEs with products below TRL 6.
• Applications that cannot demonstrate belonging to the dual-use market. 

Applicants must also not be bankrupt, under liquidation, an enterprise in difficulty, subject to relevant exclusion circumstances, or involved in prohibited double funding.

Eligible Costs

Funding may support costs directly connected to the approved Innovation Plan, including:

• External services and procurement.
• Equipment, components and consumables.
• Personnel costs directly involved in the project.
• Prototype development, pilot testing and validation.
• Eligible internationalisation-related travel costs, capped at €5,000 per SME. 

Subcontracting is permitted up to 10% of the total project budget, subject to justification and approval. Core dual-use innovation activities must remain under the responsibility of the SME.

Application Requirements

Applicants must complete the online application and provide information covering:

• SME profile.
• Innovation and its digital, social and environmental potential.
• Evidence of belonging to the dual-use market.
• Current development stage and objectives.
• Innovation Plan.
• Expected results and impact.
• Requested financial support and budget.
• Eligibility and compliance information.

Mandatory supporting documents include proof of SME status, an Ethics Questionnaire, Declaration of Honour, proof of co-funding and evidence of the product's TRL.

Evaluation

Applications will be assessed by independent evaluators against:

• Excellence and Innovation – 30 points
• Quality and Implementation – 40 points
• Impact – 30 points

Applications must achieve at least 50/100 overall and meet the minimum threshold for each criterion: 15/30, 20/40 and 15/30 respectively.

Number of SMEs Supported

The programme aims to support approximately 10 SMEs, with a total available budget of €350,000. The consortium reserves the right not to allocate the full available budget depending on the proposals received and evaluation results.

Programme Duration

The Dual-Use Drones Innovative Programme runs for six months. The programme journey includes onboarding and assessment, implementation of the Innovation Plan, mentoring and tailored services, a mid-term progress report and final reporting.

Key Date

Application deadline: 30 September 2026 at 17:00 CEST.

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted electronically through the Wiin.io online application platform:

https://3742003280.wiin.io/en/applications/dual-use-drones-innovative-programme

Applications submitted through other channels or after the deadline will not be considered. Each SME may submit only one application, and applications must be written in English.

Additional Information

Successful SMEs will be required to set up a PIC number as part of the funding process.