EDF 2026 call: new 25–35 kN turbofan engine for loyal wingman/UCAV

Scope:
An unmanned aerial vehicle used as unmanned loyal wingman/unmanned combat aerial vehicle requires specific performance for a variety of mission profiles to meet storage, deployment and operational requirements. In particular, an engine that provides optimum thrust and electrical power capabilities is required to meet these performance requirements.
Against this background, the aim of this topic is to investigate a new turbofan engine in the range of approximately 25-35 kN that meets all feasible military requirements and is capable of operating on kerosene, hydrogen (H2) and sustainable aviation fuel.
This topic contributes to the STEP objectives as defined in the STEP Regulation in the target investment area of defence technologies.
Targeted types of activities:
Generating knowledge, integrating knowledge, studies and design.
Indicative budget:
EUR 20 000 000 for this topic under the EDF-2026-RA-SI call.
The proposals need to build upon or integrate results that have been achieved within one or several projects funded following an EU programme call with a focus on civil applications and for which applicants will have the necessary rights to use and commercialise the results.
Indicative number of proposals to be funded:
Several proposals may be funded for this topic.

Conditions:
Conditions
1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout
described in section 5 of the
call document
.
Proposal page limits and layout:
described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.
2. Eligible Countries
described in section 6 of the
call document
.
3. Other Eligible Conditions
described in section 6 of the
call document
.
4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion
described in section 7 of the
call document
.
5a. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes
described section 8 of the
call document
and the
Online Manual
.
5b. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds
described in section 9 of the
call document
.
5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement
described in section 4 of the
call document
.
6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants
described in section 10 of the
call document
.
Call document and annexes:
Call document
Application form templates
Standard application form (EDF)
— the application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System
Detailed budget table (EDF LS RA)
Participant information (EDF)
List of infrastructure, facilities, assets and resources (EDF)
Actual indirect cost methodology declaration (EDF)
Ownership control declaration
Ownership control guarantee
PRS declaration (EDF)
Model Grant Agreements (MGA)
EDF, ASAP and EDIRPA Lump Sum MGA
Additional documents:
EDF Annual Work Programme
EDF Regulation 2021/697
EDF Programme Security Instruction (PSI)
Guidelines on FSTP implementation - WP2026
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment
EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement
Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual
Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions
Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement