EDF - basic overview

If you are seriously interested in EDF, we encourage you to review the attached presentation which will answer most of your questions. The presentation contains mainly information about the eligibility for EDF, an introduction to the different calls, the financial rules of the project and everything about the evaluation of the proposals.

EDF Info Days 2025 - presentation

Financial issues

The costs associated with the implementation of the call are divided into several categories (e.g. staff costs, equipment purchases, indirect costs...). Only eligible costs can be claimed from the Commission. Based on the detailed rules for the specific call, the Commission will only reimburse a certain level of eligible costs up to the maximum amount of the grant. All this information can be found in the detailed descriptions of the specific calls.

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Financial issues

The Commission uses two types of funding: 1) a grant based on actual expenditures and 2) a Lump Sum grant. The type of funding is determined by the Commission for each call in the work programme. The Actual Costs grant requires the maintenance of a record of actual eligible expenditure which is reimbursed on the basis of a funding rate for actual eligible expenditure up to a maximum limit set in the call. A Lump Sum grant is a type of funding where fixed amounts set out in the Grant Agreement are reimbursed based on the results achieved.

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Financial issues

The proposal you submit to the Commission includes a detailed budget. Depending on the type of funding identified by the Commission for each call, you will need to prepare the required documents. The Commission uses two types of funding: 1) a grant based on actual expenditures and 2) a Lump Sum grant.

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Proposed solution to the challenge

Commission evaluators will only evaluate complete proposals submitted by the deadline via the Commission's electronic tool (EU Funding & Tenders Portal). There are often difficulties with the portal in the days just before the deadline, so it is not advisable to leave submission to the last minute. The proposal must include all required documents and annexes. If the proposal exceeds the maximum number of pages, the extra pages are not evaluated.

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Proposed solution to the challenge

Several EDF calls are only open to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). For the other calls, it is possible to get bonus funding by involving SMEs and Mid-caps. The EDF aims to increase European competitiveness and broaden the SME base, so the level of SME involvement can be an important criterion for the Commission's evaluation of submitted proposals. If you are an SME or Mid-cap you will submit a self-assessment.
The general criteria for SMEs in the EU are: less than 250 employees and an annual turnover of up to €50 million.

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Proposed solution to the challenge

Only entities established in the EU and Norway are eligible to participate in EDF calls (a few calls are also open to entities from Ukraine). At the same time, the entity established in the EU or Norway must be majority owned by a beneficial owner (natural person) with EU or Norwegian citizenship.
An entity whose beneficial owner is not a citizen of the EU or Norway can participate in the EDF if it obtains security guarantees from its country of establishment and the beneficial owner is a citizen of a partner country (e.g. USA, UK, Israel...). Security guarantees in the Czech Republic are issued by the MoD and this is a possible but more time-consuming process, so it is advisable to apply for guarantees well in advance,

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Proposed solution to the challenge

Submitted proposals for EDF calls are evaluated by three teams of Commission experts. Proposals are evaluated using 8 criteria:
1) Excellence
2) Innovation
3) Competitiveness
4) EDTIB (European Defence Industrial Base) autonomy
5) New cross-border cooperation
6) Life cycle efficiency (for development challenges only)
7) Member States cooperation (for development challenges only)
8) Implementation
A maximum of 5 points can be awarded for each criterion evaluated. For research calls, criteria 1, 2, 5 are worth twice as much. For development calls, criteria 1, 4, 5 are worth twice as much. The maximum total score is therefore 45 points for research calls and 55 points for development calls.
When writing your proposal, we recommend that you focus on the evaluation criteria and describe exactly how your solution meets the requirements set by the evaluation criteria.

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Proposed solution to the challenge

A consortium submitting a proposal to address a development call must submit a minimum of two Letters of Intent (LoI) to the Commission with the proposal. These non-binding documents expressing interest in the product resulting from the call are issued by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The MoD has set a deadline of 15 August 2025 for the submission of LoIs.

The process for issuing LoIs is as follows:

1) The first step is to complete and have an authorized person sign the questionnaire, which can be found at the attached link (sample project proposal).

2) The completed and signed questionnaire should then be sent to the email address jaromir.truksa@mo.gov.cz.

3) The Industrial Cooperation Section will subsequently contact the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces to ask whether the results of the project can be used for the benefit of the Czech Armed Forces.

4) If the results of the project are applicable, the MoD participates in the preparation of the Letter of Intent and other necessary documents in cooperation with other partners (most often Ministries of Defence).

5) Signing of the Letter of Intent and other supporting documents.

Obtain LoI