EUDIS Business Accelerator Cohort 4: €120,000 non-dilutive funding for defence and dual-use start-ups, Ukrainian companies eligible, apply by 20 November 2026

The European Commission, under the EU Defence Innovation Scheme (EUDIS), has published the call for applications for Cohort 4 of the EUDIS Business Accelerator. The initiative is designed to support 20 start-ups and scale-ups developing innovative defence and dual-use solutions, assisting them in scaling their technologies and integrating into the European defence industrial base.

Selected companies will receive a €120,000 non-dilutive seed voucher linked to performance milestones, alongside over 300 hours of technical and business mentoring, testing facility access and five on-site bootcamps across Europe. The three best companies of the cohort compete for additional €50,000 prizes.

The application window closes on 20 November 2026. The acceleration programme is scheduled to run for eight months, beginning in March 2027 following evaluation and online pitch rounds.

What is funded

The accelerator provides each selected company with €120,000 in non-dilutive seed funding. The voucher is awarded based on progress against predefined technical and business milestones agreed upon at the start of the accelerator.

Beyond direct financial assistance, the programme offers over 300 hours of dedicated coaching and workshops led by defence industry professionals, military end-users, and investors. The three best companies in the cohort also compete for additional €50,000 prizes.

Participants receive access to physical workspaces at designated accelerator sites and guidance to utilize specialized testing facilities across Europe. Additionally, the programme includes five on-site bootcamps, each running for two to three days, focused on ecosystem networking and field validation.

Who can apply

The call is open to start-ups and scale-ups developing technologies with clear applications for the defence sector or dual-use environments. A total of 20 enterprises will be admitted into Cohort 4.

Eligible entities must be legally established in one of the 27 European Union Member States or in European Defence Fund (EDF) associated countries. Ukrainian start-ups and scale-ups are explicitly confirmed as eligible to apply.

Applicants must satisfy security and ownership rules stipulating that they cannot be subject to control by entities from non-associated third countries.

Conditions and requirements

Selected companies must commit to the full eight-month programme duration starting in March 2027. Founders and key team members are expected to take part in site visits, panel discussions, interactive workshops, and the five physical bootcamps across Europe.

The €120,000 seed voucher is performance-based: it depends on progress toward the technical and business objectives set during the onboarding phase of the accelerator.

Practical tip. Prepare your corporate structure documentation in advance to verify the absence of control from non-associated third countries, and structure your accelerator targets around concrete technology validation steps that can be demonstrated during the eight-month timeframe.

How to apply

Applications must be completed and submitted online via the official EUDIS Business Accelerator platform before the deadline on 20 November 2026. An information webinar on the programme took place on 29 October 2026, and answers to common questions are collected in the FAQ on the programme website.

Pre-selected candidates will be invited to participate in online pitching sessions held between 14 December and 16 December 2026. Final selection results will determine the 20 companies entering the spring 2027 cohort.

Applications are submitted on the donor’s page: eudis-business-accelerator.eu.