Programme for agile and rapid defence innovation: Council gives final green light
The Council today formally adopted the regulation establishing the programme for agile and rapid defence innovation (AGILE). This is a new €115 million instrument providing rapid, agile and targeted financial support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – including start-ups and scale-ups – developing emerging and disruptive defence products. The adoption follows the provisional agreement reached with the European Parliament on 15 July 2026, and the Parliament’s vote in plenary on 6 October.
Designed as a nimble complement to the EU’s existing toolbox of defence industrial instruments, AGILE will help SMEs move from prototype to operational capability. It will focus in particular on the development and testing of innovative defence products and technologies, including the adaptation of civil technologies for defence applications, in order to bridge the gap between development and deployment.
Ukraine has shown us that innovation and cutting-edge technology can be decisive for defence preparedness and resilience. AGILE gives SMEs an additional key instrument to do what they do best, innovate, only faster and at greater scale, turning technological excellence into operational capability.
Helen McEntee, Minister of Defence of Ireland
Main elements of the agreement
- focus on SMEs and disruptive innovation: support for SMEs, start-ups and scale-ups working on emerging and disruptive defence products
- fast-track grants: a time-to-grant of only four months, with relevant products and technologies expected to reach defence forces within one to three years
- mission-driven challenges: member states are involved in setting the challenges, so that the products developed meet their capability needs
- access to testing: fast-track access to testing and experimentation facilities, addressing a key barrier for SMEs in bringing products to market
- connection with defence industrial primes: dedicated matchmaking between SMEs and major defence companies, to increase uptake of AGILE-supported products
- simplified procurement of products supported by AGILE
Next steps
The regulation will be signed by the presidents of the European Parliament and of the Council and published in the Official Journal of the European Union. It will enter into force 20 days after its publication. A call for proposals is expected to take place at the beginning of 2027.