Free · EDF 2026 · SME Guide

EDF 2026 Consortium Checklist

A structured 6-section checklist for SMEs preparing an EDF 2026 application. Covers eligibility, consortium composition, IP strategy, budget structure, exploitation plan and submission essentials. Use it as your internal project tracker — or print it.

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Eligibility & baseline

Confirm the fundamentals before investing time in the proposal.

Legal entity is established in an EU Member State or associated country (Norway).No third-country control or beneficial ownership that would trigger exclusion under Art. 9 EDF Regulation.

No involvement of non-associated third-country entities in project execution (unless strict derogation applies).

At least one SME in the consortium (or SME-led for dedicated SME calls).

Security clearance requirements identified for the specific topic (CONFIDENTIEL UE / SECRET UE if applicable).

Export-control implications (dual-use vs. ITAR / EU arms transfer rules) reviewed with legal counsel.

Consortium composition

The 3-country rule is non-negotiable. Design the consortium for both merit and politics.

Minimum 3 independent legal entities from 3 different EU Member States (hard eligibility criterion).

Geographic balance: at least one partner from a smaller Member State (political weight).

Technical complementarity mapped: no partner redundancy, no critical capability gap.

Coordinator selected with prior EU-project experience and administrative bandwidth.

Letters of Intent signed by all partners before proposal drafting begins.

End-user or Ministry of Defence endorsement secured (high scoring impact for DA calls).

IP & exploitation rights

The hardest negotiation. Settle it in writing before submission.

Background IP catalogued per partner — what each partner brings and under what terms.

Foreground IP ownership rules agreed: joint vs. individual ownership per workpackage.

Access rights for exploitation defined (royalty-free, FRAND, or negotiated).

Restrictions on exports to non-associated countries agreed in consortium agreement.

Member State approval mechanism for sensitive results (per Art. 24 EDF Regulation).

Budget & funding rate

Get this wrong and the proposal is unreadable to evaluators.

Call type identified: RA (up to 100% funding) or DA (20–80% co-financing, with bonuses).

SME participation bonus calculated (Art. 13 EDF Regulation).

Personnel costs calculated using approved methodology (hourly rates + productive hours).

Indirect costs flat rate 25% applied correctly.

Subcontracting limited and justified (avoid red flags).

Equipment & infrastructure depreciation allocated proportionally to project use.

Pre-financing and interim cash-flow modelled per partner (grants are milestone-based, not upfront).

Exploitation & impact plan

One of the 3 scoring criteria. Missing detail here costs proposals the award.

Clear path from TRL at project end to operational deployment (typically 3–5 years out).

Commitment letters from Member States to procure or continue funding post-project.

Commercial exploitation plan aligned with consortium partners' strategies.

Dissemination plan respects security classification constraints.

Gender & ethics assessment completed (mandatory section of proposal).

Submission essentials

Mechanics of the last 2 weeks before deadline — where avoidable errors happen.

PIC (Participant Identification Code) registered and validated for every partner.

LEAR (Legal Entity Appointed Representative) designated and active per partner.

Part A (administrative) completed with all partners 5+ days before deadline.

Part B (technical) within page limit — penalty for overlength is automatic rejection.

Declaration of honour signed by each partner's legal representative.

Dry-run submission via Funding & Tenders Portal 48h before deadline.

Deadline is 29 September 2026 at 17:00 CET — submit by 13:00 CET for safety.

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