Commission unveils €115m AGILE rapid-funding instrument for defence innovation

The European Commission has approved a €115 million tool, called AGILE, to provide rapid funding for defence sector innovation.

The aim of the instrument, which was announced on 25/02/2026, is to speed up the development and testing of defence innovations and bring them to market.

The Commission hopes that AGILE will operate with a time-to-grant of just four months and provide technologies to reach defence forces within 1-3 years.

It is designed to apply to AI, quantum or drones as well as supporting small- and medium-sized businesses, including startups and scaleups.

Announcing the proposal, Henna Virkkunen, European Commission Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, said: "With AGILE, we are breaking down the barriers that have kept our most creative tech companies out of defence. We want to create a culture of rapid doing, making sure that Europe's SME's and startups can foster European deterrence and safety by delivering innovative solutions."

Andrius Kubilius, Commissioner for Defence and Space, said that the changes the Commission was proposing…