Open Call for Cutting-Edge Defence Solutions
OpenDescription
The BattleVerse 1st Open Call aims to support the development and validation of innovative technological solutions that contribute to advanced mission planning, simulation, training and execution in defence related environments. Selected applicants will implement a six-month experiment, developing and demonstrating their proposed solution and assessing its potential contribution to the BattleVerse ecosystem. Proposals shall address one of the following three technical topics: Topic 1: LLMs for strategic decision-making, symbolic reasoning, game theory and planning under uncertainty. Experiments under this topic will explore the use of Large Language Models (LLMs) and AI-based approaches to support strategic decision-making and mission planning, including symbolic reasoning, game-theoretic modelling, planning under uncertainty and human-in-the-loop approaches. Topic 2: Multi-physics simulation capabilities for multi-domain defence environments. Experiments selected under this topic should explore and demonstrate simulation approaches capable of modelling complex operational environments and interactions across multiple warfare domains. Topic 3: Distributed AI for autonomous systems (UxVs) with for coordinated swarm operations. Experiments selected under this topic should explore and demonstrate how autonomous systems powered by machine learning and distributed AI can support coordinated multi-UxV operations in complex operational environments. Across the three topics, proposed experiments should demonstrate a clear technological contribution, a credible implementation approach and the potential to advance the capabilities of the BattleVerse simulation environment. Experiments are expected to achieve at least TRL 5 by the end of the six-month implementation period. Selected beneficiaries will also have access to targeted coaching and guidance activities provided by the BattleVerse consortium. These activities will support applicants in addressing relevant technical challenges related to the development, integration, testing and validation of their solutions. The selected beneficiaries will remain fully responsible for the implementation and delivery of their experiments.
Beneficiary & submission
The BattleVerse project, a European Defence Fund Development Action co-funded under grant agreement No 101224034, foresees the provision of Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP), also referred to as Cascade Funding, to support innovative experiments contributing to the objectives of the project.
The BattleVerse 1st Open Call is designed to support innovative experiments contributing to the development and validation of advanced technologies for mission planning, simulation, training and execution in defence-related environments. The Open Call primarily targets SMEs, including start-ups, and will provide selected beneficiaries with financial support to implement experiments over a period of six months.
The Open Call covers three technical topics designed to advance next-generation defence simulation capabilities. Applicants are invited to propose innovative solutions in AI-enabled decision support (including Machine Learning, LLMs, strategic decision-making and human-in-the-loop AI), advanced modelling and simulation (including MSaaS, Digital Twins and multi-domain simulation environments), or autonomous defence systems (including unmanned vehicles, distributed AI and swarm operations).
Proposal applications must be submitted exclusively via the BattleVerse Submission Portal.
Experiments may be implemented by a single SME or start-up, or by an eligible consortium of up to three beneficiaries. Participation of entities other than SMEs, including RTOs and academic institutions, may only be accepted where no suitable SME is available to provide the specific capacity or expertise required for the successful implementation of the experiment, and such participation must be duly justified in the proposal.
The proposal must be written in English in all mandatory parts to be eligible. The project description shall not exceed 15 pages as indicated in the Proposal Template. Only a proposal included in the Proposal Template will be reviewed by Evaluators. The evaluation will be performed per topics. Applications submitted by email, post, or any means other than the one described above will not be considered.
The assessment of the Call will follow transparent evaluation criteria, lump-sum funding modalities, and strict governance procedures in full compliance with the corresponding EDF's Model Grant Agreement.
The eligibility criteria applicable to the BattleVerse 1st Open Call reflect the relevant requirements of the European Defence Fund and the specific conditions established for Financial Support to Third Parties. To be eligible, applicants must:
- Be a legal private entity qualifying as Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise as defined by the European Commission. Entities other than SMEs may participate only in duly justified cases where the specific capacity or expertise required for the experiment cannot be provided by an available eligible SME.
- Applicants must be legal entities established in any of the countries eligible for this open call: A EU27 Member State or Norway or Ukraine. This follows country eligibility criteria under the EDF as well as the Commission Implementing Decision of 29 January 2025 (C(2025) 568 final
- EDF-funded activities are subject to specific ownership and control requirements in accordance with Article 9 EDF Regulation. To be eligible for this Call, entities must be established in an EU Member State, Norway or Ukraine. Applicants controlled by an entity from a non-eligible country will be excluded.
- Applicants must comply with all eligibility criteria defined in this Guide for Applicants, including requirements related to geographical scope, ownership control, security requirements, conflict of interest and data protection. These conditions are aligned with the applicable rules of the European Defence Fund, tailored to the reality of financial support to third parties.
- Applicants must have the know-how, qualifications and resources to successfully implement the projects and contribute their share (including sufficient experience in projects of comparable size and nature).
- Applicants to this Call must submit the Ownership Control Declaration.
- Comply with ethics requirements as defined in Article 7 of EDF Regulation.
- Comply with security requirements of the Call.
- Comply with financial capacity requirements of the Call.
- Comply with any other specificity of the Call.
- Not have any conflict of interest with BattleVerse consortium partners.
Further information
An online info session for this Call will take place on 6 October 2026 at 10:00 CET.
The call conditions financial support to the third parties call conditions and any complementary information for applicants are available on the project website at the following links: BattleVerse Open Calls and BattleVerse Submission Portal.