The Civil Drones Innovative Programme successfully closes its first cut-off
The ECDI consortium (European Cluster for Drone Innovation), led by Aerospace Valley, has reached a new milestone in the rollout of the CIVIL DRONES INNOVATIVE PROGRAMME with the closure of its first cut-off dedicated to innovative European SMEs in the civil drone and dual-use technology sectors.
This first call has confirmed the growing interest of European companies in innovative solutions applied to drone technologies, as well as the strong collaborative momentum within the European innovation ecosystem.
Strong mobilisation of European SMEs
Applications were received from more than 24 EU Member States and 3 COSME countries, and the programme recorded:
- 134 completed applications
- 111 administratively eligible applications
- 99 projects technologically evaluated
- 13 selected European SMEs
These results demonstrate both the attractiveness of the programme and the high level of competitiveness of the submitted projects.
A diverse European representation
The selected companies come from several European countries, illustrating the geographical and technological diversity of the ecosystem supported by ECDI:
- Cyprus
- Croatia
- France
- Greece
- Italy
- Lithuania
- Poland
- Turkey
- Ukraine
Among the selected companies are also several members of Aerospace Valley, including Aerix Systems, Outrevol and Pilgrim Technology, highlighting the dynamism and expertise of our ecosystem in the field of drone and dual-use technologies.
This diversity confirms the programme’s role in strengthening European synergies around drone innovation and emerging technologies.
Supporting SME innovation and growth
The selected SMEs now join the ECDI support programme, which includes:
- Dedicated mentoring
- Innovation and dual-use transition support services
- Personalised assistance
- Collaboration and networking opportunities
Each company will be assigned a dedicated mentor who will support them throughout the programme.
Next steps in the programme
Following the kick-off meeting organised with the selected companies, the coming weeks will be dedicated to the operational launch of projects and the gradual presentation of innovative solutions developed within the programme.
The ECDI consortium also wishes to thank all companies that participated in this call for the quality of their applications and their contribution to the dynamism of European innovation.
The second cut-off is already open
The second cut-off of the Civil Drones Innovative Programme is currently open for applications.
Innovative European SMEs wishing to join the programme — including those not selected in the first wave — are invited to apply or reapply before 15 June at 5:00 PM (French time).
This phase represents a new opportunity for companies in the sector to benefit from dedicated support for the development of innovative solutions in civil drone and dual-use technologies.
To follow the next steps of the programme and future calls, stay connected with ECDI consortium communications.