National Registry Directory
Institutional access points, SME procurement policies, and official innovation offices by member state.
United Kingdom
Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) + DASA
Institutional SME Rating
Primary Entry Protocol
DASA Themed Competitions
Open calls published 3–4x/year at dasa.mod.uk. Up to £3M per project, 6-week decision cycle — fastest MoD route in Europe. No cold outreach required.
Other Entry Points
- ›DSTL CDE (Centre for Defence Enterprise)
- ›UK NSSIF (National Security Strategic Investment Fund)
- ›BAE HIVE Innovation Hub
Typical SME Contract Size
£100K–£3M (DASA) · £5M–£50M (DE&S programmes)
Time to First Contract
6–12 months (DASA) · 18–36 months (DE&S direct)
Key Innovation Programs
- ›DASA Open Calls
- ›DSTL CDE
- ›Future Combat Air System (FCAS/GCAP) supply chain
- ›Type 26 Frigate supply chain
- ›UK Cyber Command contracts
Official Engagement Guidelines
Apply directly via DASA portal (dasa.mod.uk) — they publish open and themed competitions. Subscribe to DASA alerts. Also attend DSEI London (Sept, biennial). Innovation Partners are reachable by email with a concise 1-page summary.
UK-only eligibility for most DASA competitions post-Brexit. EU companies need a UK subsidiary. DASA Phase 1 applications are not confidential by default — IP considerations apply.
France
Direction Générale de l'Armement (DGA) + AID
Institutional SME Rating
Primary Entry Protocol
DGA AID Innovation Calls (AAP Innovation Défense)
AID publishes Appels à Projets (AAP) 2x/year at innovation-defense.fr. RAPID grants up to €800K for dual-use tech. French language strongly preferred.
Other Entry Points
- ›RAPID Grant Programme (dual-use, up to €800K)
- ›SODIAM (software/AI track)
- ›EDF French consortium lead opportunities
Typical SME Contract Size
€200K–€5M (AID) · €10M–€100M (DGA programme contracts)
Time to First Contract
12–18 months (AID) · 24–48 months (DGA programme)
Key Innovation Programs
- ›AID AAP open innovation calls
- ›RAPID dual-use grants
- ›EDF French-led consortia
- ›MBDA Research Access
- ›Scorpion land vehicle supply chain
Official Engagement Guidelines
Apply to AID open calls (innovation-defense.fr). Cold approach to DGA programme offices requires a French prime (Thales, Airbus DS, KNDS) as intermediary. French incorporation or strong French partner significantly improves your odds. Attend Eurosatory Paris (biennial).
French language required for AID applications. DGA strongly prefers French-incorporated entities — 'strategic autonomy' is not a buzzword, it's a hard requirement. RAPID requires demonstrable civilian-military dual-use.
Germany
BAAINBw + CIHBw (Cyber Innovation Hub der Bundeswehr)
Institutional SME Rating
Primary Entry Protocol
CIHBw Fast-Track Innovation Sprints
CIHBw runs 12-month digital/AI/cyber sprints up to €4M with 2–4 week response time. Apply via cihbw.de. English applications accepted. Fastest Bundeswehr innovation route.
Other Entry Points
- ›dtec.bw civilian-military acceleration
- ›Bundeswehr Startup Pitch (annual)
- ›Rheinmetall / KNDS vendor qualification
Typical SME Contract Size
€500K–€4M (CIHBw) · €5M–€50M (BAAINBw programme contracts)
Time to First Contract
12–24 months (CIHBw) · 36–60 months (BAAINBw)
Key Innovation Programs
- ›CIHBw Innovation Hub (cyber, AI, software)
- ›dtec.bw deep tech acceleration
- ›IDZ digital soldier programme
- ›MGCS next-generation tank supply chain
- ›FCAS German industrial share
Official Engagement Guidelines
Apply via CIHBw open calls (cihbw.de) for digital and software solutions. BAAINBw requires Bundeswehr vendor qualification — approach via Rheinmetall or KNDS as prime intermediary. Attend ILA Berlin and DSEI Germany.
BAAINBw procurement is slow and bureaucratic — SMEs burn runway waiting. Focus on CIHBw for speed. German language strongly preferred for BAAINBw submissions. Data sovereignty is non-negotiable: solutions must run on German/EU infrastructure.
Netherlands
Defensie Materieel Organisatie (DMO) + NIDV
Institutional SME Rating
Primary Entry Protocol
DMO SME Days + NIDV Matchmaking
DMO holds quarterly SME Innovation Days open to all registered companies. NIDV membership provides direct MoD introductions. Most accessible MoD in Europe — decision-makers attend open events.
Other Entry Points
- ›NATO DIANA Dutch test centres
- ›EDF Dutch consortium participation
- ›Netherlands MoD Innovation Grants
Typical SME Contract Size
€100K–€3M
Time to First Contract
6–12 months
Key Innovation Programs
- ›Defensie Innovatie Fonds
- ›Joint AI pilot programmes
- ›Naval underwater systems (Damen/DMO)
- ›NATO DIANA Dutch cohort track
- ›F-35 Dutch supply chain
Official Engagement Guidelines
NIDV membership (nidv.nl) provides direct MoD introductions. Attend DMO SME Days (quarterly) and the Dutch Defence Industry Association events. Decision-makers are accessible — this is the best 'first reference customer' MoD in Europe before scaling to larger nations.
Small budgets relative to Germany or France. Best used as an early reference customer and proof point, not a primary revenue market. Dutch MoD will ask about Allied interoperability early.
Sweden
FMV (Försvarets materielverk) + SDIP
Institutional SME Rating
Primary Entry Protocol
Saab Innovations Open Calls + FMV Partnership
Saab Innovations runs open technology calls 1x/year. FMV accessible via SDIP (Swedish Defence Industry Program) membership. Sweden has one of the most startup-friendly MoD ecosystems in Europe.
Other Entry Points
- ›Saab Ventures equity investment
- ›SDIP co-investment programme
- ›Swedish Armed Forces direct collaboration
Typical SME Contract Size
€200K–€5M
Time to First Contract
9–18 months
Key Innovation Programs
- ›SDIP dual-use innovation
- ›FMV strategic partnerships
- ›Gripen E/F supply chain
- ›A26 submarine system supply chain
- ›Saab Innovations open programme
Official Engagement Guidelines
Saab Innovations runs the most accessible prime-sponsored open calls in Europe. FMV accessible via SDIP membership. Sweden has a close-knit defence ecosystem — attend Stockholm Security Conference and DSEI Nordic. Reputation matters: one bad interaction echoes.
Saab as prime is often mandatory for larger FMV contracts. Nordic defence is a relationship market — reputation matters more than in larger, more bureaucratic MoDs. Swedish language useful but not required.
Italy
Segretariato Generale della Difesa (SGD) + TELEDIFE
Institutional SME Rating
Primary Entry Protocol
Leonardo Innovation Hub Open Calls
Leonardo Innovation Hub publishes annual open calls for aerospace/electronics SMEs. This is the primary SME entry for Italian defence — direct SGD approach is very difficult without a prime sponsor.
Other Entry Points
- ›OCCAR Italian programme supply chains (PPA frigate)
- ›EDF Italian consortium participation
- ›Finmeccanica / MBDA Italy R&D access
Typical SME Contract Size
€500K–€10M (via prime supply chain)
Time to First Contract
18–36 months
Key Innovation Programs
- ›Leonardo Innovation Hub
- ›OCCAR Programme Italia (PPA frigate)
- ›EDF 2026 Italian research actions
- ›CAMM-ER missile supply chain
- ›Italian PESCO projects
Official Engagement Guidelines
Direct SGD approach is very difficult for SMEs without an Italian prime sponsor. Best route: apply to Leonardo Innovation Hub open calls, or enter via EDF consortium where an Italian prime is coordinator. Attend MSPO Poland and Rome Security Expo for Italian prime contacts.
Italian defence procurement strongly favours domestic companies. Foreign SMEs need a credible Italian partner or prime sponsor. Budget cycles are unpredictable — contracts can be delayed significantly post-award.