07/11/24 (Agence Europe) – The EU defence industry has submitted a record number of proposals under the 2024 European Defence Fund (EDF) calls for proposals, the European Commission has announced. A total of 298 proposals are competing for funding worth €1.1 billion for collaborative defence research and development (R&D) projects. According to the European Commission, this is the highest number of proposals received since the Fund was established in 2021, with an increase of 25% compared to last year (see EUROPE 13411/9). All proposals submitted will be subject to admissibility and eligibility checks by Commission services. The Commission, assisted by independent external experts, will then assess the scientific excellence and conduct an ethical review of all the projects. The results of the evaluation are due to be published in May 2025. (CG)