BRUSSELS, 7th October, 2026 (WAM) -- The European Parliament has approved the creation of AGILE, a €115 million programme designed to provide rapid and targeted financial support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), including start-ups and scale-ups, developing emerging and disruptive defence technologies.
Parliament and Council negotiators provisionally agreed on establishing the programme in July 2026.
The legislation was adopted by 536 votes to 101, with 16 abstentions. It must still be formally endorsed by the Council before publication in the Official Journal and is expected to enter into operation at the beginning of 2027.
AGILE will provide fast-track grants and access to testing and certification, while allowing member states to help set challenges to ensure that technologies developed under the programme address the capability needs of their armed forces.
The programme will support emerging and disruptive defence technologies, including the adaptation of civilian technologies for defence applications, helping bridge the gap between development and deployment. It will offer a four-month time-to-grant and focus on cost-efficient solutions while seeking to reduce strategic dependencies on non-associated third countries.
AGILE will also connect SMEs with major defence companies, including through dedicated matchmaking initiatives aimed at increasing the uptake of products supported by the programme.