From civil to defence: funding and financing for European readiness

Europe is entering a new phase of defence readiness, driven by geopolitical pressures and the urgent need to strengthen industrial capacity, speed up innovation, and reduce strategic dependencies.  

EU and national funding and financial instruments are rapidly evolving. Civil programmes are opening to dual-use applications, new defence‑dedicated tools are emerging, and private capital is becoming increasingly active in the sector. 

PwC’s position paper, “From civil to defence: funding and financing support for European readiness,” provides a clear and practical overview of this changing landscape. It describes how the EU funding and financing architecture is shifting from fragmentation toward a coordinated approach supporting defence R&D, dual‑use technologies, industrial scale‑up, infrastructure, and joint procurement. 

The paper distils the most important developments in defence and dual-use funding and financing—and what they mean for your organisation’s next steps, including: 

• The evolution of EU defence funding across the 2021–2027 and 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Frameworks 
• The opening of Horizon Europe, Digital Europe, and Cohesion Funds to dual‑use and defence‑relevant projects 
• The launch of new defence instruments such as EDIP, SAFE loans, and the European Competitiveness Fund 
• Increasing engagement by commercial banks, national promotional banks, and the European Investment Bank 
• Growing private investment in defence and dual‑use technology across Europe 
• Key factors companies must assess when preparing to apply for funding 

PwC supports companies and public sector organisations across the entire defence funding and financing lifecycle. Our experts can help you: 

1. Shape and prepare successful funding proposals 

• Refine project concepts and ensure strategic fit with EU defence and dual‑use priorities 
• Develop robust business cases, financial models, and Technology Readiness Level (TRL) positioning 
• Guide you through EU, national, and regional funding instruments best suited to your objectives 

2. Build the right partnerships and ecosystem connections 

• Identify and connect with consortium partners across Europe 
• Support engagement with EU institutions, national ministries, regulatory bodies, and industrial stakeholders 

3. Secure financing and improve bankability 

• Prepare documentation and structure projects to meet requirements of the European Investment Bank (EIB), national promotional banks, and commercial lenders 
• Navigate eligibility rules, ESG considerations, and compliance obligations 

4. Support defence innovation, industrial scale‑up, and diversification 

• Align R&D, prototype development, industrial capacity expansion, and technology adaptation with available funding tools 
• Help companies pivot from civil to dual‑use or defence markets 

With deep expertise across defence, incentives, and EU financial mechanisms, we help organisations turn funding opportunities into concrete, deployable capabilities that contribute to European readiness.