The Council of the EU adopted the AGILE regulation in under seven months after the Commission tabled it in March 2026, with Parliament thanked for the swift passage. The 115 million euro funding tool will back between 20 and 30 projects through two tracks, mission-driven development of disruptive defence products and market delivery to get solutions into actual markets, and lets firms claim costs retroactively up to three months before a call closes. Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen said AGILE shows Europe is eager to lead in defence innovation, while Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said Ukraine shows modern warfare is won by those who innovate fast; the programme becomes fully operational in early 2027.
EU adopts 115 million euro AGILE rapid defence innovation programme
The EU Council adopted a new regulation creating AGILE, a 115 million euro programme to move disruptive defence technology from lab to field at record speed, backing 20 to 30 projects at up to 100 percent of eligible costs with grants awarded in four months.
Why it matters: The programme is the EU's dedicated fast lane for defence-tech startups and SMEs, with funded technology meant to reach forces within one to three years and eligibility extended to Ukrainian and EFTA-EEA firms.
Data as of Monday, October 12, 2026 (ET): the European Commission press release (IP/26/2132, dated October 11, 2026, Brussels) was opened and read in full via the live browser. Single-sourced to the Commission's account; no secondary coverage seen yet.
Sources
- Commission welcomes adoption of €115 million 'AGILE' programme for rapid defence innovation · European Commission · 2026-10-12