The EU Council has finally approved the €115 million AGILE program for defense startups, Ukraine will be involved in it

On October 12, the Council of the European Union approved the AGILE defense innovation program with a budget of €115 million. It is intended to help small and medium-sized businesses, including startups, develop, test and deliver new defense technologies to armies more quickly.

This is stated in a press release of the Council of the EU.

The program was approved by the European Parliament on October 6. The regulation will now be signed by the Presidents of the European Parliament and the Council of the EU and published in the Official Journal of the European Union. It will enter into force 20 days after publication. The first call for applications is expected in early 2027.

In July, Babel, citing its own sources in the European Parliament, wrote that Ukraine would be integrated into the AGILE program. According to the source, Kyiv would not pay any entry fees, and Ukrainian developers would be able to take advantage of its capabilities.

The program also provided for a special RAZOM mechanism. It should ensure the access of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to weapons and technologies financed within the framework of AGILE and certified by the European Commission. The purchases were planned to be financed with an EU loan of €60 billion.

At the same time, one of the European Parliament officials told Babel that the biggest problem with this program is its small budget. According to the source, the program was approved at the end of the current EU budget period, when opportunities for additional funding are limited.

He suggested that the European Commission could find funds to expand the program if it shows results, or if the European Parliament supports an increase in funding.

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