Defence Equity Facility

Launched in January 2024, the new €175 million Defence Equity Facility (DEF) under InvestEU  is managed by the EIF on behalf of the European Commission (Directorate General for Defence Industry and Space – DEFIS).

It aims to support venture capital and private equity funds that are investing in European companies developing innovative defence technologies with a ‘dual-use’ potential. Investments under DEF, as is the case for all EIF operations, are subject to compliance with the EIF’s Policy on exclusion and restrictions.

DEF’s resources have been provided as follows: a €100 million commitment from the European Defence Fund and an additional €75 million from the EIF. The funding period has been set for the next four years - currently until 2027, expecting to mobilise up to €500 million in investments at the level of beneficiary companies, including private sector participation.

The facility forms part of the EIB Group’s strategic priority to support the EU’s security and defence objectives, including other EIB initiatives such as the Strategic European Security Initiative (SESI).

Here at the EDF Info Days 2024, organised by EU DEFIS, our expert team was invited to present the Defence Equity Facility and participate in a Q&A with fund managers and interested participants.

This new funding opportunity will be accompanied by capacity building activities to assist managers in the development and management of their funds.

For further questions, please connect with the EIB Security and Defence Office, the EIB Group’s one-stop-shop for financial support and expert assistance. More information alongside an FAQ is also available on the EUDIS webpage.