ReArm Funding 2026: Who Can Apply and How Much

ReArm funding is a business development grant that the Finnish regional centres for economic development (elinvoimakeskus) award to projects that support the defence industry and the manufacture of dual-use products. A dual-use product works in both civilian and defence use. The money comes from the EU programme Innovation and skills in Finland 2021–2027. Finland redirected about €300 million of the programme to strengthening defence readiness, and about €90 million of that is set aside for company projects. The rest goes to dual-use transport infrastructure.

Who can apply?

An SME. Fewer than 250 employees and turnover under €50 million or a balance sheet under €43 million. Ownership is counted at group level. Sole traders can also apply.
A developer or manufacturer of dual-use or defence products, including subcontractors in the value chain. There are no restrictions on company age, export volume or location.
Sound finances. The company can operate profitably, and its own share of the funding is secured, for example from revenue, an equity investment or a bank loan.

The recipient is always a single company. Group projects are not funded.

How much funding is available?

Development: up to 50% of eligible costs. The aid is in principle de minimis aid, of which a company or group can receive at most €300,000 in total over three years. Earlier de minimis aid reduces the amount.
Investments: the aid rate depends on the aid area and company size. For a small company it is 20–40% and for a medium-sized company 10–30%. Investment aid is not de minimis aid and has no separate ceiling. In practice the limit is set by the aid rate, your own funding share and the eligible costs.
The smallest grant is €10,000.

You can apply for both development and investment in the same application. Overheads need not be itemised: they are added as a flat percentage on top of direct costs, 7% for development and 1.5% for investments.

The budget is divided by major region. For example, the first Western Finland call had €4,133,000 available.

When to apply?

The first ReArm calls opened in April 2026, and the major-region calls cover the whole country. The calls are continuous: applications are processed in order of arrival until the region’s call period or budget ends. Call periods vary by region, so check the current call with the elinvoimakeskus in your region. Projects can run until 2029.

Call periods and the application channel vary by region. Call notices are published in the EURA 2021 service. In Western Finland you apply in EURA 2021, in South-Eastern Finland in the regional administration’s e-service (Aluehallinnon asiointipalvelu). Check the situation in your region and any further calls with your regional centre.

Allow time for the application. You will need proof of your own funding, quotes for purchases and expert services, and an up-to-date income statement and balance sheet.

What can the money be used for?

The focus is on projects that strengthen delivery capability and scalability, add production capacity or improve security of supply.

Investments: new machinery and equipment, intangible investments and building production facilities for the company’s own use.
Development: developing products, services and production methods for defence needs, adopting testing and evaluation environments, and internationalisation. Eligible costs include, for example, salaries, external experts, trade fairs, prototype materials and travel abroad.

The product or service must be close to market, and customer demand must be verified. Ordinary sales, marketing or production are not funded, and the money cannot be used to buy military equipment, ammunition or weapons.

ReArm Europe: what goes to states, and what can a company apply for?

The name comes from the EU’s ReArm Europe / Readiness 2030 plan, through which member states aim to mobilise up to €800 billion for defence spending. Most of it is state money. Member states get flexibility in the EU’s budget rules, and through the SAFE instrument (Security Action for Europe) they can borrow up to €150 billion in total for defence procurement. Finland’s SAFE share is €1 billion. A company does not apply for a SAFE loan itself; it benefits through state orders.

A company can apply directly for national ReArm funding from its regional centre. At EU level there is also the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP), whose work programme for 2026–2027 is €1.5 billion. EDIP funds, among other things, the expansion of production capacity, and its calls are published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

What we do

We find out whether ReArm funding suits your project and whether to focus on development or investment. We prepare the application with its attachments and handle the contact with the regional centre. Bureaucracy is our problem. We cover other funding options for dual-use companies on the pages Dual-use funding, EDF – European Defence Fund and Business development grant.

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