BraveTech EU call: up to EUR 80,000 for bootcamp hosts, not startup teams
The current DefTech Forges call selects local organisers for March 2027 bootcamps. Applications close on 11 October 2026 at 23:59 CET under the updated guide. A separate participant call follows later.
- Deadline: 2026-10-11
Application deadline: 2026-10-11
See the call page for current conditions and closing time.
BraveTech EU is looking for organisations that can host local DefTech Forges bootcamps in 2027. The current application is for organisers, not the startups that may later attend. The European Commission's programme page links to the open call, and the version 2.0 applicant guide sets the deadline at 11 October 2026, 23:59 CET. Applicants should use the current guide and application form because the earlier programme announcement does not contain every operational condition.
Selected hosts would run a five-day bootcamp during 15-22 March 2027. They must bring together a venue, outreach to relevant teams, mentors and access to end users for practical feedback. The guide expects each local programme to engage 15-20 teams. The aim is to give innovators a structured setting to refine solutions and understand defence demand, not to certify products as fielded military systems.
The maximum support is EUR 80,000 as a lump sum. According to the guide, 75% is paid after a service agreement and 25% after completion, reporting and the agreed indicators. That schedule matters for an organiser's cash flow. It also means the headline amount is linked to a specified delivery obligation; it is neither an automatic award nor a per-team grant.
Who can apply and what to prepare
The guide permits public or private legal entities established in an EU Member State or an EDF-associated country, subject to control and resource-location conditions. Joint applications are possible if a coordinator is named. Applicants should check ownership, the location of facilities and their ability to provide the required programme infrastructure against the current guide. An attractive event concept alone will not cure an eligibility problem.
The Tally application requests a proposal of up to ten pages, three English-language CVs for key personnel and an ownership declaration, alongside other administrative information. These are concrete preparation tasks for a potential host. Applicants should verify the form and guide immediately before submission, especially where a legal entity, consortium or cross-border arrangement is involved.
What comes after the host selection
The guide anticipates results around 30 October. A separate call for participating teams is planned for 23 November 2026 to 8 January 2027, followed by the March bootcamps. Those dates describe the intended schedule and may be updated by the organisers. A startup looking for a place in a bootcamp should watch the later team call rather than apply through the current host form.
For regional ecosystems, the near-term opportunity is to assemble a credible local delivery partnership with defence users and qualified mentors. For startup teams, the useful action is to prepare for the separate selection stage. Keeping the two routes apart avoids mistaking a host contract for a startup grant or treating a bootcamp place as a procurement commitment.
Sources & context
- European Commission: BraveTech EU programme and open organiser call ↗
- DefTech Forges local organiser applicant guide v2.0, 17 September 2026 ↗
- Official local-organiser application form ↗
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