STEP boosting investments for EU defence

With the recent adoption of the Defence mini-omnibus Regulation, the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP), an EU initiative to fund critical technologies, can now support further investments in EU defence technologies. 

This is the result of the entry into force on 23 December 2025 of the ’Defence mini-omnibus EU Regulation: incentivising defence-related investment in the EU budget to implement the ReArm Europe Plan’. This legal act extends the scope of STEP (now focusing on digital, clean and bio technologies) to a fourth sector, namely defence technologies. It is complemented by the recent mid-term review of the cohesion policy regulatory framework, aiming at funding in the EU selected priorities including competitiveness (with STEP) and defence  

Taken together, these legal developments create new opportunities and incentives for the EU, for Member States and regions to support defence-related investments, including through the steering of EU cohesion policy funds. All funding calls available under STEP, including for defence technologies, is available on the STEP Portal.

Since its entry into force in March 2024, close to EUR 24bn of EU funding has been channelled to strategic technologies under the STEP banner, across 8 EU funding programmes.

To help STEP stakeholders, the Commission also published on 23 December 2025 a second STEP Guidance Note. The updated STEP guidance does not replace the first STEP Guidance Note (May 2024), which remains fully valid. Rather, it clarifies the scope of STEP as pertains to defence technologies as well as other elements relevant to STEP implementation. On the STEP portal you can find both the second STEP Guidance Note and the Defence Mini-Omnibus Regulation in the 24 EU official languages.