R&D Defense 2026 Call: funding opportunity for technology companies

Key data

Technology companies and innovative SMEs have a direct opportunity to access public funding and defense contracts in 2026. The Resolution 370/38256/2026, published on May 25, 2026 by the General Directorate of Strategy and Innovation of the Defense Industry, convenes the selection process for R&D projects for the Coincident Program, the cooperation mechanism between the private sector, research centers and the Spanish Armed Forces for the development of strategic technologies.

This is not an academic call or a minor bureaucratic procedure. The Coincident Program is the formal channel through which the Ministry of Defense incorporates technological capabilities from the civil sector into its national security priorities. For companies that fit the profile, participating can mean public contracts, direct R&D funding and access to international defense cooperation networks.

What does this regulation establish?

The resolution opens an R&D project selection process capable of being integrated into the Coincident Program. The program's objective is to facilitate cooperation between three types of actors:

• Private sector (technology companies and innovative SMEs)
• Research centers and universities
• Spanish Armed Forces

Projects must be oriented toward the development of advanced technological capabilities of military and national security interest. The call does not finance any R&D project: it requires alignment with the defense priorities defined by the General Directorate of Strategy and Innovation of the Defense Industry.

Benefits for selected organizations include three concrete pathways:

Economic and operational impact

The economic impact of this call is not measured in a single subsidy figure, but in access to an ecosystem of public R&D funding that many technology companies have not explored. The defense sector represents one of the most stable sources of public funding and with greater budget continuity in Spain and in the European environment.

For a technology company or innovative SME, participating in the Coincident Program can mean:

• Revenue diversification: reducing dependence on private clients by incorporating defense public contracts.
• R&D funding without dilution: access to public funds for research without the need to cede equity participation.
• International positioning: defense cooperation networks open doors to European projects and strategic alliances with partners from other countries.
• Institutional validation: being selected by the Ministry of Defense strengthens the company's technological credibility with other clients and investors.

The operational cost of participating is mainly time and internal resources to prepare the technical proposal. This is not a call for massive open competition: selection is a formal process that requires a proposal well aligned with defense priorities.

Who does it affect?

This call is relevant for organizations that meet any of these profiles:

• Technology companies with developments in areas such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, advanced materials, secure communications, drones, robotics, sensing or space technologies.
• Innovative SMEs with active R&D projects that may have application in defense or national security environments.
• Research centers public or private with work lines in strategic technologies.
• Universities with research groups in areas of interest for defense.
• Defense sector companies already established that want to incorporate new R&D lines under the Coincident Program umbrella.

It does not directly affect companies outside the technological or research field, nor sectors without connection to technologies of strategic or security interest.

Practical example

A Spanish SME of 25 employees specialized in industrial cybersecurity has been developing a threat detection solution for critical infrastructure for three years. Until now, its market is exclusively private: utilities, industry and banking.

With the opening of the Coincident Program 2026, this company can present its R&D project as a technology of interest for defense, given that the protection of critical infrastructure is a national security priority. If selected, it would obtain public funding to continue development, access to military testing environments and the possibility of signing direct contracts with the Ministry of Defense, in addition to connecting with European partners in defense cooperation networks.

The result: a new line of stable public income, institutional validation of its technology and access to a market —defense— that it would hardly have reached through conventional commercial channels.

What should companies do now?

1. Review the full text of the call in the BOE (Resolution 370/38256/2026) to learn the technical requirements, submission deadlines and exact selection criteria.
2. Evaluate the fit of your R&D projects with the defense strategic technology priorities. It is not necessary to be a defense sector company: it is enough that the technology has application of military or national security interest.
3. Identify possible partners to strengthen the proposal: research centers, universities or complementary companies can increase selection chances.
4. Prepare the technical and economic documentation of the project with sufficient advance notice. Defense calls require a high level of technical detail and well-structured proposals.
5. Consult with a specialist in public R&D funding or in defense public procurement if it is the first time your company accesses this type of programs. The Coincident Program has specificities that are worth knowing before submitting.