ERDYN US 
Bringing external expertise into a European project through cascade funding.
With an estimated total budget of EUR 12.4 million, including up to EUR 9.8 million from the European Defence Fund (EDF), D-STORM is coordinated by MBDA Italia and brings together 15 partners from eight European countries. The project aims to develop interoperable, affordable and mass-producible Loitering Munitions (LM) and Unmanned Combat Aerial Systems (UCAS), tailored to modern saturation warfare and European strategic needs. It will define modular, Plug & Play system architectures combining low-cost hardware with advanced software to maximise operational effect while minimising unit and logistic costs.
To bring complementary expertise into this work, and in line with the European Commission’s requirements, the project plans three calls with a total allocation of EUR 600,000 under its Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) programme, also known as cascade funding. Coordinated by Erdyn with the consortium partners, the programme enables entities outside the consortium to receive financial support for defined contributions to the project.
The first call opened on 9 November 2026, under the title “Loitering Munitions & UCAS: Use Cases, Scenarios and CONOPS”. It seeks first-hand experience or well-substantiated operational insights, particularly from the Ukrainian conflict, to inform D-STORM’s concepts of operations and requirements. Selected organisations will contribute through structured recommendations, questionnaires, interviews and exchanges with the project teams to identify operational gaps, constraints and emerging needs.
With a total budget of EUR 90,000, the call offers up to EUR 10,000 per selected recipient for contributions lasting up to four weeks. It primarily targets SMEs and start-ups established in EU Member States, Norway or Ukraine. Its launch marks the first milestone in D-STORM’s implementation!
Discover the first D-STORM call and application details.
Erdyn’s role in preparing and launching the FSTP call
Preparing this first call meant translating the consortium’s technical expectations into an opportunity that external organisations could understand and respond to. Working with the partners, Erdyn prepared the application package[1], ensuring that the contributions described in the Guide for Applicants[2] were reflected in the application form[3] and evaluation grid[4]. Feedback from the consortium and the European Commission’s Project Officer was incorporated throughout this preparation.
Alongside this work, Erdyn set up the online application platform and prepared the communication materials. Outreach targeted both potential applicants and organisations able to reach them, including Ukrainian and European clusters, industry associations and innovation networks. The objective was to reach organisations whose experience could make a relevant contribution to D-STORM.
Managing the programme beyond the launch
Opening the call is one step in a longer process. The next stages cover applicant enquiries, eligibility checks, evaluation, contracting and the follow-up of selected contributions.
Erdyn also coordinates implementation with the consortium partners, linking the administration of the funding scheme with the technical teams responsible for assessing and using those contributions. Experience from this first call will also inform the preparation of D-STORM’s next two calls.
This work builds on Erdyn’s cascade funding experience with the Normandy Region earlier this year, as part of ECIV, a project with a total budget of EUR 27.2 million. The assignment included recruiting external evaluators, giving Erdyn further practical experience in organising the assessment process, an important stage now being prepared within D-STORM.
These assignments illustrate how the design of a funding scheme shapes its delivery. Clear expectations help attract relevant applicants; consistent criteria support evaluation; and appropriate contractual and monitoring arrangements establish how selected contributions will be delivered. Each programme requires these elements to be adapted to its objectives, its participants and the resources available to manage it.
For a consortium, anticipating these requirements means being ready both to launch a call and to manage what follows. Erdyn brings this implementation experience to the preparation and management of FSTP programmes, working alongside partners throughout the process.
Planning an FSTP programme within your European project? Contact Erdyn to discuss how to structure your calls and organise their delivery.
The D-STORM project (101301002) is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
[1] Application package: The complete set of documents setting out the call’s scope, eligibility conditions, application requirements, evaluation process and funding terms.
[2] Guide for Applicants: The reference document explaining who can apply, what contributions are expected, and how to prepare and submit an application.
[3] Application form: The structured form through which applicants present their organisation, relevant experience and proposed contribution.
[4] Evaluation grid: The assessment framework defining the criteria, scoring methodology, weights and thresholds used to evaluate applications.
