MaJoR (Maintenance, Joining & Repair)

The MaJoR cascade calls fund SMEs/startups to demonstrate and integrate innovative maintenance, joining and repair technologies across air, land and sea. The scheme lowers entry barriers via small grants and targeted support delivered by the MaJoR consortium

This call lets you validate and showcase your technology in a real EDF flagship project. You can apply as a single SME/start‑up for up to €60,000 and a 6‑month programme. The application is light (max 5 pages) and evaluated per topic. Topics include hybrid structures, innovative joining, SHM/HUMS & embedded sensors, NDT for bonded joints, and digitalisation/AI for structural assessment and maintenance—tailored to air/land/sea. Opportunities for entrepreneurs: hands‑on mentoring/coaching, access to test infrastructure, and visibility with major defence primes/end‑users. Mandatory bootcamps are planned with leading players (e.g., Rheinmetall, Damen, Airbus) to accelerate business/technical fit. Successful teams can pilot on platforms provided by MaJoR stakeholders and strengthen their defence market entry. Eligibility prioritises EU/Norway/Ukraine SMEs; non‑SMEs only if no suitable SME is available. The programme is a low‑bureaucracy on‑ramp into the European defence supply chain. Results can feed back into MaJoR’s multi‑domain demonstrators, boosting commercialisation potential.

. The consortium is coordinated by NLR and includes leading partners such as Airbus Defence and Space, Damen, DLR, Fraunhofer and TNO across 10 countries. Your solutions can be demonstrated on relevant testbeds and integrated into domain demonstrators.