European defence hackathons 2026 and 2027

National call, Sweden

13 Oct 2026, 14:00 CET

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

Swedish innovation actors such as incubators, science parks and cluster organisations, alone or in a consortium coordinated by an innovation actor. Other participants can be companies, academia, research institutes or public authorities, and all must be legal entities based in Sweden.

Developing, testing and implementing new working methods for civil-military innovation collaboration, through feasibility studies, method development projects and application projects.

Up to SEK 300,000 for a feasibility study and up to SEK 2 million for a method development or application project.

Funding call for innovation environments rather than a competition for individual teams.

Bucharest, Romania

Registration open

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

Open to engineers, founders, students, researchers and mentors from across Europe and beyond. Registration is approval-based through the EDTH events platform and a community account is required.

Prepared defence and dual-use challenges plus participant-proposed projects, with feedback from people who have served on the frontline.

Hackathon runs from Friday afternoon to Sunday, with mentors from industry and the armed forces, prepared challenges and a Sunday demo day with winning-team pitches.

Overnight access to the venue is allowed.

Santa Margarida Military Training Area, Portugal, Portugal

Applications closed 4 Jun 2026

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

Stage 2 is limited to the 5 highest-ranked stage 1 winners. Entries had to be complete Class I aerial loitering munition systems with a maximum take-off mass up to 25 kg and an operational range up to 40 km.

Operational experimentation with loitering munitions under the HEDI Operational Experimentation Campaign 2026, run alongside the Portuguese Army ARTEX26 exercise.

Stage 2 prize fund up to EUR 1,800,000. Stage 1 awarded EUR 30,000 each to 5 companies and EUR 10,000 each to 5 more. Winners are announced at the EDA Annual Conference in January or February 2027.

Applications are closed. Listed because the field trial and the award both fall in the coming months.

Bucharest, Romania

Registration open

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

For European defence technology companies with a working system they can fly or drive on a live field site. Participation is approval-based through the EDTH events platform.

Live field testing of defence systems with setup, integration and dry runs on day 1 and three structured demo slots plus buyer matchmaking on day 2.

Three structured demo slots in front of end users, 1:1 matchmaking with ministries of defence, armed forces and procurement offices, and a moderated after-action debrief.

Trials and demonstration event rather than a hackathon.

National call with a 6-month accelerator programme, Sweden

6 Oct 2026, 14:00 CET

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

Swedish small and medium-sized enterprises with innovative technology that can be adapted for military defence. Participation in the accelerator programme is mandatory for funded companies.

Development and verification of technology for both civilian and military markets within NATO's priority emerging and disruptive technology areas, combined with a 6-month accelerator on business strategy for defence markets.

Up to SEK 1,000,000 per innovation project plus up to SEK 150,000 for accelerator participation.

Funding call rather than a hackathon. Applications close 6 Oct 2026.

National pre-acceleration programme, Latvia

18 Sep 2026

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

Startups developing military or dual-use products, services or technologies. Up to 10 startups are selected in the first call.

Pre-acceleration for defence startups, with mentoring from experts across 15 countries, access to end users and validation with the National Armed Forces.

EUR 1.2 million in total, with funding of up to EUR 120,000 per startup.

First call closes 18 Sep 2026 and the programme starts 6 Oct 2026.

London, United Kingdom

Registration open

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

Open to engineers, founders, students, researchers and mentors from across Europe and beyond. Registration is approval-based through the EDTH events platform and a community account is required.

Defence and dual-use prototyping across prepared challenges plus participant-proposed projects, with Ukrainian frontline practitioners and UK military mentors.

Hackathon runs from Friday afternoon to Sunday, with mentors from industry and the armed forces, prepared challenges and a Sunday demo day with winning-team pitches.

Part of the EDTH Defense Tech Days London series running 1-8 Oct 2026. No visitors during the hacking phase until Sunday midday.

Galicia, Spain. Applications through the public contracting platform, Spain

30 Sep 2026, 14:00

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

EU and non-EU companies and groupings of economic operators with proven experience in defence, security or aerospace and in high-technology R&D or commercial projects.

Pre-commercial development of dual-use equipment, systems and applications in security, defence and aerospace, answering needs set out in Annex 1 of the tender documents. Partners are picked through competitive dialogue.

EUR 40 million budget for one or more partnership agreements with selected partners.

Applications for the preliminary phase close on 30 Sep 2026 at 14:00.

Online application via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal, EU and Norway

29 Sep 2026, 17:00 Brussels time

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

Consortia of at least 3 entities from 3 different EDF countries, meaning EU Member States and Norway. One call is reserved for consortia coordinated by SMEs and research organisations and the other is reserved for SMEs.

Non-thematic research and development actions across any area of defence interest from TRL 4 upwards, including add-on development actions that adapt civil solutions for defence use.

Indicative budget EUR 35,000,000 for the research actions topic and EUR 30,000,000 for the SME development actions topic. Research actions are funded at 100% of eligible costs.

Funding call, not a hackathon. Topic identifiers are EDF-2026-LS-DIS-RA-SMERO-NT and EDF-2026-LS-DA-SME-NT.

Consortium-based challenge process, EU and Norway

29 Sep 2026, 17:00 Brussels time

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

EDF eligibility applies. Organising consortia should include at least three eligible legal entities in at least three EU Member States or Norway.

AI-based tactical situational awareness using swarms of small robots and drones, tested to TRL 6 in a common testing environment with experiment campaigns.

Indicative budget EUR 23,000,000 for the participant strand AISAP and EUR 7,000,000 for the organiser strand AISAO.

For consortia, not small weekend teams.

Hybrid programme with European bootcamps and online mentoring, EU and Norway

Next call opens early Oct 2026

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

European startups and scale-ups from EU Member States and Norway. Ukrainian entities can take part in matchmaking activities.

Business acceleration for dual-use and defence companies.

8-month programme. EUR 120,000 seed-financing voucher per company. Top 3 companies get EUR 50,000.

Accelerator, not a weekend hackathon. Cohort 3 is selected and started in September 2026. The next call opens in early October 2026.

Karlskrona / BTH Campus Gräsvik, Sweden

1 Mar 2026

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

Registered Blekinge Institute of Technology students; teams usually 2-5, with selected teams receiving support.

Maritime technology challenges including future naval defence, underwater situational awareness, LUUV subsystems, maritime drone training, GNSS-denied USV docking and autonomous mooring.

SEK 50,000 project stipend per selected team plus mentoring, lab access, resources and expert contacts.

Applications closed.

Tallinn, Energia Avastuskeskus, Estonia

10 Sep 2026

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

Teams of at least 3 members drawn from business, defence, technology, data, cyber security, logistics, urban planning, health and design. Open to participants from across Europe.

Smart and connected digital platforms, resilient critical systems and operational response, crisis readiness and communication, and integrated health and social resilience.

Funding pool of up to EUR 75,000 to support implementation, plus pilot projects and test environments with partner cities.

Applications closed on 10 Sep 2026. The event itself runs 24-25 Sep 2026.

Online submission, United Kingdom

22 Sep 2026, 12:00 BST

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

UK-registered businesses, sole traders and academic institutions carrying out the project work in the UK.

Counter-UAS interceptor sensors, one-way attack UAS seekers, platform survivability, telemetry data and maritime autonomous navigation.

Projects expected to cost no more than GBP 350,000, with proposals up to GBP 1 million considered. Projects must reach TRL 6 within 4 months.

UK submissions only.

Online qualification and Portuguese bootcamps, Portugal

Registration and training phase to 18 Jun 2026

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

Young cyber talent taking part through the official training platform and Team Portugal selection process.

Online Jeopardy-style CTF qualifier, advanced bootcamps and Team Portugal selection for ECSC.

Bootcamps, Team Portugal selection and preparation for the European Cybersecurity Challenge.

Team Portugal bootcamp dates are not yet published by organiser.

National call, applications submitted to the Ministry of Defence, Latvia

18 Sep 2026

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

Small and medium-sized enterprises in the Latvian defence and security industry, applying alone or in a consortium. Ukrainian businesses can join a consortium but cannot be the lead partner.

Integrated support for maintaining autonomous military platforms across data security, mobility, energy efficiency and protection in combat conditions. Priority topics are autonomous cyber defence and zero-trust security, autonomous military logistics and unmanned transport, energy-efficient hybrid propulsion and low-observability technologies, and smart remotely controlled anti-infantry defence systems.

EUR 2.4 million in total. Up to EUR 300,000 for an individual company and up to EUR 500,000 for a consortium.

Applications close 18 Sep 2026.

Online qualification with the final in Linz, Austria

1 May 2026, 18:00 CEST

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

Junior and senior finalist categories require Austrian citizenship, Austrian residence or enrolment in an Austrian educational institution; open category is available to all security-interested people.

Jeopardy-style CTF qualification with junior, senior and open categories, followed by team-based finale.

Finalist route to Linz finale and Team Austria selection.

Online qualifier closed on 1 May 2026; final scheduled for 14-17 Sep 2026 in Linz.

Online submission, France

15 Sep 2026

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

Research and innovation actors proposing work with both civilian and military applications at TRL 1 to 6.

Military operations in extreme hot and cold environments, covering soldier psycho-physiology, technology systems, human and social sciences and the physical and chemical characterisation of extreme environments.

No direct funding. Responses may lead to a later ANR and AID project call.

Expression of interest, not a funding call.

Pristina, Kosovo

Apply via Luma

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Hackers, founders, engineers, mentors and defence-tech community participants; hacker registration is approval-based on Luma.

Border security, situational awareness, counter-UAS, resilient communications, critical infrastructure protection, intelligence fusion, GNSS-denied navigation, crisis response and electronic warfare.

Registration is approval-based on Luma.

Brandenburg near Berlin, Germany

Apply via Luma

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Builders, EDTH alumni, early-stage startups, military operators, investors, procurement officials and industry leaders.

Field testing and live demos for drones, autonomous systems, counter-UAS concepts, communications systems, sensors and tracking.

Field-testing festival, not a classic hackathon.

University venues across Italy and national final, Italy

25 Jan 2026

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Young people aged 16-24 as of 31 Dec 2025, able to reach a participating university venue and attend the training and competitions.

Cybersecurity training, local CTF competitions, national Attack & Defense final and TeamItaly pathway.

Training, local competitions, national final, meals and accommodation at the national competition, and route toward international cyber competitions.

National final exact July dates not yet published on the official rules page.

Brave1 portal, Ukraine and NATO testing routes, Ukraine and NATO

Application portal opened May 2026

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Legal entities registered in Ukraine or NATO jurisdictions; no Russia, Belarus or Iran ties; no state-owned companies, humanitarian organisations or individuals.

Active protection against FPV drones, Counter-Shahed systems, SIGINT and electromagnetic capabilities, autonomous guidance systems and high-altitude platforms.

EUR 10m first-competition budget; up to EUR 1m per joint project, with testing via Test in Ukraine and possible NATO testing sites.

First competition winners expected July 2026.

Spain / defence R&D project selection call, Spain

27 Jul 2026, 23:59

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Entities able to propose R&D projects of interest to the Spanish Ministry of Defence under the COINCIDENTE programme rules.

Kinetic C-UAS interception and neutralisation, AI for tactical communications and electromagnetic-environment awareness, and onboard sensors for space surveillance and protection of defence space assets.

Defence R&D project selection and possible inclusion in the COINCIDENTE programme; funding terms are defined in the official BOE call.

Applications close on 27 Jul 2026.

Bundeswehr University Munich / CODE annual meeting, Germany

17 May 2026

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Individuals and teams from universities, research institutes, companies, startups, associations and organisations outside the Bundeswehr.

Cyber and IT ideas for military use: analytics, simulation, collaboration, communications, information security, geoinformation, infrastructure, cloud and IT management.

Pitches on 14 Jul 2026, prizes up to EUR 15,000 and possible demos or application tests with Bundeswehr-related offices.

Submission deadline extended to 17 May 2026.

Berlin, Germany

Apply via Luma

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Hackers, founders, engineers, mentors and defence-tech community participants; hacker registration is approval-based on Luma.

Challenges sourced from frontline partners in Ukraine, the EU and across NATO.

Registration is approval-based on Luma.

Online qualifiers and onsite finals at Luxembourg House of Cybersecurity, Luxembourg

Qualifier closes 1 May 2026

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Everyone can participate in teaser and qualifier rounds; ECSC path requires birth after 31 Dec 2000 and Luxembourg citizenship or permanent residency.

CTF, cyber range, forensics, reverse engineering, web security, hardware security, pwn, crypto, network, steganography and OSINT.

Cyber range finals, Team Luxembourg selection and ECSC preparation.

Qualifier closed 1 May 2026; finals on 11 Jul 2026.

France / application call, France

10 Jul 2026, midnight

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Entities able to propose innovative technical solutions and evidence for low-altitude object localisation and trajectory measurement.

Localisation and trajectory measurement of low-speed, low-altitude flying objects including drones, loitering munitions and guided munitions.

Technical and operational review by defence innovation and DGA stakeholders.

Webinar registration closed 6 May 2026; responses due 10 Jul 2026.

Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg

Apply via Luma

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Hackers, founders, engineers, mentors and defence-tech community participants; hacker registration is approval-based on Luma.

Dual-use and defence technology prototyping with operator, public-sector and investor feedback.

Registration is approval-based on Luma.

Rome, Italy

Apply via Luma

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Hackers, founders, engineers, mentors and defence-tech community participants; hacker registration is approval-based on Luma.

Counter-UAS, SIGINT, autonomous interceptors, denied-environment communications and frontline defensive problems.

Registration is approval-based on Luma.

Accelerator sites across Europe and North America, NATO-wide

3 Jul 2026, 12:00 UTC+1/BST

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

Companies and innovators from NATO member countries, including early-stage innovators, defence-focused startups, established civilian businesses and SMEs.

Human Survivability; Multidomain Autonomy of Uncrewed Systems; Multidomain Sensing and Advanced Data Processing for Intelligence and Surveillance; Operational Resilience in Contested Environments; Responsive Logistics; Scalable and Adaptable Countermeasures for Air Defence.

EUR 100,000 Phase 1 contractual funding plus accelerator, mentor and test-centre access.

2026 application window. Cohort starts in January 2027.

Germany; Navy sandbox testing, Germany

2 Jul 2026

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Startups, SMEs, universities, research institutes and technology-oriented teams from EU and NATO countries.

Secure and disruption-resistant maritime communication, including cyber, RF, network, sensor and defence communication technologies.

Up to 6 teams selected for development, prototyping, validation, demo week and award decision.

Applications close 2 Jul 2026.

Portugal / Armed Forces innovation prize, Portugal

30 Jun 2026

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Applicants submitting ideas through the official EMGFA innovation-prize form and documentation route.

Energy production and storage for military autonomy, resilience and sustainability, including mobility, force sustainment, command-and-control systems and civil-emergency support.

Innovation-prize recognition and prize route; exact prize amounts should be checked in official regulation before publication.

Applications close on 30 Jun 2026.

London, United Kingdom

Apply via Luma

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Hackers, founders, engineers, mentors and defence-tech community participants; hacker registration is approval-based on Luma.

London hackathon with a linked Munich location and livestreamed sessions between the two cities.

Linked with Munich event on the same dates.

Munich, Germany

Apply via Luma

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Hackers, founders, engineers, mentors and defence-tech community participants; hacker registration is approval-based on Luma.

Munich anniversary hackathon with a linked London location and livestreamed sessions between the two cities.

Linked with London event on the same dates.

Oslo / Nordic hybrid, Norway

Application link live

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Nordic early-stage startups developing defence, security and dual-use technologies.

Defence tech, security tech, cyber security, autonomy, sensors and mission-critical technologies.

12-week accelerator with workshops, investor and partner network, pilot opportunities and Demo Day.

12-week accelerator, not a weekend hackathon.

Warsaw, Poland

Apply via Luma

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

Builders, mentors and defence-tech community members; hacker registration is approval-based on Luma.

European defence technology build weekend with startup, policy, engineering, investor and operator participation.

Co-organised with PFR according to Luma listing.

Thun Military Training Area, Switzerland

31 Jan 2026

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Companies and universities with robotic systems; event is aimed at military and public-security users, robotics researchers and industry.

Ground and aerial uncrewed systems in realistic military and civil scenarios: convoying, reconnaissance, robotic mule, search and rescue, casualty evacuation and explosive-remnants reconnaissance.

Non-competitive trial with realistic testing environment, demonstrations and direct user feedback.

Team registration closed.

France, France

16 Jun 2026

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

French companies and research organisations with an establishment in France; partners can be associated.

Protection and detection against abnormal behaviour, threats and attacks targeting agentic AI systems.

Support details not stated on the public page.

French establishment required.

UKDI online submission, United Kingdom

16 Jun 2026, 12:00 BST

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Innovators submitting through UKDI Online Submission Service; full eligibility is defined in the competition document.

UAS-deployable sensing for ground bearing capacity measurement and underwater river profiling for wet-gap operations.

GBP 2m total possible funding; several proposals expected across the two challenges.

Applications close 16 Jun 2026.

Warsaw, Poland

10 May 2026

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

Polish OT and ICS cybersecurity solution providers operating at least one year, based in Poland and meeting Polish-capital requirements.

OT and industrial-control-system cybersecurity for critical infrastructure.

10 finalists, awards and networking with OT operators.

Applications closed.

Paris, France

Apply via Luma

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Hackers, founders, engineers, designers, mentors and visitors interested in European defence technology.

Urgent defence challenges including Shahed-class and fiber-optic drones, target tracking across messy sensor setups, jamming resilience, low-cost sensing, AI and autonomy.

Registration is approval-based on Luma.

Gliwice Airport, Poland

Contact organiser

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

Academic and international teams; EDA page points applicants to the Droniada organiser site.

Unmanned aerial systems, autonomous systems and realistic mission validation.

Competition and testing exposure.

Academic UAS competition, not a startup accelerator.

Fast Track RFI and field testing with Hellenic Armed Forces, Greece

28 Apr 2026, 12:00 Greece time

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Greek defence ecosystem entities with mature solutions of high technological readiness, including TRL 7+ systems.

Unmanned systems, UxS, UAV ISTAR, loitering munitions, kamikaze systems, USV, UUV and ground-based counter-UAS systems.

Rapid consultation and field testing with the Hellenic Armed Forces; possible follow-on development route.

Consultation phase 4-9 May 2026; field tests 8-12 Jun 2026.

UKDI online submission, United Kingdom

10 Jun 2026, 12:00 BST

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

UK-based innovators including academia, individuals, SMEs and large companies; international companies need a UK registered business and UK-based project activity.

Biodetection and biosurveillance, AI diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines, and non-pharmaceutical protective systems for biological security.

Up to GBP 2m total funding; expected awards around GBP 100,000-GBP 500,000 across 5-7 proposals.

Applications close 10 Jun 2026.

Riihimäki, Joensuu, Turku and Latvia, Finland and Latvia

15 Apr 2026

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

Organisations with TRL 6+ solutions, including technology companies, startups and defence-industry actors.

Layered counter-UAS: detection and sensor fusion, AI-enabled command and control, situational awareness, resilient connectivity and unmanned-system integration.

Access to NATO experimentation environment, Finnish Defence Forces and Allied defence/acquisition stakeholders, DEFINE C2 AI Lab validation and future funding pathways.

Applications closed on 15 Apr 2026.

Final event at NATO Headquarters, Brussels, NATO-wide

11 Mar 2026

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

Young women aged 18-35 who are nationals of NATO member countries and are enrolled in or have completed university-level STEM studies, including social sciences.

Foresight scenarios for security and defence research: a day without space, power, internet, antibiotics or boots on the ground.

Up to 12 finalists recognised by the NATO Chief Scientist; three winners receive professional opportunities and further NATO STO engagement.

Closed but relevant 2026 route.

Innovation Funding Service; UK projects, United Kingdom

3 Jun 2026, 11:00 UK time

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

UK registered businesses or public-sector organisations can lead collaborative projects; each consortium must include at least one UK registered SME claiming grant funding.

Dual-use counter-UAS technologies for defence sites, airports, prisons, critical national infrastructure, schools and public events.

Up to GBP 5m total funding; project grant requests between GBP 300,000 and GBP 1.25m.

Competition closed on 3 Jun 2026.

Vilnius, Lithuania

Apply via Luma

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Hackers, founders, engineers, mentors and defence-tech community participants; hacker registration is approval-based on Luma.

Dual-use and defence technology prototyping with operator, public-sector and investor feedback.

Registration is approval-based on Luma.

France / application call, France

29 May 2026

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Innovators able to propose automated fake-video detection solutions for evaluation.

Automated detection of fake video, with or without audio, against state-of-the-art information-operation threats.

Evaluation route with French defence innovation and cyber stakeholders.

Applications closed on 29 May 2026.

Online county stage and Bucharest national stage, Romania

County stage on 24 Apr 2026

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

Romanian high-school students; middle-school participants can join as guests.

National Jeopardy-style CTF competition with simulations, county stage, national stage and national-team selection.

National-team selection route and cyber-training ecosystem exposure.

National stage held 15-17 May 2026 in Bucharest; selection stage 27-29 May 2026.

Pan-European student competition; awards in Brussels, Europe

15 Jan 2026 first-stage proposal

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

Undergraduate and graduate students from European universities, vocational education and training centres, and other education institutions; students are encouraged to team up across universities or countries.

From STEM to strategy: aerospace and defence future skills, STEM education, strategy and the defence ecosystem.

Finalist travel and accommodation for Brussels awards, EU institution visit, stakeholder meetings, glider-flight vouchers, recognition and certificates.

Second-stage proposal deadline was 24 Mar 2026; awards in May 2026.

Online submission; pitch day in Rennes, France, NATO-wide

20 Apr 2026, 5pm EDT

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

Open to organisations from NATO member countries, including startups, academia, defence contractors and research organisations.

Agentic AI for Cognitive Warfare.

Visibility, NATO evaluation, expert feedback and possible follow-on engagement.

Pitch day was scheduled for Rennes, France on 28 May 2026.

Online qualifier and Belgrade final, Serbia

20 Mar 2026

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Serbian high-school students, higher-education students and Serbian citizens interested in cybersecurity.

Online cybersecurity qualification followed by an onsite final.

Final access, training materials and national cyber community exposure.

Belgrade final held on 26 May 2026.

Spain / public-sector contracting platform, Spain

25 May 2026, 11:00

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Interested companies submitting through Spain's Public Sector Contracting Platform.

Heavy multipurpose autonomous unmanned ground vehicle with modular architecture for defence, security and emergency missions.

Base tender budget EUR 11,905,308 VAT included; estimated execution period 30 months.

Tender deadline passed.

Stalowa Wola, Poland

Onsite registration closed 23 May 2026, 21:00

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Programmers, engineers, designers, students, startup builders and other participants interested in space and defence technologies.

Space, defence, dual-use and cyber hackathon challenges focused on real space and defence-sector problems.

Financial, material and in-kind prizes, internships, training, study visits, mentoring, food and accommodation support.

Event completed on 24 May 2026.

Prague, Czech Republic

Past event

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

Hackathon participants applied through Luma; visitors could access Demo Day as EDTH community members.

Dual-use and defence technology prototyping with prepared challenges, military feedback and field Demo Day.

Demo Day, field presentation and defence ecosystem access.

Past event.

Classified venue in Finland, Finland

6 May 2026, 23:55 UTC+3

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Citizens of NATO countries, Switzerland or Ukraine; teams formed at the event with max team size of 4.

Defence technology across national security, cyber, space, AI and autonomous systems.

EUR 20,000 grand prize from 17Tech plus a guaranteed 17Tech defence accelerator spot with EUR 20,000 seed funding and mentorship.

Registration closed.

Timisoara, Romania

Priority event access until 6 May 2026

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

Open to software developers, engineers, designers, students, startup founders and professionals; solo participants can join and form teams.

Defense Technologies track for tools, systems or prototypes addressing real security, operational, infrastructure or dual-use challenges.

EUR 2,000 Best Defense prize within a EUR 6,000 total prize pool.

Event completed.

Online application; UK projects, United Kingdom

12 May 2026, 12:00 BST

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Innovators with fast, scalable defence-technology proposals able to demonstrate quickly and scale toward manufacture.

Counter-UAS sensors, one-way attack UAS seekers, UAS survivability, GNSS-denied navigation, low-detection telemetry and maritime autonomy.

Typical proposals up to GBP 350,000; proposals must not exceed GBP 1,000,000; several awards possible.

Applications closed.

Toulon, France

28 Feb 2026 full dossier

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

Student teams and companies; academic tutor required for student teams.

Autonomous sailing-drone swarm strategy, robotics, AI, edge AI and real maritime drone integration.

Hardware resources, partner engineering support, BattleBoats regatta demonstration and awards.

Applications closed.

Karlskrona, Sweden

Past event

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Hackers applied through Luma; mentors were invitation-only and community visitors could access Demo Day through EDTH membership.

Naval defence, autonomous systems, maritime prototypes, USVs and full-scale naval defence concepts.

Demo exposure to Swedish Navy and FMV test and evaluation.

Past EDTH naval hackathon.

Winterthur, Switzerland

Registration closed

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Hackers, builders and visionaries from across Europe and beyond.

Computer vision, AI on edge devices, unmanned and autonomous systems, electronic and cyber warfare, modular sensors, battlefield economics, space applications, OSINT, satellite imagery and counter-drone technologies.

Registration closed.

Durrës, Western Balkans

7 Apr 2026

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

Young people aged 18-24 from the Western Balkans studying cybersecurity, IT or ICT and motivated to build a cybersecurity career.

Hands-on cyber training, cyber drills, AI-driven threats, misinformation and protection of critical digital infrastructure.

Travel and accommodation covered for selected participants.

Applications closed on 7 Apr 2026.

Online, Slovakia

Register during game window

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

Players, programmers, students and professionals can participate; Slovak citizens can win prizes and seek nomination to Slovakia's ECSC team; foreign players receive participation certificates.

CTF scenarios in malware analysis, OSINT, forensic analysis, obfuscation, cryptography, offensive security and security-management processes.

Prizes by category and nomination route to Slovakia's national ECSC team.

Game completed on 9 May 2026.

Online qualification, regional rounds and national final, Denmark

22 Mar 2026, 23:59

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

Participants aged 15-25 living in Denmark can enter qualification and regional rounds; Danish citizenship is required for the national championship/ECSC route.

CTF tasks across virtual qualification, Nationals Fast Track, regional championships and national championship.

National-team pathway and progression to regional and national championships.

National championship held 9 May 2026.

French public procurement route, France

7 May 2026, 16:00

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Companies able to bid through France's official public-procurement platform for interceptor-drone evaluation, development, production and support.

Evaluation, development, production and support of lightweight aerial interceptor drones for counter-UAS missions.

Innovation partnership and potential development, production and support contract route.

Applications closed on 7 May 2026.

Kyiv, Ukraine

Registration closed

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Hackers, founders, engineers, mentors and defence-tech community participants.

Defence technology prototyping as part of Kyiv Defense Tech Week.

Registration closed.

Online qualifier and German final route, Germany

Qualifier closes 1 May 2026, 18:00 CEST

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Qualification is open to everyone; German nationals aged 14-25 can qualify for the final.

Online CTF for German cyber talent, with junior and senior categories and an unrestricted Earth category.

Final qualification route and community access.

Qualifier closed on 1 May 2026.

Online, Malta

Register during the competition window

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Maltese nationals or permanent Maltese residents interested in cybersecurity; individual participation through the CTF platform.

Capture-the-flag cybersecurity challenges including reverse engineering, binary exploitation, cryptography and web security.

Top 3 contestants receive EUR 700, EUR 500 and EUR 300 in vouchers.

Event completed.

Online qualifier and Oslo national final, Norway

Qualifier closes 22 Mar 2026

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

People aged 16-25 with Norwegian citizenship can try to join the official national team; the wider community is open to curious beginners and experienced security people.

Online ethical-hacking qualifier followed by national final for Norway's ECSC team.

National final at Teknologihuset / Rebel in Oslo and route to represent Norway at ECSC.

National final held 25-26 Apr 2026.

Porto, Portugal

Past event

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Hackers work in cross-functional teams of 2-6 people; participants can include engineers, developers, product managers, designers, ex-military contributors and others with relevant skills.

Dual-use and defence technology prototyping with challenges presented by judges and sponsors.

Past event.

Stockholm, Sweden

Past event

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Hackers, founders, engineers, mentors and defence-tech community participants.

Dual-use and defence technology prototyping with operator, public-sector and investor feedback.

Past event.

Online, Hungary

19 Apr 2026, 23:59

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

Hungarian citizens aged 16 or over can participate individually.

CTF and forensic-image tasks in an online one-round competition.

HUF 6,000,000 total prize pool; NBSZ-NKI covers travel and support for the Hungarian ECSC team.

Competition completed on 26 Apr 2026.

Online qualification and Bosön, Lidingö final, Sweden

Qualifier closes 22 Mar 2026

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Cybersecurity competitors seeking selection for Sweden's national hacking team and international finals.

Individual qualification CTF with cryptography, web security, binary exploitation and reverse engineering, followed by a national final.

Finalist accommodation for the Bosön final, training programme and Sweden representation route at ECSC and ICO.

National final held 24-26 Apr 2026; training runs May-Dec 2026.

TenderNed innovation impact challenge, Netherlands

24 Apr 2026, 11:30 CET

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Market parties able to propose innovative data and AI concepts for a military intelligence context through the Dutch defence challenge process.

Data and AI platform for automated, AI-supported military intelligence workflows, strategic independence and faster information provision.

Indicative amount EUR 105,000; possible follow-on challenge/procurement route.

Applications closed on 24 Apr 2026.

Online rounds and final in Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic

Second round closed 11 Jan 2026

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

Primary-school, secondary-school and university students aged 9-24.

National cybersecurity competition with online awareness, selection and final rounds.

Finalist route and possible summer camp with defence and university partners.

National final held 22-23 Apr 2026.

School selection, regional venues and national final, Italy

12 Dec 2025

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Secondary-school students enrolled in a participating school for 2025-2026 and under 22 years old as of 31 Dec 2025.

Cybersecurity Olympics with regional Jeopardy CTF and national competition; programming, network security, cryptography, web security and software security.

Training camp, regional selection, national competition and award ceremony.

National competition held 17-19 Apr 2026.

Tilburg, Netherlands

Registration closed

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Hackers, founders, engineers, mentors and defence-tech community participants.

Dual-use and defence technology prototyping with operator, public-sector and investor feedback.

Registration closed.

Online, France

Competition window ended 12 Apr 2026

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

French players compete individually; FCSC selects the best French players to form Team France for ECSC.

Jeopardy-style CTF with crypto, reverse, pwn, web, hardware, forensics, side-channel, fault attacks and misc challenges.

Team France selection and Hackropole training archive.

Competition completed on 12 Apr 2026.

Online, Latvia

30 Jan 2026

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Latvian nationals aged 14-25; no prior cybersecurity knowledge required.

Cybersecurity and cyber-defence tasks across three online rounds.

Ministry of Defence prizes and opportunity to join Latvia's national team for the European Cybersecurity Challenge.

Applications closed on 30 Jan 2026.

Online application; UK projects, United Kingdom

31 Mar 2026, 12:00 BST

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Innovators with practical technologies for safe last-line counter-drone effects around prisons, urban areas and sensitive sites.

Counter-UAS, hostile drone neutralisation, sensitive-site security and operationally safe defeat mechanisms.

Up to GBP 1.85m available across multiple projects.

Applications closed.

Online qualifier and Royal Military Academy, Brussels, Belgium

Registration until end of qualifiers

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

ECSC track requires Belgian nationality and age-category eligibility; student fun track requires a valid student card for academic year 2025-2026.

Jeopardy-style CTF covering crypto, reverse, pwn, web, forensics, programming and hardware.

Belgian Red Daemons ECSC selection, elite training and student prizes including training, licenses and conference passes.

Qualifier completed; onsite final was 28 Mar 2026.

Athens, Thessaloniki, Patras, Samos and remote, Greece

Registration open

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

Anyone can join remotely; onsite participants must meet age and academic-enrolment rules; onsite teams are invitation-based with up to 4 members.

Scenario-based CTF with onsite and remote participation.

Student prizes including SANS OnDemand courses, training discounts, certifications, HackTheBox subscriptions and Fortinet access points.

Exact competition end date not published on the official platform page.

Czech Republic, France, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain and the Netherlands, Europe

20 Mar 2026

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

Startups, researchers, engineers, developers and defence professionals across the European innovation ecosystem; Ukrainian participation encouraged.

Defending Airspace: drone detection, monitoring, airspace protection and emerging aerial threats.

Winning teams entered mentoring, bootcamp, pitching and EU-level visibility routes.

Registration closed.

Online, France

Registration until the eve of the challenge

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

French young people aged 18-25.

Cyberdefence, disinformation, digital investigation and OSINT in an ORION 26 military scenario.

Training and competition exposure.

Event completed.

France / application call, France

27 Mar 2026

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Companies, startups, laboratories and research teams with tactical cargo-drone concepts or prototypes.

Tactical cargo drones and aeromobility concepts for defence users, including prototype and experimentation pathways.

Operational and technical review by DGA/AID ecosystem; possible experimentation route.

Applications closed on 27 Mar 2026.

Online application, EU, Norway and Ukraine

25 Mar 2026, 12:00 CET

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

SMEs and startups established in EU Member States, Norway or Ukraine.

Maintenance, joining and repair of defence platforms; structural monitoring; non-destructive testing; AI decision support for defence maintenance.

Up to EUR 60,000 plus 6-month business development support.

Applications closed.

TenderNed / Netherlands, Netherlands

23 Mar 2026, 12:00 CET

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

European companies, with preference for Dutch companies, able to develop and produce counter-drone systems.

Detecting and intercepting tactical UAS weighing 150-400 kg and flying up to 600 km/h.

EUR 30m available and prospect of long-term cooperation with Defence.

Applications closed.

Online preliminary round, Estonia

23 Mar 2026, 01:00 UTC+2

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Estonian citizens aged 14-25 interested in cybersecurity and hacking.

Online CTF preliminary round across cybersecurity categories, linked to Team Estonia selection for ECSC 2026.

Team Estonia selection and preparation for ECSC 2026.

Preliminary round completed on 23 Mar 2026.

Online preliminary qualifier and national selection route, Finland

Preliminary qualifier closes 22 Mar 2026

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Finnish cyber talents competing for a national team of up to 10 people; five team members must be under 20 and five can be aged 21-25.

CTF preliminary qualifier with web, crypto, pwn and miscellaneous categories, followed by separate national-team selection from the best players.

ECSC team-selection route; trip expenses for ECSC competitors paid by supporting companies.

Preliminary qualifier completed on 22 Mar 2026.

Brussels, Belgium

Registration closed

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Hackers, founders, engineers, mentors and defence-tech community participants.

Countering Shahed and fiber-optic drones, GNSS-denied localization, low-cost sensing and tracking, secure identification, mesh networking, battle-damage assessment and policy-focused defence challenges.

Registration closed.

Online qualifier and Stockholm final, Sweden

Online qualifier 23-25 Jan 2026

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Teams of 1-3 students; competition focuses on upper-secondary and lower-secondary students and includes a route toward national-team selection.

Youth cybersecurity and hacking CTF with web, binary exploitation, hardware, radio and related challenge categories.

Final in Stockholm and route toward national-team selection.

Final held 12-15 Mar 2026 in Stockholm.

Šternberk / event venue Central Park Flora, Czech Republic

20 Feb 2026

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

Engineers, startups, industry partners and participants with defence or dual-use projects and prototypes.

Defence and dual-use prototypes, counter-UAS, SDR, sensors, materials, vehicles and field-deployment concepts.

Mentoring, testing facilities, expert validation, workshops, awards and grant-program evaluation.

Applications closed.

Mont-de-Marsan and remote, France

1 Mar 2026

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Cybersecurity professionals, entrepreneurs, students and hacking enthusiasts; 80 onsite places and 160 remote places were available for the CTF.

Capture-the-flag cybersecurity challenge prepared by French military cyber-protection and operational information-system/cyber-defence units.

CTF participation and cyber-defence community exposure.

Event completed on 10 Mar 2026.

Rzeszów, Poland

Registration closed

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Hackers from across Europe and beyond; participation handled through the official Luma registration process.

Counter-drone operations, critical infrastructure protection, multi-sensor detection, GNSS-denied navigation, low-cost radar and optical tracking, friend-or-foe identification, RF threat detection and resilient command-and-control networks.

Registration closed.

Athens, Greece

Registration closed

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Hackers, founders, engineers, mentors and defence-tech community participants.

Dual-use and defence technology prototyping with operator, public-sector and investor feedback.

Registration closed.

Tallinn, Estonia

Registration closed

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Hackers, founders, engineers, mentors and defence-tech community participants.

Dual-use and defence technology prototyping with operator, public-sector and investor feedback.

Registration closed.

Technical tests, interviews and national team selection, Albania

28 Feb 2026

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Young people aged 14-25 interested in cybersecurity.

Technical tests and interviews to select Albania's national team for the European Cybersecurity Challenge.

Training and selection of 10 participants to represent Albania at ECSC.

Applications closed on 28 Feb 2026.

Reykjavik, NATO-wide

Past event

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

Teams of 2-4 from NATO, Allied and Partner nations, including industry and academia.

AI-enabled targeting, digital health decision support and automated cyber incident response.

NATO evaluation and possible further exploration inside the TIDE community.

Past NATO hackathon.

Distributed test locations in Poland, Poland

27 Feb 2026

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

Manufacturers of unmanned land-system technical solutions submitting completed applications to the Polish Armed Forces.

Unmanned land weapon systems, unmanned solutions and related technical testing in the Polish Armed Forces.

Fair, transparent and competitive military testing process with simplified verification by relevant services.

Applications closed.

Rovajärvi training area, Finland

5 Oct 2025 nomination deadline

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Industry and academia could apply to test and demonstrate technology and capabilities to the Finnish Defence Forces and NATO allies.

Arctic special-operations technology testing: signature management, power, medical, sensors, communications, UxS, C-UAS, GNSS-denied navigation and field mobility.

Free event access for selected participants; experiment, mini-expo and possible additional field-testing week. Companies cover own travel and demo costs.

Main event 9-13 Feb 2026; possible additional field testing 14-20 Feb 2026.

Munich, Germany

Registration closed

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Hackers, builders and defence-tech community participants gathering alongside the Munich Security Conference.

Dual-use and defence technology prototyping with operator, public-sector and investor feedback.

Registration closed.

Online qualification and Bratislava final, Slovakia

1 Feb 2026, 23:59

Checked against the official page on 13 Sep 2026.

Cybersecurity competitors entering through the official online qualification process.

Blue-team CTF focused on digital forensics, incident response and threat hunting in a financial-infrastructure attack scenario.

Finals access and live blue-team competition exposure.

Final held in Bratislava on 12 Feb 2026.

Online, France

Registration closed

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

French secondary-school, BTS and preparatory-class students.

Capture-the-flag cyber challenges around cyberdefence techniques and military-style cyber scenarios.

Training and competition recognition.

Event completed.

Swedish Defence University, Stockholm, Sweden

10 Nov 2025

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

University student teams of four from the same institution; coach support from the institution is optional.

Cyber crisis, security policy, emergency preparedness, incident response, strategic communication, policy development and impact analysis.

Recognition by Swedish Defence University and the National Cybersecurity Centre, plus networking and recruitment exposure.

Registration deadline was in 2025 for the 2026 competition day.

Austrian Defence Innovation Conference, Austria

Application closed

Checked against the official page on 3 Jun 2026.

Austrian startups, spin-offs, scientific and applied research teams, technology-oriented SMEs and hackathon teams depending on challenge track.

Cognitive Security & Resilience Hackathon, Defence Quantum Challenge and Next-Generation Protection Systems Challenge.

EUR 30,000 hackathon prize and EUR 20,000 per defence challenge.

Application form is closed.