Requirements for EU defence programmes
What separates a company from taking part: the codes, registrations, certificates and licences, and the eligibility rules. For each one: who issues it (in the countries covered so far), what it costs and how long it takes, with the source and the date it was last reviewed.
Identification
NCAGE code
A five-character entity identifier from the NATO codification system. Needed for NATO and NSPA supply and for stock numbers. Free of charge.
- Cost:
- Free
- Time:
- Up to 14 working days on average; routine priority is 10 calendar days, emergency is 3 working days
Appears in the rules of NATO-SUPPLY. Last reviewed 2026-09-07.
Registration
PIC (Participant Identification Code)
A nine-digit code issued when an organisation registers on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal. Free and immediate. Needed to apply for EDF and EDIP funding.
- Cost:
- Free
- Time:
- Immediate on completing the registration wizard
Appears in the rules of EDF, EDIP, EDIP-USI. Last reviewed 2026-09-07.
Quality
ISO 9001 quality management certificate
The general quality management standard. AQAP 2110 contains all of ISO 9001:2015, so holding it makes the AQAP path shorter and cheaper.
- Cost:
- Not stated in the sources
- Time:
- Not stated in the sources
Last reviewed 2026-09-07.
EN 9100 / AS9100 certificate
The aerospace, space and defence quality standard. AQAP 2310 contains all of EN 9100 / AS9100 Rev D.
- Cost:
- Not stated in the sources
- Time:
- Not stated in the sources
Last reviewed 2026-09-07.
AQAP 2110 quality assurance certification
NATO quality assurance requirements for design, development and production. Not an eligibility condition of EDF, EDIP or SAFE: it enters through individual contracts and cascades down the supply chain.
- Cost:
- USD 17,000 to 48,000 (vendor range, not a benchmark)
- Time:
- 3-8 months
Appears in the rules of EDF, EDIP, EDIP-USI, NATO-SUPPLY, SAFE. Last reviewed 2026-09-07.
AQAP 2310 quality management for aviation, space and defence suppliers
The NATO quality requirement for aerospace and defence suppliers. It contains EN 9100 / AS9100 Rev D. Not an eligibility condition of EDF, EDIP or SAFE.
- Cost:
- Not stated in the sources
- Time:
- Not stated in the sources
Last reviewed 2026-09-07.
Export control
Export licence for dual-use or military items
An authorisation to export items in a controlled category. Which licence depends on whether the item is in the dual-use regime or the military regime.
- Cost:
- Not stated in the sources
- Time:
- Not stated in the sources
Appears in the rules of GENERAL. Last reviewed 2026-10-17.
REOCE registration (Spain)
Spanish exporters of controlled items must be on the Special Register of Foreign Trade Operators (REOCE), before or together with the licence application. Open only to Spanish residents.
- Cost:
- Not stated in the sources
- Time:
- Not stated in the sources
Appears in the rules of GENERAL. Last reviewed 2026-09-07.
Security clearance
HSEM facility security clearance (Spain)
The Spanish facility security clearance (Habilitación de Seguridad de Empresa), needed to handle classified information. How long it takes is not published.
- Cost:
- Not stated in the sources
- Time:
- Not stated in the sources
Appears in the rules of GENERAL. Last reviewed 2026-09-07.
Eligibility rules of the programmes
These are not documents to obtain. They are conditions the programme sets on a company, read from the regulation.
EDF eligibility (Article 9)
Who may receive EDF funding: established in the Union or an associated country, executive management there, and not controlled by a non-associated third country.
Appears in the rules of EDF. Last reviewed 2026-10-17.
EDIP eligibility, including the Ukraine Support Instrument (Articles 9 and 26)
Who may receive EDIP funding. The Programme and the Ukraine Support Instrument have different rules about where the company must be established.
Appears in the rules of EDIP, EDIP-USI. Last reviewed 2026-10-17.
SAFE origin rule (Article 16)
In a SAFE-supported procurement, components from outside the Union, the EEA EFTA states and Ukraine may not cost more than 35 % of the estimated cost of the components of the end product, and no component may come from a third country that contravenes the Union's security and defence interests.
Appears in the rules of SAFE. Last reviewed 2026-10-17.
About the costs
Every cost on these pages that is not free comes from a certification body or a consultancy, and no neutral body publishes prices. They are shown as ranges, in the currency the vendor used, labelled as vendor ranges and not as a benchmark. Where a source states no cost or time, the page says so and shows none.