Defence technologies in Poland: MilTech and STEP programmes with over PLN 500 million in funding

Poland is becoming one of the most interesting locations in Europe for companies developing defence technologieTecns in Poland. This is not only about rising military expenditure. It is also about building a real support system that helps move innovation from laboratories into operational use by the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland.

The MilTech accelerator programme, whose first edition has just been launched, is the first step in this direction. According to market announcements, the programme is expected to be expanded in summer 2026 with MilTech Plus, while a STEP call covering defence technologies is planned for the turn of the third and fourth quarters of 2026.

For investors and technology entrepreneurs, this is a signal worth paying attention to. In this article, we explain how Poland’s new support ecosystem works, which projects have already received funding, and what this direction of change means in practice for companies considering activity in the defence sector in Poland.

How does MilTech Akces NCBR work?

The MilTech Akces NCBR programme was officially launched on 29 April 2026 in Warsaw. It is managed by Akces NCBR, a company of the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR), established in 2021 to shorten the distance between laboratory research and market implementation.

What makes MilTech different from typical grant competitions is the reversed starting point. Instead of simply accepting applications and checking whether they fit a predefined topic, the programme begins with specific needs of the defence sector – and only then looks for teams capable of addressing them. As a result, projects have a real potential end user from the very beginning.

Each of the twelve winners of the first edition receives:

• PLN 300,000 in a non-repayable grant,
• PLN 100,000 in mentoring and expert services.

This represents a total of PLN 400,000 in support per project and nearly PLN 4.8 million for the entire edition.

Deputy Minister of National Defence Cezary Tomczyk has openly declared that the Ministry of National Defence (MON) will be a real recipient of the best projects and will make efforts to ensure that selected solutions enter the equipment of the Polish Armed Forces.

Twelve projects – what is MilTech already funding?

A total of 322 startups and small companies applied to the programme. Of these, 144 passed the formal assessment stage, and 12 projects were selected for the pilot phase. Their profile clearly shows where today’s defence priorities lie: artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and critical infrastructure protection.

Among the most notable projects are:

• SigmaLabs — a radiation monitoring system for satellites. The space component is becoming an increasingly important element of NATO’s security architecture, so demand for this type of technology is likely to grow.
• Vector B.altic — an advanced AI system supporting intelligence operations and critical infrastructure protection. This is the type of project that could be applied not only in the military sector, but also in energy or finance.
• C2-SENSE — a simulator for Tactical Operations Centres, enabling command training in conditions of information chaos typical of the modern battlefield.
• A.I.R. — an autonomous navigation and target recognition system for drones, operating without GPS. In electronically contested environments, this can be a condition for operational effectiveness.

All these projects have one common denominator: they are dual-use technologies, meaning they can serve both military and commercial purposes.

Why do dual-use technologies matter for investors?

Dual-use technologies are currently one of the most dynamic investment areas in Europe. The reasons are straightforward.

First, a project with both defence and commercial potential diversifies revenue risk. It does not depend solely on public procurement, which can be unpredictable in terms of timing and decision-making. Second, venture capital funds that historically avoided the defence sector are now increasingly willing to invest in dual-use solutions, as the regulatory environment is often less restrictive and the addressable market is broader. Third, international expansion may be easier: export restrictions for purely military technologies are much more restrictive than for solutions with mixed applications.

According to NATO data, Poland allocated more than 4% of GDP to defence in 2025, placing it among the leading NATO member states in terms of defence expenditure as a share of GDP. Such a high level of funding does not only mean purchases of military equipment. It also creates space for the development of domestic technologies, dual-use projects and cooperation between public administration, industry and technology companies.

MilTech Plus – what can be expected in summer 2026?

Akces NCBR has announced that MilTech Plus is expected to launch in summer 2026 as an expanded version of the programme, with a larger budget and a stronger focus on projects with a higher Technology Readiness Level (TRL). The detailed regulations have not yet been published, but the direction is clear.

More important than the amount itself is the signal: MilTech was not a one-off experiment. It is becoming part of a more permanent innovation policy in the area of national security. For companies that did not apply or did not meet the requirements of the first edition, MilTech Plus may be another concrete opportunity. For investors, it is confirmation that the ecosystem is becoming more stable and may be worth capital engagement.

STEP programme – over PLN 500 million for defence technologies from autumn 2026

At the turn of the third and fourth quarters of 2026, a defence component or dedicated call is planned under STEP, the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform. STEP as an initiative is already operational, while defence technologies have been added to its scope as another strategic sector.

Together with the first edition of MilTech and the planned STEP call, the total pool of public support may exceed PLN 500 million. The defence component of STEP itself is expected to have a budget of approximately PLN 500 million.

For foreign companies, this may be an argument for establishing or expanding R&D activity in Poland. However, access to funding will require meeting formal conditions, including conducting business activity in the territory of the Republic of Poland and having the appropriate registration entry. For companies considering company registration in Poland, public grant funding that may not be available in their home market — combined with a strong talent base and relatively competitive operating costs — can create an attractive business case.

The detailed conditions of the STEP programme are expected to be announced in the third quarter of 2026. Companies interested in participation should monitor communications from the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR) and the Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH).

What does this mean for investors and entrepreneurs?

The new support ecosystem works on several levels at the same time and offers different benefits to different market participants.

Venture capital funds and private investors gain access to projects that have been initially verified by a state institution and have a confirmed potential end user in the form of the Ministry of National Defence (MON). This reduces information asymmetry, which is one of the main investment barriers in early-stage deeptech.

Corporations and companies from the defence industry gain a structured channel for accessing external innovation. Establishing a relationship with a MilTech winner during the acceleration phase is significantly less costly than a later acquisition or licensing of a ready-made technology.

Foreign companies considering entry into the Polish market now have an additional argument: locating an R&D centre in Poland may open access to grants unavailable elsewhere, while the academic environment – particularly technical universities in Wrocław, Warsaw, Poznań and Gdańsk — provides a talent base at a European level. Companies planning such activities may benefit from early support in R&D and public funding advisory in Poland to align their structure with programme requirements.

Startups and scale-ups can think of the sequence MilTech → MilTech Plus → STEP as a coherent funding path: from the seed phase to more advanced growth rounds, with public support available at different stages of development.

Poland on the map of the European defence industry

Poland is undergoing a real transformation: from a country importing defence technologies to an active participant in European supply chains. Programmes such as MilTech are part of this wider trend. Rising defence expenditure, the expansion of the domestic arms industry and formal support instruments for dual-use innovation are jointly creating an environment that is difficult to find elsewhere in this part of Europe.

Poland is one of the few NATO countries that is simultaneously increasing its defence budget, investing in domestic industry and building a support ecosystem for innovators. For investors looking for exposure to a dynamically growing sector without paying the premium typical of mature Western European markets, this is a combination worth considering.

The launch of MilTech, the announcement of MilTech Plus and the upcoming STEP programme are not three separate initiatives. Together, they form a coherent system which, for the first time in Poland, creates a complete path: from research-stage innovation, through acceleration and market verification, to potential implementation in the Polish Armed Forces or commercial sales.

For investors and companies considering activity in the field of defence technologies in Poland, the coming months will be important. Calls for MilTech Plus are expected to start in summer 2026, while details of the STEP programme should be published in the third quarter of 2026.

Preparing for participation in these programmes – both formally and strategically – is worth starting now. Consultation with an advisor specialising in public funding and R&D activity structuring can help avoid common mistakes and increase the chances of obtaining support.