Article 18 — Award criteria

1. Proposals for actions shall be evaluated in the light of the objectives set for the relevant action, the expected results of the relevant action, and the quality and efficiency of its implementation. In particular, that evaluation shall include one or more of the following criteria: (a) contribution to competitiveness; (b) contribution to resilience and geographical distribution of manufacturing capacities; (c) increase in production capacities; (d) increase in interoperability; (e) increase in interchangeability; and (f) contribution to reducing strategic dependencies. 2. In addition to the criteria set out in paragraph 1 of this Article, proposals for common procurement actions referred to in Article 11 shall be evaluated based on the following criteria: (a) the number of participating Member States or associated countries; (b) the action’s contribution to the adaptation, modernisation and development of the EDTIB throughout the Union; and (c) the participation of SMEs and mid-caps. 3. In addition to the criteria set out in paragraph 1 of this Article, proposals for industrial reinforcement actions as referred to in Article 12 shall be evaluated based on the following criteria: (a) the reduction of production lead time, and the increase in production capacity in the Union, in reserved capacity and in workforce skilled; (b) the contribution to ensuring availability and security of supply throughout the Union in response to identified risks, including in particular high exposure to the risk of materialisation of conventional military threats; and (c) the contribution to cross-border defence industrial cooperation throughout the Union, improving the inclusion of SMEs and mid-caps, or the link with orders stemming from the common procurement of defence products by at least three Member States or associated countries. 4. The work programmes referred to in Article 21 shall lay down further details concerning the application of the criteria set out in paragraph 1 of this Article, including any weighting to be applied. The work programmes shall not set individual thresholds. 5. The evaluation committee may be assisted by independent external experts in accordance with Article 153(3) of the Financial Regulation. The work programmes may specify that those experts are required to hold a valid personal security clearance.