The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has approved a unified procedure for cooperation with international partners in the field of defense innovation under the new Brave International platform. The initiative will enable the launch of joint grant programs with foreign governments and expand access to financing for Ukrainian and international defense tech companies, Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced.
The new decision applies both to already announced and future international initiatives, including UNITE Brave NATO, Brave Norway, Brave France, Brave Germany and Brave Lithuania. According to the Prime Minister, the approved mechanism significantly simplifies the launch of joint innovation support programs and makes it possible to announce grant competitions more quickly.
Applications will be open not only to Ukrainian developers, but also to foreign companies and startups working in the field of defense technologies. The total budget of the first international programs and financial instruments to be implemented under Brave International already exceeds €100 million.
The financing model provides for the creation of joint grant funds, in which Ukraine and the partner country will participate on a parity basis. These funds will be managed through joint supervisory boards and expert commissions, while all funded developments will be tested in real conditions on Ukraine’s Test in Ukraine platform, which is expected to accelerate their deployment and commercialization.
The government notes that the program has several strategic objectives. The first is to identify promising Ukrainian and foreign technologies to meet the needs of Ukraine’s Defense Forces. The second is to attract additional international capital for Ukrainian startups and defense product manufacturers. The third is to deepen cooperation with the innovation ecosystems of partner countries and integrate Ukrainian defense tech into the global defense technology market.
The first international grant competitions are expected to be announced by the Brave1 defense technology cluster in the near future.
Brave1 was established at the initiative of the Ministry of Digital Transformation with the participation of the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry for Strategic Industries, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Ministry of Economy, and the National Security and Defense Council. Since the start of the full-scale war, the cluster has formed a dedicated defense innovation ecosystem in Ukraine, bringing together developers, manufacturers, investors and government institutions.
Participants of the platform register personal accounts, which simplifies access to public procurement and direct orders from military units. One of Brave1’s key areas of activity is also grant support for developers. Since the cluster was established, the total amount of grants awarded has exceeded $50 million, while financing for individual projects can reach up to UAH 8 million depending on the technology readiness stage. Since June 2025, the cluster has been headed by Andrii Hrytseniuk.
