The Cabinet of Ministers has opened up access to international grants for defence technologies
The government has adopted a resolution which, for the first time, establishes a unified framework for Ukraine’s cooperation with international partners in the field of defence innovation.
The document sets out the operating rules for both already announced and future international programmes, including UNITE Brave NATO, Brave Norway, Brave France, Brave Germany and Brave Lithuania.
As a result, it will soon be possible to launch joint grant competitions within the framework of these initiatives.
What grants can developers expect?
The total budget for the first international programmes and support instruments already exceeds €100 million.
Brave1 has announced that it will not only be Ukrainian manufacturers, companies and start-ups that can apply. Developers from foreign jurisdictions will also be eligible to participate, provided their technologies meet the needs of the defence sector.
How the new system will work
Brave International will be based on four key principles.
The first is co-financing. Grant funds will be set up on a 50/50 basis, with Ukraine and the partner country contributing equal amounts.
The second is joint management. To evaluate projects, joint boards and expert committees will be formed, comprising representatives from Ukraine and partner countries.
The third is transparency. Calls for proposals will be open to both Ukrainian and foreign participants.
Fourth — practical testing of developments. All technologies applying for funding will undergo testing in Ukraine as part of the ‘Test in Ukraine’ platform.
What are Brave International’s objectives?
Brave1’s international activities are designed to address several strategic objectives simultaneously.
First and foremost, this involves identifying new technologies and products to meet the current needs of the Ukrainian armed forces.
The programme also aims to attract additional international funding for Ukrainian defence start-ups and strengthen cooperation with the innovation ecosystems of partner countries.
Brave1 believes this will help to integrate Ukrainian defence technologies into the global defence tech market more quickly and provide the Armed Forces with modern solutions.
For companies developing drones, robotic systems, communications systems, software and other defence technologies, new opportunities are opening up to secure international funding directly through joint programmes between Ukraine and its partners.
It is expected that this will enable promising developments to be brought into mass production and adopted by the Armed Forces more quickly.
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