On 10 May, applications for grant support for Ukrainian developers in the defence tech sector will be accepted.

"The Brave1 Defence Tech Cluster was created to make life as easy as possible for developers. They can get military expertise, testing opportunities, organisational, informational and financial support for their projects. The cluster has already issued 189 grants amounting to USD 3.3 million. Now the amount of grants has been increased to UAH 500,000, UAH 1 million, and UAH 2 million. This means that manufacturers will have more opportunities to develop and improve their products. As a result, there will be more technological solutions on the frontline," said Mykhailo Fedorov, Deputy Prime Minister for Development of Innovations, Education, Science and Technology - Minister of Digital Transformation.

Manufacturers of technological solutions will have an opportunity to apply for grants of UAH 500,000, UAH 1,000,000 and UAH 2,000,000. Until now, they could receive USD 5,000 and USD 25,000.

"The rapid development of the Ukrainian defence tech industry requires us to adapt. We can see that more and more manufacturers are looking for additional opportunities to accelerate their product development. We believe that by increasing grants, we will inject additional impetus into Ukrainian developers, which will benefit both the industry and, most importantly, the Security and Defence Forces," said Natalia Kushnerska, Head of Brave1 Defence Tech Cluster.

Ukrainian producers whose development has undergone a defence expertise and received an overall score and a rating of at least 4 points for the current level of development readiness can apply for a grant of UAH 500,000.

In order to receive UAH 1,000,000, the overall score must be at least 4 points and the current level of development readiness must be at least 5 points.

A grant of UAH 2,000,000 will be available to those manufacturers whose overall development score and current level of readiness assessment are at least 5 points.

The application is to be filled in and submitted on a special web portal USFplatform

After that, the application undergoes the stages of internal compliance; expert evaluation; approval of the solutions recommended by the experts by the Supervisory Board; and the conclusion of a grant agreement with the developer.

The funds received can be used for the purchase of necessary equipment and components, R&D and product development.

Each developer who has received grant support is obliged to report on its use. In case of violations of the Grant Agreement, the grant funds are subject to refund.

Background Information

The Brave1 grant programme was launched in July 2023. Manufacturers whose developments correspond to the 12 priority verticals of technological development identified by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for the Brave1 cluster and have passed a defence expert review can apply. To date, the programme has awarded 189 grants totalling USD 3.3 million. Thanks to the grant support, the technological readiness of more than 80% of the developments has been improved. In addition, the production of a third has been scaled up.