Ministry of Education and Science launches Ukraine’s first state-backed joint development project with technology businesses

The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine is launching a pilot project that will include the country’s first competitive funding call for business-commissioned applied research and development. It will also establish an Applied Research Agency to facilitate cooperation between science and business. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has adopted the relevant resolution, and UAH 100 million in state funding has already been allocated to the programme for 2026.

Public higher education institutions and research institutions will be eligible for funding to deliver joint projects with small, medium-sized and large businesses.

Ukrainian companies will identify a specific technological or research and production need, while research teams will propose solutions – from developing, researching and testing a technology to creating a prototype and preparing a product for implementation.

“We are creating the conditions for business and science to work towards a shared outcome – for the first time through a dedicated co-funding mechanism. A company defines its technological need, research teams propose solutions, and the state assumes part of the cost and risk. For researchers, this provides the most direct route to working on high-demand subjects and creating practical research outputs. For businesses, it provides access to Ukraine’s most advanced innovations, laboratories and technologies,” said Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Andrii Butenko.

How the competitive funding process will work

Businesses will be able to participate in the programme in one of two ways. If a company has a technical brief but has not yet found a suitable research partner, it will submit a technology request describing the problem, the requirements for the solution, the expected outcome and its willingness to provide co-funding. Once the request has been selected, a competitive call will be opened for public universities and research institutions to propose solutions.

If a business and a research team already have a joint idea or have undertaken preliminary work, they will be able to submit a joint application immediately. These may include projects requiring further research, technology testing, prototype development or final preparation for production.

Applications will be submitted through URIS, the National Electronic Research and Information System. Each project will undergo scientific and technical assessment involving business representatives and the Innovation Council. Financial support will be provided for up to 18 months.

Projects will be assessed on the scientific quality and originality of the proposed solution, its technological readiness, commercial potential and expected economic benefit to Ukraine. Priority will be given to developments in security and defence, energy, transport, advanced materials, agriculture, medicine and pharmaceuticals, clean production, information technology and robotics.

State to cover up to 65% of project costs

Co-funding by the participating company will be mandatory. The maximum share of state support will be:

• up to 65% of the project cost for projects delivered jointly with small businesses;
• up to 60% for projects delivered jointly with medium-sized businesses;
• up to 50% for projects delivered jointly with large businesses.

The commissioning company will cover the remaining costs. This model will distribute the risks associated with the research stage and direct public funding towards developments that already have a potential customer and a clear prospect of practical application.

Applied Research Agency to help identify partners

An Applied Research Agency will be established within the Ukrainian Institute of Scientific and Technical Expertise and Information. It will serve as a permanent institutional link between businesses, universities and research institutions.

The Agency will collect technology requests from businesses, help prepare technical briefs, identify research teams and support the preparation of joint applications. It will also assist with project delivery, prototype development, intellectual property, licensing and technology transfer, and assess how the resulting innovations are implemented in practice.