Brave1 Has Awarded Over 1,000 Grants to Ukrainian Defense Tech Developers
Since 2023, the Brave1 Defense Innovation Cluster has provided 6.2 billion hryvnia in funding for Ukrainian defense technologies. During this time, developers have received over 1,000 grants to develop drones, ground-based robotic systems, electronic warfare equipment, missile technologies, artificial intelligence, and other solutions for the Armed Forces.
According to the Ministry of Defense, Brave1’s grant support helps improve the technological readiness of products for battlefield use. A BRDO study showed that receiving a grant increases the technological readiness level of a development by an average of 1.7 points on the TRL scale. At the same time, 79% of the manufacturers surveyed stated that they would not have been able to find comparable support from other sources.
Under the standard Brave1 grant program, 977 grants totaling 2.3 billion UAH have already been awarded. The largest share of funding went to developers of UAVs — 215 grants — followed by ground-based robotic systems — 199 grants — and electronic warfare (EW) and radio-electronic suppression (RES) systems — 49 grants. Depending on the product’s technological readiness, grant amounts range from up to 500,000, 2 million, 4 million, or 8 million UAH.
A separate special grant program is in place for priority areas. Twenty projects in the fields of missile technology and artificial intelligence have already been funded for a total of 145 million hryvnia. As part of the EU4UA Defence Tech international program, 11 grants totaling 81 million hryvnia were awarded in 2026 for the development of high-speed interceptor drones and radars.
The largest share of funding goes to the Brave1 grant competitions, which focus on breakthrough technologies meeting specific tactical and technical requirements. Through these competitions, 34 projects totaling 3.7 billion hryvnias have been supported, including the development of cruise and ballistic missiles, anti-aircraft missile systems, autonomous systems, and the production of explosives.
In addition to funding, Brave1 assists companies with testing, obtaining feedback from the military, finding partnerships, and implementing developments within the Defense Forces.
Source: Ministry of Defense of Ukraine
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