Strengthening defence cooperation with France: the new Brave France initiative

Brave1 and France’s Defence Innovation Agency (Agence de l’innovation de défense, AID) will launch the Brave France initiative, having signed a Letter of Intent to establish a joint grant programme for defence companies.

The initiative encompasses:

• a joint grant programme to support Ukrainian and French defence innovations;
• hackathons aimed at identifying practical solutions and supporting startup development;
• testing innovations through the Test in Ukraine platform.

Ukraine and France have significant potential for defence technology cooperation. This partnership opens the way for Ukraine to access allies’ advanced technologies. At the same time, the French side gains access to a unique high-tech warfare experience that cannot be replicated under any other conditions.

The next steps will involve agreeing on priority areas, establishing a joint coordination body, developing a funding mechanism, and planning additional activities.