Ukraine and NATO launch UNITE — BRAVE NATO: first competition for joint defense solutions begins

Ukraine, in cooperation with NATO, has launched the first competition under the UNITE — BRAVE NATO programme, aimed at developing joint defense solutions between Ukrainian companies and companies from NATO member states.

The first stage of the competition focuses on matchmaking, bringing together Ukrainian companies and those from NATO member states to form B2B partnerships for developing joint technological solutions for the Ukrainian battlefield.

“From the Ukrainian side, the programme is coordinated by the Brave1 defense innovation cluster. To facilitate effective cooperation, dedicated functionality has been created on the Brave1 portal, available following registration and verification,” said Minister of Defence of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov.

The first competition focuses on countering hostile UAVs and bolstering air defense capabilities, namely:

• active protection systems for countering FPV drones;
• countering Shahed-class drones;
• enhancing signals intelligence (SIGINT) and electromagnetic capabilities;
• development of autonomous guidance systems;
• high-altitude flight platforms.

The total budget for the first competition is €10 million. Funding of up to €1 million per joint project is available, with up to €500,000 allocated per side.

The announcement of the winners is scheduled for summer 2026.