What is the EU4UA Defence Tech grant programme and how will it work

Yesterday, EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarína Mathernová and First Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov presented the EU4UA Defence Tech initiative, which provides €5 million in EU funding to support Ukrainian defence innovations. Of this amount, €3.3 million will go to grants for war-gamechanger startups, while the rest will support the development of defence legislation, the creation of an exhibition zone for Ukrainian defence tech, and industry events. Defender Media attended the presentation and shares details that did not appear in the news.

Why this matters

EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarína Mathernová calls the launch of EU4UA Defence Tech a historic event—even though the amount of funding is small compared to EU military assistance packages. The key feature of the programme is that it unlocks direct EU financing for Ukrainian defence R&D. “It is important that the process has begun,” Mathernová said.

Another unique feature of the EU4UA Defence Tech programme is that Brave1 grants will, for the first time, be financed by international donors, noted Oleksii Dorohan, CEO of the Better Regulation Delivery Office (BRDO).

Mykhailo Fedorov noted that the EU4UA Defence Tech grant programme targets the most urgent challenges of the war, affecting both Ukraine and its neighbours in the EU. “The first grant competition is aimed at countering Shaheds and Gerans, which now threaten not only Ukraine,” he reminded.

Fedorov also recalled that reactive (jet-powered) Shaheds have already been observed in Ukraine several times—and their numbers are increasing. The first EU4UA Defence Tech grant competition focuses specifically on countering these kamikaze drones.

According to Fedorov, EU4UA Defence Tech grants can give a powerful boost to companies developing breakthrough solutions, as the maximum grant amounts are twice as high as the largest Brave1 grants.

About the programme

According to Oleksii Dorohan, the total budget of the EU4UA Defence Tech programme is €5 million. In addition to grants (€3.3 million), it includes:

• Regulatory support (drafting laws and regulations to support defence tech)
• Creating an exhibition zone for Ukrainian defence tech (Brave1 EXPOROOM)
• Events (hackathons and conferences)

The programme will be coordinated by BRDO, while the Brave1 cluster will implement the grant component.

Grant programme: priorities, stages, conditions

The details of the EU4UA Defence Tech grant programme were presented by Iryna Zabolotna, Deputy Head of Brave1. She said the programme will run until the end of February 2027. Three grant competitions will take place during this period.

The first competition, launched yesterday, offers the largest grants and requires the highest project readiness (TRL 5–6). It will seek developers of reactive interceptor drones capable of 450 km/h and above, as well as radar systems. Up to 12 teams may win, each receiving up to €150,000. According to Zabolotna, the terms and obligations for recipients are similar to standard Brave1 grant conditions.

The second grant competition will begin in March 2026 (TRL 4–5, up to €75,000 for development), and the third in June 2026 (TRL 3–4, up to €33,000 for development). Their themes will be announced ahead of launch.

Applications for the first competition will be accepted for six weeks – from 1 December 2025 to 14 January 2026. The selection process will include four stages:

1. Compliance check
2. Defence expertise by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
3. Evaluation by the selection committee (pitch)
4. Final decision by the Supervisory Board of the Fund

The General Staff will assess applications based on innovative potential (scientific novelty), technical level, current TRL,име потенціал співпраці з ЄС, потенціал розробки на ринку, сталість і обгрунтованість статей витрат.

Last week, Defender Media reported that Ukraine and NATO are launching their first joint initiative to financially support defence innovation—UNITE: Brave NATO. The key goal of the programme is to address frontline technological gaps and ensure interoperability of products.