Joint grants for defence tech companies: Ukraine and France to launch Brave France initiative

The Brave1 cluster has announced the Brave France initiative, which will be launched jointly with the French Defence Innovation Agency. The parties have already signed a letter of intent to create a joint grant programme for defence companies. The initiative is planned to be launched in the second quarter of 2026.

They want to give grants not only to Ukrainian but also to French manufacturers. In addition, the cluster and the agency will hold hackathons to find practical solutions, and developers will be able to test them through Test in Ukraine. This is a platform that offers foreign manufacturers an equipped testing ground, connections with Ukrainian manufacturers, feedback, and military expertise.

Next, the parties plan to agree on priority topics, form a joint coordinating body, develop a financing mechanism, and plan additional activities.

Ukraine has been cooperating with France for a long time – in particular, it signed a defence cooperation declaration under which the two states will jointly produce interceptor drones. The countries also interact through private companies. For example, France’s Alta Ares has developed a drone interception system in collaboration with Ukraine’s Tenebris, and Skyeton has announced a strategic partnership with France’s Harmattan AI.