12 Ukrainian defence tech companies to receive grants of up to €150,000 for air defence solutions development

The Brave1 cluster has selected 12 Ukrainian companies to receive grants of up to €150,000 each to develop air defence solutions. The competition was held as part of the EU4UA Defence Tech grant programme. The companies’ names are not being disclosed.

The shortlisted concepts include interceptor drones capable of reaching speeds of up to 450 km/h and advanced aerial target-detection systems. Over the next six months, the teams will refine and test their developments. The cluster adds that in the future, these solutions may protect Ukraine’s airspace.

The EU4UA Defence Tech programme was launched in late 2025. The initiative provides €5 million in funding, of which €3.3 million will be allocated to grants, with the remainder going towards regulatory support, events, and related activities.

The programme will run until the end of February 2027 and will include three grant competitions. In addition to selecting the air defence solutions, Brave1 held an engineering challenge under the programme called Drone with Paws. Students developed prototypes of a mechanical attachment for FPV drones that enables them to land on various elevated surfaces. A further competition is planned for launch in June 2026, as previously announced.