Brave1 resumes its grant programme, offering funding ranging from ₴500,000 to ₴8 mln

After a several-month pause, the state-run Brave1 defence tech cluster is resuming its grant funding programme for promising new weapons developments, the press service has reported.

Ukrainian manufacturers participating in Brave1 whose projects have passed defence expert assessment and received the appropriate ratings are eligible to apply for the programme: a score of 4 points grants eligibility for ₴500,000, and 7 points or more allows for ₴8 mln. There are also intermediate grants available for ₴1 mln, ₴2 mln, and ₴4 mln.

Priority areas include drone swarms, ballistic missiles, fibre-optic drones, guided aerial bombs, unmanned surface vessels, artificial intelligence for terrain mapping, and others. Manufacturing companies can view the full list of priority areas for the renewed grant programme on the platform when submitting an application.

The grant programme was previously in operation but was suspended during the formation of the 2025 state budget. ​The only change in the application process compared to last year’s grants is the requirement to submit some additional documents.

According to Natalia Kushnerska, CEO of Brave1, since its inception in 2023, the defence technology cluster has awarded over 500 grants totaling ₴2.2 bln. The majority of these grants have been secured by manufacturers of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), as well as ground and maritime robotic and remotely operated systems.

It is worth noting that weapons developers and manufacturers may also receive up to ₴8 million in co-financing through the “Made for Victory” programme, via the Diia platform.