31 July 2026
Ukraine and NATO have officially launched their first joint defence innovation grant programme, known as UNITE – Brave NATO. Managed by Ukraine's Brave1 defence tech cluster and the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA), the initiative pairs Ukrainian tech firms directly with companies from NATO member states. The core objective is to rapidly convert successful battlefield drone and electronic warfare prototypes into mass-produced weapons capable of neutralising Russian aerial threats.
Programme funding and structure
The programme operates on an initial €10 million pilot budget, split equally between Ukraine and NATO. If successful, funding is expected to scale up to €50 million. Individual winning joint ventures can secure up to €250,000 or €500,000 per partner (roughly $293,000 to $585,000 per side) depending on the complexity of the technology. The initial phase of applications is open until 3 August 2026.
Core technology targets
The first funding call prioritises five high-interest technological areas:
- Active Protection Systems: Mechanisms specifically engineered to intercept and disable incoming First-Person View (FPV) drones.
- Counter-Shahed Systems: Cost-effective, scalable solutions designed to defeat Iranian-designed, Russian-operated long-range loitering munitions.
- Signals Intelligence (SIGINT): Advanced electromagnetic support systems to track and catalogue enemy communications and electronic signatures.
- Electromagnetic Attack (EA): Advanced electronic warfare tools tailored to sever command links and jam FPV drones mid-flight.
- High-Altitude Platforms: Unmanned systems designated for extended overhead surveillance and communication relay.
Operational and procurement process
To ensure institutional transparency, the selection is administered through Ukraine’s official Prozorro electronic procurement platform. Following initial application reviews, qualified collaborative teams enter a certified Registry of Qualified Applicants to submit full funding bids.
The programme aims to advance these drone and defence concepts to a highly mature development level—specifically Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 8—meaning the systems will be fully integrated, battle-tested and ready for immediate deployment. To guarantee combat effectiveness before serial manufacturing begins, every selected solution must clear mandatory validation via the Ukrainian military's TEST in UKRAINE platform.