Brave1 at the event "Decisive Innovations. Ukraine's Next Steps in the Technological War" announced the launch of Brave competitions for the development of explosives production, the development of autonomous drones, as well as tactical ballistic missiles and air defense systems. This is stated in a press release of the defense technology cluster.
It is noted that the budget for the development of such projects can reach 100-150 million UAH. We are talking about four grant competitions in the following areas:
● Scaling up domestic production of high-explosive and initiating explosives, as well as nitrocellulose;
● creation of a Ukrainian analogue of HIMARS;
● development of air defense systems to counter UAVs, which will provide new effective tools for air defense;
● development of artificial intelligence and autonomous drones, guidance modules for interceptor drones, AI solutions for intercepting CBMs, etc.
To participate in the competitions, developers must submit a request to review their terms and conditions by September 9, 2025. After that, they must pass a compliance check and sign a non-disclosure agreement.
"Thanks to state support, hundreds of unique technological solutions and new types of weapons are being created in Ukraine. They all have one goal - to destroy enemies and protect Ukrainian soldiers. The Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Digital Affairs are creating a single ecosystem of support so that each innovation can quickly become a force on the front," said Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal.
In addition, Brave1 has updated its grant program, which focuses on 70 detailed technological areas developed in collaboration with the Security and Defense Forces. These areas are divided into nine categories: missiles, artificial intelligence, UAVs, NRCs, EW/RER, unmanned boats and others.
Grant amounts range from UAH 500,000 to UAH 8 million, with developers themselves being able to choose the required amount depending on the readiness of their technology. It is noted that the average time for considering grant applications has been reduced to 1.5 months.
"Detailed technological priorities, formed jointly with the Security and Defense Forces of Ukraine, will become a guide for all Ukrainian manufacturers. And our goal as Brave1 is not just to increase the number of innovative solutions that can influence the course of war, but also to accelerate their appearance in the troops," said Andriy Hrytsenyuk, head of Brave1.
In addition, special grant programs have been launched within Brave1 , which allow you to receive up to 8 million UAH for the development of breakthrough ideas in the following areas:
● Technologies for recognition and guidance, battlefield analysis, GPS-free navigation, and automated decision-making systems based on artificial intelligence;
● development of air- and ground-launched missiles with different ranges.
It was previously reported that new Brave1 grant programs will be launched for manufacturers of explosives, drones, and missiles. The necessary funds for them have already been provided for in the budget amendments for the second half of 2025, and all government decisions to launch the programs have been approved.