Brave1 is a government cluster that unites the Ministry of Digital Transformation, the Ministry of Defense, the General Staff, the National Security and Defense Council, and other agencies. Together, they accelerate defense-technology development. In practice, Brave1 creates a single entry point for entrepreneurs, scientists, investors, and the defense forces. Consequently, Ukrainian tech ideas move faster from concept to battlefield use. Moreover, the platform offers financial, informational, and organizational support, and it helps with testing, certification, and market access.
What Brave1 Offers
Overall, Brave1 aims to make Ukraine a leader in defense technologies. Therefore, participants in the ecosystem receive:
- Funding: grants of up to ₴8 million for projects at various readiness stages. A Supervisory Board with representatives of ministries and the defense forces evaluates applications.
- Expert evaluation and testing: military expertise, field and combat trials, product demos for end users in uniform, and guidance on weapon-adoption procedures.
- Community access: closed chats, Demo Days, targeted networking, and partner matching with defense institutions and investors.
- Business development: access to accelerators, incubators, R&D centers, international exhibitions, and structured mentorship.
Priority Areas
Specifically, the cluster supports 12 Defense Tech verticals: weapon systems, protection and security, logistics, unmanned vehicles, robotics, demining, cybersecurity, intelligence and data analysis, navigation and control, medical support, and drone munitions. For example, eligible projects may involve:
- unmanned aerial, ground, and maritime systems, plus command-and-control and communications;
- intelligence, data processing, targeting, and navigation systems;
- artillery and rocket systems, precision munitions, counter-drone tools, electronic warfare, and cybersecurity;
- novel weapons, medical and engineering solutions, soldier protection, robotic platforms, and IT tools for command.
Who Can Apply
In short, entrepreneurs, scientists, developers, and legal entities registered in Ukraine can apply. Applicants must show that their activity advances defense technology or national security. Additionally, each participant may submit up to 20 projects and receive no more than ₴30 million per year.
Grant Sizes and Conditions
Importantly, funding depends on readiness and a military-technical score. Each project goes through compliance and defense evaluation with general and TRL-based criteria. Current tiers include:
- ₴500,000 — for concepts that score at least 4 points.
- ₴1 million — for projects scoring ≥4 with TRL ≥5.
- ₴2 million — for projects scoring ≥5.
- ₴4–8 million — for prototypes ready for testing, deployment, or serial production.
Typically, the board makes a decision within 1.5 months after compliance and financial review. Meanwhile, in 2025 Brave1 launched additional scaling competitions of up to ₴150 million with 30% co-financing, particularly for missile and explosive-materials manufacturers.
Eligible Expenses
As a rule, recipients must channel funds directly into technology development. Accordingly, eligible expenses include:
- staff salaries (up to 50% of the budget) and bank fees;
- materials, equipment, components, R&D, testing, and certification;
- subcontracted services, logistics, and customs fees (up to 20% of the budget);
- other costs that directly support development. Rent and utilities do not qualify.
To ensure accountability, recipients file spending reports; if they breach conditions, they return the funds.
How to Apply
Practically, the application process follows several clear steps:
- Register on the Ukrainian Startup Fund (USF) portal and complete the innovator profile.
- Create the project: describe the technology, add technical specs, a business plan, and documents. Compliance review usually takes up to 2 working days.
- Pass military expertise: defense forces evaluate the project within 1–7 days. Projects scoring ≥4 earn B-BRV1 status and qualify for grants.
- Submit the grant application: provide a budget and work plan. Technical and financial checks take up to 3 days, and then the Supervisory Board issues the final decision and signs the grant agreement.
Notably, applicants may submit up to 20 projects at once. Because the program accepts applications year-round, teams can apply when they are ready.
Additional Opportunities
Beyond the money, Brave1 connects teams to resources that move ideas toward production:
- Investor access: a curated network of venture and corporate investors focused on Defense Tech;
- Accelerators and incubators: business-model support and scale-up partnerships;
- Resource centers and labs: testing facilities, R&D assistance, and certification support;
- International exposure: exhibitions, hackathons, networking, and Demo Days with military and NATO audiences;
- Legal and standardization help: weapon-adoption workflows, NATO codification, and consortium building.
Results and 2025 Priorities
To date, Brave1 has gathered more than 1,600 projects and 1,000 manufacturers; 60 products have reached serial production. For instance, Backfire UAVs, the Ironclad ground robot, and the AD Counter FPV system advanced through the program. By mid-2024, the team awarded over 186 grants totaling about $3 million. Looking ahead, the 2025 budget of ₴1.5 billion expands support and raise
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