NATO and Ukraine Launch New Phase of UNITE Brave NATO Innovation Program

NATO and Ukraine are moving forward with the next stages of the UNITE – Brave NATO innovation program.

This initiative follows the initial announcement made in November 2025. It focuses on cooperation in innovation, technology, and engineering between the Alliance and Ukraine, according to NATO. INT on March 26.

The program will provide €10 million ($10.8 million) in contracts for teams consisting of companies from both NATO member states and Ukraine.

Innovators can now access the UNITE – Brave NATO portal through the Brave1 website. The platform outlines specific challenges related to anti-drone systems and air defense.

Companies are now able to register on the portal to work together on these technical issues. The window for submitting joint proposals is expected to open this spring. Businesses from NATO countries must contact their respective delegations to confirm they are eligible for these contracts.

The NATO Communications and Information Agency will manage the contracts and evaluate project proposals alongside Ukrainian partners. The process will follow standard NATO procurement procedures.

This collaboration aims to address urgent military challenges and strengthen the connection between different innovation sectors.

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What Benefits Would NATO Have From Ukraine’s Membership?

Oct 17, 2024 13:48

The UNITE – Brave NATO program will be a central topic at the NATO-Ukraine Defense Innovators Forum. This event is scheduled to take place on June 1-2, 2026, in Vilnius, Lithuania. Future plans for the program include increasing the total funding to 50 million euros.

Funding for the participating NATO companies is provided through the Comprehensive Assistance Package for Ukraine. The Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine supports the involvement of Ukrainian companies.

While Russia held the advantage in manpower and equipment, Ukraine fought back with technology rather than scale. At the heart of this effort was Brave1, a government-backed hub that focused on finding, funding, and fast-tracking defense innovations.

In the early days of the full-scale invasion, Ukrainian forces even turned off-the-shelf drones into effective weapons, causing panic among Russian troops.

Eventually, Brave1 united developers, the military, and investors, allowing for the scaling of electronic warfare systems and naval drones that helped push the Russian fleet out of the Black Sea.

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