Overview
- Ukraine and NATO opened the first UNITE–Brave NATO competition Wednesday with a €10 million contract pool for joint teams.
- The opening phase centers on matchmaking B2B teams via the Brave1 portal, which requires company registration and verification before proposal work begins.
- Priority problems include FPV drone protection, countering Shahed‑type attacks, stronger SIGINT and electromagnetic tools, autonomous guidance, and high‑altitude platforms.
- NATO and Ukraine will evaluate proposals together, NCIA will issue contracts under NATO procurement rules, Allied firms will receive funding via NATO’s Comprehensive Assistance Package, and Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation supports Ukrainian participants.
- Registration is live now, winners are planned for summer 2026, the programme will be showcased at the June 1–2 Defence Innovators Forum in Vilnius, and organisers intend to scale future rounds to about €50 million.