Ukraine and NATO announced the launch of UNITE – Brave NATO programme.

UNITE – Brave NATO is the first large-scale joint program aimed at on scaling prototyped and tested innovative technologies.

In early 2026, the first pilot competition within UNITE – Brave NATO will take place, with a total budget of €10 million.

NATO will fund its contribution through its Comprehensive Assistance Package for Ukraine (CAP) and Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation will match that amount. Ukraine’s defence tech cluster Brave1 will coordinate from Ukraine’s side.

«We do appreciate that NATO is fostering this brand new partnership with Ukraine in the field of innovations. This cooperation will accelerate the development of cutting-edge defence technologies and strengthen interoperability. Together, we are building a more resilient, adaptive, and technologically advanced defence architecture for the entire Euro-Atlantic community», — said Mykhailo Fedorov, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.

UNITE – Brave NATO activities will focus on areas such as:

• Counter-unmanned aerial systems (c-UAS)
• SIGINT systems
• Robust navigation in contested electromagnetic environments
• Unmanned ground systems

«UNITE – Brave NATO programme will be beneficial for both NATO and Ukraine, where innovators from both sides will work together to tackle urgent battlefield challenges, while also helping the Alliance learn invaluable lessons in real-time», — highlighted Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska  during her meeting in Kyiv.

More information about future phases of this groundbreaking effort will follow in 2026. Companies will be able to register interest online in the near future and subsequently submit their joint bids in February 2026. Winners of the first UNITE – Brave NATO competition will be announced in spring 2026 at the second NATO-Ukraine Defence Innovators Forum.

After a successful pilot competition, NATO and Ukraine are prepared to scale funding further, up to EUR 50 million for UNITE – Brave NATO for 2026.