2026 CMU Innovative Technologies Contest

The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine announces a competitive selection for the Prize of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine for the development and implementation of innovative technologies in 2026. The organizer of this contest is directly the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, while organizational, informational, and technical support is provided by the Directorate of Innovation and Science-to-Business Relations.

The main goal of the program is to award the Prize for the development and implementation of innovative technologies in the real sector of the economy. The contest aims to support bringing innovative products manufactured in Ukraine based on scientific and technical R&D results to domestic and/or foreign markets. The selection process itself is based on the principles of creating equal conditions for all participants, transparency, objectivity, and impartiality of evaluation, and is conducted applying a gender-oriented approach.

Competitive proposals from enterprises, institutions, and organizations are accepted under four main nominations. These include: "Science-intensive innovations" (for applied scientific results), "Innovative solutions in economic activity" (for implementing new products, processes, or business models), "Innovative infrastructure" (for promoting technology transfer and commercialization), and the "Special prize" (for scientific developments aimed at ensuring Ukraine's national security and defense).

• An enterprise, institution, or organization (regardless of ownership form) employing at least one member of the author team, or which includes an innovative infrastructure element. These can be higher education institutions, scientific institutions, business entities, subjects of innovative activity, or technology transfer subjects.
• The author team must consist of 3–10 individuals who are direct implementers and whose creative contribution is significant. The nominees must be citizens of Ukraine working at enterprises or institutions registered in Ukraine.
• The team cannot include persons who performed exclusively administrative functions; individuals included in another competitive proposal this year; past laureates of this Prize; as well as persons who continue scientific and technical cooperation with the aggressor state.

• The size of one Prize per nominee (team) is 300,000 hryvnias.
• The monetary part of the Prize is distributed among all laureates (members of the winning author team) in equal shares.
• No more than two Prizes are awarded in each of the four nominations.
• The payment of prizes, as well as the expert review of proposals and the production of diplomas, are financed by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine under the 2026 budget program (KPKVK 2201080).

• "Science-intensive innovations": Developed and implemented results of applied scientific and technical activities in the form of new materials, products, devices, systems, or technologies that create innovative products.
• "Innovative solutions in economic activity": Implemented competitive technologies, processes, business models, or organizational and technical solutions of a production or commercial nature that improve business efficiency and the social sphere.
• "Innovative infrastructure": Activities promoting technology transfer, commercialization of scientific results, scaling of projects, and bringing innovative products to market.
• "Special prize": Scientific research and R&D whose results exceed global analogs and are aimed at ensuring national security and defense, satisfying urgent state needs.

• October 19, 2026, until 13:00 (Kyiv time): The deadline for receiving applications and documents in the National Electronic Scientific Information System.
• Within 10 calendar days after the deadline: The system sends a notification about the need to revise the application (in case technical errors or incomplete data are detected).
• Within 3 calendar days: The timeframe for the initiator to make changes and resubmit the application after receiving the revision notice.
• Up to 30 calendar days: The duration for conducting the anonymous scientific and technical expertise in the system (the countdown for the expert begins on the day the proposal is received).
• Up to 30 calendar days: The duration for reviewing and evaluating materials by specialized expert groups.
• Within a one-month period: The Committee makes a decision on awarding the Prize based on the proposals of the MES.
• December (expected): Preparation of the act of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on awarding the Prize.
• Within 10 calendar days after the CMU decision: Publication of the results on the MES website and in the system (except for the "Special prize" nomination due to security reasons).

1. Submission is carried out exclusively in electronic form through the National Electronic Scientific Information System via the link: https://nauka.gov.ua/information/skmu2026/.
2. The application is filled out and submitted by the initiator of the competitive proposal.
3. The application must be signed with the qualified electronic signature (QES) of the head of the initiator institution (or an authorized person).
4. The system automatically records the consent of all team members to participate and to the processing of their data.
5. For proposals with restricted access: If the application (particularly in the "Special prize" nomination) contains official information, commercial secrets, or confidential data, only generalized information is submitted in the system without disclosing the secrets. The full format of such an application and supporting documents are submitted concurrently in paper form to the following address: 16 Taras Shevchenko Blvd., office 313, Kyiv (Directorate of Innovation, MES).

• "Science-intensive innovations": alignment with priority areas; uniqueness and advantages over Ukrainian and global analogs; technology readiness level; socio-economic and environmental impact for Ukraine; practical value and prospects for further implementation.
• "Innovative solutions in economic activity": social impact (health, well-being, education); environmental impact; increase in enterprise revenues and the number of new jobs created; level of manufacturability and synergetic effect; innovative potential and ability to open new markets.
• "Innovative infrastructure": efficiency of technology transfer/commercialization; efficiency of cooperation with the real sector of the economy; personnel and infrastructure capacity; ability to attract investments; number of signed licensing agreements and royalty volume; number of created/supported startups.
• "Special prize": social and economic impact; environmental impact; security impact (enhancing defense capability, critical infrastructure protection, cybersecurity); innovative potential and ability to open new markets.

• Completed electronic application (contains the list of nominees, proposal description, information on the creative contribution of each participant, list of protective documents for intellectual property).
• Cover letter with a list of materials on the official letterhead of the initiator, certified by the signature of the head and the seal (if available).
• Copy of the document delegating signature rights (order, power of attorney) — submitted only if the documents are signed by someone other than the head of the institution.
• Copies of documents confirming implementation and commercialization (licensing agreements, economic contracts, sale and purchase contracts, implementation acts, etc.).
• Other significant information materials (photos/videos of practical use, reviews, letters of recommendation, data on profitability and demand).
• Document certifying the absence of restricted information in the application (if the application is submitted entirely through the electronic system without paper copies containing secrets).

• Competitive proposals are accepted only on the condition that the innovation results have been practically implemented at least 1 year prior to the submission date (for the "Science-intensive innovations", "Innovative solutions...", and "Special prize" nominations). For the "Innovative infrastructure" nomination, this period is at least 3 years.
• It is not allowed to submit proposals that have already been awarded the State Prize in Science and Technology or the Borys Paton National Prize of Ukraine.
• A proposal that did not previously win the CMU Prize can be resubmitted, but no more than once, and only provided it has been revised and commercialized (not earlier than 3 years after the previous nomination).
• Participation is strictly prohibited for enterprises that conducted business on the territory of the aggressor state after February 24, 2022, are under NSDC sanctions, or were established under the laws of the aggressor state.
• Applications containing state secrets are not accepted for review.

• Regulatory framework: The competitive selection is conducted in accordance with the Regulation on the Prize of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine for the development and implementation of innovative technologies, approved by the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated August 1, 2012, No. 701 (as amended by the CMU resolution dated December 3, 2025, No. 1564).
• Sanction restrictions: The initiators of competitive proposals strictly cannot be enterprises, institutions, or organizations that, as of the proposal submission date, are classified as legal entities to which special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions) are applied according to the relevant decisions of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, enacted by decrees of the President of Ukraine (in accordance with the Law of Ukraine "On Sanctions").
• Prohibition of ties with the aggressor state: Enterprises established in accordance with the legislation of the aggressor state, or those that conduct or have conducted economic activity on the territory of the aggressor state after February 24, 2022, are not allowed to participate. Individuals (members of the author team) are also prohibited from having any scientific and technical cooperation with representatives, organizations, or enterprises of the aggressor state following the adoption of decisions on its termination.
• State secrets: Applications and information materials containing information that constitutes a state secret are not accepted for review at all.
• Consent to data processing: By submitting an application in the electronic system, participants automatically give their consent to participate in the selection and to the publication (if necessary) of their full names and the title of the proposal on the official MES website and in the system.
• Protection of restricted information: For materials containing official information, commercial secrets, or confidential information, special submission rules apply (providing generalized information in the electronic system and paper copies in the established manner in compliance with the Standard Instruction approved by the CMU resolution dated October 19, 2016, No. 736).
• Selection principles: The competitive selection is based on the principles of creating equal conditions for participants, transparency, objectivity, and impartiality of evaluation, and is conducted applying a gender-oriented approach.