Grant for the development of components for unmanned systems

Brave1 is a coordination platform established by the Government of Ukraine to support defence technologies. The programme provides organisational, informational and financial support to Defence Tech projects. The grant programme aims to accelerate technologies capable of changing the course of the war and increasing technology readiness levels.

The grant program provides financial support for developments in the fields of artificial intelligence and missile technologies. The maximum amount of funding depends on the specific funding track and project type.

🤖For artificial intelligence developments, applicants may receive up to UAH 8,000,000 for creating a finished product, testing it under combat conditions, and transferring the resulting solution to security and defense units designated by the Fund.

🚀For missile technology developments, funding of up to UAH 8,000,000 is also available, provided that the project successfully passes the defense review process and achieves sufficient scores for innovation, technical maturity, and readiness.

In addition, a separate grant initiative indicates that the maximum grant support may reach EUR 75,000.

Eligible Costs

🤖For AI-related projects, grant funds may cover:

• salaries and gig-contracts of up to UAH 120,000 per person per month, capped at 70% of the project budget;
• materials and equipment up to 50% of the budget;
• services, including banking, customs, transportation, and logistics services, up to 70% of the budget;
• audit costs up to 5% of the budget.

🚀For missile technology projects, eligible costs include:

• salaries and gig-contracts of up to UAH 120,000 per person per month, capped at 30% of the budget;
• materials without a specified limit;
• equipment up to 30% of the budget;
• services without a specified limit.

Funding Restrictions

• For AI developments, a funding cap of UAH 30 million per developer per year applies.
• Only one application may be submitted for a single AI development.
• For missile technology projects, one developer may receive a maximum of two grants per year.
• Only one application may be submitted for each type of missile development, although resubmission is allowed if the proposal is rejected during defense review or expert evaluation stages.

Ineligible Costs

Grant funds may not be used for:

• business travel and marketing activities;
• rental of land plots, offices, vehicles, buildings, or premises;
• purchase of vehicles, furniture, mobile phones, household appliances, and fuel;
• renovation or repair works;
• purchase of weapons (except mock-ups or prototypes);
• expenses already financed through other programs.

🚀 Rocket Systems

The grant programme supports projects focused on the development and enhancement of various types of rocket systems for defence applications.

Priority areas include:

• man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS) designed to engage UAVs and aircraft using infrared, optical, or laser guidance;
• surface-to-air missiles and air defence missile systems capable of destroying drones and guided aerial bombs;
• air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles launched from aircraft;
• cruise missiles and jet-powered UAVs;
• ballistic and quasi-ballistic missile systems intended for delivering payloads over long distances.

🤖 Artificial Intelligence

The programme supports software and hardware-software solutions that apply artificial intelligence technologies to defence-related tasks.

Supported areas include:

• GPS-independent navigation systems;
• autonomous drone detection and recognition from ground platforms, vehicles, and airborne systems;
• optical fibre recognition and detection technologies;
• automated take-off, calibration, and autonomous UAV flight;
• autonomous obstacle detection and avoidance;
• autonomous target recognition and tracking using machine vision and AI algorithms;
• terminal guidance systems capable of adjusting strike trajectories in real time;
• swarm autonomy and coordinated drone operations;
• group interception systems for engaging airborne threats through coordinated UAV actions.

The process generally includes project registration, expert evaluation, grant application submission, technical and financial review, supervisory approval and grant agreement signing.

To participate in the grant competition, the applicant must prepare and submit the required application package in accordance with the programme requirements.

Step 1. Prepare a Confirmation Letter

The applicant must submit a letter in free form or using the provided template, addressed to the Fund and signed by the head of the organization or an acting representative. The letter must confirm that the Developer meets the general eligibility requirements.

Step 2. Obtain an Extract from the Unified State Register

A full extract from the Unified State Register must be provided. The document must be issued no earlier than the date of the competition announcement. If legal entities are among the founders, extracts concerning those entities must also be submitted.

Step 3. Obtain a Certificate of No Tax Debt

The applicant must provide a certificate confirming the absence of tax arrears. The document must be valid at the time of submission and contain the required information. The certificate remains valid for 10 calendar days from the date of issuance.

Step 4. Prepare a Letter Confirming No Salary Arrears

A letter in free form or based on the provided template must be submitted. The document should confirm that, as of the first day of the month in which the application is submitted, the organization has no outstanding salary-related debts.

Required documents include:

• A Confirmation Letter addressed to the Fund and signed by the company head or acting representative. The letter may be submitted in free form or using the provided template and must confirm compliance with the general qualification requirements.
• A full extract from the Unified State Register, issued no earlier than the date of the competition announcement. If legal entities are among the founders, extracts for those entities must also be provided.
• A Certificate of No Tax Debt, prepared in accordance with the established requirements. The certificate is valid for 10 calendar days from the date of issuance.
• A letter confirming the absence of salary arrears, submitted in free form or according to the provided template. The document must confirm that no salary-related debts exist as of the first day of the month in which the application is submitted.

Applicants are encouraged to verify the completeness of their document package before submission, as all listed documents form part of the application review process.

Separate grant programmes and special competitions are announced through the platform.

Within the framework of the grant programme, grant recipients are required to ensure proper reporting on the use of funds and the results achieved through project implementation.

After each reporting period, the recipient must submit:

• a financial report prepared using the cash accounting method;
• a development results report (product monitoring report).

For grants of up to UAH 8 million, submission of an auditor’s report is additionally required.

All project expenditures must be made through cashless transactions and supported by appropriate documentary evidence.

Regarding compliance, applications undergo several stages of eligibility and compliance verification. For Artificial Intelligence Development Grant Programmes, both an initial and a financial compliance review are conducted, with the possibility of requesting revisions or rejecting the application. For Rocket Development Grant Programmes, an internal compliance review is carried out to verify conformity with programme requirements.

Within the Special Grant Programmes for Artificial Intelligence Technologies and Missile Systems Development, grant recipients are required to comply with the established funding rules and the conditions set out in the grant agreement.

The key legal provisions stipulate that grant funds must be used solely for their approved purpose and in accordance with the submitted application. All expenditures must be properly documented and reflected in the required reports.

Grant funds may be subject to recovery if:

• the funds are used for purposes other than those approved;
• false or inaccurate information was provided in the application;
• programme limits or contractual conditions are violated;
• supporting documentation or mandatory reports are missing.

These requirements form part of the programme’s oversight and compliance framework and are intended to ensure the proper use of grant funding and fulfilment of obligations by grant recipients.