NATO and Ukraine have opened a new online portal and set out the next steps for a joint innovation competition that will award a total of €10 million in contracts to teams of Allied and Ukrainian companies.
The programme — called Ukraine-NATO Innovation, Technology and Engineering (UNITE) – Brave NATO — was first announced in November 2025, the Alliance said in a release on Wednesday.
The UNITE–Brave NATO web portal is hosted on the website of Brave1, a Ukrainian government-backed defence technology platform, with registration now open for companies seeking matchmaking to form joint teams.
The initial challenges published on the portal focus on Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) and air defence. C-UAS refers to technologies designed to detect and stop drones.
Teams will be able to submit joint proposals through the portal when the competition window opens in spring.
Contracts to be issued by NATO agency
Project proposals will be jointly evaluated by NATO and Ukraine, with contract awards issued by the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA), the Alliance said.
Companies from NATO countries that want to apply should contact their national NATO delegations to check eligibility for contracts.
The UNITE – Brave NATO programme is also due to feature at the NATO-Ukraine Defence Innovators Forum on 1-2 June 2026 in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Further competitions are being prepared, with plans to scale UNITE – Brave NATO to €50 million.
Funding for Allied companies will come via NATO’s Comprehensive Assistance Package for Ukraine, while activities for Ukrainian companies are sponsored by Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation.
