BraveTech EU

BraveTech EU

Supports defense technology initiatives that translate operational experience into practical European innovation projects.

Eligibility · EU member states

⚠ This may reflect a past cycle — verify the current call on the funder's site.

BraveTech EU is a European Union and Ukraine joint defence innovation programme that combines Ukrainian operational experience from the ongoing conflict with European technology development capability. The programme carries a total budget of €100 million, structured as a 50/50 match between EU funding (€50 million) and Ukrainian government contribution (€50 million). It targets defence technology innovation across multiple mechanisms including DefTech Forges, hackathons, workshops, and competitive calls.

The programme is structured in two phases. Phase 1 (Seed) draws from a €15 million pool for early-stage projects. Phase 2 (Scale-up) draws from a €35 million pool with individual awards capped at €1 million per project. Phase 2 eligibility is strictly limited to companies established in EU member states, Norway, or Ukraine — no other countries are eligible regardless of consortium arrangements. Public research organisations and universities may participate alongside companies. All submissions are made through the EU Funding and Tenders portal, not through national AID or ANR portals. The 2026 call deadline was 2 February 2026, and that window has closed. A framework contract associated with the programme carries a total value of €20 million over 48 months.

BraveTech EU is structurally distinct from France's bilateral AID instruments: it is an EU-level programme with Ukraine as a co-funding partner, and the AID's involvement reflects France's role in supporting the broader European defence innovation ecosystem rather than domestic French R&D policy. For European defence technology companies and research organisations, the programme offers a direct channel to co-develop solutions informed by live operational feedback from Ukraine. Teams targeting future BraveTech cycles should monitor the EU Funding and Tenders portal and position dual-use hardware, autonomous systems, and electronic warfare technologies as primary application areas.