The Brave1 defense cluster and the French Defense Innovation Agency will launch the “Brave France” initiative.

This was announced by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

A Letter of Intent was signed to create a joint grant program for defense companies.

The initiative includes:

  • joint grant program supporting Ukrainian and French defense innovations;

  • hackathons to find practical solutions and support startups;

  • innovation testing via the “Test in Ukraine” platform.

Ukraine and France have significant cooperation potential in defense tech. The partnership gives Ukraine access to cutting-edge allied technologies, while the French side gains access to real wartime high-tech experience impossible to replicate elsewhere.

Next steps include defining priorities, forming a joint coordination body, developing financing mechanisms, and planning additional activities.

The initiative is set to launch in Q2 2026.