Ukraine to Access EU Grants Worth €300 Million

Ukrainian defense companies will gain access to grants and funding from the European Union amounting to €300 million. The agreements were signed under the European Defence Fund (EDF) and the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP). Ukrainian manufacturers will be able to use these funds for technology development and scaling up production. The agreements were reached at the Ukraine-EU Defence Industry Forum with the participation of European Commissioner Andrius Kubilius. Of the €300 million allocated by the Ukraine Support Instrument, €260 million will be directed towards increasing production, while €35.3 million will be allocated for innovative projects under the BraveTech EU USI grant program. Under the Brave1 program, Ukrainian developers will be able to receive grants of up to €200,000 for projects with a certain level of technological readiness, covering up to 100% of expenses. It is expected that these new opportunities will allow for the joint development of defense technologies and startups. Ukraine will also share its experience in warfare and technology development with European partners. The agreements must be ratified by parliament to come into effect.