BraveTech EU · Brave1 and the EU

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DefTech Forges Challenges

Five-day in-person competitions in which developments are demonstrated in field conditions before a committee of the European Commission, the European Defence Agency and Brave1. Winning means a €120,000 prize and a path to EU-level testing.

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About the programme

What the programme is and who it is for

What it funds

Technology challenges of the BraveTech EU programme: developers demonstrate their solutions in field trials, and the winners receive a grant and a path to larger funding.

Who funds it

The European Union and Ukraine under BraveTech EU: an action of DG DEFIS within the EU Defence Innovation Scheme (EUDIS), together with Brave1 and the European Defence Agency; implemented by a consortium of Civitta, Starburst and Darkstar. On the Ukrainian side – the Ministry of Digital Transformation and the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.

Who it suits

  • Start-ups, SMEs, mid-caps and research teams from Ukraine, the EU and Norway developing defence and dual-use technologies
  • Individual innovators without a legal entity and joint EU–Ukraine teams
  • Solutions at TRL 4 or higher that can be demonstrated in the field
Official pages: DefTech Forges DefTech Forges: phase 2 with the EDA Rules of Contest, Edition 2 Edition 3: calendar and challenges European Commission (DG DEFIS): BraveTech EU European Commission and the EDA: partnership for BraveTech EU (29.04.2026) BraveTech EU on the Brave1 portal
In depth

The programme in detail

DefTech Forges is the first phase of BraveTech EU, a joint EU–Ukraine initiative announced on 11 July 2025. On the EU side, it is an action of the Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS) within the EU Defence Innovation Scheme (EUDIS). It is implemented by a consortium of Civitta, Starburst and Darkstar; test ranges and military users are provided by local organisers, while Brave1, on the Ukrainian side, evaluates applications and sits on the jury.

The format is five-day in-person events in military or near-combat conditions at sites in EU countries. For each location, 15–20 teams with TRL 4+ solutions are selected, with up to three winners receiving €120,000 each. The prize comes with 10 weeks of mentoring and a path to the second phase – testing and evaluation with the European Defence Agency, for which the European Commission concluded a €35 million agreement with the EDA in April 2026.

Within BraveTech EU, this is the “front door” to the European defence ecosystem: you demonstrate your solution to military users, the EDA and the European Commission and gain access to EU-level testing. Alongside it, the same initiative includes the Brave1 Special Grant Programme (up to UAH 8 million) and the Ukraine Support Instrument grant of up to €200,000 for a six-month project with field trials in Ukraine.

This is not a budget-based grant but a prize for results demonstrated at the event: only what is shown on site is evaluated. It suits teams with a working prototype that can be tested in the field within five days, with a pitch in English and the readiness to travel at their own expense, especially joint EU–Ukraine teams. It does not suit ideas that exist only “on paper”, those who need R&D funding for a year ahead, or companies controlled by entities from outside the EU, Norway or Ukraine.

Application status: Competitive rounds

The Edition 2 final event takes place on 9–13 November 2026 in Germany and Romania; applications for it closed on 6 September. The next call is Edition 3: according to the programme schedule, applications are accepted from 23 November 2026 to 8 January 2027, and the challenge itself takes place on 15–22 March 2027; the locations have not yet been announced.

Programme terms

Key facts about “DefTech Forges Challenges”

Only what is confirmed in the official programme sources, as of 06.11.2026.

Format

A five-day in-person event at a military site in an EU country, 15–20 teams per location: field days, mentors, a final pitch. The winners are selected by a committee appointed by the European Commission.

Funding

Up to three winners per location, each receiving €120,000 to bring the solution to TRL 6–7. This is followed by mentoring and phase 2: trials with the European Defence Agency, in which the six winners of a cycle compete for additional prizes of up to €1,000,000.

Who can apply

Participants from the EU, Norway and Ukraine; a legal entity must not be controlled by entities from outside these countries. Solutions at TRL 4+ with a working prototype.

Part of BraveTech EU

A joint EU–Ukraine programme. On the EU side it is coordinated by DG DEFIS and the European Defence Agency, on the Ukrainian side by the Ministry of Digital Transformation and the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.

Calendar

Cycles every few months, each at two locations: June 2026 (Estonia, France), November 2026 (Germany, Romania), March 2027. Applications are submitted on the DefTech Forges website.

Evaluation criteria

At selection: strategic advantage 25 %, problem fit and testability 30 %, business model 20 %, team 25 %. At the event, only what is demonstrated in the field counts: fit with the challenge, innovation and team.

Sources: DefTech Forges, DefTech Forges: phase 2 with the EDA, Rules of Contest, Edition 2, Edition 3: calendar and challenges, European Commission (DG DEFIS): BraveTech EU, European Commission and the EDA: partnership for BraveTech EU (29.04.2026), BraveTech EU on the Brave1 portal.

Check terms and deadlines on the official programme page before applying: they are updated from round to round.

Analysis

Requirements, stages and what to watch for

Our analysis is based on the official programme rules and GetGrant materials. Check the current call before applying: conditions change from round to round.

01Applicant requirements

  • Eligible applicants include start-ups, scale-ups, SMEs, mid-caps, research teams and individual innovators without a legal entity. All participants must be adults with citizenship or residence in the EU, Norway or Ukraine.
  • A legal entity has its executive management structures in the EU, Norway or Ukraine and is not controlled by a country or entity from outside them. Companies from the EU or Norway controlled by third countries are admitted only with guarantees under Article 9(4) of the EDF Regulation.
  • The solution is defence or dual-use, at TRL 4 or higher, with a working prototype or system ready for testing and demonstration.
  • The applicant is not subject to grounds for exclusion from EU funding: bankruptcy, tax debts, fraud, corruption, grave professional misconduct.
  • Onboarding and full in-person participation in the five-day event are mandatory; for winners – mentoring and bootcamps.

02What is funded and on what terms

  • Participation is free of charge: the organiser provides the site, meals, equipment, coaching and expertise. Travel, accommodation, insurance and other personal expenses are at your own cost.
  • The prize is €120,000 per winning team, with up to three winners per location. In a cycle with two locations, there are six prizes.
  • The prize is paid after the European Commission’s decision and checks: sanctions screening, registers, ownership and control. The money goes to the company’s account or, if there is no legal entity, to the team leader.
  • The prize is intended to bring the solution to TRL 6–7 and to prepare for phase 2. Winners receive 40 hours of mentoring over 10 weeks, and the final report is submitted to the EDA.
  • Phase 2 consists of two rounds of operational trials with the EDA, each within 5 months: six winners of a cycle → four → two final winners. According to the programme website, phase 2 participants compete for additional prizes of up to €1,000,000; Brave1, on eu.brave1.tech, cites “up to €750,000”. The Edition 2 Rules of Contest do not state the phase 2 amounts.

03Selection stages and timelines

  • Online submission via the form on the programme website: pitch deck, solution description, details of all team members, declarations. Applications are assessed as they arrive, but decisions are made after the call closes.
  • Selection in three steps: completeness, eligibility and qualitative assessment. Criteria: strategic advantage and innovation – 25 %, problem fit and testability – 30 %, business model maturity – 20 %, team – 25 %. The remaining teams are placed on a reserve list.
  • A selected team confirms participation within 5 working days, completes onboarding and finishes all steps at least one week before the event.
  • At the event: field days, work with mentors and a final pitch. The winners are assessed by a committee of at least 5 members appointed by the European Commission: fit with the challenge, innovation and team – one third each. The decision on the prize is made by the European Commission.
  • Calendar: cycle 1 – June 2026 (Estonia, France); cycle 2 – 9–13.11.2026 (Germany – Bayern Innovativ, Romania – Romanian Space Initiative), call 10.08–06.09.2026 closed; cycle 3 – 15–22.03.2027 at two locations, participant call according to the programme schedule – 23.11.2026–08.01.2027, selection and confirmation – by 01.02.2027.

04Specifics and pitfalls

  • Only evidence obtained during the event counts. Previous reports do not replace a demonstration: demos are carried out with inert or non-kinetic means against surrogate targets, under specified conditions (EW, GNSS-denied, etc.).
  • The committee signs confidentiality and conflict-of-interest declarations, but your pitch and test data are seen by the committee, mentors and organisers – decide in advance what you will show.
  • The European Commission acquires no ownership rights to the results, but may use non-classified information and photos for communication purposes. Winners acknowledge EU support with the EU emblem and a standard disclaimer.
  • The organisers may postpone or change the event for security reasons without reimbursing costs. The prize may be cancelled or reclaimed for false information, ineligibility or breach of the rules.
  • Taking a military or dual-use prototype out of the country to an event in the EU may require export control procedures. The Rules of Contest do not regulate this and do not cover the costs.
  • If you already hold a Brave1 grant, the prize must not cover the same cost items: Brave1 prohibits double funding.

05What to prepare in advance

  • A pitch deck in English: the problem from the front line, the solution, TRL with evidence, market, IP and team.
  • A field demonstration scenario for the specific challenge: what you are bringing, what conditions are needed (EW, GNSS-denied, surrogate targets) and how the result will be measured.
  • Documents on registration, authority and ownership structure, and a declaration on ownership and control in the programme’s form.
  • The team composition for all 5 days and a budget for travel and accommodation.
  • An EU partner for a joint team: EU–Ukraine cooperation strengthens the score for problem fit.
Support

What we do

You are not left alone with the application form: we prepare the document package and support you until the decision.

  1. 1

    Review and eligibility check

    A short call or email exchange: whether you and the project meet the conditions, which programme and amount fit, and what is missing.

  2. 2

    Application in the programme format

    We write the application exactly in the form the programme requires: business plan, technology description, financial plan and budget that are consistent with each other.

  3. 3

    Documents and verification

    We collect annexes: cost estimates, supplier quotes, pitch deck, documents for premises or land. Everything is checked against the requirements before submission.

  4. 4

    Submission and defence

    You sign and submit the application; we stay with you at every step and prepare you for the interview, pitch or jury session.

For this programme

  • We select a challenge that fits your technology and check its readiness for a field demonstration.
  • We prepare the application in English: solution description, TRL, demonstration scenario.
  • We plan how to secure follow-on funding after winning: Brave1, the EDF, donor programmes.
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What we say plainly

  • No grant is guaranteed. The decision is made by the funder: the state, a fund or a jury. We build a strong and consistent package, but we do not influence the decision.
  • You submit the application yourself. The applicant submits and signs the application in Diia, on the USF portal or the EU portal. We prepare the documents and support you, but do not apply on your behalf.
  • We quote the price after the first conversation. The scope depends on the programme, the amount and what you already have. We state the cost and timing before work begins.
Our services

How GetGrant can help with this programme

Choose the format: a one-hour expert consultation, a turnkey application or preparatory work. Prices are listed where they are fixed; for the rest we quote after a short conversation.

Consultation

Consultation with a GetGrant expert

An online meeting on your project: eligibility, realistic amount, weak points of the application and a preparation plan.

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Project commercialisation

We move your development into market terms: who buys it, at what price, and which steps come first.

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An independent check of a project already running: whether you are on schedule and on budget, and what the donor will see in the report.

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