GovTech Lab Ukraine 2.0: up to $100,000 to pilot a digital solution for Ukraine’s Digital Ministry, Space Agency, NACP or Culture Ministry, startups apply by 16 November

The Global Government Technology Centre Kyiv, in partnership with the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine and the World Economic Forum, has launched the GovTech Lab Ukraine 2.0 open call. The initiative is supported by Switzerland through the EGAP programme to foster the co-creation and testing of high-impact public sector technologies.

Selected innovators will collaborate directly with Ukrainian public authorities to pilot digital solutions addressing critical administrative, recovery, and security needs. Winning projects will receive pilot sponsorship of up to $100,000 along with access to the Ukrainian public sector.

The deadline for submitting solutions is 16 November 2026. The programme is targeted at international technology companies and startups seeking market validation while supporting national resilience.

What is funded

The programme finances the piloting of technological solutions across four public sector challenges, providing up to $100,000 per pilot. Funded activities support the co-development, deployment, and testing of tools with designated government counterparts.

The focus areas include SpaceTech satellite intelligence for the State Space Agency to automate damage assessment across 5,000 monthly property requests. Other supported topics include offline digital accessibility tools for the Ministry of Digital Transformation, secure on-premise AI document processing for the National Agency on Corruption Prevention, and automated AI satellite monitoring for over 149,000 cultural heritage sites under the Ministry of Culture.

Who can apply

The call is open to startups, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and international technology businesses. Eligible applicants must possess expertise in areas such as artificial intelligence, satellite data analysis, accessibility technologies, or cybersecurity.

Applicants are evaluated based on four primary selection criteria: traction signals, solution quality, business model viability, and overall team or organizational strength. Solutions must be adaptable to the local operational, linguistic, and regulatory context of the partner public institutions.

Conditions and requirements

Shortlisted teams are required to participate in the Innovation Bootcamp. During this phase, participants attend expert sessions and collaborate directly with partner ministries to define the technical scope, refine system requirements, and shape the pilot design.

Following the bootcamp, teams present their validated solutions at Demo Day to secure transition into the funded pilot phase. Selected technologies must meet strict institutional standards, including human oversight in data analysis and strict adherence to national cybersecurity mandates.

Practical tip. For challenges with strict security or deployment requirements, such as the NACP focus area, applicants should clearly detail the necessary on-premise hardware specifications, associated equipment costs, and long-term maintenance plans alongside their software architecture.

How to apply

Interested businesses must submit their solution through the official application form before the deadline on 16 November 2026. Submissions must explicitly address one of the designated challenges and specify the technological approach proposed for the pilot.

The programme organizers also offer an online GovTech Lab Open Call Information Session. The session covers the application process, selection guidelines, funding rules, and pilot delivery, concluded by a live question-and-answer session with the management team.

Applications are submitted on the donor’s page: kyivgovtechcentre.org.