RFPs: Research for Strengthening the Defense Capacity and National Security of Ukraine

Purpose

• The purpose of the call is to select projects for a collective grant for applied research and scientific and technical (experimental) development aimed at creating new or improving existing materials, IT products, devices, systems, technologies in the field of defense and national security of Ukraine in the form of a draft design, experimental (pilot) sample or its current model, design or technological documentation for scientific and technical products ready for implementation at the enterprises of the defense industry of Ukraine.

Thematic Areas

• An application for grant support shall meet all of the following requirements:
  • represent a project for the implementation of applied research or development aimed at creating a new scientific and technical product (new materials, devices, technologies, software products, etc.) prepared for implementation at Ukrainian enterprises;
  • comply with at least one of the priority areas of science and technology development defined by the Law as priority at the time of the competitive selection (in accordance with paragraphs 1, 3-7 of Article 3 of the Law of Ukraine “On Priority Areas of Science and Technology Development”);
  • fall within one of the following thematic areas:
    • new materials and technologies for their production, components and devices based on them for highly sensitive compact electromagnetic (in the ranges of air transparency) detectors, sound detectors, high-speed height detectors, proximity sensors to objects, including systems for ensuring the operation of such detectors (for example, optical elements, sensing circuits, microcryogenic systems);
    • mechanical, laser, electromagnetic and other energy means and technologies of remote impact on moving objects leading to a forced change in the trajectory of movement or loss of controllability of such objects, based on innovative technical solutions;
    • devices for remote reception/transmission of control signals or information transmission operating in conditions of strong electromagnetic and/or optical interference, information security technologies based on innovative technical solutions;
    • technologies and devices for automatic remote recognition and tracking of moving objects that are periodically partially obscured from observation, with the issuance of control signals to the executive devices for targeting the object.
  • the planned deliverables of the project shall be at least a new or significantly improved material, device, technology, software product, etc. The deliverable of the project should be a sample of the material with a description of the equipment and technology of its manufacture, a prototype of the device with draft or design documentation, a patent for an invention of Ukraine and/or developed countries, a description of the technological process and/or flow chart, a beta version of the software product, confirming the idea’s feasibility;
  • a new product developed by the grantee may be introduced at Ukrainian enterprises with the transfer of rights to manufacture the product in accordance with the current legislation of Ukraine.

Funding Information

• The total amount of funding for the Call for Proposals in 2025 is up to UAH 60 million.
• The maximum total amount of funding for one project is UAH 6 million (UAH 2 million in 2025.)
• Duration: The start of project implementation is planned approximately from August 2025 (the term of project implementation in 2025 will be carried out taking into account and in accordance with budget revenues in the respective year for approximately 4.5 months – from August 1 to December 15, 2025).

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants are higher education institutions or scientific (research, scientific and technological, scientific and practical) institutions/enterprises/organizations located in Ukraine of any legal form and form of ownership that have expressed a desire to participate in the Call for Proposals and have submitted the Application and documents required for participation.
• Teams of project authors (PI and other project authors) consisting of at least 3 researchers (PI and two other project authors) are eligible to submit applications.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Legal entities of any legal form and form of ownership, whose founders, beneficial owners and participants are citizens of the Russian federation and the republic of Belarus, as well as legal entities operating in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, may not enter the Call for Proposals.

For more information, visit National Research Foundation of Ukraine.