Ukrainian startups have for the first time had the chance to compete for funding from the European Commission separately from their European competitors. In July, the EU announced a new competition aimed exclusively at deeptech teams from Ukraine that already have an MVP and the potential to scale.
Ukrainian startups have for the first time had the chance to compete for funding from the European Commission separately from their European competitors. In July, the EU announced a new competition aimed exclusively at deeptech teams from Ukraine that already have an MVP and the potential to scale.
Within the framework of the HORIZON-EIC-2025-UKRAINIANTECH-01 competition, the European Commission has allocated 20 million euros to support Ukrainian technology companies. As reported in a press release by Kharkiv IT Cluster, these funds will be distributed among more than 40 startups working in the field of innovation and investing in R&D.
The funding is part of the larger EIC Pre-Accelerator program, which aims to prepare teams from countries with less developed innovation ecosystems to participate in the EIC Accelerator, a tool where grants of up to €2.5 million and investments of up to €10 million are already being awarded.
For the first time in the history of the EU, a competition has been created where Ukrainian teams compete only among themselves. This means that startups from Ukraine have a real opportunity to receive support on equal terms, without competing with France, Germany, or Israel.
An important condition is the fact that the projects must not be at an early stage, but already with a developed MVP, scientific or technological novelty and the prospect of entering European markets. The competition also provides mentoring support, training sessions and assistance in preparing for a full application to the EIC Accelerator.
Ukraine is one of the so-called «widening countries». These are countries that traditionally have a lower share of wins in EIC programs due to a lack of experience, infrastructure and support. The allocation of a separate budget on a par with the 29 other EU countries is an important signal of confidence in Ukrainian innovations and a step towards integration into the European innovation ecosystem.
The next step is a workshop from Kharkiv IT Cluster, which will take place on August 21 via Zoom. There, participants will be explained the terms of the competition, selection criteria, and how to properly prepare a project application.
We previously wrote about how the Lviv IT Cluster raised UAH 9.5 million to restore a building at 46 Konovaltsya Street in Lviv, which was damaged by a Russian attack last year.
