The European Commission and the French state investment bank Bpifrance are preparing a support programme for industrial cooperation between France and Ukraine. The initiative foresees €150 million in European guarantees, €13 million in grants and is expected to mobilise more than €480 million of financing over three years and to create 30 partnerships.
Funding: guarantees, grants and participation framework
The key French participant will be Bpifrance with its subsidiaries Bpifrance Assurance Export and Bpifrance Investissement, which provide loans, guarantees, export insurance and equity investments. The European guarantees are intended to reduce financial risks for French companies planning to invest in Ukraine or to supply equipment to local enterprises.
The programme is designed not only for direct grants but also for using EU guarantees to mobilise private and institutional financing. The initiative will be implemented within the Ukraine Investment Framework (UIF) — part of the Ukraine Facility programme totalling €50 billion; the UIF itself has €9.6 billion in guarantees and blended finance and is intended to mobilise up to €40 billion of investment.
Target sectors and types of technology
The programme targets strategic industrial areas and dual‑use technologies — those that can have both civilian and military applications. Listed priorities include aerial, ground and maritime unmanned systems, energy, digital technologies and industrial equipment.
Special attention will be paid to projects with high technological added value that support the development of manufacturing capacity and innovation potential. The programme foresees support for projects that will help Ukrainian companies gain access to financing, equipment and the expertise of European partners.
Partnership links, the platform and legal status
Over three years the organisers plan to establish 30 partnerships between French companies and Ukrainian start‑ups, using the EuroQuity platform operated by Bpifrance. French manufacturers will gain access to Ukrainian technologies, while start‑ups will gain access to investment and industrial expertise with routes to European markets.
The agreement is currently at the legal formalisation stage: the final conclusion of contracts depends on completion of internal approvals within the European Commission and preparation of contractual documentation.
