NATO Opens Contracts to Ukraine’s Defence Industry

Ukraine’s defence companies can now compete for contracts issued by NATO’s main procurement agency, after Ukraine joined the NATO Support and Procurement Agency’s (NSPA) Security Cooperation Support Partnership. The agency announced the move on 22 October 2026, making Ukraine the seventh member of the partnership.

The step gives Ukrainian industry a structured route into NATO procurement, and gives the alliance formal access to Ukraine’s battle-tested defence innovation. It follows approval by NATO allies in the North Atlantic Council in April 2026 for the agency to issue solicitations and sign contracts with Ukrainian industry.

FAKTA

• Ukraine joined NSPA’s Security Cooperation Support Partnership, announced on 22 October 2026.
• Ukraine is the seventh member, alongside Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom and NATO Headquarters.
• The partnership was set up in 2025 to deliver sustained support to Ukraine through a structured procurement framework.
• About 150 Ukrainian companies attended an NSPA Ukraine Industry Day in Kyiv on 14 October 2026.
• The North Atlantic Council approved NSPA contracting with Ukrainian industry in April 2026.

What the NATO Ukraine defence contracts partnership means

Through the partnership, Ukrainian companies can take part in NATO contracts, while Kyiv can draw on the agency’s procurement expertise and help shape its own defence and industrial requirements. NSPA, based in Luxembourg, is NATO’s main buying agency, and its support partnerships pool members’ demand for goods and services to achieve economies of scale.

Ukraine’s Deputy Defence Minister Mstyslav Banik said Ukraine is the first and only country for which a separate partnership has been created as a single entry point to the agency’s work. Jacqueline Borsboom, NSPA’s director of support to operations, said the partnership will help connect Ukrainian industry more deeply with opportunities to grow, while enabling allies and partners to learn from Ukraine’s battle-tested innovation and operational experience.

A first industry day in Kyiv

NSPA marked the new partnership with a Ukraine Industry Day in Kyiv on 14 October, attended by about 150 Ukrainian companies. It was the first event of its kind held by a NATO organisation in Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion, and brought together Borsboom, staff from the NATO Representation to Ukraine and NATO Headquarters, and Ukrainian Deputy Defence Ministers Mstyslav Banik and Anna Gvozdiar.

The discussions covered future procurement trends and partnerships with companies across Ukraine’s defence industrial base, from established manufacturers to newer technology firms shaped by wartime production.

Why procurement matters now

Procurement is one of the least visible but most consequential parts of military support. A structured framework can shorten the time between identifying a need and delivering equipment, and can give smaller suppliers a clearer route to large contracts than one-off deals.

What to watch next

The practical test will be the first solicitations open to Ukrainian firms, and whether contracts follow for the companies that attended the Kyiv industry day. The partnership also sits alongside wider efforts to sustain Ukraine’s defence production, including its request for further European financial support for 2027.

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Conclusion

Ukraine’s entry into NSPA’s support partnership is a concrete, institutional step rather than a symbolic gesture: it opens NATO’s procurement system to Ukrainian industry and formalises a channel for wartime innovation to reach allied forces. Its value will be measured in contracts signed and equipment delivered in the months ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is NSPA?
The NATO Support and Procurement Agency is NATO’s main procurement agency, based in Luxembourg. It buys and sustains equipment and services for allies and partners.

What is the Security Cooperation Support Partnership?
It is a partnership set up in 2025 to deliver sustained support to Ukraine through a structured procurement framework. Its members are Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, NATO Headquarters and now Ukraine.

When was Ukraine’s membership announced?
On 22 October 2026, following North Atlantic Council approval in April 2026 for NSPA to issue solicitations and sign contracts with Ukrainian industry.

How many Ukrainian companies attended the Kyiv industry day?
About 150 companies attended the NSPA Ukraine Industry Day in Kyiv on 14 October 2026.