Competition for Startups and IT Companies

GovTech Lab Ukraine announces a competition for startups and IT companies that will develop innovative digital solutions in the field of public services.

The GovTech Lab Ukraine open innovation program has announced the first competition for startups (Series A+) and IT companies. The goal is to develop and launch pilot digital solutions together with Ukrainian state institutions.

Participating teams will be able to receive up to €150,000 to launch a pilot, get a chance to test their products in practice, and make public services more effective.

GovTech Lab Ukraine aims to unite ministries and other government bodies with technology companies, startups, and innovators. Together, they will identify the digital needs of the public sector and develop and test solutions for them.

This year, tech teams will look for solutions to three challenges:

• how to automate the provision of legal consultations (Ministry of Justice);
• how to use technologies for transparent, fast, and effective decision-making in the field of architecture and urban planning (State Inspectorate of Architecture and Urban Planning);
• how to ensure the transparency and effectiveness of the tourism management system (State Agency for Tourism Development).

Both Ukrainian and international startups and technology companies offering solutions with the potential for scaling in Ukraine can participate in the GovTech Lab UA program.

Applications are accepted from commercial and social enterprises that have proven experience, professional teams, and are focused on creating social impact. The solutions must be innovative, work in the public sector, and comply with national priorities and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The organisers will select nine teams, three for each challenge.

The open competition will run from September 17 to October 28, 2025. The winners will be announced on November 19, 2025. You can read the full information about the program, selection criteria, and application submission on the UpLink platform.

GovTech Lab Ukraine is an open innovation program in the field of government technologies, implemented by the Global Government Technology Centre Kyiv (GGTC), with the assistance of the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, the World Economic Forum, and with the support of the Swiss-Ukrainian EGAP Program, which is implemented by East Europe Foundation. More information about the GovTech Lab Program can be found here.

The Global Government Technology Centre (GGTC) in Kyiv became the second GovTech Center in the world after Berlin and the 21st Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) in the World Economic Forum network. The Center was created at the initiative of the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine and the World Economic Forum, with the assistance of the EGAP Program, which is implemented by East Europe Foundation with the support of Switzerland.