MAIN Areas of the Competition
Security
Engineering and Healthcare
Energy Security
Engineering
Resilience.
Structuring
Capital.
Application takes 5 minutes
Deadline: 01 April 2026
About the Accelerator
The Accelerator operates under the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom and serves as a strategic bridge between the Sikorsky Challenge Ukraine ecosystem and UK and European investors.
The Accelerator introduces promising startupsearly- and growth-stage businesses with potential investors and other strategic partners through a hybrid model of education and financing.
Inna Maliukova
Head of the All-Ukrainian Innovation Ecosystem
Sikorsky Challenge Ukraine
Inna Maliukova
Innovation Ecosystem Sikorsky Challenge Ukraine
Principles
- Network of Innovators
Supporting engineers, researchers, and founders building next-generation technologies.
- Resilient Innovation
Advancing technologies that strengthen resilience, sustainability, and long-term value creation.
- Engineering Excellence
Driving rigorous development, experimentation, and scalable technology growth.
- Platform to Build
Providing an environment where teams can develop, test, and scale new technologies.
Team & Advisors
A cross-border team of operators, investors, and ecosystem leaders spanning Ukraine,
the UK, and Europe, with experience across innovation, capital, and technology development, supporting founders in building scalable, real-world solutions.
Inna Maliukova
Volodymyr Rieznik
Michael Saggs
Michael Gollits
Serhii Serhiienko
Mariya Rieznik
Michael Gollits
Head of the All-Ukrainian Innovation Ecosystem
Sikorsky Challenge Ukraine
Michael Gollits
Innovation Ecosystem Sikorsky Challenge Ukraine
Dear Colleague,
On behalf of the All-Ukrainian Innovation Ecosystem “Sikorsky Challenge Ukraine,” I am pleased to invite you to participate in the International Innovation Projects Competition, the final stage of which will be the event “MSCA Lviv 2026,” to be held in Lviv, Ukraine, on 29–30 April 2026.
The Competition is organised and funded by the Melville Sikorsky Challenge Accelerator (hereinafter referred to as the “Accelerator”) — a Ukrainian–Scottish joint venture established to support, accelerate, and scale innovative Ukrainian startups in both local and international markets.
During the Final Event, 36 finalist teams selected by the Accelerator’s expert panel will compete for prize money, as well as for the opportunity to receive investment and other support, as described below. The list of the 36 finalist teams will be announced on 14 April 2026 following the selection process.
We look forward to your participation.
Kind regards,
Inna Maliukova
Head of the All-Ukrainian Innovation Ecosystem Sikorsky Challenge Ukraine
About the Accelerator
The Accelerator operates under the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom and serves as a strategic bridge between the Sikorsky Challenge Ukraine ecosystem and UK and European investors.
The Accelerator introduces promising startupsearly- and growth-stage businesses with potential investors and other strategic partners through a hybrid model of education and financing.
Challenges to be addressed by the Accelerator
Ukraine has strong innovative and engineering potential; however, many startups and early stage businesses face the challenges of a lack of investment, the absence of structured acceleration programmes, insufficient investment readiness and limited access to international markets.
The Accelerator addresses these challenges through:
- competitive selection of innovative projects with the potential for commercial success;
- training, mentorship, and financial support for the project founders;
engagement of international investors and partners; - support in developing innovative ideas into successful businesses;
- integration of startups into national and international innovation ecosystems.
About the Competition
The Competition is open to:
- innovation projects and startups;
- universities, scientific institutions, and R&D centres;
- technology companies and corporations;
- industry associations and international companies.
The three main areas of focus of the Competition are (i) defence and security; (ii) biomedical engineering and healthcare; and (iii) renewable energy and energy security.
The final date for entry into the Competition is 31 March 2026.
There is no cost to enter the Competition.
To participate in the Competition, applicants are required to complete an application form.
registration and deadlines
for applicants
- Application deadline:
01 April 2026 - Expert evaluation and finalist selection:
02-10 April 2026
Announcement of finalists: via email provided during registration, within 3 days after completion of expert evaluation
for event guests
- Guest registration for the Event is free of charge.
- The registration form for guests will be sent separately.
- The number of available seats is limited.
Contact information
For all inquiries regarding the Competition, please contact:
- Serhii Serhiienko:
- 📞 +380 66 985 17 31
- ✉️ info@mscaltd.co.uk
About the “MSCA Lviv 2026” Event
- Dates: 29–30 April 2026
- Location: Lviv, Ukraine
- Format: Hybrid (offline + online)
- Working language: English (with translation available)
Event format: Pitching of innovative projects, demonstration of prototypes and innovative products, expert discussions, and negotiations with potential investors.
Awards of the Competition Final
For each of the following (i) defence and security, (ii) biomedical engineering and healthcare, and (iii) renewable energy and energy security a cash prize of USD 5,000 will be awarded to the first-place winner.
In addition, each winning project will be provided with opportunities for training, mentorship, and investment. The Accelerator will introduce the winners to potential international investors and strategic partners and assist them in their engagement with those parties.
Together with new investors and partners, the Accelerator will support the selected projects to develop their innovative ideas into successful businesses.
Please note also that the winners of each focus area will not necessarily be the only projects to receive support from the Accelerator. At the conclusion of the Final Event, the team from the Accelerator will speak to other finalists who have projects that may be of interest to potential investors. The aim will be to take those projects forward in the same way as the 3 winners.
Investment and Acceleration
Following the Final Event, further engagement will take place with the winning teams and other finalists selected by the Accelerator. This will include acceleration programmes and negotiations with potential investors.
Under the terms of the Competition, in the event that investment is secured as a result of the Competition, the startup team receiving the investment will pay the Accelerator an investment success fee equal to 3.00% of the actual amount of investment received from investors introduced through the Competition.
In addition, the Accelerator shall receive a small equity participation in the business under development. In the case of a start-up, this will be 5.00% of the business. In the case of an existing business that is receiving investment of growth capital, the amount of equity to be provided by the founders to the Accelerator will be decided on a case-by-case basis by agreement between the business owners, the new investor(s) and the Accelerator.