Ukraine joins NATO’s procurement system: agreement with NSPA for faster arms purchases and industry access to tenders

Ukraine will be able for the first time to buy military equipment through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA). The Ukrainian Defence Ministry announced that the country is joining a special NSPA partnership, the Security Cooperation Support Partnership (SCSP), which will also allow Ukrainian companies to offer services through the agency, according to UNN.

The cooperation agreement between the Ukrainian government and the agency was approved by the cabinet on August 13, 2026 and signed on October 14 by Defence Minister Yevhen Khmara. “Ukraine is the first and only country, and moreover a non-NATO one, for which a separate partnership was created as a single entry point to the agency’s activities, and Ukrainian industry gained broad access to its tenders,” said Deputy Defence Minister Mstyslav Banyk. He explained that the agreement opens NATO markets to Ukraine, with vetted suppliers.

What the agreement provides

Through the SCSP Ukraine can use NSPA’s 45 partnerships covering various weapon systems across their life cycle, from procurement to maintenance. Ukrainian requests will be served by existing NSPA contracts or by new ones through the urgent procurement mechanism. For a new contract the agency can launch a tender in which foreign and Ukrainian companies take part at the same time. It will also be able to combine Ukrainian needs with those of other countries so that joint orders secure better prices. Purchases will be funded by Ukraine’s state budget, by international partners or by co-financing.

The agreement brings together in one place the requests of Ukraine, capability coalitions and other NATO structures. Ukrainian defence firms will be able to register in NSPA’s supplier base, submit bids and compete for contracts on the same terms as foreign ones. The mechanism runs for five years from April 2025. The ministry notes that Ukraine’s defence industry is rapidly increasing output and that allies will have access to its experience and technology.

The move comes as European defence industry expands close to Ukraine, such as Rheinmetall and MSC’s win of Romania’s Mangalia shipyard, and as diplomatic contacts on the war continue.