On 6 July, the results of the support program for veteran businesses were announced in Ukraine. 19 defenders who took part in the Russian-Ukrainian war and their spouses will receive funds for the creation or development of their businesses.  

The results of the program were announced in the Veteran Hub space by First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine – Minister of Economy Yuliia Svyrydenko. 

“Grants for veterans and their spouses are an opportunity to support our soldiers. They defend us on the front line, and our task is to help them adapt to a peaceful life, realize their dreams of opening their own businesses, and support their relatives. That is how the idea of this grant initiative came about,” said Yuliia Svyrydenko.

A total of 19 people will receive the first grants: 10 combatants and 9 wives of the military. Eight will be paid up to UAH 500,000 in financial aid, the rest – up to UAH 250,000. The total amount will be UAH 6.8 million.

Three memorandums were also signed during the event. In particular, concerning the cooperation between the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, Prostir Mozhlyvostei Public Organization [Space of Opportunities], the Association of ATO Veteran Entrepreneurs and DAI Global, the executor of the Ukraine Economic Resilience Activity International Technical Assistance Project of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The parties agreed to create conditions for the development of entrepreneurship in Ukraine among veterans, their families, as well as people who became disabled as a result of the war.

“Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine has created major problems for the economy, hitting the most vulnerable groups hard. Therefore, helping veterans, both men and women, start their own businesses or develop existing businesses run by them or their family members is one of the priorities of the partnership we are building today,” said Timothy Madigan, Chief of Party, Ukraine Economic Resilience Activity

“Veteran businesses will become the driving force of the Ukrainian economy. And they are worthy of growing political and business elites in themselves, following the example of other successful countries. By signing this Memorandum, we will make the interaction between the Government, international and public organizations much more efficient. This will provide an opportunity to implement the creation of an effective government strategy regarding veterans in general and support of veteran business initiatives in particular,” said Serhii Pozniak, Director of Association of ATO Veteran Entrepreneurs NGO.

“Defenders have a special place in the structure of human capital of Ukraine. Without exaggeration, veterans are the chance to restore the state that we all should not lose. An active veteran is a chance for change. And above all, the veteran’s activity is manifested in business. However, activity in modern business is not enough. Knowledge, skills, access to resources and support – mentoring are required. Today we have unique conditions where we can combine all these things. The state recognizes the importance of supporting veteran businesses and is ready to provide grants for startups and development. Partners from the non-governmental sector are ready to invest with educational capacity. Representatives of the business environment understand the importance of support and are ready to become mentors. When we talk about a unique chance, it is about our cooperation!” said Oksana Koliada, Project Manager of Space of Opportunities NGO 

The Ministry of Economy of Ukraine signed another memorandum of cooperation with the Kyiv School of Economics. 

“We are proud of the opportunity to support our heroes and promote their development as future business leaders. We are confident that our project will have a significant positive impact not only on program participants but also on society as a whole,” said Valentyna Sakhno, Head of the Higher School of Business of the Kyiv School of Economics. 

They also signed a third document, which provides for cooperation with IREX Ukraine within the cooperation with the Veteran Reintegration Program, which has been implemented by IREX to support the veteran community since 2019. One of the areas of the program is the creation of opportunities for training and retraining of veterans during their transition from a military career to civilian life.  

“As part of the Employment component, our team creates conditions for training and retraining of veterans, both independently and together with partners. Currently, we plan to provide informational support to veterans who want to participate in the Own Business grant program. With the assistance of experts, we will create guidance materials that will help them prepare high-quality application forms and ensure a 100% chance of receiving the grant. Our experts will develop recommendations on how to improve applications and business plans, educational videos, and will provide support in the format of online communication, answering veterans’ questions. From our own experience, we know that veterans are able to start their own businesses and become employers for others. This program is a great opportunity for veterans looking to take the first step toward starting their own businesses. We believe that next time, thanks to the support of our experts, there will be much more high-quality applications and winners,” said Lidiia Striltsova, Head of Employment, Veteran Reintegration Program, IREX. 

To become a participant in the grant program for veterans and second of the spouses, you can apply on the Diia portal here.