The Ukrainian Veterans Fund of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs has announced the results of the “VARTO BILSHE” programme. One hundred business initiatives submitted by veterans, female veterans and their families will receive funding ranging from 500,000 to 1.5 million UAH. The support is aimed at starting a business or expanding an existing one.
A total of 398 applications were submitted for the competition. The winners include projects in the fields of craft production, agricultural technology, industry and services. Support will be provided to the authors of ideas for creating a restoration workshop, launching a veteran clothing brand and opening a sports centre for people with disabilities. The list also includes entrepreneurs who will develop coffee shops, stores, service stations, farms, and medical facilities. These areas create new opportunities for communities and help veterans return to civilian life with the support of their own businesses.
The largest number of grants were awarded to participants from the Poltava, Lviv, and Kyiv regions and the city of Kyiv. Veterans from 18 regions took part, demonstrating widespread interest in the development of veteran entrepreneurship.
The selection process consisted of three stages. First, the completeness of the documents was checked, then independent experts evaluated the business plans, after which the finalists publicly presented their ideas. This format made it possible to determine the viability of the models and their potential for development.
The VARTO programme has been running since 2022. Its goal is to help veterans find a new career path after service and turn their experience into a sustainable business. The competition was supported by the agricultural production company Kernel.
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