The “CREATE!” grant program will continue its work in 2025

The “CREATE!” grant program, aimed at scaling and developing small and medium-sized businesses for women in Ukraine in the production and processing sectors, will continue into the next year. This was announced by First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of Economy, Yulia Svyrydenko, during a brunch with the winners of the first round of the program.

Read more: Grants for war-affected households to prepare livestock for winter in three frontline regions of Ukraine

“When we launched this program more than six months ago, we couldn’t have imagined that it would be so in demand. Over 1,000 women entrepreneurs submitted applications to participate. Among them are the owners of factories, plants, and craft productions. It was difficult to choose the 65 best, but we are not stopping here. We are announcing the launch of the second phase of the program. The application process will open next year,” emphasized Yulia Svyrydenko.

The program’s goal and its importance for the economy

The “CREATE!” grant program is an important tool in the government’s “Made in Ukraine” policy, as well as part of the national strategy to overcome the gender pay gap. The main goal of the program is to stimulate economic growth by providing financial support to women for the implementation of their business plans.

The winners of the program can receive grant funds up to $15,000, which can be spent on purchasing, delivery, and installation of production equipment, as well as training and qualification improvement.

Regional distribution of participants

As a result of the first phase of the program, the majority of winners are from large cities in Ukraine, but there are also participants from smaller settlements and frontline regions. The distribution by the size of the settlement is as follows:

• 9% — village/town
• 15% — city with up to 50,000 residents
• 23% — city with up to 500,000 residents
• 53% — city with more than 500,000 residents

Regional distribution of winners:

• Kyiv — 18
• Lviv region — 11
• Kyiv region — 5
• Volyn region — 4
• Dnipropetrovsk, Chernihiv, Poltava, Kharkiv regions — 3 each
• Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi, Ternopil, Chernivtsi regions — 2 each
• Donetsk, Cherkasy, Rivne, Ivano-Frankivsk, Zakarpattia regions — 1 each

Sectors of activity of the winners

Among the business sectors of the winning women entrepreneurs, the largest share is in food production (27%), clothing (15%), and furniture (12%). There are also winners involved in making decor (8%), jewelry (5%), cosmetics, and construction materials (3% each).

Support for business in wartime

Yulia Svyrydenko noted that the participation of women from frontline areas such as Dnipropetrovsk, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Donetsk is especially important. Despite the challenges of the war, they continue to work: “Despite constant enemy shelling, blackouts, you continue to work, pay taxes, preserve and create jobs. The government will continue to support business through the ‘Made in Ukraine’ policy, which will be fully funded next year.”

The Minister encouraged Ukrainian businesses to continue using government programs for supporting entrepreneurs — grants, loans, and compensations, as well as export support programs from the Ukrainian Export Credit Agency.

Program continuation in 2024

The second phase of the “CREATE!” grant program aims to further support women’s entrepreneurship in Ukraine. The application process for participation in the program will open next year, and entrepreneurs from all regions of Ukraine will have the opportunity to receive grant support for the development of their businesses.

The “CREATE!” program continues to work towards creating equal opportunities for women in business, promoting entrepreneurship and economic growth in Ukraine.