eRobota: entrepreneurs will receive UAH 450 million in grants from the state to develop processing companies and lay out gardens

As part of the eRobota project, more than 1,000 entrepreneurs have already submitted applications for grants for the development of enterprises in the processing industry and the laying out of gardens and greenhouses, 77 of them will receive funds from the state in the near future. This was reported by the Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine Tetiana Berezhna.

"Today, we have 54 successful applications for grants from entrepreneurs planning to develop processing companies, and 23 - for planting gardens. The total amount of funds they will receive from the state is UAH 454 million. And already this fall, farmers will have the opportunity to plant more than three hundred hectares of new gardens and strengthen the capacity of our processing industry," Tetiana Berezhna said.

Grant recipients plan to establish the largest number of gardens in the Kyiv region - 6 gardens, in Zakarpattia and Lviv regions - 3 each. 10 entrepreneurs who will receive funds in the near future intend to grow bog whortleberries and hurtleberries, 8 will plant apple orchards. 8 new gardens will have an area of 20-25 hectares.

As for processing enterprises, grant recipients plan to develop activities in the areas of food production, furniture production, chemicals and chemical products, finished metal products, wood processing and production of wood and cork products, textile production.

The Deputy Minister of Economy also noted that the government's eRobota program has two goals - to activate entrepreneurial activity and increase the level of employment among Ukrainians thanks to the creation of jobs by grant recipients. If the grant programs Svii Sad [Own Garden – ed.] and in support of processing enterprises are implemented in the planned volume, about 200,000 new jobs will be created in Ukraine.

It should be noted that grants for the development of the processing industry are provided for the purchase of the main means of production (machines, technological equipment) and cover the costs of their delivery and putting in exploitation. The first 1,000 applicants will receive a grant of up to 70% of the project cost, the remaining 30% will be financed at their own expense. The maximum grant amount is UAH 8 million.

Grants for starting a garden or greenhouse farm are provided for the construction of a modular greenhouse, the purchase of means of production (planting material, seeds, technological equipment), covering the costs of their delivery and commissioning, or for planting and arranging a new garden, berry orchard, vineyard. For participants who will create the first thousand hectares of gardens, the state will compensate 70% of the cost of the project, for the following - 50%, the rest will be financed by the winners at the expense of their own funds or loans. The maximum grant amount is UAH 7 million.

The eRobota project includes 6 grant programs aimed at stimulating entrepreneurial activity. In particular, these are programs of micro-grants for opening or developing businesses, grants for the creation and development of processing enterprises, planting a garden and viticulture, greenhouse farming, support for IT startups and starting activities in the IT sphere.

Currently, applications are being accepted for all areas of the eRobota program. The application is submitted through the Diia Portal.