Creative economy centers to be set up in Ukraine

The Government has approved the Procedure for using the funds provided in the state budget for the establishment of creative economy centers. The draft resolution, developed by the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development, was approved on March 17, at a meeting of the Government.

"The State Regional Development Strategy for 2021-2027 contains a goal "Increasing the level of competitiveness of regions", which provides for the spread of the practice of establishing centers for the development of creative economy in cities of different scales and with different socio-economic conditions. The establishment of creative economy centers will allow to increase the investment attractiveness of the region and promote business development in the creative sector of the economy," said Minister for Communities and Territories Development Oleksii Chernyshov.

The centers will stimulate increased economic activity in the regions, cultivate smart entrepreneurship and help reduce unemployment and youth emigration. It is planned that they will include the creation of laboratories, IT schools, micro-manufacturing, creative spaces for learning and coworking.

The state budget for 2021 provides for a resource of more than UAH 110 million for the establishment of the Centers. The funds will be used, in particular, for the construction (new, reconstruction or overhaul) of buildings in which the creative economy centers will be set up, as well as for the preparation of project documentation.

Proposals regarding lists of projects will be formed by local state administrations, executive bodies of local councils and will be submitted for approval to the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development.

Among the main conditions for providing funding is the compliance of the project on setting up creative economy centers with the priorities identified in the program and strategic documents of territorial development, the availability of financial and economic justification for long-term operation of the creative economy center, in addition, projects must comply with barrier-free environment principles and their implementation term should not exceed 2 years.