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  • Entrepreneurs received grants worth UAH 3 billion for business development under the eRobota programme: Tetiana Berezhna
    Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, posted 24 May 2023 11:30

    For almost a year of the Government’s eRobota programme, 4,600 entrepreneurs have received grants from the state to start and develop their businesses for a total of UAH 3 billion. This was announced by Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine Tetiana Berezhna during the National Telethon.

    “During the first year of the eRobota programme, 4,600 grants totalling almost UAH 3 billion were issued. Of these, 4,189 microgrants worth UAH 1 billion have already been issued under the Vlasna Sprava programme, which provides microgrants of up to UAH 250,000 to start or expand a business. We expect that Ukrainians who have received these microgrants will create 11,000 jobs,” said Tetiana Berezhna.

    The Deputy Minister reminded that the Vlasna Sprava programme had been in place since July last year and since then the Ministry of Economy, as the administrator of the programme, had made several changes to it in response to the needs of entrepreneurs. In particular, the recent changes include the expansion of the areas of use of the microgrant – from now on, entrepreneurs will be able to purchase vehicles necessary for their business activities using these funds. The period within which a person who has won a grant must register as an entrepreneur, if he or she is not yet registered, and enter into a microgrant agreement and open a bank account to receive funds has also been extended from 15 to 20 business days.

    In addition, Tetiana Berezhna stressed that the key goal of grant programmes was to create jobs. In particular, a microgrant recipient must create 1-2 jobs, depending on the amount of the grant, and employ people.

    “We have obliged the State Employment Service to offer the entrepreneur candidates from among the officially registered unemployed for these jobs. Because jobs should be provided primarily to those who need them most. If the company that wins the grant does not employ people for the jobs created within 6 months of the transfer of funds, it must return the grant to the state. This is a failure to fulfil the key condition for providing a microgrant, so the funds must be returned,” said Tetyana Berezhna.

    As a reminder, the eRobota project includes grant programmes aimed at stimulating entrepreneurship and job creation. These include microgrants for starting or developing a business, grants for setting up and developing processing plants, planting a garden, establishing viticulture and greenhouse facilities. Applications for all areas of the eRobota programme can be submitted through the Diia portal.