During a working visit to the Odessa region on August 16, First Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine Oleksiy Sobolev met with the leadership of the Odesa Military Administration and representatives of small and medium-sized businesses. The discussions covered the main challenges faced by Odessa in the context of the full-scale invasion, forecasts for the region's economic development, as well as energy and security situations, and critical needs ahead of winter.
EU representatives joined the meeting with businesses to familiarize themselves with the specifics of the grain corridor and the condition of the ports. Special attention was given to promising areas for investment in the region, including energy, transportation, agriculture, and IT. The discussion also addressed funding programs from the government and international partners, including those available through the Ukraine Facility investment program.
“The government is grateful to the entrepreneurs who continue to work amidst the war and contribute to the country's recovery. The government, with the help of international partners and donors, offers support programs for businesses, including numerous grant programs, and the Ukraine Facility financial instrument, which opens many opportunities for business investment, with a volume of 9.3 billion euros. Additionally, businesses are awaiting the adoption of the SME Recovery Strategy by 2027, aimed at addressing the urgent problems of small and medium-sized enterprises in Ukraine. With the coordination and support of representatives from various countries and financial institutions united in the SME Resilience Alliance, the document will be adopted soon,” said Oleksiy Sobolev.
Under the EU investment program, funds can be directed towards projects in sectors such as energy, transportation, IT, industry, green transformation, agriculture, and municipal projects.
Ukrainian private and public companies can receive funding through international financial organizations directly (such as EBRD, EIB, KfW, AFD, BGK, IFC, and other international financial institutions) and through Ukrainian banks.
