The next 228 winners of the Own Business program will receive micro-grants from the state for starting and developing businesses worth UAH 55 million based on the results of the eighth wave of submission of applications. Since the beginning of the program, micro-grant recipients have already paid UAH 71 million in taxes, fees and mandatory payments to the budget. This was announced by Tetiana Berezhna, Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine.

“According to the results of this year’s eighth wave of submission of applications for micro-grants, 228 Ukrainians were recognized as winners and they will receive financial support from the state for starting or expanding their business in the amount of UAH 55 million. In total, since the beginning of the Own Business program, almost 5.5 thousand Ukrainians have taken advantage of the opportunity to receive a micro-grant, and 4,622 of them have already received funds for more than UAH 1 billion and are implementing their projects and creating new jobs. These entrepreneurs have already paid UAH 71 million in taxes, fees and unified social security contributions to the budget. In total, the winners of the program undertook to create 12,500 jobs,” Tetiana Berezhna said.

Among the recipients of eighth-wave microgrants, 59% are women and 41% are men, 70% of the winners have higher education. Most of them are from Lviv (42 people), Vinnytsia (20 people), Kyiv (19 people), Rivne (16 people), as well as the city of Kyiv (24 people).

81% of recipients, of which individual entrepreneurs make up almost 67%, legal entities – 14%, have an operating business. The vast majority of grant recipients plan to spend the micro-grant funds on the purchase of the equipment necessary for running a business.

The most popular fields in which the winners of the eighth wave will work are:

• wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles – 72 persons;
• temporary accommodation and catering services – 37 people;
• processing industry – 27 people.

As a reminder, under the Own Business grant program, Ukrainians may receive a micro-grant from UAH 50,000 to 250,000. The funds may be spent on the purchase or leasing of equipment, the purchase of raw materials and materials, and the rental of premises. Both an active entrepreneur and a person without experience in such activity may receive a microgrant. A mandatory condition for providing funds is the creation of 1-2 jobs, depending on the amount of the grant. Ukrainians who received micro-grants in 2022 will create about 8,000 new jobs.

This year, the budget provides UAH 1.8 billion for the Own Business program, which will allow issuing about 10,000 micro-grants.

The Government’s eRobota project includes grant programs aimed at stimulating entrepreneurial activity and job creation. In particular, these are micro-grant programs for opening or developing one’s own business, grants for the creation and development of processing enterprises, planting a garden and viticulture, and greenhouse farming. Application for all areas of the eRobota program shall be submitted through the Diia portal.