The program is available in Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
The international humanitarian organization Mercy Corps has announced the launch of a new phase of its economic resilience support program in Ukraine. Small and medium-sized businesses affected by the war can receive financial assistance of up to $20,000 to restore and develop their activities. The program covers Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
The main criteria for participation include the creation or preservation of at least three jobs and the ability to co-finance a business idea. Preference is given to initiatives that have the potential to expand or need to recover from war-related damage.
The initiative is implemented by Mercy Corps in partnership with a non-governmental organization West Ukraine Digital. This is the third consecutive year that Mercy Corps has provided financial support to entrepreneurs as part of its economic resilience program.
“Before the war, we cultivated 127 hectares of land and grew organic vegetables. After the forced evacuation, I decided not to stop and resume the business through flour milling — I started “Donchenko Mill”, named after my great-grandfather, a miller. Thanks to the support of Mercy Corps, we managed to purchase professional Italian equipment. In wartime, it is difficult for entrepreneurs to make plans, but such assistance gives confidence in the future and an incentive to develop Ukrainian flour milling production”, — says Alexander Orekhin, the owner of “Donchenko Mill”, who is resuming business thanks to aid funds after relocation from Zaporizhia region.
“This help gave me a powerful boost — I realized that I could do even more. Thanks to the support of Mercy Corps, we opened The House cafe, which became not just a business, but a place where our new community gathers. We celebrated the New Year together with customers who became our friends. Many Ukrainians return from abroad and recommend our cafe to others. And I am very grateful to everyone who implements this program — these are people who sincerely understand and support,”, — says Natalia Kasimova, a program participant who resumed her business after moving from Berdyansk.
The stories of such entrepreneurs demonstrate how financial assistance can be a catalyst for business development even in difficult circumstances.
In the last year alone, 24 entrepreneurs received assistance under the program, who were able to restore or scale their businesses despite the war.
You can fill out the questionnaire on the website uerp.mercycorps.org. In the first stage, entrepreneurs fill out a short questionnaire; a business plan is only required to be submitted in the final selection round.Reference:
Mercy Corps is an international humanitarian organization working in 40 countries around the world. Since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine in 2022, the organization has provided assistance to over 990,000 people in Ukraine and those who sought refuge in Poland, Moldova and Romania. The organization provides assistance in the form of multi-purpose cash assistance, humanitarian kits, financial support for businesses and, in particular, agribusiness, psychosocial assistance, etc.
NGO West Ukraine Digital has been operating in Ukraine since 2021. Since then, the NGO team has been actively involved in promoting the development of small and medium-sized businesses. Priorities: digital transformation, economic development, and economic integration of internally displaced persons.