Want to start your own business in Ukraine? We explain how to apply for a grant for your own business in 2025

The state microgrant program will run throughout 2025. Applications are submitted in waves every two weeks.

AIN explains everything about the deadlines for submitting business proposals, the requirements for applicants, and provides step-by-step instructions.

What are the requirements for those who want to apply for a grant?

• The person must have Ukrainian citizenship;

• have an active individual entrepreneur status;

• in the case of legal entities, the ultimate beneficiaries must also be citizens of Ukraine;

• the person must not have worked or stayed in the temporarily occupied territory or in russia;

• had no sanctions, debts to the budget, or bankruptcy cases;

• had not been convicted of corruption;

• was not involved in the production/sale of alcohol, tobacco, weapons, or currency exchange.

If it is a legal entity, it must not be a credit, insurance, or investment company, a non-state pension fund, a pawnshop, etc.

How much can you get in a grant for your own business?

• Standard: from 50,000 to 250,000 UAH.

• For certain regions (frontline and affected): up to 500,000 UAH. These regions include Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Kherson, and Chernihiv.

• For preschool education and creative industries: up to UAH 1 million.

Grant funds can be spent on purchasing equipment and raw materials, renting premises (up to 25% of the grant amount) and equipment, marketing, advertising, and franchising.

After receiving the grant, the applicant must create new jobs, operate for at least three years, and pay taxes, including employee salaries.

How many jobs need to be created?

• Up to UAH 75,000 — individuals without sole proprietorship status do not need to create jobs.

• Up to UAH 150,000–1 job must be created.

• Up to UAH 250,000–2 jobs must be created.

• If the applicant is a sole proprietor or legal entity, they must hire at least one employee.

Schedule for accepting applications in 2025

All grants (for businesses, veterans, processing enterprises) are submitted in waves. The frequency is the same — approximately every 14 days. That is, every two weeks, a new application window opens throughout the calendar year — from January 6 to December 31, 2025.

You can find the specific application deadlines at the link.

How to apply for a grant?

There are two ways to apply for a grant for your own business: online and offline.

Online:

• Click on the “Apply” button on the Diia platform;

• Log in using BankID or an electronic signature;

• For sole proprietors and legal entities, you must use the key of the sole proprietor or manager;

• Fill out the form;

• Add a business plan in the prescribed form;

• Sign the application with an electronic signature and send it.

Offline. For advice on submitting your application, contact your nearest Oschadbank branch.

The State Employment Center will review your application within 15 business days after the application period ends. You will receive the result directly in Diia.

The result will be displayed in Diia. If your application is approved, you must go to Oschadbank within 20 business days to open an account and sign an agreement.

Do you have to return grant funds to the state?

The grant does not have to be returned if you:

• have created jobs;

• have been operating for at least 3 years;

• pay taxes.

You will only have to return the funds if these conditions are not met.

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