Grants and free business training for microbusinesses

The “Move Forward. Grants and Consulting for Microenterprises” programme is aimed at supporting microenterprise development in Ukraine and strengthening the economic resilience of vulnerable population groups.

The programme primarily supports:

• women entrepreneurs;
• internally displaced persons (IDPs);
• war veterans in Ukraine.

Within the programme, participants may receive:

• financial assistance;
• consulting support to continue and strengthen their economic activities.

The programme is funded by the Government of Germany and implemented by the German federal company Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

The National Development Institution acts as an implementation partner, while programme delivery is carried out through JSC “Oschadbank”.

Within the “Move Forward” programme, grant applications may be submitted by microenterprises belonging to the categories of women entrepreneurs, veterans and internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Main eligibility criteria include:

• annual turnover must not exceed EUR 2 million;
• the enterprise must employ no more than 10 employees;
• the business must have been operating since 01 January 2025 or earlier;
• applicants must have no tax debt;
• only one application may be submitted from a group of related counterparties;
• applicants must not belong to a related group involving legal entities.

The programme covers enterprises operating in seven frontline regions of Ukraine:

• Sumy;
• Kherson;
• Kharkiv;
• Zaporizhzhia;
• Dnipropetrovsk;
• Mykolaiv;
• Odesa.

Participation requirements:

• the microenterprise must be registered in Ukraine;
• applicants may be sole proprietors or legal entities owned by Ukrainian citizens;
• the business must operate within the territory of Ukraine;
• applicants must have a positive credit history and must not be under bankruptcy or liquidation procedures.

Specific eligibility conditions are established for IDPs, veterans and women-led businesses, including requirements related to ownership structure, management or employee representation.

The selection process is conducted in two stages:

• verification of submitted applications by the Fund;
• additional assessment by authorised banks.

Within the “Move Forward. Grants and Consulting for Microenterprises” programme, financial support is provided to microentrepreneurs through Component I.

Key funding conditions include:

• the maximum amount of financial support is EUR 8,000 in UAH equivalent;
• the total programme budget is EUR 400,000 in UAH equivalent;
• funding is provided exclusively in non-cash form in the national currency of Ukraine;
• participation is managed through the automated NDI system — the “Financial Support Navigator”.

Financial support may be used for:

• the purchase of equipment, works and services;
• payment for goods and services excluding VAT, which must be covered by the entrepreneur;
• business development activities in line with programme objectives.

Application conditions:

• microentrepreneurs may submit an electronic application within 30 calendar days from the official programme launch date announced by the NDI.

The programme also establishes restrictions on the use of funds. Financial support cannot be used for:

• repayment of loans, debts or tax liabilities;
• international business travel or participation in fairs and exhibitions;
• purchase or rental of housing and personal-use goods;
• activities related to weapons, gambling, strong alcohol, tobacco products or hazardous materials.

• Submission of applications within 30 calendar days.
• Conducting the first round of document review and evaluation.
• Conducting the second round of document review.
• Signing the agreement and opening an account.
• Payment of the first tranche – 70%.
• Confirmation of the intended use of funds.
• Payment of the second tranche – 30%.

• Review the program terms and conditions on the NUR website.
• Register and verify your identity on the NUR Portal.
• Fill out the application at https://bdf.org.ua/program/w8ai9yz3hx4rf6eruc0se7gyzjqb1l. 
• Select an authorized bank.
• Submit information on financial indicators and the intended use of the grant.
• After passing the first round, you must submit supporting documents to the bank within 20 calendar days.

Within the grant programme, applications are assessed through a system of additional competitive points. Applicants may increase their chances of receiving support if they meet the defined selection criteria.

Main evaluation criteria include:

• Level of damage suffered by the enterprise
  • 1 point — damage or destruction of business premises or property;
  • 0.5 points — business relocation.
• Business geography
  • 1 point — enterprises located in liberated territories receive priority consideration.
• Type of business activity
  • 1.5 points — agricultural product processing;
  • 1 point — industrial processing;
  • 0.8 points — hotels and restaurants;
  • 0.7 points — healthcare;
  • 0.6 points — services;
  • 0.5 points — education;
  • 0.4 points — construction;
  • 0.2 points — trade.
• Use of grant funding
  • 1 point — purchase of equipment;
  • 0.75 points — procurement of materials and raw materials;
  • 0.5 points — marketing services.
• Corporate social responsibility
  • 1 point — veterans with official status since 2014;
  • 1 point — persons with disabilities.

• Фінансова звітність та/або податкова декларація;
• довідка про відсутність заборгованості; 
• офіційна звітність щодо кількості працівників;
• інформація про економічні зв’язки з іншими суб’єктами;
• інші документи відповідно до внутрішніх правил банку.

Within the grant programme, reporting, monitoring and compliance obligations are established for beneficiaries, consultants and consulting companies.

Main reporting requirements:

• consultants and consulting companies must provide detailed regular reports to the Fund;
• reports should include:
  • the number of seminars conducted and their format;
  • participant lists;
  • topics and content of training activities;
  • participant feedback on effectiveness;
  • recommendations for improving future seminars;
  • a final analytical report including charts, diagrams and successful practice cases.

Submission format:

• reports must be submitted in electronic format (Excel, PDF, PowerPoint);
• reporting is required after completion of all planned and approved consultations and activities.

Additional obligations:

• consultants must promptly inform the Fund about any unforeseen changes related to participants or event schedules;
• microenterprises and authorised banks must comply with programme rules and contractual obligations.

In case of non-compliance:

• beneficiaries may be required to repay the financial support in accordance with the programme agreement and funding conditions.

• No sanctions may be imposed on participants.
• Participants must not be in bankruptcy or liquidation.
• No criminal record for corruption offenses or fraud.
• Consent to monitoring, audits, and the use of information within the framework of the program is required.