The total amount available for the program is $25 million.
Application Deadline:
- The deadline for submitting applications for the grants is July 12, 2024.
Eligibility:
- Privately owned financial partners are invited to participate, including banks, non-banking institutions, consulting companies, investment funds, fintech companies, suppliers of production resources, and other intermediaries legally registered in Ukraine.
Grant Types:
Type A Grants - "Grants through Financial Intermediaries":
- Offered to financial intermediaries proposing innovative approaches to lower financing costs for SMEs, reduce customer service costs, and implement other solutions that facilitate access to financial resources.
- Special attention will be given to supporting enterprises affected by the war.
- Total funding for Type A grants is $10 million.
Type B Grants - "Grant Partnership for Co-investment in SMEs":
- Aimed at creating partnerships with private financial institutions to co-finance SMEs, primarily those affected by the war. This involves combining loans or other financing from a financial institution with grants from the project.
- Total funding for Type B grants is $15 million.
Objectives:
- The grants aim to increase sales, exports, and create new jobs within the business sector.
- The grants are designed to be implemented over the next 1-2 years.
Additional USAID Initiatives for Ukraine:
- USAID recently launched the "Harvest" initiative, a $250 million program to support Ukrainian farmers and expand their exports.
- Earlier this year, the USAID AGRO program announced up to UAH 270 million in co-financing for Ukrainian enterprises providing services for drying, storage, and processing of grain and technical crops.
This initiative underscores USAID's ongoing commitment to supporting the economic resilience and growth of Ukraine's small and medium-sized enterprises amidst challenging circumstances.
