What’s changing for women’s businesses
Ukraine is launching the programme “Pochatok 2” for women with business ideas or existing businesses in agriculture, food processing and related sectors. The initiative was launched by Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine together with the network of entrepreneur support centres Diia.Business and the Office for Entrepreneurship and Export Development in partnership with UN Women in Ukraine.
The programme combines practical training sessions with work on participants’ own projects. Participants will undergo a business diagnosis, draw up a development plan, receive mentoring and psychosocial support. Assistance is provided in the form of a business voucher, which is not a direct cash payment but covers agreed goods and services according to the development plan.
Who will receive support and how much
UAH 4.2 million of the general fund for financial support has been allocated to the programme. After an initial online stage, 200 participants will continue to an in-depth training programme. Following that stage, the 40 strongest projects will receive funding to develop their businesses.
Funding is not provided as cash. Support will be delivered by paying for agreed goods and services within your development plan. This means expenses must be pre-agreed with the programme.
Comparison: before and after
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| No dedicated initiative called “Pochatok 2” | The “Pochatok 2” programme has been launched for women in the mentioned sectors |
| Support for this target group was unspecified | Support provided via business vouchers that cover goods and services |
| Total budget was not stated | UAH 4.2 million of financial support |
| No data on the number of participants | 200 will complete the in-depth programme, 40 will receive funding |
| Regional coverage was not detailed | Covers 8 regions plus women who are internally displaced persons (VPO) from Donetsk region who live in other regions |
Is this relevant to you and what to do next
The programme covers Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Poltava and Kharkiv oblasts. Women who are internally displaced persons (VPO) from Donetsk oblast who currently live in other regions of Ukraine may also apply. If you work or plan to work in these sectors, this initiative may be relevant to you.
To apply you should register on the programme’s official website. Subsequent stages include the initial online training, selection, and work on a business plan. Remember that support payments will be made by paying for goods and services, not as cash.
Registration is open until 8 November 2026 23:59 on the programme’s official website at link.
Brief instructions on what to do next
- Register on the programme website and complete the initial online training
- If selected, work with experts on business diagnosis and your business plan
- If approved, receive support in the form of payment for agreed goods and services
