Grants for SMES and Organizations for the Development of Entrepreneurship (ORP) – Ukraine

The purpose of this program is to support initiatives aimed at increasing the personnel, innovation and export potential of Ukrainian business, including in cooperation with regional and national authorities and educational institutions.

The USAID program “Competitive Economy of Ukraine” (KEU), which is implemented by the company “Kimonix International”, accepts grant applications from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) of private ownership, business associations, non-governmental organizations, business communities and other organizations for the development of entrepreneurship (ORP) for the implementation of measures lasting up to 10 months, aimed at preserving and creating jobs, in particular, through qualification improvement, retraining and employment of employees of enterprises (including internally displaced persons) who lost their jobs as a result of the war and/or would like to move to a new industry (switchers), implementation of incubation/acceleration programs for the development of entrepreneurship, self-employment and export capabilities of enterprises.

Indicative measures and activities that can be implemented within the framework of the grant program include, among others:

• Assistance in upskilling, retraining and employment of private and public sector workers who have lost their jobs as a result of war, people who would like to move into a new industry or adapt their skills to new market conditions, including internally displaced persons.
• Implementation of certified programs for training and retraining together with vocational and technical education institutions and institutions of higher education for the development of personnel potential in the production and service sectors of the economy.
• Providing consultancy for SME capacity development in human resource development and employment, including implementation of training and mentoring programs for trainers. Conducting industry events (trainings, hackathons, meetups and bootcamps) aimed at creating and maintaining jobs in SMEs.
• Provision of business development services to startups, small and medium-sized enterprises, including business incubation, business acceleration, innovative business development programs, consultations, trainings, etc.
• Implementation of national employment programs necessary for rebuilding the country’s economy and the European integration process: development and advocacy of changes to employment legislation, assistance in creating new state retraining and employment programs, monitoring and analysis of their results, conducting research on the labor market.
• Implementation of training programs to quickly refocus SMEs on exports or increase the share of exports in SME sales: development and implementation of training programs aimed at increasing the readiness of SMEs to export, renewing export business models affected by disruptions in supply chains, providing a skilled workforce for development of foreign trade, etc.

Funding Information

• Estimated aggregate amount: $ 2,000,000 (subject to funding availability)
• The grant application budget: ranges from $35,000 to  $150,000
• Expected number of issued grants: up to 20 grants.

Eligible Recipients

• Applicants must be registered Ukrainian non-governmental (public) organizations, or privately owned SMEs, officially established and recognized by the relevant state bodies of Ukraine and have a good reputation among them, as well as comply with all relevant norms of civil law and the Tax Code.
• If the applicant is a Ukrainian private enterprise (legal entity/FPO), its number of employees must be less than 250 people, its annual turnover must be less than EUR 50 million, and/or its annual balance sheet must be less than EUR 43 million.
• Government institutions, including organizations with the participation of state capital and quasi-governmental organizations, as defined in ADS 302.3.3, may not apply for grants under this RFP.
• Applicants must demonstrate good governance by presenting financial, administrative, and technical policies and procedures, as well as a system of internal controls that safeguard assets, protect against fraud, waste, and abuse, and support the achievement of program goals and objectives. Before awarding each grant, the KEU program will evaluate such applicants’ capabilities.
• To receive any grant under this solicitation of $25,000 or more, other than an in-kind grant, grantees will be required to provide a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number at the time the grant is awarded. If the applicant already has a UEI number, it should be included in the application. Otherwise, applicants will need to obtain a UEI number before they can be awarded a grant. The KEU program will assist successful applicants in this process. If the applicant is registered on SAM.gov, they already have a UEI number and this number can be viewed on SAM.gov. If the applicant is not already registered with SAM.gov, use the Quick Guide on how to obtain a Unique Entity Identifier to obtain a UEI number for your organization.
• Religious organizations and community groups will have an equal opportunity to receive funding in accordance with the guidelines set forth in ADS 303.3.28, except for religious organizations whose activities are aimed at discriminatory or religious purposes and whose primary grant purpose is religious in nature.
• The USAID KEU program will work with the successful grantee to develop a labeling and branding plan that will be attached to the grant agreement.
• The USAID KEU program encourages applications from organizations that have never received support from USAID and meet the above criteria.

For more information, visit Kimonix International.