The European Commission launched two programs worth 7.5 million euros to support Ukrainian entrepreneurs
The European Commission announced two tenders for project proposals under the common name “ReadyForEU” with a total budget of 7.5 million euros for Ukrainian entrepreneurs.
This is stated in the statement of the EC, writes “European Truth”.
Both competitions are aimed at helping Ukrainian entrepreneurs and companies take advantage of the single market.
The first competition, “Business Bridge”, with a budget of 4.5 million euros, will provide financial support to Ukrainian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) affected by the war in the form of vouchers for access to services and participation in trade exhibitions in the EU. The project will be administered by business support organizations such as the Enterprise European Network (EEN), the European Cluster Network and other organizations.
The purpose of the competition is to create a consortium of business organizations that will select up to 1,500 Ukrainian SMEs focused on growth and sustainable development, which will receive direct support in the amount of up to 2,500 euros. This direct support will cover the costs of business support services such as: market research to find European partners; legal, organizational and financial consultations regarding the creation of a new company or adaptation of an existing one; assistance in participation or trips to trade exhibitions in the EU; legal consultations on intellectual property rights.
The second competition, “Erasmus for young entrepreneurs – Ukraine”, with a budget of 3 million euros, will allow young Ukrainian entrepreneurs to gain business experience in other European countries.
This project will be implemented within the existing Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs program, in which more than 22,000 entrepreneurs from all over Europe have had the opportunity to share their entrepreneurial know-how. During the existence of the EYE program, the largest number of Ukrainian entrepreneurs applied (154) and participated (79) in the program during 2022.
According to the results of the competition, organizations in Ukraine and the EU will be selected, which will recruit up to 430 new Ukrainian entrepreneurs and will select host entrepreneurs for them in the EU. Financial support will then be provided to these entrepreneurs, as well as their living and travel expenses.
Competitions are open from February 28, 2023, and Ukrainian companies and entrepreneurs will be able to submit applications in the last quarter of this year.
