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Online-conference outcomes “Local business within the “corona crisis” conditions: opportunities and support”

On July 27-29, the Aspen Institute Kyiv  through the Good Governance Program conducted the online-conference “Local business within the “corona crisis” conditions: opportunities and support”.

Purpose of the event to help representatives of small and medium enterprises to recognize government support program, international technical help projects opportunies and international rganizations, to representatives of local governments to define ways of cooperation with local businesses to assuring the well-being of communities residents.

“We are convinced that entrepreneurs are the drivers of change. This is the force that can give results, change communities, cities and towns, Ukraine as a whole for the better. Working for two years with united communities leaders, we better understood the challenges that exist on the local level. Therefore, we decided to raise the issue of sustainability and business development during the pandemic, because we understand the challenges and troubles caused by quarantine and which affected almost every entrepreneur, “- said the executive director of the Aspen Institute Kyiv, Yulia Tychkivska, in a welcoming speech.

Online-conference program consist three thematic blocks:

– government support program for enterprises  (July 27);

– programs and projects of international organizarions and technical help projects (July 28);

– the best practices in united territorial communities of entrepreneurship development  (July 29).

Online-meetings and panel discussions were moderated by:

Denys Poltavets – program development director, the Aspen Institute Kyiv;

Larysa Laypova – head of supervisory board of Association for Community Foundations of Ukraine,  executive director of NGO “Alumni Association” Aspen-Ukraine”.

 

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT OF SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES

Igor Markevych. Grant program of Ukrainian Startup Fund

Igor Markevych is a head of program and projects at Ukrainian Startup Fund.

Ukrainian Startup Fund is a government fund initiated by Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. Mission of the Fund to support innovative projects and sustain the most talented Ukrainian ehtrepreneurships to create successful global companies.

Ukrainian Startup Fund provides financing to companies in the early stages of their development (pre-seed and seed). The fund provides funding to promising and innovative ideas of technology startups that demonstrate the high potential of global commercial success.

During the online-meeting that was hold within the “Local business within the “corona crisis” conditions: opportunities and support”, Igor Markevych told about such aspects of USF activities:

– Grant program of USF: procedure and principals of applications selection, duration of the grant.

– USF acceleration program: educational and consulting support for startups by accelerators accredited by the Foundation.

– Perspectives of engaging partners and investors during the process of selection to receiving grant.

– Plans about support science-intensive enterprises and projects within “Eureka” program.

– USF priorities on the next 5 years.

Andriy Slabinskyy. Government program “Available loans 5-7-9%”

Andriy Slabinskyy is a head of Small and medium enterprises development office (SMEDO) at Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine.

Small and medium enterprises development office is a constant advisory-consult board at Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine that was formed to facilitate the implementation of the tasks set by the action plan for the implementation of the Strategy for the development of small and medium enterprises in Ukraine for the period up to 2020, approved by the order of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine from 10.05.2018 № 292.

The mission of the Office is to form a support system for small and medium enterprises by improving access to information, financing, infrastructure development and promotion of business culture in Ukraine.

Small and medium enterprises development office works with the financial support of the European Union within the FORBIZ project and the EU4Business Initiative.

Andriy Slabinskyy told about governmental program “Available loans 5-7-9%”, specifically:

– Changes to the governmental program “Available loans 5-7-9%” during 2020

– General purpose, mechanism and target group of “Available loans 5-7-9%” program.

– Program components “Available loans 5-7-9%”: investment loans, working capital loan, refinancing.

– Statistics and successful experience of the lending within “Available loans 5-7-9%” program.

 

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION PROGRAMS AND INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL SUPPORT PROJECTS 

Olesya Zaluska. Opportunities of the USAID Program “Competitive Economy Program of Ukraine

Olesya Zaluska is a vice-head of the USAID Program “Competitive Economy Program of Ukraine

USAID Program «Competitive Economy of Ukraine» promotes the development of a strong, diversified and open economy of Ukraine by improving the business environment for small and medium enterprises, increasing the competitiveness of promising sectors of the economy and providing Ukrainian companies with opportunities to take advantage of international trade.

The USAID CEU Program focuses on competitive sectors of the economy: IT, furniture, tourism, film and creative industries, the food industry, women’s entrepreneurial potential, and e-commerce. Also, the USAID CEU Program focuses on supporting government initiatives and startups in the Ukrainian and international markets. A key tool for implementing the USAID CEU Program is a nationwide grant program with a budget of $ 12.5 million. USA.

Within the online-conference “Local business within the “corona crisis” conditions: opportunities and support” Olesya Zaluska told about such topics of the Program USAID CEU:

– Development of business-climate: The School of Entrepreneurship Development Organizations, support for legislative initiatives needed for business, and the City Competitiveness Index are an analytical tool for assessing the business climate in cities, including the effectiveness of economic governance.

– Startups support: implemented grants, and incubator for startups from the Program USAID CEU –  eō Business Incubators

– Opportunities for business in sectors: furniture, films and creative industries, tourism.

– Support of small and medium enterprises, owners and heads of which are women.

– Export opportunities and initiatives with e-commerce.

Olesya’s presentation could be found by the link.

Liudmyla Voinalovych. EBRD Program on support small and medium enterprises

Liudmyla Voinalovych is a coordinator of consulting projects, financing and development of small and medium eterprises, EBRD

EBRD from 2010 develops a vector of support and development розвиває напрямок small and medium enterprises. From that time were supported over than 1000 grants consulting projects for small and medium enterprises. Projects and other activities are partly financed by donors such as European Union, Sweden and USA government.

Within the conference “Local business within the “corona crisis” conditions: opportunities and support” Liudmyla Voinovych told about such activities of EBRD on support and development of small and medium enterprises:

– Grants for consulting support of small and medium enterpises from local and foreign experts on topics: strategy, marketing, operational efficiency, organizational development, implementing of management quality system, energy efficiency, preparation to export, etc.

– Online-platform for searching in local consultants https://www.merezha.com.ua/

– Educational opportunities for micro, small and medium enterprises:

– Development  of such sectors as furniture, textile, agro, and tourism. Support of creative thinking to these industries. Reinforcement of export potential.

To get more information about these programs and to follow news is easy on Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ebrdbasukraine; questions can be asked on the email knowhowukraine@ebrd.com

 

THE BEST PRACTICES OF SUPPORT ENTERPISES IN UNITED TERRITORIAL COMMUNITIES

Pannel discussion of United Association of territorial communities Attracting of investments and local economic development in united territorial communities

Valentyna Poltavets is an executive director of the United Association of territorial communities

Ivan Rubskyy is a Bashtan city mayor, Mykolaiv region, head of platform “Economy and investments” of the United Association of territorial communities

Yevheniy Shapovalov is an expert on decentralization, moderator of platform “Economy and investments” of the United Association of territorial communities

Oleksiy Ryabokon is a Pyryatyn city mayor, Poltava region

Iryna Soldatova is a head of economy department at Pyryatyn city mayor

The United Association of territorial communities as all-Ukrainian unity of local government is non-governmental, non-politicaland non-commercial organization. Organization is created for spreading the best practices of modern and innovative community management, and також захисту їх законних прав та інтересів. Moreover, it is dedicated to provide practical implementing of reform and positive changes in every communities. All this is possible thank to constant dialogue and local self-government boards cooperation with every interested sides, that promote implementing of local self-government reform, decentralization and sectoral reforms.

Sectoral platform “Economic and investments” is a consulting and advisory board of the United Association of territorial communities, and  designed to provide cooperation of Association members with all interested sides for assisting to balanced economic development of united communities.

Topics that were considered by participants of panel discussion:

– Mission of the United Association of territorial communities and its programs.

– Experience of cooperation of local councils and local enterprises.

– Experience of investments attracting to territorial communities.

Pannel discussion of Programs United States Agency for International Development USAID “Decentralization Offers Better Results and Efficiency” (DOBRE) “The best practices of cooperation between local government and business

Yulia Yesmukhanova is the Deputy Chief of USAID DOBRE Program “Decentralization Offers Better Results and Efficiency”

Vitaliy Yurkiv is an expert on local economic development of USAID DOBRE Program “Decentralization Offers Better Results and Efficiency”

Yulia Bolgak is a deputy head of Halytsynivska united territorial community on economic development and investments issues, Mykolaiv region

DOBRE is a five-year program that, by providing technical and financial support, creates the conditions in 75 united territorial communities of Ukraine to improve resource management, improve the quality of public services, stimulate the local economy and involve citizens in building their communities. The DOBRE program operates in seven regions of Ukraine: Dnipro, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Kropyvnytskyy, Mykolaiv and Ternopil. From June 2020, the program extends its activities to three more oblasts – Zaporizhia, Chernivtsi and Chernihiv – and plans to involve another 25 communities in the program.

The program is financed by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and is implemented by a consortium of American, Ukrainian and Polish organizations led by an international NGO Global Communities. Participants of panel discussion “The best practices of cooperation between local government and business” considered such topics:

– Purposes and ways of USAID DOBRE program work.

– Cooperation products of USAID DOBRE for communities on local economic development: united community working group on local economic development, economic profile of community, program of local economic development with projects, implemented projects.

– Purposes of projects on local economical development: support of exsiting business, assistance to enterprises development, development of labor resources and professional orientation for youth, engagement of new business and investments.

– Examples of local economic development prejects: planning of territorial communities territories and creating general plans of territorial communities settlements, creating design of civil spaces and development of business support centers, co-working opening, conculting and creating of infrastructure tgo develop tourism, cooperative creating and development, improving of  farmer markets infrastructure, business-incubator creating and support, consulting on attracting and working with investors, consulting on creating advantageous for business regulatory environment in communities.

– The successful case of cooperation USAID DOBRE and Halytsynivska united territorial communities.

Presentations of panel discussion participants can be recognized by the link: presentation 1 and presentation 2.

The Good Governance Program is supported by a grant from Luminate and National Endowment for Democracy.

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