EBRD intends to allocate in 2016 to support small and medium business in Ukraine about 3 million euros.
EBRD in 2015 allocated 1.5 million euros to support small and medium-sized businesses, in 2016 the financial institution intends to double the figure
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in 2015 implemented 130 projects worth more than EUR1,5 million under the program of advisory support to small and medium-sized businesses in Ukraine.
Planned for 2016 the number of projects and the size of grants will be determined within one month, after an analysis of the availability of donor resources provided by the European Union, the governments of Sweden and the United States.
The increase in support for small businesses due to the constant rise in the number of applications companies. Particularly relevant is the program of promoting exports to the EU markets, the US, Canada, the Middle East. Today, companies often need help in the development of export strategy, market research, quality management systems, the development of high-quality Internet portals in foreign languages.
According to statistics from the Bank, the Bank for 5 years from the beginning of the program of support of small business in Ukraine worked with 530 companies, about 100 of which have received advice of international experts and practitioners, and the rest – local experts. The average amount of the grant for the project with the involvement of Ukrainian consultants exceeded EUR6 thousand. With the assistance of foreign experts – EUR 58 thousand. The average cost of the project with the assistance of foreign experts was EUR 60-70 ths., 90% of which is provided by the bank.
In the first half of next year it is planned to open two regional offices of the bank – in Kharkov and Odessa. Last year, the office was opened in Lviv. The development of a regional network due to the increasing number of applications from small and medium-sized businesses in small towns and villages (more than 70% of the total).
The Bank intends to intensify the work with SMEs through partner banks. Thus, the EBRD is considering the possibility of issuing bonds in local currency to channel resources from their placement on the provision of business loans in national currency. In particular, in the short term – lending to energy efficiency projects for medium, small businesses and households (associations condominiums (AJOAH).
