On February 14, 2019, the Forum “Grant and Investment Opportunities for Business Development” was held in the city of Pavlohrad to introduce new mechanisms for cooperation between representatives of city authorities, business and experts specializing in attracting investments, as well as in international grant and credit programs.
Forum were joined by the Pavlohrad city mayor, representatives of Ternivka, Synelnykove, Pershotravensk, Yurivka city councils; experts of the EU funds, Dnipropetrovsk Investment Agency (DIA) and the Pavlohrad Agency of Economic Development; and also representatives of business and banking institutions.
Anatolii Vershyna, the Pavlohrad city mayor, during his speech noted: “The program of entrepreneurship support and development in the city of Pavlohrad, held a business projects competition to provide grants on supporting youth entrepreneurship from the city budget. The winners realized their business projects such as a double-service beauty salon and the «Craft coffee» cafe. It has been already announced the young businessmen recruitment for participation in the Business Project Competition in 2019, the final of which will take place on March 21, 2019. Winners will also receive a grant to create their own business or develop an existing business The participants recruitment to the curriculum on the business planning basics has begun“.
“We are actively participating and cooperating with international grant programs and funds. The city of Pavlohrad creates a positive climate for the development of SMEs, both with its own resources and with the help of international investment programs,” Anatolii Vershyna said.
The Pavlohrad city businessmen offer to the potential investors projects and investment proposals, which are posted on the website of the Pavlohrad Agency of Economic Development and in the Investment Passport of Dnipropetrovsk region.
On current investment trends, including local investors and SMEs supporting mechanisms through the formation of associations, the development of local business support programs, industrial park / business incubator, the study of specialized credit and international grant programs, said Alim Molodan, DIA Deputy Director.
“If you have chosen the investment direction, you’ll need a quick start, and for this purpose there are land plots with the studied and available engineering and transport infrastructure. This platform today can become the industrial park, which can be formed at the request of local businesses. Only through the established relations of local authorities and business associations can be provided a positive business climate. Now the Pavlohrad conglomeration presents 9 Greenfield and Brownfield land plots in the investment projects and proposals catalog, which can become launching pads for starting a business, as well as 7 projects where the initiators are still looking for funding sources and partners,” Alim Molodan said.
The capabilities overview of the EU Horizon 2020 program for SMEs was presented by Tatiana Kotenko, the Head of the National Contact Point. “Horizon 2020 is the European Union’s program for financing science and innovations. According to the results of the competitions, 114 Ukrainian projects were accepted, 16 of which are coordinated by Ukrainian organizations. The ratio of submitted and accepted for projects financing Ukraine has about 10% of “success rating”, despite the fact that the average percentage of all the countries hovers is around 12-14%. The program will be extended for the period 2021-2027, with the modified name – “HORIZON EUROPE” and added features.”
