Strengthening SMEs in Ukraine
EU4Business: SME Recovery, Competitiveness and Internationalisation
We are working on a new international cooperation programme – EU4Business: SME Recovery, Competitiveness and Internationalisation – which is co-financed by the European Union and the German government, and is implemented by “Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.” In the course of the programme, a special emphasis will be put on strengthening the capacities of Ukrainian SMEs to comply with the EU-Ukraine Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA).
The programme aims to create better conditions to enable the development of Ukrainian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and support innovation and export promotion, resulting in sustainable and equitable economic growth.
The main objectives of the project are to enhance Ukrainian SMEs’ competitiveness and to facilitate their capacity to implement export plans and activities resulting from the consulting services provided to them. In particular, SMEs will gain knowledge of and access to a support structure consisting of a network of capacitated export advisers, who will be at their disposal for further consultation and coaching.
“With this project, we intend to improve the export ecosystem in the country. We are aiming to establish an intelligible and accessible way to consult Ukrainian SMEs through a combination of international and local expertise and then prove the efficiency of doing so in practice,”
said Sergii Malynovskyi, Team Leader.
“Since the invasion by Russia on 24 February 2022, Ukraine has been facing an armed conflict. affecting its economy and vital infrastructure. This dangerous situation hinders the development of trade knowledge and skills in institutions and companies alike. Medium-term support is thus needed for companies seeking to gain stability in their production and trade amid conditions of decreased solvency among the population. One pillar of such stability is the orientation of export-capable enterprises in relation to trade options,”
said Kostiantyn Stanytskyi, PMCG Country Representative in Ukraine.
To achieve the above-mentioned goals, PMCG will support Ukrainian SMEs in improving their competitiveness and will set up and provide an export consulting, coaching, and mentoring programme over a period of nine months. All told, PMCG will improve the competitiveness of at least 50 SMEs with a focus on exporting to the EU market. On the other hand, 36 local export advisers will be coached in Ukraine, who will then provide export consultancy for targeted SMEs. Companies from all of the regions under Ukrainian government control are included, taking into account the actual production and delivery capabilities of companies in the regions most severely affected by the war.
The inclusion of Ukrainian export advisers in the programme is designed to strengthen the Ukrainian exporting system holistically and sustainably.
The programme will strengthen SMEs’ innovation capacity to export to the EU, strengthen the Ukrainian exporting ecosystem, improve the capacity of Ukrainian export advisers, and promote innovative approaches to trade facilitation.
