<\/p>\n
On 27 October 2026, a joint meeting of the European Business Association\u2019s Working Group on Veteran Practices and Policies and the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War took place on the topic \u201cVeteran Entrepreneurship: Opportunities for Cooperation with Large Businesses\u201d.<\/p>\n
The meeting focused on practical approaches to supporting veteran entrepreneurship, opportunities for cooperation with large companies, access to financial instruments and grant programmes, as well as the role of the state and civil society organisations in developing veteran-owned businesses.<\/p>\n
The meeting was moderated by Serhii Yanchuk<\/strong>, Head of the EBA ESG Hub Working Group on Veteran Practices and Policies, Veteran Officer at METRO Ukraine, and a veteran.<\/p>\n Oleh Khmelevskyi<\/strong>, veteran and Director of Veteran Resilience and Reintegration Programmes at the International Association for Humanitarian Demining and Rehabilitation (IAHRR), shared his vision for the development of veteran entrepreneurship and the challenges veterans face when starting their own businesses. The discussion covered access to grant support, programme eligibility requirements, and opportunities for those who are only planning to start a business. In particular, participants discussed whether the current grant programme requirements meet the needs of veterans seeking to establish new businesses.<\/p>\n Artem Lifridov<\/strong>, veteran entrepreneur, founder of Poltava\u2019s first street food business, \u201cPro Halushky\u201d, and the eponymous franchise for veterans, Head of the Entrepreneurship Committee under the Council of Veterans, and Deputy Head of the Council of Veterans under the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, shared his personal experience of establishing and developing a veteran-owned business. He spoke about finding a business idea, identifying a target audience, and choosing a market niche. He also emphasised that veteran businesses should develop as fully-fledged commercial enterprises rather than rely solely on grants or charitable support.<\/p>\n During the discussion, Artem also raised the issue of access to government grant programmes. In particular, he noted that updated assessment criteria and application requirements may make the application process more challenging, even for entrepreneurs who have previously participated in such programmes. He also highlighted the need to support the wives of military personnel and veterans, who do not always have official status allowing them to access the relevant benefits.<\/p>\n Hennadii Sukharnikov<\/strong>, Sergeant of the 12th Special Purpose Brigade \u201cAzov\u201d, defender of Mariupol, and Deputy Head of AZOV.ONE, shared his entrepreneurial experience and work on establishing partnerships between the military and businesses. He presented examples of cooperation with companies that go beyond charitable contributions and involve the development of joint products and commercial projects. This approach makes it possible to combine business needs with support for the military: companies can develop their products and engage with their audiences, while part of the proceeds from such cooperation is directed towards supporting military personnel. Hennadii also emphasised the importance of studying international experience in veteran support and exploring new partnership models that could be effective in the Ukrainian context.<\/p>\n Kateryna Yevdokymova<\/strong>, People Development Expert at METRO Ukraine, presented a joint project by METRO Ukraine and Prometheus: a practical online course for those planning to open a restaurant business or already working in the sector. She noted that opening an establishment is only the first step, as ensuring its stable operation and profitability is an equally challenging task.<\/p>\n The course provides participants with practical knowledge of financial planning, calculating start-up costs and the break-even point, restaurant management, marketing, and team organisation. The programme also covers professional kitchen equipment, service standards, and the specifics of franchising. Kateryna separately highlighted the relevance of this training for veterans who already run their own establishments or are planning to enter the restaurant business.<\/p>\n Oleksandra Shekhovtsova<\/strong>, Director of the Procurement Department at Raiffeisen Bank Ukraine, spoke about the company’s approach to supporting veteran-owned businesses through procurement processes and supplier engagement.<\/p>\n For Raiffeisen Bank’s procurement team, it is important not only to ensure technological, fast, and transparent tenders, but also to respond to the challenges of wartime and Ukraine’s needs. Supporting veteran-owned businesses has become one of the team’s priorities. To this end, the team has introduced several types of initiatives. These include a cultural component encouraging the bank’s partners to support veterans; educational activities featuring a series of training videos for veteran entrepreneurs on how to participate in tenders organised by large companies; and process improvements, including certain preferences for veterans participating in tenders. At the same time, these changes are implemented in compliance with fundamental international procurement principles. Oleksandra noted that these are the team’s first steps towards supporting veteran entrepreneurship and expressed hope that this practice would become more widespread across the Ukrainian business community.<\/p>\n Yuliia Chemeryska<\/strong>, Inclusivity Officer at Raiffeisen Bank Ukraine, joined the discussion on how large businesses can support veteran entrepreneurship. The meeting also addressed the importance of creating an inclusive environment for veteran entrepreneurs, removing barriers to cooperation with companies, and establishing conditions conducive to developing partnerships. Particular attention was paid to taking veterans’ needs into account when designing corporate support programmes.<\/p>\n Volodymyr Zabela<\/strong>, Director of the MHP-Hromadi Charitable Foundation, presented the company’s experience in supporting veteran entrepreneurship. He emphasised that such support should involve not only funding but also creating real opportunities for business development and cooperation with large companies.<\/p>\n In particular, Volodymyr spoke about two areas of activity: supporting veteran initiatives that can become suppliers of products or services to the company, and implementing grant programmes in partnership with other organisations. Among the examples he cited was the \u201cVARTO Do Your Own Thing 2.0\u201d competition, implemented together with the Ukrainian Veterans Fund, which provided grants ranging from UAH 1,600 to UAH 1.6 million. In 2025, 52 veteran-owned businesses also received support through the regular \u201cVARTO Do Your Own Thing\u201d programme. Volodymyr noted that cooperation with partners in this area continues in 2026.<\/p>\n Viktoriia Vasylieva<\/strong>, Director of the Employment Policy Implementation Department at the State Employment Service, spoke about government instruments supporting entrepreneurial initiatives, including the \u201cVlasna Sprava\u201d (\u201cOwn Business\u201d) grant programme. She paid particular attention to opportunities to receive advisory support through the \u201cMade in Ukraine\u201d offices. There, prospective entrepreneurs can receive assistance with preparing a business plan, completing an application, and submitting the documents required to participate in the programme. This helps applicants prepare more effectively and avoid common mistakes.<\/p>\n Viktoriia also explained several stages of the grant process: after an application is approved, the recipient has 20 days to register as an individual entrepreneur (FOP), after which the funds are transferred. During the discussion, she also responded to the proposal to raise the issue of support for the wives of military personnel and veterans who currently do not have the relevant official status.<\/p>\n Nina Rohovets<\/strong>, representative of the Ukrainian Veterans Fund, spoke about the Fund’s grant programmes and mechanisms for supporting veteran entrepreneurship. In particular, she outlined the competitive \u201cVARTO\u201d programmes, which enable veterans to secure funding to launch or develop their own businesses. The discussion also covered the possibility of receiving compensation of up to UAH 20,000 for microfinancing.<\/p>\n Nina explained that the Fund provides for subsequent monitoring of supported businesses: their operations may be reviewed over a three-year period, while the Fund does not interfere in their business activities. Participants also discussed the need to systematise statistics on the outcomes of grant programmes, particularly the extent to which businesses remain successful several years after receiving funding.<\/p>\n During the meeting, participants discussed various instruments for supporting veteran entrepreneurship, ranging from grant funding and training to integrating veteran-owned businesses into the supply chains of large companies. Other key issues included access to government programmes, the development of partnerships, and creating conditions that enable veteran-owned businesses to operate sustainably and grow.<\/p>\n <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On 27 October 2026, a joint meeting of the European Business Association\u2019s Working Group on Veteran Practices and Policies and the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War took place on the topic \u201cVeteran Entrepreneurship: Opportunities for Cooperation with Large Businesses\u201d. The meeting focused on practical approaches to supporting veteran […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4489,"featured_media":787899,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false},"categories":[4,5],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n