Kyiv, 3 April 2025 — Over the past five years, the ReACT4UA/EU4Business programme has helped thousands of Ukrainian entrepreneurs stay afloat, adapt, and grow — even through war and global disruption. Today in Kyiv, programme partners and government representatives gathered to reflect on what’s been achieved and what’s next.
Funded by the European Union, the Government of Germany, and the Government of Norway, the programme has focused on strengthening Ukraine’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), boosting competitiveness, and opening doors to the European market.
Five years. Real impact:
- More than 30,000 SMEs received support
- Around 2,000 businesses accessed €16 million in grants
- Ukrainian companies took part in 65+ trade fairs and business visits across 20 EU countries
- Local initiatives in 42 cities were directly supported
- 78 clusters, associations and business networks strengthened
What partners say:
“This programme has faced — and met — extraordinary challenges, from the pandemic to full-scale war. Its ability to stay agile and effective is its greatest strength,” said Henrik Wittfeldt, Delegation of the EU to Ukraine.
“Supporting small businesses now isn’t just an economic task. It’s about resilience and recovery — and building the economy of the future,” added Andrii Teliupa, Deputy Minister for Economy of Ukraine.
What’s next: STEP IN 2 EU
The team also introduced the next phase — a new three-year programme called STEP IN 2 EU, building on ReACT4UA’s success. Led by GIZ Ukraine, in partnership with the Ministry for Economy and the National Bank of Ukraine, the programme will support SMEs in accessing the EU single market, implementing key reforms, and strengthening business ecosystems at all levels.
The expected budget is €15 million, co-financed by the German Government and other international partners.
“We’re not starting from scratch. We’re scaling what works,” said Hagen Ettner, Director of the ReACT4UA programme.
