Opportunities for veteran businesses under the Horizon Europe Programme were discussed at the 5th Foreign Investment Congress
The 5th Foreign Investment Congress took place in Kyiv, on May 28-29. This is a large-scale investment platform that brings together key stakeholders to attract international and private capital to restore Ukraine’s capacity and economic potential. Representatives of Horizon Europe Office in Ukraine, NRFU, took part in the second day of the event.
The panel: Support Instruments and Opportunities under the Horizon Europe for Veteran Businesses was dedicated to identifying effective mechanisms for attracting investment in the context of war, post-war reconstruction and the process of European integration, in particular: the 9th Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon Europe as a support tool of the European Union. In a workshop format, the speakers discussed the opportunities offered by the grant programme for small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly veterans engaged in entrepreneurial activities.
Igor Taranov, Head of Horizon Europe Office in Ukraine, presented general information about the Horizon Europe Programme and the opportunities it offers specifically for veteran businesses. In particular, the discussion covered priority areas of business activity within the Programme, the types of organisations eligible to participate, and the differences between Horizon Europe and other grant programmes supporting veteran businesses. He also spoke about the HEOinUA activities, which is also part of an EU project being implemented as a part of the Programme with the aim of raising awareness of Horizon Europe among stakeholders.
In addition, Nataliia Didenko, Deputy Head of the department, used a specific example of working with the EU Funding and Tenders Portal to demonstrate how to identify a relevant call for one’s business, as well as how to find partners among European organisations to build a consortium. Among other things, the speaker highlighted the mistakes most commonly made by new participants when preparing project proposals.
For his part, Maksym Kolisnyk, Horizon Europe Office in Ukraine leading officer, informed participants about the types of funding available to small and medium-sized enterprises under the Programme, in particular cascade funding, and how veteran businesses can benefit from it. He also outlined the grant amounts available under the Programme, ranging from the smallest to the largest. Special attention was paid to the obligations facing grant holders.
The event brought together foreign investors and international businesses, local communities, and regional businesses, including veteran-owned enterprises, international financial institutions and private financial providers, as well as The Government of Ukraine and diplomatic missions representing foreign governments. The aim is to bring together global capital and key stakeholders to promote the recovery, modernisation, renovation and reconstruction of Ukraine on the principles of equal opportunities, transparent rules, fair competition, protection of private property and the rule of law.
