The “CREATE!” grant program, totaling $1,000,000, initiated by the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, the Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund, and the KSE Foundation, with compliance support from JSC “Oschadbank” and expert evaluation by the KSE Graduate Business School, has announced its final five winners. The program aims to support Ukrainian women in manufacturing by helping them scale their businesses.
Olena Foia, owner of Stroyseptik, an autonomous sewage system manufacturer in Dmytrivka, Kyiv Region, produces septic tanks, wastewater treatment stations, oil separators, industrial grease traps, and storage cellars using hydraulic concrete.
With the grant, she plans to purchase equipment for working with rebar and metal products, as well as high-frequency deep concrete vibrators.
“Entrepreneurship is an opportunity to create, build, live, and work on my native land,” says Olena.
Oleksandra Shymborska, owner of Teсhnopak, a polymer packaging manufacturer in Lviv, specializes in producing various types of packaging for the food and household chemical industries.
The grant will fund the purchase of a new electric forklift to ease employees’ workloads.
“I am inspired by Ukrainian businesses. Over the 2.5 years of full-scale war, Ukrainian companies have shown the world that we can not only operate under shelling and power outages but also find new paths for growth,” says Oleksandra.
Iryna Chornobai, owner of Aeromekh, a grain cleaning machine manufacturer in Bagacheve, Cherkasy Region, produces aerodynamic separators for cleaning and calibrating grain crops. Her company exports its products to over 60 countries worldwide.
The grant winner will use the funds to purchase hydraulic guillotine shears for cutting metal. This will improve product quality, reduce defects, and speed up production processes.
“I dream of bringing all our agricultural sector developments to life. I also aim to scale and improve production while expanding the geography of our equipment sales abroad,” shares Iryna.
Oksana Moroz, owner of the pet furniture manufacturing business Petso in Chernihiv, produces eco-friendly beds, shelves, cushions, and other accessories for pets. She plans to invest the grant in acquiring milling and laser machines to scale up production.
“Business is always about ups and downs. It’s an inner drive that doesn’t let you stand still. It’s crucial to have an unwavering desire to move forward, no matter what,” says Oksana.
Alina Serdiuk, founder of the Ukrainian clothing brand byMe in Vyshhorod, Kyiv Region, produces women’s and men’s clothing, footwear, accessories, jewelry, and home goods.
With the grant, she will purchase an embroidery machine with two heads, which will enable the business to double its production of embroidered shirts.
“Perseverance, continuous development, and social responsibility are essential for success in business. The latter may seem outside the realm of business, but I believe every business should benefit society, not just offer goods or services,” emphasizes Alina.
The “CREATE!” grant program received over a thousand applications from Ukrainian women entrepreneurs. All 65 winners have now been officially announced, and more details about them can be found on the program’s official website. It has also been revealed that “CREATE!” will continue with a second phase, set to launch in 2025. The program’s funding comes from the Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund (UMAEF, formerly Western NIS Enterprise Fund), which supports reform initiatives and transformational projects in Ukraine.