“CREATE!”, the grant program with a $1 million budget from the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund, and KSE Foundation for compliance support JSC “Oschadbank,” announces new winners. The project’s goal is to help Ukrainian women engaged in production scale their businesses.
Oleksandra Osipova owns the Sisters A. Chocolate chocolate factory in Lutsk. The winning team creates chocolate according to the principle of bean to bar (from bean to bar) – independently buys raw materials from small farmers, roasts cocoa at the factory, and makes craft chocolate without using white sugar and milk. It also organizes tastings, participates in farmer’s fairs, and uses ecological packaging without plastic.
The winner will use the grant funds to purchase equipment for grinding and cleaning cocoa beans. It will help increase the volume of products produced and reduce the amount of waste.
“My goal is to popularize the consumption of high-quality chocolate made from farm cocoa. I dream of opening a branded store and taking our products to foreign markets,” says Oleksandra.
Yelyzaveta Dyachenko is the founder of Tvel LLC, Poltava, which produces medical products. Granterka manufactures gels for ultrasound, ECG, EEG, and laser procedures, thermal paper for video printers, and diagram tapes and sells them in Ukraine and abroad.
With the funds received, the winner will purchase PV modules. This will allow work to continue uninterrupted and increase production volumes.
“My goal is to create the most innovative business, the products of which will be sold worldwide, and young people will dream of working in our team,” comments Yelyzaveta.
Iryna Kirpichova is the director of Tatoshka children’s clothing production in Kyiv. The granter’s business has been making clothes for over twenty years. The entrepreneur is guided by the criteria of safety and comfort, so she buys only high-quality fabrics and accessories.
With the grant money, the winner will scale up production and expand the range of products – she will purchase thirteen sewing machines and software for the designer.
“We are constantly learning and working diligently to ensure that each of our collections finds its fans among children and their parents: customers who come to us for new purchases, and are the measure of my success as an entrepreneur,” explains Iryna.
Anzhelika Korol-Sekera owns the confectionery factory “Delicia” in Bucha, Kyiv region. The brand’s history began in the 1990s. Currently, the company’s production facilities produce 230 products, including more than 60 types of cookies, gingerbread, wafers, and tubes.
“I constantly keep my finger on the pulse of opportunities to develop my business, learn, and improve myself. My work is my life,” Angelica shares her secret of success.
The entrepreneur will invest grant funds in expanding her business. She will purchase special packaging equipment, including a thermal transfer printer and an applicator printer.
Valentyna Aybin founded “Tse dobre” (That’s good), a company that produces semi-finished products in the Netishyn, Khmelnytskyi region. The entrepreneur’s assortment includes more than two hundred confectionery and culinary products, from syrnyky and holubtsi to lasagna and gelato; there are two physical stores and delivery.
With the grant, the winner will purchase planetary and manual mixers, a shock-freezing cabinet, a dough bowl, a vegetable cutter, and freezer chests. This will allow the winner to increase the volume of production and expand the range of products.
“People inspire me to do business: when you see the need for your products, when customers return – it becomes an incentive to develop, offer something new, and never stop,” says Valentyna.
The goal of the project “CREATE!” is to support Ukrainian businesswomen who are engaged in production. According to the program’s results, the organizing committee received over a thousand applications from Ukrainian businesswomen. The names of the following will be announced gradually.
The Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund (UMAEF, formerly Western NIS Enterprise Fund) invests in funds for the implementation of the grant program. The fund supports initiatives to promote reforms in Ukraine and transformative projects.