On 26 December 2025, an online learning and information event “How Rural Women Can Obtain Grants to Start and Grow Their Businesses” was held within the Empower AgriWomen project, implemented by Swisscontact. The event aimed to strengthen the capacity of rural women—particularly from the Chernihiv and Kyiv regions—to access grant funding for launching and developing their own businesses.
Opening the event, Vitalii Radko, Senior Technical Advisor of Swisscontact’s Development Programme and Head of the Empower AgriWomen project, emphasized:
A key highlight of the event was the presentation of a practical guide, “How Rural Women Can Obtain Grants to Start and Develop Their Own Business,” prepared for Swisscontact by Roman Korinets, Director of the National Association of Agricultural Advisory Services of Ukraine. He described the guide as a step-by-step tool that helps users assess business ideas, find suitable grants, prepare applications, communicate with donors, and avoid common mistakes—even for first-time applicants.
The main session focused on practical aspects of grant financing, including:
During the Q&A session, participants received tailored advice and recommendations for their next steps.
Concluding the event, organizers presented further support opportunities for rural women entrepreneurs, stressing their goal of turning newly gained knowledge into real businesses and successful community-based projects.
The event was held within the Empower AgriWomen project of the Swisscontact Development Programme, co-financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), with additional support from the Turin Foundation, the Swisslos Fund of the Canton of Solothurn, and Katholisch Stadt Zürich. The technical partner of the event was the National Association of Agricultural Advisory Services of Ukraine.