Ukraine

The Swiss Import Promotion Programme (SIPPO) is a well-established mandate of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) within the framework of its economic development cooperation. The programme has been implemented by Swisscontact since 2017 and is now in phase 3.

The overall objective of SIPPO is to integrate developing and transition countries into world trade. In a facilitation role, SIPPO advises and supports so-called Business Support Organisations (BSOs) in 11 partner countries. Through innovative and targeted export promotion services, BSOs strengthen the export capabilities of companies intending to export and facilitate market access and exports to Switzerland, the EU, and regional markets.

The project strengthens the Ukrainian agricultural sector by supporting female farmers in the Chernihiv and Kyiv regions with training, resources, business contacts, and financing opportunities. This enables them to build successful small enterprises and contribute to food security. 

The EdUP project, including its Scale UP initiative, is playing a crucial role in addressing the serious challenges faced by Ukraine's vocational education and training (VET) sector during wartime. The war has destroyed many VET schools and exacerbated a skills shortage that affects several sectors, despite employers' willingness to offer competitive wages and resources. EdUP aims to rebuild and improve vocational schools and break stereotypes about vocational graduates. By decentralising training and aligning it with local economic needs, the project will improve the quality of vocational training, attract additional resources, work with the private sector, and modernise education to equip Ukraine's workforce for today's demands.