“Women’s Affairs”: Oschadbank and partners presented a program to support women’s business

Oschadbank, together with international partners, presented the initiative “Women’s Affairs.” It unites financial and non-financial tools for women who plan to start their own business, develop an existing business, or prepare for scaling. The presentation included representatives from the government, international organizations, and business.

The initiative combines 5 international partners, 7 state programs, and more than 10 Oschadbank’s own programs. It covers lending, guarantees, grant opportunities, training, consultations, and digital services. Among the directions are support for startups and franchising projects, investment in business development and job creation. Specific participation terms will be determined by the respective partner programs.

Partners of the initiative include Prosper Global, the European Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the German organization German Sparkassenstiftung for International Cooperation (DSIK), and the program “Move Forward. Grants and Consultation for Microenterprises,” funded by the German government and jointly implemented by GIZ and the National Development Institution (NDI). The combination of these instruments with Oschadbank’s opportunities is intended to simplify access to support for entrepreneurs to develop their own business.

Women’s entrepreneurship already accounts for 43% of Oschadbank’s micro-, small-, and medium-sized business client base. In the first 8 months of 2026 year, it was women who formed 55% of all new clients in this segment — more than 10 thousand new female entrepreneurs.

The central event of the day was the panel discussion “How Much Does Courage Cost,” during which speakers discussed the role of women leadership in the economy, barriers to access to capital, and shared responsibility for creating new opportunities for business.

Olena Kondratyuk, Yulia Svyrydenko, Natalia Butkova-Vitvitska

“The war changed the understanding of what it means to be a woman in business. Women have taken on managing families, finances, and companies, have entered professions that were previously considered male, and have shown that responsibility, empathy, and adaptability are strong leadership qualities. These changes are clearly visible each year at the Ukrainian Women’s Congress, where we bring together the government, business, and civil society. Today it is important for the state to create a system of coordinates together with business and financial institutions. Oschadbank’s ‘Women’s Affairs’ initiative is an example of such a response: it gives a woman trust and partners at the point where she takes the first step,” noted Olena Kondratyuk, Vice Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, co-founder of the Ukrainian Women’s Congress.

“During the full-scale war the government has launched and expanded dozens of programs that help Ukrainians start their own business, develop a business, master new professions, and find work. In particular, with the participation of partner banks, including Oschadbank. Support for women’s entrepreneurship is an important part of state policy, because women’s economic independence and equal access to opportunities for business development are components of gender equality. Today women entrepreneurs are one of the drivers of Ukraine’s economic resilience: they create jobs, develop communities, and contribute to the country’s recovery. And readiness to learn and practical educational programs are a strong guarantee of the future success of women in business,” said Yulia Svyrydenko, president of KSE Business School, and Prime Minister of Ukraine in 2025–2026 years.

“Women’s business is no longer a niche but a powerful driver of the economy. We see enormous potential and readiness of female entrepreneurs to develop and scale their own business. About 5000 women will be able to participate in the initiative and receive support for their business. As part of the comprehensive project, there will be a grant component amounting to about 2 million euros. We sincerely thank our partners for the high trust in Oschadbank, because only thanks to this synergy such large-scale projects become possible. For our part, we will add all available capabilities and instruments. Our task is to help women entrepreneurs move from resilience to confident growth, combining financing with guarantees, grants, training, and expert support. Behind every such project are new jobs, community development, and the future of our country,” emphasized Natalia Butkova-Vitvitska, member of the Oschadbank management board, head of the MSME direction.

Natalia Butkova-Vitvitska

As part of the event, international partners presented their own support programs that have entered the newly created ecosystem:

Iryna Khomenko, senior advisor on economic recovery at Prosper Global’s Ukraine office, spoke about an upcoming blended finance program that will combine donor funding with Oschadbank loans so that women’s business can obtain a bank loan with a lower financial burden;

Yasminka Begert, managing director of EFSE, noted the importance of strengthening women’s entrepreneurship, which is one of the fund’s impact priorities in Ukraine. She presented a comprehensive collaboration with Oschadbank that combines financing of 20 million euros in hryvnia terms, grant support for MSMEs, and a joint technical assistance initiative “Unleashing the Potential of Women’s Businesses in Ukraine,” aimed at supporting women entrepreneurs through tailored training, mentoring, and coaching for successful development and scaling of their businesses;

Danya Kupova, head of the Inclusive Financing direction at the EBRD, presented partner financial and credit tools and programs to support women’s entrepreneurship, aimed at easing access to capital and expanding economic opportunities for entrepreneurs;

Dr. Michael Beck, head of GSS project in Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa (MENA), and Ruslana Yovko, deputy head of GSS Ukraine, presented grant prospects to support women’s entrepreneurship aimed at development and scaling of one’s own business;

Ayke Fater, project director of the EMPOWER program “Strengthening War-affected Ukrainian Communities through Local Initiatives,” spoke about the EMPOWER program funded by GIZ and implemented by the National Development Institution, which provides Ukrainian women entrepreneurs with consultations and grant support.

Detailed information on the terms and how to apply can be found on the initiative’s official website.