RECOVERY THROUGH DEVELOPMENT: ECONOMIC RESILIENCE FOR WAR-AFFECTED BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITIES

The Ukraine Economic Resilience Programme (ERP) supports the recovery of business activity and helps mitigate the consequences of the war for affected people, leveraging a strong field presence and a systems-based approach to recovery. Within the Programme, Helvetas helps residents of Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Poltava regions restore economic stability and reduce dependence on external assistance. The Programme supports small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), subsistence farmers, small and medium agricultural enterprises, vocational education and training institutions, as well as the Diia.Business platform.

The Ukraine Economic Resilience Programme is implemented by the ERP consortium consisting of Mercy Corps, Right to Protection, Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation, and JERU (Joint Emergency Response in Ukraine of Welthungerhilfe and Concern Worldwide), with the support of Switzerland through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

Supporting Business Start-Up and Recovery

Helvetas provides grants to entrepreneurs and self-employed individuals to start, restart, or expand their businesses. This support covers a wide range of business types that contribute to economic recovery in war-affected regions.

With a dedicated presence in Kharkiv, Helvetas piloted here a business support model, providing over 1,800 consultations to entrepreneurs through the Kharkiv Business Hub. The model proved effective and was later scaled up to the municipal level, integrating advisory services into six administrative service centers in coordination with local authorities and business associations.

Developing Vocational Education to Prepare a Skilled Workforce

In 2025, under the Ukraine Economic Resilience Programme, Helvetas has carried out sector-specific assessments to identify priority occupations and skills in demand. The resulting sector overview reports guide the update of training programs and curricula in VET institutions.

Helvetas supports practice-oriented training that helps adults quickly gain relevant skills, access employment, or start a business, with attention to inclusive opportunities.

As part of ERP, 8 VET institutions in Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Poltava regions are receiving modern equipment to strengthen hands-on learning and prepare a workforce aligned with the needs of local economies during recovery.