Ukraine

Strengthening economic recovery 

Small and medium-sized enterprises are the backbone of the country’s economic competitiveness and play a crucial role in Ukraine’s post-war recovery. That is why Helvetas supports the recovery and resilience of micro, small and medium-sized entrepreneurs in Ukraine, contributing to job creation and the strengthening of local economic ecosystems.

Helvetas consistently supports the development of entrepreneurship through:

• Supporting business growth by providing microgrants that help entrepreneurs restore or expand their enterprises. 330 grants have been provided to support business start-up, recovery and development.
• Implementing training programs designed to help entrepreneurs develop new professional skills and adapt to modern market conditions.
• Supporting the development of the Diia (Ukrainian state digital platform) Business platform, which gives entrepreneurs access to digital services, consultations and up-to-date resources to grow their businesses.

Helvetas also supported the development of several tools on the Diia.Business platform, including:

• A dashboard showing the export potential of Ukrainian regions 
• A catalog of export promotion tools
• A Digital Solutions Marketplace for Businesses 

We also collaborate with the Kharkiv Business Hub to support business consulting. By expanding services into Administrative Service Centers, this support becomes even more accessible to entrepreneurs. Over the last year, the Hub has provided more than 1,800 consultations.

Creating new income opportunities

In addition to damaging houses and infrastructure, the war has devastated businesses and retail chains, leaving many residents unemployed. 

In response to this challenge, Helvetas is delivering short-term, market-driven training for vulnerable groups. Training is provided for technical and vocational professions, including welders, plumbers, painters, plasterers and seamstresses; programs are also available for energy sector jobs, such as heating engineers specializing in renewable energy. The training is conducted in Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava and Sumy regions. More than 1,000 adults have already been able to acquire market-ready skills and improve their income. In 2026, these training courses will be organized for at least 1,000 people.

To ensure that the results of Helvetas’ activities are sustained beyond the completion of its projects, Helvetas became a member of the Skills Alliance, and collaborates with municipal vocational education institutions and strengthens their institutional capacity. Eighteen institutions received modern equipment worth over 160,000 francs, and another five received support to equip shelters, enabling the resumption of offline or blended learning. Training was organized for the administrations of selected vocational schools on launching adult education programs, developing partnerships with businesses, and ensuring financial sustainability.

Data-driven solutions with practical impact

For three years, Helvetas has worked alongside the State Employment Service and the Federation of Employers of Ukraine to research Ukraine’s labour market, focusing on employment opportunities for internally displaced people (IDPs), people with disabilities and veterans.

According to the Labour Market Assessment, internally displaced persons account for only 3.2% of officially employed people in Ukraine, people with disabilities make up 6.5%, and veterans account for just 1% – despite the fact that nearly 90% of surveyed businesses report readiness to hire candidates from these groups (based on a survey of 61,000 employers).

To address this, Helvetas also provides internships for vulnerable groups at 27 local enterprises. Interns gain valuable practical experience and build relationships with local employers, strengthening long-term employment.

The Labour Market Assessment helps to adjust business support strategies, while also providing valuable insights for policymakers. In a country affected by war, where the situation shifts rapidly, access to evidence-based data is essential for making informed decisions.

Thanks to the assessment, the State Employment Service was able to:

• Improve services for veterans, people with disabilities, internally displaced persons and young people
• Increase the number of users accessing their support programs
• In cooperation with employers, changes were initiated to compensation programs and the organization of public works

Helvetas also implements the regional program RECONOMY in Ukraine. Its main goal is to create more inclusive job opportunities and promote a green economy. 

Supporting community-rooted projects 

While more than 90% of humanitarian aid is delivered by Ukrainian organizations, less than 1% of these organizations have direct access to international funding for their activities. Helvetas provides grants to locally led organizations for shelter and social safety net projects.

Over 90 Ukrainian organizations that received grants to conduct small and medium repairs of housing and civil infrastructure were also supported in improving their organizational, technical and administrative capacities.

Through the work of our implementing local partners, over 50,000 people in war-affected communities gained access to life-saving bomb shelters, hospitals and an uninterrupted water, electricity and heating supply. They were also able to evacuate to well-equipped IDP shelters from the frontline communities. Overall, 81 projects on bomb shelter reconstruction (14 on civil infrastructure rehabilitation; 46 on equipment of IDP shelters; and 21 on rebuilding damaged housing) were supported by Helvetas.  

Together with partners, a Methodology for Community Needs Assessment for CSOs was also developed. These methodological guidelines offer practical advice for civil society organizations on how to assess community needs during the recovery process. The document is based on Ukrainian legislation, international experience and fieldwork in affected regions.

Reconstruction of infrastructure 

Helvetas supports the light and medium repair of war-damaged houses, as well as water and sanitation systems, and provides the necessary winterization to protect people from the harsh winter conditions. Those in need receive both technical support as well as cash assistance to repair their homes and local infrastructure. Repair Hubs in the Kyiv and Kharkiv regions provide guidance.   
 

Thematic Focus in Ukraine

Market systems development

Helvetas supports Ukraine’s economic recovery by designing, piloting and scaling market-based solutions that enable businesses, institutions and communities to recover and grow despite the ongoing war. The organization applies internationally recognized approaches – including Market Systems Development (MSD) and outcome-based financing – to address structural barriers in entrepreneurship, employment and private sector development.

Human capital development 

Human capital is at the core of Ukraine’s long-term economic recovery. Helvetas works at both national and regional levels to ensure that education, skills development and employment systems are aligned with labor market demand and capable of adapting to rapid economic change.

At the policy level, Helvetas has provided expert support in the development of the draft Law “On Vocational Education” and actively contributes to institutional reform processes through cooperation with the State Employment Service and the National Qualifications Agency. These partnerships help institutionalize new models of cooperation between the state, the private sector and education providers – enabling a more responsive and resilient labor market.

By investing in people’s skills, supporting self-employment, and enabling small and medium-sized enterprises to grow, Helvetas strengthens regional economies from within and contributes to inclusive, sustainable recovery.

Private-public partnerships

Helvetas leverages its extensive global experience in public-private partnerships to support Ukraine. By aligning the needs of both businesses and communities, Helvetas aims to create employment opportunities and drive sustainable economic growth.

Helvetas, together with the Swiss construction company Divario AG, is launching a public-private partnership project aimed at providing housing solutions for families affected by the war, while also promoting the development of energy-efficient housing in Ukraine.

In communities across the Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Sumy regions, 330 energy-efficient modular homes will be installed. All are made from high-quality certified wood, which will contribute to reducing the carbon footprint in the reconstruction processes. The houses will be manufactured in Ukraine at Divario AG’s facility in Vinnytsia region, creating more than 30 new jobs and strengthening local production chains. Moreover, the project will generate additional employment in related industries across the country.

In addition, Helvetas and the NGO Housing Institute conducted a market study on prefabricated construction in Ukraine, combining data and results from pilot projects to develop a scalable recovery model for the government.

Helvetas’ Added Value in Ukraine

Helvetas is a Swiss international NGO advancing Ukraine’s economic recovery and development through integrated, long-term approaches. Its added value lies in:

• Designing, piloting and scaling practical recovery solutions
• Applying market systems and outcome-based approaches
• Generating trusted evidence and transferring proven models to Ukrainian partners
• Supporting reforms that extend beyond individual projects and donor funding

Helvetas works either directly with businesses and institutions or through local partners, selecting implementation models best suited to the context. This combination of local agility and international accountability enables Helvetas to move beyond isolated projects, and to translate donor resources into reforms and scalable solutions that support Ukraine’s self-sustaining recovery.