How to Obtain Up to 8 Million UAH for Processing: Government Grants for Agrarians in 2026
The government continues to actively support enterprises engaged in the processing of milk, cheese, juices, and other agricultural products by providing grants of up to 8 million UAH for business development. The program includes compensation of up to 80% of the cost of equipment, with the application submission period ending in just two weeks.
This is reported by AgroReview
New Opportunities for the Development of the Processing Industry
The Ministry of Economy has launched a new wave of applications for government grants for processing enterprises in 2026. The maximum funding amount is 8 million UAH for the development of existing production facilities, and up to 16 million UAH for the restoration of damaged enterprises. Grant funds are received within 1 to 1.5 months after the application submission period ends and are not subject to taxation.
“In previous waves — the results are indicative: 115 applications for 600 million UAH were submitted in just the first two weeks of one wave. This means one thing: those who did not manage to apply in the first days often remain without funding until the next round.”
The significant number of applications in previous periods indicates high demand: only in two weeks, 115 applications totaling 600 million UAH were registered. This dynamic suggests that to obtain funding, it is important to submit an application as quickly as possible.
Who Can Benefit from Government Support
Grants are available for entrepreneurs who are already working in the processing industry and plan to expand, as well as for those who will be implementing projects in this field for the first time. For agricultural producers engaged in the cultivation of perennial crops and registered in the State Agricultural Register, funding for post-harvest processing equipment is also provided.
One of the mandatory conditions is the creation of at least five new jobs. Within three years, the grant recipient must pay the grant amount in the form of a single social contribution from the new jobs, which allows for the return of funds to the state through taxes rather than direct payments.
In most regions, the grant covers 50% of expenses, with the remaining 50% being the entrepreneur’s own funds. For frontline regions, the state share is 80%, and the own share is 20%. Such regions include Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Kherson, and Chernihiv regions.
For example, a farmer from Kharkiv region who buys equipment for milk processing for 4 million UAH will receive 3.2 million UAH from the state, and only 800 thousand UAH of their own funds will be needed. Profitability is ensured by the added value of the products.
Step-by-Step Guide for Submitting an Application
- Preparation of a Business Plan: it is necessary to prepare a business plan using the template provided by the Ministry of Economy, which can be downloaded from the diia.gov.ua portal. The most common reason for rejection is the absence of specific financial calculations in the business plan.
- Submission of Application: the application along with the business plan is submitted through the Diia portal and is automatically forwarded to the partner bank.
- Bank Assessment: the bank checks the business plan, the credit history of the enterprise, and conducts a visit to the production site. The final decision is made by the Ministry of Economy and the State Employment Service within 20 working days after the application submission stage ends.
Additionally, there is an opportunity to obtain grants of up to 90,000 euros for small and medium-sized enterprises for projects related to the secondary processing of agri-food products under the GRAPPA program. The application period runs from May 26 to October 20, 2026, with competition in this program being lower than in the government program.