The NGO "Free People Employment Center" implements financial support programs for people who want to start, restore, or develop their own business.
These opportunities may be relevant, in particular, for veterans, families of military personnel, internally displaced persons, and local residents of war-affected communities, if they meet the eligibility criteria for a specific program.
1. Microbusiness Support Program up to $2,600
The microbusiness support program is implemented by the NGO "Free People's Employment Center" in cooperation with Mercy Corps.
Financial support is provided for equipment or tools needed to open, restore, or develop your own business.
The following can participate in the program:
• internally displaced persons living in the city of Kyiv, Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Chernihiv or Odessa regions;
• local residents of the specified regions who live in the territories where hostilities were or are being waged, in accordance with Order No. 376 of the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine dated February 28, 2025, and victims of the war.
! Veterans and military personnel may also consider this opportunity if they have IDP status or reside in communities that meet the program's criteria.
Participants are selected on a competitive basis. Preference is given to applicants with realistic business ideas that have potential for development, understand their market and require financial support to launch or scale their activities, and are financially or socially vulnerable.
The program provides not only financial assistance, but also support for participants - from submitting an application to further business development.
You can apply via the link:
https://uerp.mercycorps.org/page/NWaZmOPQ
For all questions regarding participation, program conditions, or the selection process, please contact the hotline:
+380 97 460 10 48
2. BLOOM program
The second phase of the BLOOM Program: “Building Livelihoods and Opportunities to Optimize Markets” is also available.
The program is implemented by the NGO "Free People's Employment Center" with the support of the international organization Mercy Corps.
The BLOOM program separately provides for the possibility of participation for veterans with documentary confirmation of status.
Regions:
Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhia, Mykolaiv, Kherson and Odessa regions
The following can participate:
• internally displaced persons registered after 2022;
• veterans with documentary confirmation of status;
• local residents of designated communities who are registered and live in the territories where hostilities were or are being conducted, in accordance with Order No. 376 of 02/28/2025.
Assistance may be available for both agricultural and non-agricultural activities, depending on the program conditions in a particular region.
The amount of financial assistance may be:
• from 1,000 to 3,000 USD in hryvnia equivalent — for self-employed individuals;
• from 1,000 to 5,000 USD in hryvnia equivalent — for registered individual entrepreneurs.
Funds can be used for equipment, tools, consumables, and other purchases necessary to run or develop a microbusiness.
The selection criteria are the social vulnerability of the household and the economic viability of the business idea. In particular, the presence of a clear business plan, realistic financial calculations, understanding of the market and the potential for sustainable development of the business are taken into account.
To participate, you need to register and fill out an application on the website:
During registration, you must choose a direction:
"1. Individual cash assistance to support microbusiness initiatives."
The deadline for the first wave of applications is July 10, 2026.
BLOOM Program hotline phone number:
095 988 38 94
Briefly, what else the NGO "Free People's Employment Center" provides for veterans is support in professional and personal development: career, vocational guidance and psychological consultations, assistance with adapting military experience to a civilian profession, consultations on starting your own business, training, retraining and mentoring programs.
All you need to do is contact:
Contacts for information:
0974601048
0959883894