The Ukrainian Veterans Fund of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, in partnership with Kernel, is now accepting applications for its program to support veteran entrepreneurship. Applications may be submitted until 6:00 p.m. on September 29, 2026.
Representatives of veteran-owned businesses—including sole proprietors, self-employed individuals, and legal entities officially registered as veteran-owned businesses—are eligible to participate in the competition.
Winners of the competition will be eligible to receive funding ranging from 500,000 to 1.5 million hryvnias, depending on the project budget.
You can submit an application and review the competition details on the Ukrainian Veterans Fund website: https://veteranfund.com.ua/contests/varto-krok-vpered/
Questions and clarifications regarding the submitted application package can be sent to [email protected], with the subject line “VARTO: A Step Forward Project Competition” and the application number.
If you need more information on obtaining veteran entrepreneurship status, you can watch a webinar by lawyers from the Ukrainian Veterans Fund’s Crisis and Legal Support Hotline at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJcGH0t-UTQ