The Ukrainian Veterans Fund of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs has announced the launch of a new grant support program. The “VARTO: Business with Character” competition is designed to help male and female veterans realize their potential in civilian life by launching and scaling their own entrepreneurial initiatives. The program is being implemented in partnership with Kernel.
The “VARTO: Business with Character” competition is an opportunity for veterans to receive a grant and bring their own business idea to life. The grant amount will range from 500,000 to 1.5 million hryvnias and will depend on a well-founded budget for the business project.
Who Can Participate
Individuals and legal entities registered in accordance with current legislation as veteran entrepreneurs are eligible to participate in the competition.
The competition is open to all sectors of entrepreneurship, with no restrictions on business themes.
How the Selection Process Will Work
The competitive selection process includes three key stages:
- Technical screening: verification of the completeness of the application package and compliance of the application with the requirements;
- Expert evaluation: analysis of applications by independent experts;
- Project defense: public presentation of projects to the experts.
Applications will be accepted from May 14 to June 1, until 6:00 PM. The results of the competition will be announced on July 31, 2026.
To help participants prepare high-quality applications, the Ukrainian Veterans Fund will hold a series of online workshops. The first workshop will take place on May 21, starting at 11:00 a.m. You can register for the workshop by filling out the form: https://forms.gle/AEcMQYJw74Y94Ds66. All registered participants will receive a link to join the online conference via email.
Details and application submission: https://veteranfund.com.ua/contests/varto-biznes-z-kharakterom/
Email for questions: [email protected] (be sure to include “VARTO: Business with Character Project Competition” and your application number in the subject line).
The Ukrainian Veterans Fund is a state-funded institution under the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine. Since its inception in 2022, the fund has already held 16 competitions to support business projects by veterans, their families, and the families of fallen soldiers, as well as initiatives for veterans organized by civil society organizations, totaling approximately one billion hryvnias.
Kernel is a Ukrainian manufacturing and infrastructure company with diversified operations. The company combines agricultural production and processing with manufacturing, logistics, export operations, and proprietary IT solutions, supplying products to 60 countries worldwide. Kernel accounts for 10% of global sunflower oil exports. The company actively invests in community development and systematically supports veteran entrepreneurship.