GRANTS AS A MECHANISM FOR ACTIVATING THE DEVELOPMENT OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN UKRAINE

Abstract

The article reveals the features of the functioning of grant financing in Ukraine as one of the tools for supporting and developing entrepreneurial activity in the conditions of a full-scale war and structural transformation of the national economy. The study analyzes scientific approaches to determining the essence of grants as a tool for supporting entrepreneurship and assesses the current state of grant financing of entrepreneurial initiatives in Ukraine; identifies its main sources, areas and volumes. The success stories of small and medium-sized businesses in attracting grants and the effectiveness of their use are presented. Based on the analysis of theoretical approaches, legislative framework, program documents and practical experience of Ukrainian entrepreneurs, key forms of grant support are systematized, the most active donor structures, typical areas of financing, as well as the conditions for providing resources within state and international programs are identified. It is demonstrated that Ukrainian entrepreneurs receive grant support from programs of the European Commission, the UN, GIZ, UNDP, IOM, the government initiative "eRobota", the Ukrainian Veterans Fund, the Ukrainian Startup Fund, the Ukrainian Social Venture Fund, the Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund, etc. The research identified the main barriers that limit the effective attraction of grants by business entities in Ukraine. These barriers include: fragmentation of regulatory regulation, information inequality, low level of grant literacy among entrepreneurs, complexity of administrative procedures, insufficient institutional support for vulnerable groups of the population (in particular, veterans, women entrepreneurs), as well as distrust in the transparency of the distribution of financial resources. The article proposes a set of recommendations that cover the need to digitize application procedures, create a single grant information platform, introduce educational programs and applicant support centers, simplify regulatory requirements, and introduce public control mechanisms.The presented results can be used in the process of improving state policy to support entrepreneurship, designing economic recovery programs, as well as in the activities of government bodies, donor institutions, and business associations.