The Digital Transformation Ministry launched a program in collaboration with the Office for the Development of Entrepreneurship and Export and Diya.Business to help 30 Ukrainian small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) enter the Polish market, the Ministry said on Nov. 13.
The enterprises will be able to access a free online tool, developed by the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE), on the Diya.Business website to establish business contacts with Polish companies.
"In 2022, almost every tenth company created in Poland was Ukrainian. Our goal is to support the business of Ukrainians living abroad and expand opportunities for their development," said Deputy Digital Transformation for European Integration Minister Valeriya Ionan.
"And supporting exports to Poland helps to strengthen the position of Ukrainian manufacturers and present them to the international arena."
The entrepreneurs will receive consulting support from local experts as well as help setting up potential partnerships.
The companies and their products will be included in a catalog of Ukrainian manufacturers which the project team will promote in meetings with representatives of Polish businesses.
Poland is one of the most attractive markets for Ukrainian businesses due to its close geography and convenient logistics, noted the director of the Office for Entrepreneurship and Export Development Andriy Remizov.
Last year, Poland imported $6.7 billion worth of Ukrainian-made products.
The pilot program aims to help SMEs establish supplies, gain a strong foothold in the Polish market, and increase exports, according to Remizov.
The number of SMEs has grown in Ukraine in recent months, although many were forced to close at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
With domestic demand dropping amid an exodus of Ukrainian citizens abroad, businesses are looking for opportunities to establish themselves in foreign markets.
Dominic Culverwell
