Oschadbank has announced the launch of the “Green Farming in the Horticulture Sector” program, under which Ukrainian fruit growers will be able to receive grants of up to 10,000 euros and preferential bank financing to implement climate-resilient technologies. The program is officially scheduled to launch on July 22, 2026.
Natalia Butkova-Vitvitska, a member of Oschadbank’s board responsible for micro, small, and medium-sized businesses, announced the bank’s participation in the program during her presentation on July 15 at the Ukrinform press center.
The agro-industrial sector is one of the key drivers of the Ukrainian economy: it accounts for 17–19% of the country’s GDP and accounts for 41% of Ukrainian exports, and more than 70% of agricultural producers are small and medium-sized farms. The program is specifically designed to support this segment, helping Ukrainian fruit growers invest in modern technologies and increase the competitiveness of their farms.
“Oschadbank is one of the leaders in implementing the principles of sustainable financing in the micro, small, and medium-sized business segment. We are systematically expanding Ukrainian entrepreneurs’ access to modern financial instruments that help them invest in climate-resilient technologies. Today, Oschadbank’s loan portfolio in the agricultural sector exceeds 17.7 billion UAH and accounts for over 53% of the MSME business division’s loan portfolio. “The ‘Green Farming in Horticulture’ program will provide Ukrainian horticulturists with additional opportunities to modernize production and develop their farms,” noted Natalia Butkova-Vitvitskaya, a member of Oschadbank’s Management Board responsible for micro, small, and medium-sized businesses.
Sustainable financing is one of the key areas of development for Oschadbank’s MSME business division. The bank is consistently expanding its partnership programs with international financial institutions and introducing financial instruments that help Ukrainian entrepreneurs invest in projects related to energy efficiency, decarbonization, and the adoption of climate-resilient technologies.
Program Participation Requirements
The program launches on July 22, 2026. Until then, potential participants can review the program’s terms and prepare the necessary documents.
Program participants will be eligible to receive:
– a grant of up to 10,000 euros;
– a grant covering up to 20% of the outstanding principal balance of the loan;
– financing for investment projects, including through the government’s “Affordable Loans 5-7-9%” program, with a term of up to 5 years;
– the opportunity to submit an application within 30 calendar days after the program’s launch.
Detailed program terms are available at: https://bdf.gov.ua/programs/zelene-fermerstvo-v-haluzi-sadivnytstva/.
The “Green Farming in Horticulture” program is being implemented as part of the “Preparing Eastern Partnership Countries for the European Green Deal (PROGRESS)” project, which is being carried out on behalf of the German Federal Government’s International Climate Initiative (IKI). It combines grant support and preferential bank loans to introduce climate-resilient technologies in horticulture.
agricultural sector, FARMING, GRANT, HORTICULTURE, OSCHADBANK
Oschadbank has officially joined the global WE Finance Code initiative by signing a letter of intent. Participation in the program confirms the bank’s commitment to expanding financing opportunities for women-led businesses, implementing international best practices in supporting entrepreneurship, and helping to remove barriers to access to financial resources.
By signing the letter of intent, Oschadbank has committed to ensuring the systematic development of its women’s entrepreneurship support initiatives, tracking and analyzing gender-based financing metrics, and expanding specialized products and programs for women entrepreneurs. Upon completion of the transition period, the bank will report on the fulfillment of these commitments to the National Bank of Ukraine for their subsequent inclusion in the annual global reporting under the WE Finance Code.
In Ukraine, the initiative is being implemented by the Ministry of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture, the National Bank of Ukraine, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The Ministry serves as the national coordinator for the WE Finance Code and ensures the coordination of the coalition’s activities. The WE Finance Code coalition includes banks, credit unions, leasing companies, and relevant financial sector associations, and with Oschadbank’s accession, its membership continues to grow.
Joining the WE Finance Code is a logical continuation of Oschadbank’s systematic efforts to support women’s entrepreneurship. As of the end of June 2026, the loan portfolio for women-led businesses in the micro, small, and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) segment reached 5.2 billion UAH. By comparison, at the beginning of 2022, this figure stood at 1.3 billion UAH; in other words, during the period of full-scale war, the volume of lending to women-owned businesses has quadrupled.
Today, women entrepreneurs account for 34% of Oschadbank’s MSME loan portfolio. In addition, they account for 40% of all recipients of non-repayable grants, which the bank verifies and supports as part of national and international entrepreneurship support programs.
“During the full-scale war, Oschadbank’s loan portfolio for women-led businesses has quadrupled—to 5.2 billion UAH. This is the best proof that women entrepreneurs remain one of our most dynamic client groups. We see their resilience, adaptability, and strong financial discipline even under the current extremely challenging conditions. That is precisely why we are successfully developing our own “Women’s Business” ecosystem, which offers not just financing, but comprehensive solutions for starting and scaling a business. It is a great honor for us to join the global WE Finance Code community. We are convinced that market leaders must not only implement best practices but also set the direction for development. That is why we have set an ambitious goal for ourselves—to work with other participants in the initiative to create new financial solutions that will expand opportunities for Ukrainian women entrepreneurs and promote the development of this sector in Ukraine,” — said Natalia Butkova-Vitvitska, a member of Oschadbank’s board of directors responsible for MSMEs.
An important component of this work is Oschadbank’s own “Women’s Business” ecosystem, which provides comprehensive support to women entrepreneurs. The program offers financing for startups to purchase franchises of up to 5 million UAH and for agricultural projects—up to 10 million UAH, preferential lending terms with a deferral of principal repayment for 7–9 months, competitive interest rates, fast processing of loan applications, the option to submit documents online, personalized assistance from a manager, and consulting support.
WE Finance Code is a global multilateral initiative aimed at expanding women entrepreneurs’ access to financing. Today, it is being implemented in more than 30 countries worldwide and brings together financial institutions, regulators, business associations, and international partners to develop the financial ecosystem for women’s entrepreneurship.
female entrepreneur, LOAN, MSMEs, OSCHADBANK, WE Finance Code
As of the end of June, state-owned Oschadbank had formed a pipeline of 32 municipal projects with a total value of EUR74 million, according to Natalia Butkova-Vitvitska, a member of the bank’s board responsible for micro, small, and medium-sized businesses, during the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC 2026) in Gdańsk.
Of these, 26 projects are planned for small towns and villages in the small and medium-sized business segment, while another six are for large regional centers in the corporate segment.
The projects focus, in particular, on modernizing water supply and wastewater systems, upgrading public transportation and municipal infrastructure, improving the energy efficiency of buildings, restoring social facilities, and strengthening the energy resilience of communities.
According to Butkova-Vitvitskaya, one of the main constraints on municipal financing remains the inadequate preparation of projects. Communities need technical assistance in developing feasibility studies, conducting energy audits, assessing ESG risks, and preparing projects for bank financing.
She believes that international risk-sharing mechanisms for infrastructure and energy projects should be designed for a term of at least 10 years, while financing for communities should be available for up to 20 years.
Among other necessary measures, the Oschadbank representative cited the simplification of procurement procedures, the expansion of grant programs, the provision of guarantees by the government and international financial organizations, and training for municipal teams.
According to the bank, about 1,000 of more than 1,400 Ukrainian communities are creditworthy. The total volume of municipal borrowing in recent years has reached nearly EUR2.7 billion, of which EUR1.1 billion came from the domestic market and over EUR1.6 billion from international financial organizations.
Oschadbank estimates its share of the municipal lending market at approximately 39%.
According to the National Bank, as of May 1, 2026, Oschadbank, with total assets of 534.47 billion UAH, ranked second among the country’s 58 solvent banks.
Oschadbank has increased the loan portfolio of the MHP Group by 500 million hryvnias by providing a revolving credit line to replenish working capital, the bank’s press service reported.
The new financing marks the latest stage in the strategic partnership between Oschadbank and MHP, which has been ongoing since 2022. Taking into account the expanded limit under the general credit agreement between the bank and the MHP Group, the total amount of financing provided exceeds UAH 2.66 billion.
According to Oschadbank, the new credit line will help the company flexibly finance its current operations, maintain production cycles, fulfill obligations to partners, and strengthen the export potential of Ukraine’s agro-industrial complex.
“MHP is one of Oschadbank’s key clients, a leader in the Ukrainian agro-industrial complex, and a company with high-quality financial reporting and stable operations. For companies demonstrating such a high level of financial management as the MHP Group, Oschadbank is ready to offer not only large credit lines but also flexible financing instruments without collateral,” noted Serhiy Chernikov, Director of Oschadbank’s Corporate Business Department.
He added that for a state-owned bank, the decision to provide unsecured financing is based on in-depth analysis of the borrower and a detailed assessment of potential credit risk.
Nadiya Zherebnyuk, Director of the Corporate Finance and Treasury Department at MHP, noted that Oschadbank is a key financial partner of the group, and the expansion of cooperation through unsecured financing instruments has become a new stage in strengthening MHP’s financial stability.
Oschadbank systematically supports large Ukrainian businesses, the agro-industrial complex, and exporters, which provide foreign currency inflows, jobs, tax revenues, and stability to Ukraine’s economy.
Oschadbank is one of Ukraine’s largest state-owned banks. According to the National Bank of Ukraine, as of May 1, 2026, the bank’s assets exceeded UAH 510 billion, with capital amounting to approximately UAH 44.7 billion. The bank serves individuals, small and medium-sized businesses, corporate clients, and the public sector.
MHP is an international food and agrotechnology company with production assets in Ukraine and Europe. The company is expanding its export operations and supplies products to over 70 countries worldwide. In 2019, Perutnina Ptuj—one of the leading producers of chicken and meat products in Southeast Europe—joined the MHP Group.
State-owned Oschadbank increased the loan portfolio of the MHP group of companies by UAH 500 million by providing a blanket credit line to replenish working capital, the financial institution announced on Wednesday.
According to a press release from the bank, taking into account the new financing, the total amount of funds provided to MHP under the general credit agreement exceeded UAH 2.66 billion.
“For companies demonstrating a high level of financial management, Oschadbank is ready to offer not only large credit lines but also flexible financing instruments without collateral,” said Serhiy Chernikov, director of the bank’s corporate business department.
It is noted that the new unsecured credit line will enable the company to finance its current operations, maintain production cycles, and fulfill its obligations to partners.
As reported, Oschadbank’s loan portfolio for the first quarter of 2026 increased by 2.5%, or by 3.14 billion UAH, to 130.59 billion UAH; specifically, loans to legal entities rose by 1.9% to 102.74 billion UAH.
According to the National Bank, as of April 1, 2026, the state-owned bank, with net assets of UAH 500.9 billion, ranked second among the country’s 58 banks.
MHP is the largest poultry producer in Ukraine and also produces grains, oil, and meat products. The agricultural holding’s production facilities are located in Ukraine and the countries of Southeast Europe.
Oschadbank has provided Elektrika Ukraine LLC with EUR 23.6 million in long-term project financing for the construction of a 50 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) with a capacity of 131.2 MWh, the bank announced.
As noted in its press release on Monday, a key feature of the deal is the inclusion of international insurance coverage involving Lloyd’s syndicates.
“For Oschadbank, this project marks the first experience in structuring energy financing with international insurance coverage, specifically involving Lloyd’s syndicates. The fact that international insurance companies are willing to participate in the implementation of energy projects in Ukraine amid the war creates potential for a significant expansion of the energy sector’s development and the implementation of complex infrastructure projects,” commented Serhiy Chernikov, Director of Oschadbank’s Corporate Business Department.
He noted that during the full-scale war, the bank has already concluded deals worth more than UAH 7.4 billion in the corporate business segment to finance the energy sector and remains a leader in this area.
“We are sincerely grateful to Oschadbank for its trust, professionalism, and willingness to support Ukraine’s energy sector even during the most challenging times. Energy storage systems are not just an infrastructure asset, but the foundation of Ukraine’s energy security and the basis of the energy system of the future,” noted Maksym Pyshny, Director of Elektrika Ukraine LLC.
According to him, the company plans to implement a number of additional projects in Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and looks forward to further cooperation with Oschadbank.
As for the BESS project itself, according to the bank, the financing covers approximately 70% of its cost and is aimed at increasing the flexibility and resilience of Ukraine’s energy system amid limited generation and high loads caused by the consequences of the war.
It is specified that the project is being implemented under a long-term contract with NPC “Ukrenergo” and involves the provision of automatic frequency restoration reserve services—one of the main mechanisms for balancing the power system.
